iPad Big Grips Plug Adapter by TheNewHobbyist

Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago

I was recently asked to design a cable adapter for the Big Grips iPad case. It's a big squishy foam case designed to be "kid-proof", and while it succeeds at that, it also makes administrative tasks like charging a real pain.
The case is super squishy and good for kids but the case is so large it makes the dock connector inset by nearly 2 inches. While I'm sure this provides some extra protection from tiny hands, it also makes plugging the wiggly USB cord extremely difficult for adult fingers.
My initial goal was to create an adapter that would both incorporate an easier way to plug in the device and keep it in line with the original design ascetic.
The finished adapter press fits over the Apple USB cable, it takes a good bit of effort to squeeze the cable in, but once in place you can tell it's not going anywhere (which is important when you're designing something for use by/around children). Once installed, plugging in the USB cable is as easy as sliding the adapter into the dock port opening. The USB cable is automatically lined up, no muss, no fuss.
More details about the project and pictures are available in this blog post: http://thenewhobbyist.com/2012/09/unknown-solutions/