This one makes me happy… not just because I can keep a beer handy but because I have been trying to perfect this concept for a long time. My original design (here) was ok for me at the time but not ok for me now. This design is infinitely superior and complex. Three axes of rotation, plain bearings built into the design, adjustability, and more. No hardware is required, print in-place springs, and snap together components. Check it out…
To really appreciate why I am so pleased with this design you have to reflect on my original beer holder which had no hinges or pivots. So it was stiff and did not stabilize the beverage. I created a second design the BevvySteady (#2) which is truly gimballed but requires steel bearings, screws and ultimately is more expensive to produce. This new version gives almost the same drink stability at a lower cost and is 100% printed and adjustable.
Of course, you can use this for pretty much any kind of beverage. It does not need to be beer. I have created (so far) 3 different ring sizes for varying beverage containers. The largest is designed for large format beers (stadium beers), the middle one is for standard beers tall and short, and the smallest one is for the newer skinny can drinks. The adjustable leg allows you to adjust the height of the beverage can so that it sits as low as possible but still can be held well by the gripper.
The centre of the design is the “spine” to which all the main components attach to. The spine has built-in spring mechanisms to retain the beverage holder and allow them to be swapped out. As well the spine retains the leg (base) and allows it to be adjusted in height.
The off-axis gimbal does not truly stabilize the beverage but I found even with a true gimbal, because it is against your body, the gimbal is not perfectly effective. But by adding two bearings on the axis parallel to your body a substantial amount of movement is permitted. The 3rd axis allows the beverage to swing away from your body and makes the entire assembly more comfortable.
The two main plain bearings are embedded in bodies that snap together as shown in the illustration. Two pairs of hooks flex and then restore their position inside the inner bearing bodies. This can not be disassembled once they are snapped together.
The connector plate connects the gimbal side (and belt hook) to the spine (the beverage side). It clicks into the back side of the spine by aligning it flush with the top back area of the spine. And, then sliding it up. There is a locking tab in the spine that needs to be flexed out when the connector plate is inserted. After the connector is fully seated the locking tab will restore to its original position and lock the connector plate in place.
The beverage holder rings slide onto the top of the spine. Once fully seated the sprung tabs on the spine will snap into place and lock the beverage holder into place. To remove the beverage holder you must press in on the tabs while pully up on the beverage holder.
The leg (or base) of the assembly slides up onto the spine and can be adjusted in position by squeezing the two tabs on the lower back side of the spine.
Super important to note that I have built in some support where it is needed. So do not add support when printing. Here are some images of the support I added. The red part needs to be snapped off after printing.
Where is all this going… my final goal is to make a version of this that can hold a wine glass (successfully).
Printing
I have tried to make my main print settings visible on the Cura screenshot but in case they are difficult to read I have summarized them again here…
Material: I choose to use PETG for its durability and flexibility. I am not sure how well this will work in PLA and would love to get some feedback from anyone who tries it.
My Setup:
Nozzle = 0.4mm
My Settings:
Layer height = 0.2mm
Line width = 0.45mm
Wall count = 4 (1.6mm)
Infill = 40%
Support:
Does not require support. Two components have breakaway support designed in. After printing, simply snap off the support material.
Print Orientation: As shown in the screenshot(s).
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