Compressor [Card] Box!

A box with variable volume!  This idea had been on my mind for ages, but I'd invariably ended up going in some other direction when sketching it out - but no longer!  The concept was relatively simple - a lid with a screw mechanism to lower and secure it at any arbitrary point.

Funnily enough, the box body itself remained almost completely unchanged through the design process, despite my rubbish bin filling with discarded lid prototypes.  Some ideas caused too much friction, others would get off-level and bind up when being pulled out.  But each step brought new insight and suggested new solutions, and the final result is smooth and easy!

The lid has a handle that rotates within it, and that handle has a screw thread that drives the lid up and down within the box body.  The outer edges of the lid have guide surfaces to help it stay nice and level as it goes.  And the whole thing has a kind of art deco vibe to it...

Oh, and the [Card] in the title there refers to the fact that this box is sized to fit standard (poker-) sized cards as commonly used in games and, cards.  But it's okay to keep other things in it, too.  Maybe not anything that might get squished, though.

File Location

You'll find this one under 819 Compressor Box on dropbox, and it has two files - one for the box body, and one for the lid assembly. 

Printing Tips

The box and lid both print upright, like so:

The lid has a rotating screw built into it, so you'll want to watch that bottom layer, and make sure that there isn't any stringing that might bind the moving parts together!

Dimensions

The box internal dimensions are 65mm * 90mm , and 77mm in height, though the lid itself will occupy some of that height.

Final thoughts

It's great to finally have this one done!  It was bouncing around in my head for so long, and it's pretty satisfying to have it done and working.  I might even keep cards in it! :)

xoxo

Sven.