Feb. 24, 2015 | By Alec
Thanks to the sheer convenience Kindles and e-readers bring to bookworms like us, you might almost forget that not everyone can easily use them. In fact, people with hand disabilities – such as muscle weakness, hand tremors or even conditions like cerebral palsy or MS that affect hand functions – can rarely operate e-readers and kindles as continuously pressing the buttons put too much strain on their hands.
Fortunately, one very helpful London-based designer going by the username of XenonJohn has come up with a very clever solution. He has shared his designs for a 3D printed mechanical page turner on Instructables, which enable you to easily make and assemble a useful tool that makes operating a Kindle easier than ever. For Kindles have buttons on each side of the screen that can be pressed to jump back and forward between pages, and with these flat levers on each side you’ll need to apply far less pressure to actually turn a page; perfect for people with hand disabilities or patients in hospitals.
The lever for the power button can be seen below.
This latest version by John also features a lever that triggers the on/off button, truly making the Kindle accessible to all. ‘I did try to get this made properly by injection moulding via Kickstarter but learned my first crowdfunding lesson: it is not cool, electronic or funky enough for that audience!’ John reveals, but 3D printing is just as suitable (and far more affordable) to make this a reality.
For maximum convenience, the levers can be closed when not in use.
And it's remarkably easy to assemble as well. Simply download the necessary STL files from John’s Instructable page here, which he designed in Google Sketchup 8.0. To ensure success, John advises everyone to 3D print the hinge pins horizontally without a raft structure, while the main body is printed from the base upwards (so not lying flat down) to avoid curving ends.
Once complete, it's a simple matter of cleaning all channels with a file to ensure a correct fit. Then simply assemble by following John’s instructions. If everything goes well, the lever for the power button doesn’t cover the charger’s entry point, so you don’t even have to slide your Kindle in and out of your casing when the battery needs to be charged. It’s as simple as that, so if you suffer from hand problems or know someone that does, this is a perfect 3D printing project for you.
Posted in 3D Printing Applicatons
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so sweet! love this