Pi4B Breezy Case! (Patreon)

Hi, wonderful people!

Apparently Pi4Bs are a popular thing right now!  And one significant difference between it and the previous generations is that a cooling fan is no longer really optional.  So, I had a bunch of requests asking for a spot to mount a 30mm fan.  Usually, you'd just add a spot to take some bolts, but where's the fun in that!  

I started by experimenting with friction-fit clips, but the variability between printers means it's tough to get something secure, especially when dealing with something that vibrates, so I started exploring screw-based attachments and ended up with an internal caddy attached via a screw-on grille on the outside! 

So, what are some of the exciting design features here?

* First and foremost, the screw-in caddy is tolerant of both printing variations and fan thickness variations.  I was unduly pleased about that :)

* The caddy has a cutaway down one edge - this is intended to give a bit more headroom for the GPIO pins that are probably being used to power the fan.

* The vent slots on top are intentionally wide enough to feed a camera cable out.

* The whole case is based on the existing hinged case, but a lot has been subtly changed - there is much more head room above the board, for example, and the card access slot is improved.

Sorry, GPIO fans, the caddy really gets in the way of top access to the pins.  It might be possible to provide access through the side, though... hmm...

File Location

You'll find this one under 818 Pi4B Breezy Case on dropbox!

Printing Tips

Print orientation for the parts is as shown below...

As usual, it's all designed for straightforward printing - no support needed, the hinge prints assembled.  You'll want your first layer to be neat, since that's the outside of the case, and you'll want to watch out for any stringing or other print defects that might compromise the hinge and mind moving parts together!

Final Thoughts

Some problems really are satisfying to solve, and this fan holder case was definitely one of them.  Bolts would arguably been simpler, I must admit, but these are the kinds of design solutions that really do sit in one's brain and lead to other interesting things... (I hope!)

Stay cool, Pi4s!

xoxo

Sven.