Cell Phone Car Mount for BMW vehicles

thingiverse

I just released version 2.0. Check it out because it's so much better. I released two different 2.0 variations that mount differently. I personally use the SLOTMOUNT version, it's lower profile, works great and it positioned higher. Both 2.0 version have a different phone holder style. It uses less material and there isn't a front brace which means it doesn't block the charging cable for portrait mounted phones. The slot mount version slides into a small slit just above the hazard lights button, instead of the original design which clipped lower around the center air vents. The slot mount has three tabs. One middle wide one, and two outer narrow ones (see photo). What you have to do is bend them in opposite directions to create a leaf spring. I did this by taking a lighter, applying a bit of heat and then bending them. Lastly I've included a version of each that doesnt need screws to attach the phone mount side to the car mount side. I is meant to be glued. This is heavily inspired by this design, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:271943. The main difference is mine is designed to be easy to attach/detach as I don't want it up there all of the time (just on long trips). It's also better hidden. And it's got a different connection design for the phone to vent mount I started a remix but ultimately did my own design from scratch as it was simply easier to work with. I've redesigned the phone mount to fit BlackBerry Passport and Z30, but it can easily be modified to work with any phone. It's easier to install and remove because I've added lower resistance clips and a detach lever. This helps ensure you don't scratch anything up because you aren't having to force the clips on. Likewise I found the above mention model difficult to remove. You'd have to use a tool like your keys or a screw drive to get it off. The detach lever is well hidden. It basically stays in line with the vent louvers and then makes a bend for the thumb tab to poke out. You might have to extend this lever depending on your phone's length. (I really hope to make this design parametric at some point so people can use this without having to worry about rework. It'd like it to be customizable for any car for that matter.) The phone mount can attach to the vent mount by using two M3 screws (hint: hard drive screws are M3). If you don't use screws you can use krazy glue to secure the two pieces together. I tested this and it works great. I recommend attaching a piece of foam to the back of the unit to ensure a more firm mount and also for some extra protection against your dash. If you cut the foam just right it will fit snug by itself between the two mounting posts. I also recommend giving a light sand to any parts of the mount that touch your car. Such as the back of the mount. And more importantly the hooks/clips. The last thing you want is a bur or a sharp end scratching anything up. PLA probably isn't a good idea due to heat issues. ABS would probably be best. I did mine in PLA and we'll see how long it lasts me after winter. ABS in an acetone vapor bath would probably look like a really nice product.