The New Hotness

Having a few TCRT5000 proximity sensors lying around, I used one for the Color Mixer so folks could just wave a finger to flip the LED colors, rather than pound relentlessly on the top plate:

Color mixer - controls — Color mixer – controls

The stem fits into a slot made with a 3/8 inch end mill:

Prox Sensor Bezel - Slic3r preview — Prox Sensor Bezel – Slic3r preview

You move the cutter by the length of the sensor (10.0 mm will work) to make the slot. In practical terms, drill a hole at the midpoint, insert the cutter, then move ±5.0 mm from the center:

A bead of epoxy around the stem on the bottom of the panel should hold it in place forevermore.

The rectangular inner hole came out a tight push fit for the TCRT5000 sensor, so I didn’t bother gluing it in place and, surprisingly, it survived the day unscathed!

The OpenSCAD source code as a GitHub Gist:

	// TCRT5000 Proximity switch sensor mount
	// Ed Nisley KE4ZNU – October 2016

	Layout = "Build"; // Show Build

	//- Extrusion parameters must match reality!

	ThreadThick = 0.25;
	ThreadWidth = 0.40;

	HoleWindage = 0.2;

	Protrusion = 0.1; // make holes end cleanly

	inch = 25.4;

	function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);

	//———————-
	// Dimensions

	Sensor = [5.9,10.0,7.0];

	SensorHoleCutter = 3/8 * inch;

	echo(str("Cutter dia: ",SensorHoleCutter," mm"));
	echo(str("Cutter motion: ",Sensor[1]," mm"));

	PanelThick = 5.0;

	StemLength = PanelThick + 6*ThreadThick;

	FlangeThick = 3 * ThreadThick;

	//———————-
	// Flange model

	module ProxFlange() {

	difference() {
	union() {
	linear_extrude(height=FlangeThick)
	hull()
	for (i=[-1,1], j=[-1,1])
	translate([iSensor[0],jSensor[1]])
	circle(r=Sensor[0]/2,$fn=8*4);
	translate([0,0,-StemLength])
	linear_extrude(height=StemLength)
	hull()
	for (j=[-1,1])
	translate([0,j*Sensor[1]/2])
	circle(d=SensorHoleCutter,$fn=8*4);
	}
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cube(Sensor + [HoleWindage,HoleWindage,2*(PanelThick + Protrusion)],center=true);
	}

	}

	//———————-
	// Build it

	if (Layout == "Show")
	ProxFlange();

	if (Layout == "Build")
	translate([0,0,FlangeThick])
	rotate([180,0,0])
	ProxFlange();

view raw Prox Switch Mount.scad hosted with ❤ by GitHub

The New Hotness

TCRT5000 Proximity Sensor Mount