Cord Wrapper

As a student, I always carry my electronics with me—whether it’s my phone, computer, or iPad, there’s always some device in my bag. However, with these devices come their chargers, which often prove to be the most frustrating accessories. Their tendency to tangle seems inevitable and nearly impossible to untangle. This is a common problem I’ve observed among students on my college campus; many just give up and use their chargers in a knotted mess, which shortens the length of the cord.

This issue isn’t limited to students; it affects countless others, from professionals commuting to work to parents traveling with their kids. Recognizing this widespread frustration, I began brainstorming a solution: the cord wrapper. This compact device neatly organizes up to four cords, keeping them secure and preventing any tangling.

Materials:

1. string (to measure the diameter of the cord)
2. Computer
3. 3D printer
4. filament
5. USB port
6. Mini SD Card
7. Decoration tools (markers, stickers, etc.)

Depending on the cords you want to wrap, it's important to measure their diameter to create a half hole in your wrapper that securely holds the cord. I measured my phone charger and found the circumference to be 10mm. From this, I knew that the half holes I designed for my object needed to be slightly smaller than 10 mm to ensure a snug fit. Also, make sure you are measuring the cord part of the charger and not the head of the charger because this is what is going in the divot!

Tinkercad is an excellent software for designing objects for 3D printing. It's user-friendly and packed with features that help bring your design ideas to life! Fortunately, the shape of this charger wrapper is available as a pre-made option in Tinkercad. Simply find the "Design Starters" tab and scroll until you locate the shape shown in the picture above. Adjust the dimensions to suit your needs; I chose to keep mine at 100 mm by 100 mm, as I wanted it to be compact and capable of holding around two cords at once. If you prefer a larger size, feel free to make it bigger!

An important aspect of this object are the divots in the inside of the inner circle. These are there so that the charger can securely snap into place, preventing any moving of the cord. As we established earlier, the diameter of a phone charging cord is 10mm. Therefore, I decided to make my divots 8mm so that the cord would remain sturdily in place.

To create the holes, I selected a cylinder from the "Basic Shapes" tab. I increased the height of the cylinder and set its dimensions to 8.0 x 8.0 mm. Then, I duplicated it three more times to have four cylinders of the same size. I positioned the cylinders equidistantly within the inner circle of the object, ensuring that about three-quarters of each cylinder extended inside, leaving one-quarter hanging outside. Next, I selected each cylinder one at a time and clicked the "Hole" option. This converts each cylinder into a hole, creating indentations in the object where they are positioned.

Once you have designed everything, you must connect all of your shapes so that everything prints as one. To do so click on one shape and then hold the shift key on your computer. While holding the shift key, select all four other shapes. Once everything has been selected, hit the lock picture in the upper right of your screen. Now everything is locked together!

In order to get your design onto the computer and ready to 3D print, you must export it as an STL file. To do this, you will hit the export button at the upper right of your screen. From here you will simply hit ".STL file" to download.

Now that you have your design made and downloaded it to your computer, we have to put it onto a platform that can relay all of the information to the 3D printer. This software is called Bambu. After opening Bambu, select "create new design." Now you will see a blank slate with a bunch of options and tabs around. Select the cube with the plus sign at the top left of your screen, and find the STL file you just downloaded to your computer. When you find the file, open it and you will see your design appear on the screen.

Next, you will select "slice all" at the top right and then "export all sliced file." After you have selected "export all sliced file"

The next step of the process is to attach a USB port (dongle) to your computer with a micro SD card inside. Transfer your file to this card and take it to your 3D printer!

Before 3D printing, it is important to check a couple things. First, make sure you have the right filament loaded and it's properly seated. Also, make sure the bed is level before starting. If it is not, the printer will not continue. Now you are ready!

To begin 3D printing, insert your micro SD card into the side of the small screen. Select the "File" tab and choose the project saved on the card. From there, it’s easy—just hit "Print Now." Your printer will heat up, calibrate, and start printing. This process typically takes about 30-45 minutes.

Since you'll be using this daily, customizing your cord wrapper is essential! Use a Sharpie, stickers, or any other materials you like to add your personal touch. Not only will this make it more fun, but it will also help distinguish it from your friends' cord wrappers.

I have learned so much from this creative experience. From the design process in Tinkercad to the actual 3D printing, I feel much more educated in this field. Prior to this, I had never 3D printed before and found the idea a bit intimidating. However, once I tackled the task, I discovered how enjoyable it can be.

I also gained a renewed appreciation for the importance of feedback from various individuals. Many external ideas and comments were invaluable in developing this product, and I couldn't have achieved it without their support. Additionally, I realized the significance of interviewing multiple people rather than just one. While one person might dislike something or find it confusing, the majority may have a different perspective. This broader feedback helps to identify patterns and preferences that might otherwise go unnoticed. Embracing different viewpoints ultimately strengthened the design and made it more user-friendly.