Interchangeable Cutlery Cuff

This includes the instructions to create an interchangeable cutlery cuff for individuals with low grip strength. It includes one double sided cuff, and 3 adaptive attachments to fit a fork, knife, and spoon.

1. Tinkercad app/website

2. 3D printer

For step one, begin in Tinkercad with a bent pipe shape. This starting shape can be found under shape generators. Drag and drop the bent pipe onto the platform, and then you can begin to form the shape into a cuff.

To do this, click on your bent pipe set the following measurements found on the right hand side:

*All measurements are in millimeters

Pipe Shape: Circle

Hole Shape: Circle

Outer Pipe Width: 20 mm

Wall Thickness: 99 mm

Arc Diameter: 30 mm

Bend Angle: 182 mm

Lead-In Length: 74 mm

Lead-Out Length: 74 mm

Next, you will need to create attachment sites on the cuff for the cutlery to be inserted into. There are several ways to accomplish this, however, for this example we will start with a Bent Pipe shape, found under shape generators.

Then, set the measurements as follows:

Pipe Shape: Circle

Hole Shape: Circle

Outer Pipe Width: 25 mm

Wall Thickness: 2 mm

Arc Diameter: 30 mm

Bend Angle: 0 mm

Lead-In Length: 77 mm

Lead-Out Length: 20 mm

Next, you will need to add a sort of "lock" system to your attachment sites, to ensure that your utensils are not spinning around during use.

You will begin by dragging a Box onto the plane from the basic shapes category.

Give the Box the following measurements:

Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 50 mm

Width: 3 mm

Height: 3 mm.

After you have adjusted the measurements of your Box, you will click on the Box, and then the small cone icon above the shape, this allows you to lift your shape up off of the plane. Drag your shape 10 mm up from the plane. Next, you will adjust the Box against the right side of your tube, as shown in the photo above.

After you have adjusted the piece as desired into the Tube, to make this piece solid, highlight the entire shape with your cursor and then in the top tool bar select the group option. This can also be done by clicking Cntrl + G on your keyboard.

You will need to make a second attachment side with a lock for the other side of the cuff. This will allow the user to insert a knife to cut up food. The easiest way to accomplish this, is to highlight the attachment piece you made in the previous step, and hit copy and paste on your computer. This will give you an identical shape.

Next, you should select the whole shape again, and select ungroup in the top tool bar. Or, you can click cntrl + shift + g on your keyboard. This is necessary to move the "lock" piece over to the opposite side.

Then regroup this piece by selecting group in the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

Next you will want to line up the two attachment sites on the cuff.

An example of how to line these pieces up is shown in the image above.

After these pieces are lined up as desired, make sure to group them together by highlighting all 3 pieces at once, and then either selecting group in the top tool bar or clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

The construction of the 3 adaptive pieces for a fork, knife, and spoon, will all be mostly the same, but with different measurements due to the measurements of the cutlery that was used to base this project on.

For the Knife:

Begin with the Bent Pipe shape from shape generators

Set the following measurements:

Outer Pipe Width: 18 mm

Wall Thickness: 10 mm

Arc Diameter: 30

Bend Angle: 0

Lead-In Length: 20 mm

Lead-Out Length: 20 mm.

Next, drag a Box shape onto your plane and set it to the following measurements:

Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 56 mm

Width: 4.5 mm

Height: 15 mm.

Then, select the shape, and click the cone icon above, and drag it up 2 mm off of the plane.

Once you have done this, drag the Box shape into the center of the initial Bent Pipe.

Then, before grouping, turn the Box shape into a hole by selecting this option above where you input your measurements.

After you have made the Box shape into a hole, select the alignment option in the top toolbar. Select ONLY the center dots, the one in the front, and the one on the slide of your shape to align the hole with the Bent Pipe.

Then you can group the shapes together by selecting group in the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

Next, you will need to create a "key" portion to go with your lock in the cuff.

Drag a box onto the plane and set it to have the following measurements:

Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 40 mm

Width: 3.4 mm

Height: 3.4 mm

Then select the cone icon above your shape, and drag it up 11 mm off of the plane.

After you have adjusted your box to the following measurements, turn it into a hole.

Next, you should drag it over to your initial bent pipe shape, and adjust it into the top corner.

Refer to the attached image for placement.

Finally, combine the 2 shapes by selecting the group option on the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

For the Spoon:

Begin with the Bent Pipe shape from shape generators

Set the following measurements:

Outer Pipe Width: 18 mm

Wall Thickness: 10 mm

Arc Diameter: 30 mm

Bend Angle: 0

Lead-In Length: 20 mm

Lead-Out Length: 20 mm.

Next, drag a Box shape onto your plane and set it to the following measurements:
Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 56 mm

Width: 13 mm

Height: 4.5 mm.

Then, select the shape, and click the cone icon above, and drag it up 2 mm off of the plane.

Once you have done this, drag the Box shape into the center of the initial Bent Pipe.

Then, before grouping, turn the Box shape into a hole by selecting this option above where you input your measurements.

After you have made the Box shape into a hole, select the alignment option in the top toolbar. Select ONLY the center dots, the one in the front, and the one on the slide of your shape to align the hole with the Bent Pipe.

Then you can group the shapes together by selecting group in the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

Next, you will need to create a "key" portion to go with your lock in the cuff.

Drag a box onto the plane and set it to have the following measurements:

Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 56 mm

Width: 3.4 mm

Height: 3.4 mm

Then select the cone icon above your shape, and drag it up 11 mm off of the plane. After you have adjusted your box to the following measurements, turn it into a hole.

Next, you should drag it over to your initial bent pipe shape, and adjust it into the top corner. Refer to the attached image for placement.

Finally, combine the 2 shapes by selecting the group option on the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

For the Fork Cuff

Begin with the Bent Pipe shape from shape generators

Set the following measurements:

Outer Pipe Width: 18 mm

Wall Thickness: 10 mm

Arc Diameter: 30 mm

Bend Angle: 0

Lead-In Length: 20 mm

Lead-Out Length: 20 mm.

Next, drag a Box shape onto your plane and set it to the following measurements:

Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 56 mm

Width: 13 mm

Height: 4.5 mm.

Then, select the shape, and click the cone icon above, and drag it up 2 mm off of the plane.

Once you have done this, drag the Box shape into the center of the initial Bent Pipe.

Then, before grouping, turn the Box shape into a hole by selecting this option above where you input your measurements.

After you have made the Box shape into a hole, select the alignment option in the top toolbar. Select ONLY the center dots, the one in the front, and the one on the slide of your shape to align the hole with the Bent Pipe.

Then you can group the shapes together by selecting group in the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.

Next, you will need to create a "key" portion to go with your lock in the cuff.

Drag a box onto the plane and set it to have the following measurements:

Radius: 0 mm

Steps: 10 mm

Length: 56 mm

Width: 3.4 mm

Height: 3.4 mm

Then select the cone icon above your shape, and drag it up 11 mm off of the plane.

After you have adjusted your box to the following measurements, turn it into a hole. Next, you should drag it over to your initial bent pipe shape, and adjust it into the top corner.

Refer to the attached image for placement. Finally, combine the 2 shapes by selecting the group option on the top tool bar or by clicking cntrl + g on your keyboard.