RPi3,4 and 5 Clamshell and Chonky Cases

Howdy, wonderful people!

The clamshell case for the Raspberry Pi 5 had a great response, but the most common one was "are there versions for the Raspberry Pi 4B and Raspberry Pi 3B?" And now there are! And there are some bigger - chonkier - versions, too.

It's interesting how much the Raspberry Pi boards change between major versions. I had somehow never noticed that the ethernet and USB ports switched sides from Rpi3 to Rpi4, but then switched back again for Rpi5! The side ports change, of course, with extra video connections coming in, and wired audio disappearing.

I did initially just load up the old hinged cases I'd designed previously for the RPi3 and RPi4, but it turns out those were constructed four years ago! Time flies! Four years is a long time, and there were plenty of design decisions made in those distant days that I just wouldn't do the same way today, so I just built up new versions of the clamshell case based on actual measurements of the boards.

So, the Chonky Clamshell Cases! These really just provide extra space above the board itself. While that's a fairly simple conceptual change, it did actually involve some complexities. The hinge point moved up to accommodate the extra height, but that meant the lid swept in on a different angle, and now it came in contact with the board itself on the way through. So, the rear wall was rebuilt so that more of it is part of the lower part of the case, and less of it moves. Similarly, some of the zig-zaggy features where the two halves meet near the front had to be removed to allow for that new approach angle.

The Chonky versions of the cases are otherwise just the same as their more compact counterparts, and include the bolt holes on the underside that can also be used to attach feet.

Print Description

These are articulated models with print-in-place moving parts, so watch out for print issues like overextrusion and stringing that might cause moving parts to bind together.

Print Dimensions

The Rpi4 Chonky Clamshell Case occupies 191mm x 72mm on the print bed and is 34mm tall.

Supports Needed?

Not at all!  Designed for straightforward printing!

Scalability

You probably don't want to scale this, since it's very specifically sized for the Raspberry Pi boards :)

Print Orientation

The cases print open, with the top and bottom surfaces against the print bed.

Further Thoughts

There is one more variation on these that I do still have planned! I have a couple of larger fans that would go nicely at the end (or ends) of a case to provide maximum airflow....

Happy printing!

xoxo

Sven.

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521 Rpi3-4-5 Clamshell and Chonky Cases