Speech Device Case

I made this case for children with mental disabilities at the Ira B. Jones elementary school. Some of the students at that school have limited or non-existent speech so they use speech buttons to help them communicate. Since specially designed speech devices cost an obseen amount of money they use recorder toys meant to be put inside stuffed animals instead. Unfortunately these devices are more easily broken than actual speech buttons, which is an issue as the students will throw them against the wall. The school put foam around them for protection, but the children chewed the foam. That is where my item comes in. It is designed to keep the button protected while allowing the students to press the button and without giving them access to the foam.

I modeled the 3D printed hull in inventor and had my teacher print it out. I got the lock, paint, hinge, and clasp from a hardware store. I happened to have insulation foam at my house that worked for the project.

The first step was the modeling and printing. This step was quite easy taking only a few days and little effort. I would make many revisions to the model and reprint many times during the refinement process. The changes in the shape of the hull made attaching the clasp and hinge much easier and provided more room for foam.

The next step was to find and affix the hardware. I had to search a few hardware stores to find the right items. For the first prototype I used hot glue to attach them but for later versions I used both super glue and screws to insure it would be sufficiently durable.

The final step was foam insertion and painting. The foam was attached with hot glue. I used spray paint which I regret. The spray paint did not adhere well and still smells like paint.