Living Hinge Box design - Just need to Notch it now!

So I’ve designed my first box… now I just need to break it up into its separate laser-able components. The box is for a card game and is designed to store the game and then act as the draw deck holder/discard pile space during game play when opened. I used half-circle edges with living hinges which I am very excited about. I was planning on an interlocking pattern for the top of the box (the overlapping arrows are part of the logo of the game), but I still need to determine a viable latch. I was thinking about having the center divider between the two card sections have a bit sticking up and then either the lids coming down over it will latch with it somehow or I’ll have a separate piece that goes over that and twists to lock into place. Anyway, I just thought I would share.

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Beautiful design! what did you design it in? :slight_smile:

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Thanks. I use AutoCAD.

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This looks awesome, I love it! For the latch, it might be worthwhile to try to find a way to integrate a neodymium magnet into the center divider and some strips of metal into the arrows of the latch pieces so that it is held closed magnetically. And the metal might make the arrow logo stand out a bit extra too, as a bonus. :slight_smile:

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That’s an interesting idea. I do love me some magnets. I am also thinking, looking at the lid now, that the arrow interlock might be too fragile and I might want to beef those up a bit. This is designed to be cut out of 1/8" plywood.

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Nice design!
That was my first thought as well, and particularly in 1/8" material.
Thin sections of plywood will get weaker from the cutting heat if the cuts are close together. I have been running into this as a design issue with something I am trying to make.

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Perhaps just increasing the size of the arrows? that would also make the rectangular bits closest to the joint larger, which could open up those spots for the magnetic closure idea too and allow the arrows to be looser fitting to reduce the stress on them
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Will this box close normally? I feel like the part that is sticking up in the bottom left of the second picture will get caught at an angle while closing.

The diagonal of a square is sqrt(2) * length of the side. Unless the sides are flexible or the living hinge has a lot of play, it’ll be stuck.

The solution could be to make them semi-circular.

Beautiful design! I have never made one of these, so it might not be a problem, but it seems like the center most edge of the lid tabs might need to be rounded to prevent it binding when opening and closing. Then again, maybe the hinge allows enough play to make it work as is.

How 'bout cutting an arrow design separately, incorporating a magnet into one side of that, gluing it on to one side of the lid, and putting a bit of metal on the other side of the lid? Certainly not as elegant and simple as your design, but maybe sturdier?

I had kind of thought of this which is why the top of the opening is rounded, but I hadn’t considered it fully and I think you are right. I’ll probably round off the corners of the side panels and the base of the openings that they go into.

Or you could offset the two rectangular “doors” just slightly outward, so they slide against the other surfaces.

That would certainly work too.

Another design feature I’d personally want would be a way to lift the deck out easily without inverting the whole box. This could be as easy as a finger hole in the bottom, or an insert that goes under the cards and sticks out slightly so you can lift the cards. That could then double as a ramp for the cards so people don’t damage them when removing them.

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That’s a good idea Liam. I didn’t really want any “openings” per say, but a notch might be the best idea. If I add a “lifter” as a separate piece then I would still do a little notch so that the lifter wouldn’t have to stick out beyond the “door” and then cut down the door a little shorter so it can all fit together smoothly on the edge when closed.

You could also add a very slight rounded “bump” that sticks out of the edge. Just enough to get a finger on.

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For the lifter, you could notch it part way through to fit in the opening. When stored, it would fit inside the container. When in use, you pull it out and “install” it in place.

Well, today I was thinking about this box again, and I realized… I need more than two draw decks… this game can play up to four players. This box will be retired for the time-being… and I think I’ll do a more minimalist sliding drawer type of design where the two separate pieces take up the same room as this box but provide four card trays when opened…

Ok, just brainstorming here, but I could have the lid contain a whole card tray that slides into the main box when closed, though the problem of the angled box approaching the tray as the lid is being closed is still a concern. Hmmm. I’m going to have to think about this a bit.

@chadmart1076 One thing to consider. The living hinges are also very much like springs unless you cover the inside with fabric or paper. Your design would probably work just fine since you would easily be able to stretch the hinges as you are closing the box.

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Thank you, that is good to know.

Thanks for that info. It is definitely good to know.