Updated Novena case renderings

Post date: Apr 21, 2015 1:09:39 AM

I finally got FreeCAD to compile on Gentoo, so now I'm using something that actually supports measuring dimensions- OpenSCAD is sorely lacking that feature.

Anyway, an updated rendering showing more design thoughts on the bottom of the case:

The only really new thing here is that you can see the case-as-heatsink setup. Hopefully it will work OK. The heatpipe-CPU bracket/clamp should be pretty easy to machine and keep things in place. The heatpipe probably needs another bracket somewhere behind the SSD to hold it in place on that end, though I need to make sure there's still space for the LCD cable to run up through there.

I guess the case bottom is also new- it's dimensioned to be cut nicely from a 1/4" panel. Most of the bottom should be 1.5mm thick, leaving a 4.85mm lip that I could put a machine screw through to hold it on to the band around the edges. I'm not sure if that will work out, given that screws tend to have heads, and 1.5mm of space may or may not be enough to accommodate that. Otherwise it'll probably have to be welded or brazed, both of which give me some concerns about warping.

The bottom also will have a lattice pattern in it for extra rigidity; that still needs to be added to the design. I'm not sure at this point what it will look like- maybe basically outlines around the various parts? It doesn't need too much to be rigid.

Weight calculations (as best as I can figure) put the design around 2.5 kg, about the same as my ThinkPad T400. I haven't figured in the lattices, yet, so it will probably go a little over. I'm not a MechE, so I'm largely guessing at what dimensions are needed for some of these pieces, based on flexing bits of aluminum I have sitting around. In other words, there will probably be more metal used than is really necessary.