3D Printed Phone Mount for i7

[evanevery]

Full disclosure: I don't use Android Auto (or Apple Carplay). Rather than push my phone apps onto my Nav screen, I prefer to have two fully independent displays/devices at my disposal.

For many years now, I have been designing 3D printed phone holders which allow my phone(s) to simply slide down into a form fit holder which has a USB port at the bottom. Using the phone as a temporary alignment tool, I epoxy an appropriate USB connector into the hole I designed into my slid-in holder. No clamps, no clips, just gravity. The custom aligned USB connector at the bottom of the holder allows me to also connect to a high power Quick Charge adapter instead of a rather anemic wireless charging pad.

(Here's a link to the installation of the quick charger along with the fuse box location and installation details: https://www.7post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2086196)

So, the trick for me is finding a way to mount my phones in my cars without having to permanently alter the vehicle (no holes, glue, etc). I've been doing this for a while and have designed mounts for my M4, iXM60, Porsche Taycan, and now the i7).

I'm not going to use the wireless charging pad as its pretty low power and I want to be able to see and interact with my phone. As such, the little charging cavity made a nice place to install my mount as it does not interfere with the cupholders and is fairly well out of the way.

I designed a base which fits the recess in the charging cavity and a companion strut which ultimately braces the structure into the cavity. A single screw pulls the strut onto the base and clamps the structure into the cavity at the same time. A 1" RAM ball is used as the point of fixture to the structure. ...and once you got a RAM ball, you can mount virtually anything to it! (RAM makes a lot of different mounts and clamps) I can even mount my Apple IPad to this structure if I want a really big second display!

Note that if you decide to print this for yourself you will want to use ABS (not PLA). Everything I make for my cars is printed in ABS as PLA can start to soften and deform in the high temps you can experience in a car in the Summer.

So, lets get started...

Here is a CAD drawing of the Base:



Here is a CAD drawing of the Strut. Note that the strut is basically printed upside down to accommodate all the cavities without requiring any support structure. You can see the hole for the 1/4-20 bolt (or screw) which holds the RAM ball (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GLW1PG) in place:



There is also a little "Ball Lock" collar which is used to help keep the ball from rotating once it is screwed down into the strut. (A little acetone on the base of the Ball Lock will weld it to the strut as you screw the RAM ball into place)



Here is what the Base looks like after printing:



Here is the Strut after printing. (Note the RAM ball and Ball Lock have been installed. I also used an adhesive strip of "furry" Velcro as a cushion on top of the strut):



Here is what the structure looks like when assembled. Note that you do not want to complete the assembly until both parts are inside the cavity. That way, when you tighten up on the screw in the front, the strut will push up on the top of the cavity and lock the structure in place.



Here is what the assembled structure looks like when installed in "Gary" my i7. Pretty clean, I think! (Extra credit if you can figure out why the car is named "Gary"... ...and no, its nothing "personal"...)



Here it is with my custom "drop-in" phone mount attached. You can see the USB power connector at the bottom. (I don't think there is much point in posting the print files for my phone as its sized specifically for my phone with its case attached. The odds of someone having both the same phone and case is pretty slim I think. If anyone wants a few tips on how to design a similar case for your phone just let me know...)



...and with my Samsung 23 Ultra in place:



...and here are the print files for anyone who wants to have a go at it! (The forum size limits forced me to split the files):

BMW i7 Phone Mount (Base).zip

BMW i7 Phone Mount (Strut and Ball Lock).zip

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[AlteBMW]

Very impressive that you were able to do that. I'm ok with the phone charging in the tray; in fact I was ok with the phone in the pocket in the armrest compartment in my G12, as it completely eliminated the temptation to look at it. Carplay works and voice commands for texting work well enough and the G70 with ID8 is a step up from the G12. But then again I have become uber careful as I have become an old fart.

[evanevery]

I would rather have two independent devices to work with (Nav + Phone) rather than a single consolidated arrangement (where I have to flip back and forth).

Plus, wireless charging is pretty weak...

To each his own...

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by evanevery

I would rather have two independent devices to work with (Nav + Phone) rather than a single consolidated arrangement (where I have to flip back and forth).

Plus, wireless charging is pretty weak...

To each his own...

Yes of course, whatever works for you.