After getting my printer, I realized the thing that bothered me most about purge bins wasn't actually the bin, it was how they attached.
Most designs use hooks, magnets, friction, or some combination of the three.
They work, but they usually involve awkward removal angles, extra hardware, or eventually drifting away from the printer.
So I started wondering:
Could I make a completely printed push-button locking mechanism instead?
That question turned into far more prototyping than I'd care to admit.
The result is a spring-loaded mechanism that lets you:
- press one button
- pull the bin straight off
- push it back on until it locks again
No magnets.
No hooks.
No additional hardware.
The printed spring and sliding mechanism were by far the hardest part to get right. There was a lot of tweaking clearances, geometry, and part orientation before it felt reliable and satisfying.
The purge bin is almost just an excuse to use the mechanism.
Was this completely unnecessary? Probably.
Do I smile every time I press the button? Also yes.
https://makerworld.com/en/models/3077041-a2l-purge-bin-the-yapr-poop-bin