Horizontal Inlay

Design

A horizontal tray with divider slots that snaps into the box at any height level. Integrated flex tabs on both short ends click into wall slots — nothing protrudes above or below the inlay surface.

Snap-fit mechanism

Both short ends of the inlay have integrated cantilever flex beams cut from the inlay body itself. Each beam has a small nub that clicks into a slot on the box wall.

Top view:
┌──┐                            ┌──┐
│○ │  ══════════════════════    │○ │
│  │  ║  ║  ║  ║  ║  ║  ║ ║    │  │
│  │  ║  ║  ║  ║  ║  ║  ║ ║    │  │
│○ │  ══════════════════════    │○ │
└──┘                            └──┘
 ↑    divider slots              ↑
 flex beams with nubs            flex beams with nubs

Insertion: place inlay into the box, push down — both sides click into the wall slots.

Removal: squeeze both ends inward to release the nubs, lift straight out.

Why this works

• Symmetrical — no wrong orientation, insert from either end
• Flush profile — nothing protrudes above or below the inlay, so it works at any height without exceeding the box rim
• Even load distribution — both sides share the load, no single pivot point
• Intuitive — push down to lock, squeeze to release

Design details

• Flex beams should be tapered — thicker at the root (where it joins the inlay body), ~0.5x thickness at the nub tip. This distributes bending stress evenly instead of concentrating it at the root where cantilevers typically break.
• Beam length-to-thickness ratio of at least 5:1 (e.g., 1mm thick beam should be at least 5mm long) to stay within material strain limits.
• Print orientation matters — the flex direction should be perpendicular to layer lines to avoid delamination.

Key features

• Height adjustable — snaps into wall slots at any available height level
• Slotted surface — evenly spaced slots accept vertical dividers at any position
• Stackable logic — use two inlays at different heights to create a two-point cradle for tapered tools
• 25mm grid — slot spacing aligns with the system grid

Usage patterns

• Single inlay — flat shelf to separate layers of parts
• Two inlays, same divider spacing — uniform compartments at two depths (e.g., screws sorted by size)
• Two inlays, different divider spacing — tapered tool cradle (wide at one end, narrow at the other)

Files