Belt Loop :)
Role:
Design and 3D Printing
Timeline:
1 week
Tools:
Fusion360, Ender 3D Printer
Context:
None of my pants fit. The waist is always too big, so I have to choose between wearing saggy pants or wearing a belt. Some people would just wear a belt, but I can't stand wearing a belt.
They're annoying to stick through every belt loop when I'm groggy in the morning, inconvenient to take off when I go to the bathroom, expensive, and bulky, often sticking out from under my shirt.
too bulky!
I'm not the only one who doesn't like wearing belts, as it has actually become a trend to replace belts with shoelaces. The trend originated from skateboarding culture, where the solution was able to solve the cost and bulkiness of belts for skaters. With both baggy and/or thrifted clothing and skate culture all being in vogue, shoelace belts have also become fashion statement to some, with brands even selling shoelaces specifically meant to be worn as belts.
Process:
Shoelaces couldn't solve half of my problems with belts (fussy belt installation and belt loosening), so I decided to solve my own problem. To suit my needs I knew the solution had be constrained to a small device that didn't interfere with the front button and zipper (which would make taking pants off more inconvenient).
After thinking about different ways to secure a waistband, I came up my first prototype, a simple hook that would tighten two belt loops together. The advantages of this design over a standard belt are numerous:
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It is small enough to not stick out through a shirt.
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It only wraps around two belt loops, making it very fast and easy to install. It also can just live permanently on a pair of pants, eliminating installation altogether.
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It's cheap to produce.
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It doesn't wrap around the front button and zipper, making dressing/undressing easier.
Belt Loop v1
For v2 I increased the length of the device because v1 cinched my waist a bit too much. I also extended the hooks for increased security. After testing it out I found that the longer hooks made it much harder to install/uninstall, which I didn't like. People loved the smiley face design, so I kept that feature going forward.
Belt Loop v2
For v3 I increased the length even more for a looser fit. I also wanted to see how light I could make it, so I made all dimensions thinner and made the smiley face bigger. My Ender 3D printer had trouble with the negative space in the big smile, so I tried reprinting without the design. I accidentally snapped the prototype with my hands while I was testing it, so I scrapped the lighter design altogether.
Belt Loop v3
My final prototype matched the thickness of v2, and the shorter hooks of v3. I also lengthened it even more, and I think I reached a the perfect length for my pants. I recreated a tripled version of the v2 design to make it lighter, but the difference was negligible, and the device was never even too heavy to begin with, so I stopped worrying about weight (which would not be the case if I wanted to manufacture and sell these belt loops).
Belt Loop v4
Final Solution:
My final version was essentially v4, and I made multiple versions inspired by the simple smiley face design of v2. I printed a bunch of belt loops and gave them out to all of my friends that asked for belt loops back when they saw me wearing v1. People seemed to like the single smiley face :) design the most, so I made more of those.
