The Acura TL adapter for the iPhone 4S was no longer staying in the socket and I was tired of wedging it in between items in the glove compartment in order to keep it socketed. The following clamp was designed and made to solve this problem. It is made of 3 aluminum parts and a plastic screw.
A 3/16" X 1 1/2" aluminum bar was cut to 5 3/4" length. The ends were cleaned up in the mill. It was clamped on a 1-2-3 block and aligned with a second 1-2-3 block. A side was milled to a depth of 5/32" for a length of 4 11/16". The part was flipped over and this was repeated on the other side.
The part was clamped to a 1-2-3 block and the back of the table and two holes were drilled 9/16" apart on the small end with a #50 drill bit and tapped 2-56. The part was flipped end for end and two more holes were drilled and tapped as before, but 7/8" apart this time in the wide end.
A 1 1/8" length of 1/4" X 5/8" aluminum bar was cut off and the ends cleaned up in the mill. Two holes were drilled 3/32" from one long edge and 9/16" apart with a #37 drill bit, clearance for a 2-56 screw. A third hole was drilled centered on the long axis and about 3/16" down from the long edge opposite the other two holes. This hole was drilled and tapped for a 1/4-20 screw. This completed the clamping end piece.
A second piece of this 1/4" X 5/8" stock was cut off 1 1/2" long and cleaned up in the mill. Two clearance (#37) were drilled and countersunk with a #27 drill. They were drilled 3/32" from a long side and were 7/8" apart. A third hole was drilled up to 7/16" centered on the long axis and 7/32" from the edge. This hole was opened up with a 3/8" end mill.
A 1" length of square clear plastic was cut from a toilet paper holder. This was turned down in the lathe to 1/4" and 1/4-20 threads were cut on it with a die. This was screwed into the clamp end and both ends were screwed to the backing plate. The phone fits perfectly and the adapter is held tightly to the phone with a slight turn of the screw. Rough roads no longer cause a loss of connection.
