I want to mount a Ipad into a empty 1-din slot in the car. How do I solve this?

Answers (1)

Here is a quick DIY answer.

Years ago I made a mount for my gps to fit into an ashtray hole.
I simply bolted the gps mount to a block of high density foam that could be pressed into the hole.

Parts:
Some high density foam. That closed shiny closed cell type used for packing is good, or some black high density polyurethane is good too.

A tablet mount that is suitable for being attached to the foam.
You may need to drill a couple of holes in the mount to receive the bolts.
You may be able to make a cavity in the foam to hold the mount as is.
Creativity is key.

A couple of long bolts. About 2.5 to 3 inches should be good.
A couple of nuts for the bolts.
A couple of washers to prevent the foam form tearing when the nuts are tightened.

The bolts will reach from the mount to the back of the foam when the foam is compressed. The foam needs to hold your tablet securely, so think about how deep
it will need to be when compressed.

Steps:

Cut the foam.

Cut foam to the shape of your 1-din cavity but slightly oversized so it will hold tight when pressed in. I found that when the bolts are tightened the foam will bulge out. Both the fit, and the stiffness of the foam can be adjusted by the amount of tightening. Cool!
The foam should be cut deep enough to supply good support. The foam will be compressed when you tighten the bolts down, so compensate a bit for this.
If you like, you can make recesses for the nuts and washers, and so the bolt ends don't stick out in the back.
The face of the foam can be cut parallel to the 1-din opening, or angled for better viewing. The face can be flat, or sculpted to receive the back of the mount better.
The foam is hidden behind your tablet so this can all be roughly done.

Make holes for bolts.

Make or use holes in your mount for bolts that hold the mount to the foam.
Make holes in the foam aligned to the holes in your tablet mount.

Bolt the mount to the foam.

Thread the bolts through the tablet mount and the foam.
Place washers then then nuts onto the bolts and tighten.

Tighten so the mount is held firmly. If the foam then bulges too much, shave it down a bit so the fit is good. I don't know if it is possible to tighten to the point of breaking your tablet mount. So obviously don't do that.


I can imagine that it might be possible to adapt other kinds of mounts to the foam in other ways. For example a suction cup mount with a ball and socket could be snapped apart. Make a hole in the foam for the arm, then push the arm with the ball end through the foam. Snap back into the socket of the mount.

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