OpenAPS edison-explorer rig case for 18650 (pre-wired ~70mm batteries) by tynbendad

Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago

(NOTE: if 3500mAh isn't enough for you, check out https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4791313)
V4b: thickens some of the walls (fits the 3500mAH tenergy battery linked below, but if you have a longer or shorter battery you can scale both parts in the Z direction as needed). FYI: I've noticed that when using Cura, walls may not be printed with the thickness from the model - you can vary the line width in Cura to find a nearby value that prints an even number of walls it will do better (i've found 0.51mm line width works well on these models with my 0.4mm nozzle).
Version 4: a year and a half later we were still using the V3 cases, but I wanted to replace a battery and found a new one, which unfortunately is a few mm taller. At the same time I bought a DLP printer and its output is great (for cases a tough resin helps and still has great quality), so I went back and tweaked the design to print well on that (it should still work on filament printers as well). V4 uses 2 screws instead of 1+clasp (the clasp wasn't working out well when printed with the quality of the new printer). I've used both 3mm and 6mm m2 screws and either works. FYI: for m2 screws, if you have trouble getting them in, use a 1/16" (1.6mm) drill to carefully finish the hole.
New battery (3500mAH with PCB & wires): https://power.tenergy.com/at-tenergy-li-ion-18650-3-6v-3500mah-rechargeable-battery-pack-w-pcb-1s1p-12-395wh-3-5a/
Note: V3 of the case does fit the newer V1.3 explorer boards, I have installed one in a case I printed - you can see a video linked in the comments.
This is a minimal case (as in small, compact, thin) for OpenAPS edison/explorer rig with a 18650 battery (see potential battery links below). It should also fit similar batteries that are pre-wired and are under ~72mm long and 19mm diameter (including wire bumps). It's more like a skin than a case, so don't expect it to save the rig from falls or rough handling... no warranty express or implied ;)
The cover locks on with a single M2 screw (3mm to 6mm - e.g., the same size screw that the Edison locks onto the Explorer board with).
The wires need to be curled in with the board or above it under the cover. There's not much room so go slow and be careful.
Bonus: there's a hole right over the reset button and it looks actually reachable/usable ;).
Update: the V2 files add a few tabs with a hook that will keep the cover on a bit better, and improved the reset hole, added a few more vent holes over the edison.
Update2: the V3 files increase the size of the case slightly to accomodate larger batteries (e.g., "panasonic 3400mah with tabs" - you can print at 95% of z-height for these since they are shorter due to lack of protection circuit), improve the cap tabs, less risk of breakage, and potentially accomodate the thicker explorer board.
battery links (some require soldering a jst-ph connector on - see footnote below*):
tenergy 2600mAh with wire:
newegg: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2EY0ZM5936
panasonic 3400mAh with tabs:
I found these on ebay, search for "panasonic 3400mah with tabs", but note these do not usually have full PCB protection circuit, just internal protections.
adafruit 2200mAh pre-wired with JST-PH:https://www.adafruit.com/product/1781
connectors:
I used one from an old battery (carefully removed), but these may work: http://a.co/9ooVhXm
be careful since some connectors have the color coding backwards*. use a voltmeter to check against a known good battery.
Footnote: It's my understanding the explorer does not have protection for reversing the voltage, so if you solder your own connector be very careful to get the polarity correct.