~12VDC Power Brick - 3S 18650 & 14500 Li-Ion Battery End-Caps

thingiverse

I found myself in need of reliable 12VDC power with substantial capability without being overkill or underpowered. The images don't add much to what someone could achieve with this print when it comes to connections, but I'm running it at over 3 amps and getting good solid power. The pack has some give to it, making it easy to maintain connections due to its three-legged design. I'm using handy o-rings that are lying around, but rubber bands or hair ties will work just as well. The more pressure applied, the higher the current, which is useful for running hot IMR's or similar. This print depends on some short bridges and doesn't require supports. It may even scale up or down nicely for other Li-Ion sizes, such as 14500 cells, making them a good option for a 12VDC power pack. Some things to note are the alignment marks on each end of the 'lobes', which need to be aligned before loading the cells according to the polarity marking. The 'hooks' are strong and can handle heavy loads, potentially pushing 15 amps with enough contact pressure, limited only by how much copper can be stuffed in. The output wires require some give at the 'gland' so that the caps can be separated, which I'm accomplishing with two independent leads and a loose sleeve to keep it manageable. The holes in the binding posts are for fancier connectivity or rigidity if metal rods are used between the caps. Several accessories could utilize the three elastic tie downs, such as feet or links. I'd love to see some makers showing further creative ideas around this style battery holder. Edit: I've added a similar design for 14500/AA cells.