18650 case with integrated cable clamp

thingiverse

This is a case for 18650 batteries I'm currently working on. Be cautious! 18650 batteries can be hazardous if mishandled, as they have the potential to deliver a significant amount of amps. For example: when accidentally short-circuited, a single battery could dump 100 Watts over your thin hookup wire, which will melt off the PVC insulation, triggering an avalanche of cables turning into uninsulated conductors. Consequence: fire. This recently happened to me just last week while working on a prototype, and I'm a professional. So I designed this case where you can insert the cables and secure them from the inside with clamps. It still needs to be adaptable to different scenarios in rapid prototyping, so there is no fixed polarity and there are mounting points in the center (30mm between holes). Be aware that the bolts still carry power, so don't let them come into contact with your electronics unless you want to. I added some bolt caps that work for me (hex bolt) and allow another wire insertion point, but you may need to create your own. The grooves at the bottom function as cable guides but also serve a purpose in my experiment with warp reduction during the design phase. So do the grooves in the chamfered corners.