Battery Cover for Toshiba T1000SE Laptop

Introduction

The original battery for my Toshiba T1000SE laptop was completely dead, and the laptop doesn't work with just the charger connected. To get it to work, I had to feed approx. 7.8V (the voltage of a fullly charged 6-cell NiCd battery) directly to the battery terminals. I made a boost converter from parts I had lying around and connected it to a USB power supply, so now I have a USB-powered laptop :-).

This model is a cover for the boost converter, complete with spring-loaded release lever (like the original battery) and a gap for the power cable, in the shape of the original battery.

There is also a model for a cable strain relief that can be mounted to one of the laptop's original screw locations. You'll need a longer screw (M3x14mm) to mount it – there's a hole on top of the strain relief to store the original screw so it doesn't get lost.

How to Print

0.4mm nozzle. All 3 parts need supports, I used the “snug” setting in PrusaSlicer. See screenshots for recommended orientation. Variable layer height for the main part, 0.2mm layer height for the lever and strain relief.

I printed the parts with Ooznest PLA “Cement Gray” filament which matches the laptop's colour pretty well and is available as a 50g sample. As you can see in the photos, the cover didn't stick to the bed very well – drying the filament might help with that, I didn't try.

How to Assemble

Cover

You need an M3 screw (10mm or longer) and a spring (e.g. from a ball-point pen) to assemble the cover. Attach the lever to the cover with the screw, then insert the spring. You might have to cut the spring shorter to make it fit.

The cover slides onto the laptop in the same way as the original battery.

Strain Relief

Remove the screw next to the positive battery terminal from the laptop and screw it into the top hole of the strain relief for safekeeping. Insert the cable into the channel in the strain relief, place the strain relief into the laptop's screw hole and fasten with an M3x14mm screw.

Power Supply

If you decide to copy my design for the boost converter, follow the photos for a way to assemble it without a PCB. Keep in mind that in a switching power supplies, all connections between components should be kept as short as possible. The capacitors need to be reasonably good quality Low-ESR types. Use a thick cable for the 5V input (I used speaker cable).

Connect the power supply to USB and verify the output voltage with a multimeter before connecting it to the laptop. Use a USB power supply rated at least 2A to run the laptop.

Additional Note

The T1000SE and similar models are well known to have leaky capacitors, both on the main board and the CCFL inverter in the display. If you haven't replaced the capacitors in your laptop yet, I highly recommend doing it as soon as possible (even if the laptop still works) as the leaking capacitors can damage the traces on the boards.