Eco-friendly toys - conversion for 18650 LiIon batteries
We calculate the final price from your selected file. You review and accept it before payment.
Saved on this device.
Parents around the world face similar issues, including the problem of tonnes of batteries ending up in the trash.
- Rating
- 0 / 5
- Likes
- 7
- Downloads
- 20
- Makes
- 0
- Views
- 625
- Reviews
- 0
Updated at source:
Model information
- Source
- Printables
- Category
- Building Toys
- License
- Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial — Share Alike
Parents around the world face similar issues, including the problem of tonnes of batteries ending up in the trash from electric toys. My daughters also often get toys powered by traditional disposable alkaline batteries. So I often convert these toys to be powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. I will show you one such conversion based on the small mechatronic dog, named Łatek (eng. Dottie) :)
It was originally powered by 3, connected in series, C-cells.
So the operating voltage varied between 4.5 and 3V. That voltage range is covered very well by lithium cells rated at 3.7V. When converting toy dog I didn't want to strip its ability to be powered by ordinary alkaline cells, so new power module is made to fit the factory electrical contacts.
The new power supply is based on the low-cost TP4056 module, which is responsible for charging from USB-C and has a circuit to protect the battery from discharging below 2.5V.
The wiring diagram is very simple and does not require much skill other than using a soldering iron.
You can use any LiIon batteries with a nominal voltage of 3.7V as new batteries. These do not have to be 18650 batteries, for example, you can use batteries from your old mobile phones or e-cigarettes. Be eco-friendly :) I used two 18650 batteries, because I had such on hand. I connected them in parallel to increase the total capacity, which prolonged the fun with the dog. Remember that if you want to connect two batteries in parallel, they must be charged to the same voltage! Otherwise you could cause an accident, even a fire!
My power source is using commercially avaible battery contacts in size 12x12x0,2mm.
I'm sure not many of you have exactly this dog among your toys, but this project is primarily intended to show you a way which will, in effect, turn your other toys to be more eco- and wallet-friendly.
Good luck!
Print Settings
Rafts:
No
Supports:
No
Resolution:
0,2
Infill:
15%
Filament:
Plast-Spaw ASA black
Notes:
Use an ASA because the TP4056 module gets hot during battery charging.