Lockable Battery Case in Triangle!

[GCinDC]

A couple months ago, I finally summarized my requirements for a battery case (in this thread): http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8422#p129551

__ structurally solid, can handle some curb jumping
__ lockable (urban; i never used to worry about locking my old bike, and now i'm afraid to leave it anywhere!)
__ firmly mounted and weatherproof electronics: switch, charge & discharge connectors
__ moderately easy to remove battery (dream on, right?)
__ enclosure for controller too? (not sure about this)
__ hard shell to support/protect battery
__ low CG
__ small box or place for emergency junk (fuse, parktool, tape, velcro ties)
__ leaves enough room to grab and lift bike at the cross bar (near the seat -- the sucker's heavy now...)
__ not attention getting... lol

And in the meantime, I added an 18.5V lipo pack (we'll forget for the moment
about the one I killed because of the loose psu connector...):


So, measuring to fit in the triangle is pretty challenging, but I finally figured out
I could fit it all like this with the handle serving as a loop to lock through:


And the hard shell, originally just a prototype, but I broke my workbench
trying to bend a bigger piece (recycled stop sign...) :


Gorilla tape is super strong. I rode it for a month like this, unwrapping the tape
every day at work to remove & charge battery.... Oh, but the tape just kept it from
sliding. The primary support is an aluminum angle worm-clamped to the tubes.
Still some work to do waterproofing down there...


Walking into a government building and passing security with something like this
was fine in the winter when I could throw my jacket over it... lol... but now it's spring...
The handle is a 1.5" wide strip of aluminum sign, screwed to bottom of box and folded
into handle that snugly fits into front part of triangle, which also serves as the lockable loop
which also protects the lipo up front (tho I'd like to put that in a separate shell):


First part of the commute! I rode my son a mile to work all through the winter, even on sub-zero days.
He should get a standing ovation. Problem is, now that he's 4+, he's not fitting anymore and I don't
know what I'm going to do!


And to make it more stealthy for lockups (and passing security), and water-resistant,
I sewed together this bag, even adding a zipper!


I want to add velcro flap to access the charger ports (and some pockets) so the zipper
will only need to be used for battery servicing... such as detaching the lipo if the lipo
buzzer (Chargery; still en route via post...) ever goes off. I haven't decided if i want
to wire that next to the CA...


And here's the balancer which works like a charm.

 

[dontsendbubbamail]

That's a nice bag. The next step for the kid might be a trailer bike. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EI2NV2...CKEQV4&tag=shopzilla_rev_1221-20&linkCode=asn My kid loved ridding with me on hers.

Bubba

 

[morph999]

any chance you could tell us what brand of bag that is or where you bought it so others can reproduce what you've done there? I know it seems simple but I for one like what you've done there and would like to reproduce it. If anything, it gives everyone more options.

 

[GCinDC]

Brand? hah! LOL! thanks!

it's amazing how much more innocuous luggage fabric looks compared to duct tape and blinking red lights... Robin Alamasi's was always my inspiration: http://www.evalbum.com/1664 and since my mom wasn't available... :lol: i had a bit of learning curve with the sewing machine, but it's a handy skill to learn... if you can solder, you can sew.... pictures of burnt fingers give way to ones of stabbed & bloody fingers...

anyway, to answer your question, i got the fabric at a local fabric store. it's black vinyl. felt too thin at the store, but is actually strong stuff. it cost like $13/yard which totally surprised me cause you can get a cheap new duffel bag of the same material, with straps & zippers for just a little more... believe me, i seriously considered ripping some of those apart, not to mention a couple old laptop bags, tool bags, old winter jacket.... but i could never figure out how to cut them. so started from scratch and since my brain short circuited every time i tried to design it in my head, i let my hands do the work for me, wrapping the battery in various ways to see what worked best... finally wrapping it like a christmas present. then put pins in (ouch) and sewed it sections at a time. the zipper was a last minute idea - i knew i'd need to get it out from time to time, and having fought the gorilla tape for so long, unwrapping lipos (after killing them), etc, using a zipper would be a luxury!

definitely should have taken pictures of the sewing project... if you look closely at the zipper in the last shot, you'll see some wild lines with maroon thread after the black ran out...

i fussed with the whole battery case/bag project so long i was actually scared to finish... i had this feeling that when i did 'finish' it, something else would go wrong. sure enough, on Day 2 of Life With New 'Finished' Bag, my Ping charger blew when i turned it upside down mid-charge. 2 days after six month warranty...

i'll have to work up the price tag for some of these things sometime... i don't even want to know right now!