Battery Charging Dock for VEX IQ & EXP

Dock for charging 5 VEX IQ or EXP batteries in an organized manner
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updated October 7, 2024

Description

PDF

This is a dock for charging 5 VEX IQ (2nd generation) and/or EXP batteries in an organized manner. VEX classroom kits come in multiples of 5 robots, so you can print as many of these as you need for the number of batteries you have.

The dock itself will need supports under the cable routing channels. I would not recommend using supports under the deep circular holes, as it's not necessary and removing the support material will be very difficult.

“Plate.stl” is a flat plate that goes between the main body and legs, and helps to secure the cables in place. In the photos I've laser-cut this piece from ⅛" acrylic to save print time; “Plate.pdf” is the file for that.

Additional parts needed:

  • Right-angle USB-C cable: https://a.co/d/44bcDQQ. You must use this exact cable, or another cable with an identical-shaped USB-C plug. The link is a 3 pack; each dock needs 5 cables.
  • Heat set inserts: https://a.co/d/84c0rBL. For attaching legs to dock. The link is a 100 pack; each dock needs 4.
  • 8-32 screws for attaching legs to dock. Same size as used in VEX EXP and V5 kits. 1 inch is a good size; 4 per dock.
  • Hot glue: for securing cables in dock. What worked for me was to apply some glue to one of the recesses, then quickly pop a battery into the slot and plug the cable into the battery. Then hold everything in place for 30-60 seconds while the glue sets before moving on to the next slot. This ensured that the cable was perfectly aligned. After gluing all cables in, I added some additional hot glue on top of each cable for additional strain relief.
  • USB power supply – I used this one, but the exact model isn't important: https://a.co/d/37vaYuM.  
  • The power supply is mounted to the underside of the dock with some squares of “3M Dual Lock”. Velcro would be fine too, but Dual Lock is better. 

 

Design available here in Onshape.

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