Electrical connectors – Metallic clamp-type connector for storage battery terminal – For threaded-receptacle type terminal flush with battery wall
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-05
2004-12-14
Zarroli, Michael C. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Metallic clamp-type connector for storage battery terminal
For threaded-receptacle type terminal flush with battery wall
C439S762000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06830490
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to battery terminals which are connected to electrodes of batteries (battery posts) to be mounted in automobiles, for example, and more particularly to a battery terminal attachable to and detachable from a battery post in one touching by pivoting an operating lever (a cam lever) without using any clamping tool such as an impact wrench or the like.
The present invention also relates to a battery post adaptor which is fitted to a stud bolt type battery post to ensure that the press-fitting of the battery terminal is facilitated.
It has heretofore been practiced to fit a battery post adaptor to a stud bolt type battery post to ensure that the press-fitting of a battery terminal is facilitated. In this case, there exists a related battery post adaptor as shown in FIG.
12
.
In
FIG. 12
, a battery post adaptor
2
is such that a circular flange portion
3
for preventing a battery terminal from slipping out is provided at the upper end of a tubular terminal mounting portion
2
a
having an internal thread
2
b
into which an external thread
1
a
of a battery post
1
is fitted, and that a hexagonal portion
4
as the fitting portion of a tool for fastening the adaptor tight is provided at the lower end of the terminal mounting portion
2
a.
In this case, the total height required of the battery post adaptor is equal in height to a total of three portions including the terminal mounting portion
2
a
, the flange portion
3
and the hexagonal portion
4
.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, further, the maximum dimension in the diametric direction has had to be determined by the apex-to-apex dimension F of the hexagonal portion
4
under a condition that the face-to-face dimension B of the hexagonal portion
4
is set greater than the diameter D of the flange portion
3
in view of the fact that the battery post adaptor
2
is fitted up with an impact wrench
5
.
Therefore, a major problem is that as the battery post adaptor
2
tends to become large in both its height and width directions, a battery terminal to be fitted thereto is also large-sized.
As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-60053U, for example, there is a known battery terminal detachable from a battery post by pivoting an operation lever.
FIG. 14
shows the construction of the battery terminal described in the above publication. The battery terminal
30
is formed with a cam lever (an operation lever)
32
that is pivotally fitted to a terminal body
31
comprising a C-shaped adaptor fitting portion
33
and a pair of folded-back pieces
34
and
35
extending in parallel to each other from both the respective ends of the C-shaped adaptor fitting portion
33
. A pivotal shaft
36
is fitted to the pair of folded-back pieces
34
and
35
, the cam lever
32
being pivotally supported by the pivotal shaft
36
. Electric wires W are connected to one folded-back piece
34
.
The operation will be described with reference to
FIGS. 15 and 16
. While the cam lever
32
is uprighted as shown in
FIG. 15
, the cam portion
32
a
of the cam lever
32
is also kept upright and the caliber of the adaptor fitting portion
33
of the battery terminal
30
grows large. Consequently, a battery post
40
can easily be fitted into the adaptor fitting portion
33
in the above condition.
After the battery post
40
is fitted into the adaptor fitting portion
33
, the cam lever
32
is turned laterally toward the pair of folded-back pieces
34
and
35
as shown in
FIG. 16
, whereby to make the cam portion
32
a
press the peripheral face of the battery post
40
. Then a counterforce resulting from the pressing force of the cam portion
32
a
causes the inner peripheral face of the adaptor fitting portion
33
of the battery terminal
30
to be pressed against the peripheral face of the battery post
40
. Consequently, the frictional force between the inner peripheral face of the adaptor fitting portion
33
and the outer peripheral face of the battery post
40
connects the battery terminal
30
to the battery post
40
electrically and mechanically.
In case where the cam lever
32
is uprighted in the above condition, on the other hand, the battery terminal
30
can be removed from battery post
40
in one touching because the pressing force of the cam portion
32
a
toward the battery post
40
is released.
Therefore, with this battery terminal
30
, the battery terminal
30
can easily be attached to and detached from the battery post
40
through the operation of uprighting and turning the cam lever
32
laterally in one touching.
However, as shown in
FIG. 17
, though it has heretofore been arranged to make the pressing force of the cam portion
32
a
act on the outer peripheral face of the battery post
40
by securing a predetermined overlap margin &dgr;
1
between the cam portion
32
a
and the battery post
40
, there is no portion for absorbing the overlap margin &dgr;
1
because the cam lever
32
that is made of solid and rigid material, and this makes a great operation force necessary to pivot the cam lever. Moreover, as there is the probability that the battery post
40
would be deformed (dented) by the overlap margin &dgr;
1
or that the cam portion
32
a
would be deformed, the contact load has not been stabilized, thus resulting in low contact reliability.
Furthermore, it has heretofore been arranged that the mounting of such a battery terminal is completed by turning the cam lever
32
laterally toward the electric-wire-connecting side and as the cam lever
32
is turned laterally during the pressing operation, it has been difficult to install any obstructing thing near the battery terminal. In other words, even in a case where a ring terminal (so-called LA terminal) is used to connect a battery cable to the battery terminal, it has also been difficult to fit a stud bolt for connecting the ring terminal to the portion nearby. Although placing the stud bolt like that is technically possible, the cam lever may not be turned laterally up to the horizontal position and this may result in a poor cam lever settlement.
As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-29784U, for example, there is another related battery terminal detachable from a battery post by pivoting an operating lever.
FIG. 18
shows the construction of the battery terminal described in the above publication. The battery terminal
130
is formed with a cam lever (an operating lever)
132
that is pivotally fitted to a terminal body
131
comprising a C-shaped adaptor fitting portion
133
and a pair of folded-back pieces
134
and
135
extending in parallel to each other from both the respective ends of the C-shaped adaptor fitting portion
133
. A pivotal shaft
136
is fitted to the pair of folded-back pieces
134
and
135
, the cam lever
132
being pivotally supported by the pivotal shaft
136
. Electric wires W are connected to one folded-back piece
134
.
The operation will be described with reference to
FIGS. 20A and 20B
. While the cam lever
132
is uprighted as shown in
FIG. 20A
, the cam portion
132
a
of the cam lever
132
is also kept upright and the caliber of the adaptor fitting portion
133
of the battery terminal
130
grows large. Consequently, a battery post
140
can easily be fitted into the adaptor fitting portion
133
in the above condition.
The operation will be described with reference to
FIGS. 20A and 20B
. While the cam lever
132
is uprighted as shown in
FIG. 20A
, the cam portion
32
a
of the cam lever
132
is also kept upright and the caliber of the adaptor fitting portion
133
of the battery terminal
130
grows large. Consequently, a battery post
140
can easily be fitted into the adaptor fitting portion
133
in the above condition.
After the battery post
140
is fitted into the adaptor fitting portion
133
, the cam lever
132
is turned laterally toward the pair of folded-back pieces
134
and
135
as shown in
FIG. 20B
whereby to make the cam portion
32
a
press the peripheral face of the battery post
140
. Then a counte
Fukuda Masaru
Ito Keiichi
Murakami Takao
Shiraki Kazuyuki
Wakui Masanori
Yazaki -Corporation
Zarroli Michael C.
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