Electrical connectors – With provision to restrict environment effects – Including contact cover or case
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-24
2004-03-16
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With provision to restrict environment effects
Including contact cover or case
C439S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705889
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a terminal protecting cap, and more particularly to a terminal protecting cap which is capable of protecting the erroneous assembly of a plate-like terminal which is engaged with a bolt-and-nut type fixed terminal of such as an alternator or a starter motor of a vehicle, and of protecting a terminal portion thereof.
A connecting portion for an electric wire for supplying electricity to such as an alternator or a starter motor of a vehicle is so arranged that a plate-like terminal fixed to an end of an electric wire is fixed by being fastened by a bolt and a nut so as to prevent loosening due to vibrations occurring at the time of traveling. A terminal protecting cap is attached to such a terminal portion to maintain insulation and ensure protection from the outside.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, a related terminal protecting cap
1
includes a base member
2
, a cap
3
, and a wire cover
4
, and is fabricated by injection molding a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.
The base member
2
consists of a terminal protecting portion
2
a
and a wire fixing portion
2
b
, which are formed continuously. A peripheral wall
2
c
is formed on three sides of the terminal protecting portion
2
a
excluding the wire fixing portion
2
b
side, such that peripheries of a bolt-and-nut type fixed terminal (not shown) disposed on such as the alternator or the starter motor are surrounded by the peripheral wall
2
c.
A rib
2
d
is projectingly provided on an upper portion of the peripheral wall
2
c
horizontally toward the inner side. The arrangement provided is such that when a plate-like terminal
5
is built into the terminal protecting portion
2
a
, an electric contact portion
5
a
is built in below the rib
2
d
. Thus the electric contact portion
5
a
is positioned in advance inside the terminal protecting cap
1
in such a manner as to restrict the free movement of the electric contact portion
5
a
, i.e., the plate-like terminal
5
(particularly in a direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG.
6
).
As a result, the efficiency with which the plate-like terminal
5
is assembled to the fixed terminal is improved, thereby making it possible to effect the operation efficiently. In addition, a retaining frame piece
2
e
is formed on the terminal protecting portion
2
a
, and is adapted to engage a retaining projection
3
a
(which will be described below) provided on the cap
3
.
The wire fixing portion
2
b
for accommodating a wire connecting portion
5
b
to which one end of an electric wire
8
is secured. The wire fixing portion
2
b
is shaped like a spout and is formed continuously from the terminal protecting portion
2
a
. The width between inner side faces of the wire fixing portion
2
b
is set to a dimension substantially equal to the width of the wire connecting portion
5
b.
A pair of projections
2
f
are formed on the rear end side of the wire fixing portion
2
b
in such a manner as to be oriented inwardly, and are adapted to position the plate-like terminal
5
(in the left-and-right direction in
FIG. 6
) by abutting against an end of the wire connecting portion
5
b
. Further, a retaining projection
2
g
is formed on a side face of the wire fixing portion
2
b
, and is adapted to engage a retaining frame piece
4
a
of the wire cover
4
which will be described later.
The cap
3
is a substantially box-shaped member which is formed continuously from the terminal protecting portion
2
a
of the base member
2
by a hinge
6
formed in the shape of a thin plate. The retaining projection
3
a
is formed in face-to-face relation to the retaining frame piece
2
e
of the terminal protecting portion
2
a
. Further, the arrangement provided is such that the cap
3
is rotated 180° by bending the hinge
6
to cover the upper side of the terminal protecting portion
2
a
, and is fixed by allowing the retaining projection
3
a
to engage the retaining frame piece
2
e.
The wire cover
4
is a spout-shaped member, and covers the upper side of the wire fixing portion
2
b
. The wire cover
4
is formed continuously from a side of the wire fixing portion
2
b
by a hinge
9
formed in the shape of a thin plate. The retaining frame piece
4
a
is formed on a side of the wire cover
4
in face-to-face relation to the retaining projection
2
g
. The arrangement provided is such that when the upper side of the wire fixing portion
2
b
is covered by the wire cover
4
by bending this hinge
9
, the wire cover
4
forms an accommodating chamber for accommodating the wire connecting portion
5
b
in cooperation with a spout-shaped portion of the wire fixing portion
2
b.
The assembly of the plate-like terminal
5
into the terminal protecting cap
1
is effected as follows: In a state in which the cap
3
and the wire cover
4
are open, the wire connecting portion
5
b
is accommodated in the spout-shaped portion of the wire fixing portion
2
b
, and the electric contact portion
5
a
of the plate-like terminal
5
is positioned and incorporated below the rib
2
d
of the terminal protecting portion
2
a.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, the hinge
9
is bent, the wire cover
4
is rotated 180° to cover the upper side of the wire fixing portion
2
b
, and the retaining projection
2
g
is engaged with the retaining frame piece
4
a
, thereby assembling the plate-like terminal
5
with the wire
8
secured thereto inside the terminal protecting cap
1
.
Next, a bolt of the bolt-and-nut type (not shown) fixed terminal is inserted in a bolt hole
5
c
provided in the electric contact portion
5
a
of the plate-like terminal
5
assembled into the terminal protecting cap
1
, and is fastened by a nut, thereby allowing the fixed terminal and the plate-like terminal
5
to be engaged.
Then, the hinge
6
is bent, the cap
3
is rotated 180° to cover the upper side of the terminal protecting portion
2
a
with the cap
3
, and the retaining projection
3
a
is engaged with the retaining frame piece
2
e
to fix the cap
3
, thereby completing the operation of connecting together the plate-like terminal
5
and the bolt-and-nut type fixed terminal.
With the related terminal protecting cap
1
, even if the electric contact portion
5
a
is erroneously placed on the rib
2
d
at the time of incorporating the plate-like terminal
5
into the terminal protecting cap
1
, as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, and the plate-like terminal
5
is assembled as it is set in an inclined state, the cap
3
and the wire cover
4
can be closed without hindrance. Since there is no difference with the state persisting at the time of proper assembly, there is a problem in that an illusion can occur that proper assembly is performed.
In addition, also in an inspection process after the assembly, in the state in which the cap
3
and the wire cover
4
is closed, an abnormality in the fitting of the plate-like terminal
5
cannot be detected from the outside. Hence, to inspect the state of connection of the plate-like terminal
5
, it is necessary to perform inspection by opening and closing the cap
3
. Accordingly, there is a problem in that much inspection time is required.
Furthermore, if the plate-like terminal
5
is engaged with the bolt-and-nut type fixed terminal in the inclined state, electric connection between the fixed terminal and the plate-like terminal
5
becomes insufficient, and electric resistance becomes very large, thereby rendering the alternator or the starter motor inoperable. Even if the alternator or the starter can be operated, since the electric resistance between the fixed terminal and the plate-like terminal
5
is very large, there has been a malfunction such as the generation of abnormal heat occurring at the connecting portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a terminal protecting cap which makes it impossible to close the cap and detect faulty assembly very easily in a case where the assembly of the plate-like terminal into the terminal protecting cap is incomplete, thereby makin
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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