GB1590603A

GB1590603A - One piece electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB1590603A
Application number: GB14535/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Duracell International Inc
Current assignee: Duracell Inc USA
Priority date: 1977-04-14
Filing date: 1978-04-13
Publication date: 1981-06-03
Also published as: DK151992C; IE46721B1; IL54143A0; SE7804189L; NO781294L; DK161778A; BE865974A; BR7802313A; AU521039B2; FR2387531A1; DK151992B; NL7803971A; IL54143A; IE780731L; DE2815728C2; IT7822296A0; JPS53128792A; FR2387531B1; CH627589A5; CA1083240A

Abstract

The plug-connection arrangement, which is suitable for use as an electrical connecting part for batteries, has at least one plug-connection part (10) which is installed in a supporting plate (32), a projection (24) of said plug-connection part (10) protruding through a hole (30) in the supporting plate (32). In order to make it impossible for the contents of the battery to run out, the plug-connection part (10) is of integral construction and has a connection piece (12) which is provided with an integrally formed base wall (22). The projection (24), which is constructed with a closed end piece (28), is integrally formed pointing away from the connection piece (12), the end piece (28) being formed to create a shoulder (27) which is directed outwards and presses against the supporting plate (32). The diameter of said shoulder (27) is greater than that of the hole (30), as a result of which the supporting plate (32) is held between the shoulder (27) and the base wall (22) in a sealing manner, and the plug-connection part (10) is held securely in the supporting plate (32). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) ONE PIECE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR (71) We, DURACELL INTERNATIONAL INC. formerly known as P. R. Mallory & Co., Inc., a Corporation organised and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, of 3029 East Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to electrical connector assemblies for batteries.

One common means of temporarily connecting two or more items is mating male and female connectors. The type of connector used varies, depending on the particular application. For example, in battery applications there are certain requirements that a connector must meet. A battery is expected to function for extended periods. Accordingly the terminal must be reliable and it must provide continuously satisfactory mechanical and electrical connections over the entire life of the battery. Similar requirements may also be found in other applications where long life and reliability are necessary.

A further requirement of battery connectors is that they seal the battery container so that no corrosive material can leak out. This requirement has, in the past, been partially satisfied by the use of a two piece connector in which a connecting means, such as a female mating device, is manufactured with a hole in the center of its base. Then a rivet is inserted through a supporting means, which is usually an insulator, and through the hole in the connecting means. The end of the rivet is clinched or peened outwardly so as to firmly attach the connecting means to the insulator. The solid head of the rivet is thereby pressed against the insulator to provide a seal and inhibit leakage. All of the internal connections of a conventional 9 volt battery are formed by welding (e.g. connections by electrically conductive tabs between the individual cells, and to the rivet heads) except for the mechanical connection between the rivet end and the connecting means which thereby forms the "weakest link" in the electrical continuity of the battery. The two piece construction and the necessary intermediate steps in the assembling of these prior art connectors render them relatively expensive to manufacture.

The present invention provides a connector assembly comprising a one piece connector attached to a supporting means; said connector having a connecting means with an integral bottom wall, the bottom wall having an integral boss with a closed end protruding from said bottom wall in a direction away from said connecting means, said supporting means having an aperture therein through which said boss extends; the bottom end portion of the boss being pressed flat against the supporting means in the form of an outwardly extending shoulder having a diameter greater than the diameter of said aperture; whereby said supporting means is secured in leakproof sealing relation between the said shoulder and bottom wall and the connector is securely attached to said supporting means forming a leakproof assembly.

Some one piece connectors have previously been used, but all contained an eyelet or an open-ended boss. When such a connector is attached to a supporting means, a hole remains in the connector. This is especially undesirable for some embodiments such as those destined for use in electromechanical cells since corrosive material could leak out.

The connector of the present invention, with its closed end, solves this problem.

One of the requirements in the manufacture of the device of this invention is that there be no leakage path through the connecting assembly. Accordingly, the entire one piece connector is made of continuous material.

It has heretofore been believed that one piece connectors such as those contemplated by the present invention could not be formed, and that, even if capable of being formed, they could not be assembled without fracturing of the metal.

In accordance with the present invention it has now been discovered that it is possible to make a one piece connector which is readily capable of being assembled. The one piece connectors of the present invention are not only substantially cheaper to manufacture than two piece connectors, but in addition, since the connector is now a single piece, the mechanical connection at the rivet is eliminated, together with the drawbacks of such connection.

The portion of the connector assembly which forms the connecting means, e.g. the mating male and female elements, may be the same as those heretofore used. However, instead of a separate rivet there is provided an integral boss which is formed during the manufacture of the connector.

The boss portion of the one piece connector is inserted into an aperture in a supporting means. The boss must be longer than the thickness of the supporting means so that it will extend beyond the remote wall thereof, whereby to enable the boss to be peened against the supporting means. This action firmly attaches the connector to the supporting means and produces a connector assembly.

The dimensions of the boss will vary according to the material it is made of and the size of the connector itself. The boss must be long enough to penetrate and project beyond the supporting means. A sufficient portion of the end of the boss must project therethrough that the closed end of the boss, when peened, will form a head which is large enough to prevent the connector from being pulled out of the supporting means, e.g.

when the connector is being disconnected.

The maximum length of the boss will be determined by the material used, which will affect the ability of the boss to be formed without penetration of the bottom wall by the die which forms it, which would produce an open ended boss. A practical length for a boss used in a connector for a battery would be between about 1.25 mm (0.05 inch) and about 2.55 mm (0.1 inch) in conjunction with an outer diameter of the boss between about 3.1 and 3.2 mm (0.122 and 0.125 inch). The connector can be made of almost any formable or castable material. Useful materials include steel, brass, phosphorus bronze, beryllium copper. The preferred embodiment is made of steel containing some carbon and manganese and restricted amounts of sulphur and phosphorus. In one specific embodiment, the connector is steel that is about 0.25 mm (0.01 inch) thick and contains between about 0.48% and about 0.55% carbon, between about 0.6% and about 0.9% manganese, a maximum of about 0.035% phosphorus and a maximum of about 0.45% sulphur; this steel is particularly suitable for female connectors. Other useful steels contain between about 0.25% and 0.4% manganese, and 0.08% maximum of carbon; between about 0.3% and 0.51% manganese and about 0.1% maximum of carbon; and between about 0.08% and 0.13% carbon, and about 0.3% and 0.6% manganese; each of the above steels contains a maximum of about 0.035% phosphorus, and 0.045% sulphur. These steels are particularly suitable for male connectors. Each of the above materials is sufficiently malleable to permit the formation of a closed-end boss sufficiently long to be usable. In addition, when the boss is peened during the attachment of the connector to the supporting means the material must remain continuous since, if any fractures form in the boss, material from the battery may leak through the connector.

It has been discovered that, surprisingly, the formation of the boss causes the steel to become work hardened so that the resilience of the fingers of female connecting means is increased. This makes it unnecessary to heat treat the fingers.

The supporting means must be able to hold the connector in place while it is being used and thus prevent it from being pulled out. Also the supporting means must not be damaged during the peening of the end of the boss and the attachment of the connector thereto. In addition, when the connecting means is to be used in a battery the supporting means will preferably be formed from an insulating material. Suitable such materials vary widely and include vulcanized fibre, which is made of paper that has been soaked in zinc chloride, washed and dried; and epoxy resin having a fibreglass filler. In a preferred embodiment, the supporting means has a thickness of between about 0.5 mm (0.02 inch) and about 1.0 mm (0.04 inch).

Because the connector has only a single boss passing through the supporting means, the connector could rotate. Accordingly, the connector may be provided with means for preventing rotation. A presently preferred means involves the use of at least one, and preferably two, rosettes formed in the bottom wall of the connector which is to be adjacent to the supporting means. The rosette is formed by forcing a cutting die through the bottom wall of the connector whereby one or more pointed edges or lances is formed, each lance extending towards the contemplated position of the supporting means. Each rosette may be small and may have as few as one lance projecting from it, or the rosette may be larger and have many more lances projecting from it. Where leakage is a potential problem it is desirable that the length of each lance be less than the thickness of the supporting means. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the die making the rosette may not penetrate the bottom wall, in which case a dimple is formed in the bottom wall. A further alternative means of prevent ing rotation is the use of a turned down edge of an annular flange which extends around the connecting means. This can be formed by forcing one or more parts of the edge of the annular flange into the supporting means.

The means for preventing pivotal rotation operates by the partial penetration of said means into the supporting means. In general this partial penetration = occurs simultaneously with the peening of the end of the boss.

The force exerted in peening the end of the boss over is sufficient to cause the lance, the dimple, or the turned down edge to part penetrate the supporting means.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a female connector assembly made in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the connector of Figure 1 before it is attached to a supporting means; Figure 3 is a vertical diametrical crosssectional view of the one piece connector shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a corresponding vertical crosssectional view of an alternative embodiment wherein a male connector is shown attached to a supporting means.

Figures 1--3 show a one piece female connector 10 with a female connecting means 12 consisting of an outer discontinuous cylindrical wall 14, an inner discontinuous cylindrical wall 16, connecting means 20 between the top edges of and integral with said walls and forming a 180 bend therebetween, and a plurality of axial slits 18 passing through both said walls and said connecting means. The discontinuous cylindrical walls form a plurality of resilient fingers which are adapted to grip the corresponding parts of a male connector. The connecting means 12 is integral with a planar bottom wall 22 from which an integral boss 24 projects in a direction opposite to connecting means 12. The boss 24 has a substantially cylindrical neck 26, an encircling flange 27 integral with the outer wall 14, and a closed disc shaped bottom 28. The enlarged diameter of bottom 28 together with planar wall 22 securely hold the connector 10 in place on a supporting means 32 which has a hole 30 receiving the neck 26.

Two integral rosettes 34 are formed in bottom wall 22. Rosettes 34 prevent pivotal rotation of the connector, by virtue of four lances 36 which project from wall 22 and partially penetrate into the supporting means 32. A metal tab 38 from the cells of a conventional 9 volt electromechanical cell (not shown) is welded to the closed bottom 28.

Figures 2 and 3 show the one piece female connector 10 prior to attachment to the supporting means 32. In this state the boss 24 has a cylindrical form without flange 27. The closed bottom 28 has a diameter less than that of the hole 30 (Figure 1). After insertion of the boss 24 in the hole 30, the closed bottom 28 of the boss 24 is flattened against the bottom of the support 32 whereby the flange 27 is formed and enlargement of the bottom 28 occurs while, simultaneously, lances 36 penetrate into the support 32.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein a one piece male connector 50 has a male connecting means 52 which consists of an outer cylindrical wall 54 and an inner cylindrical wall 56. The outer wall 54 has a diameter adjacent to the supporting means 32 which is less than the diameter of the wall 54 in the region nearer its opposite end, so that a female connector will be securely held in place thereon. In the embodiment shown, the enlarged portion forms a cylinder of somewhat greater diameter than the cylindrical form of the small portion, but other configurations can be used.

The outer wall 54 is integral with an annular flange 58 which helps to buttress connecting means 52 against supporting means 32. In addition, flange 58 provides a means 60 for preventing rotation. Means 60 is formed by pressing the outer edge 62 of said annular flange 58 into the supporting means 32 at one or more positions around the periphery of the flange 58. Attachment of the male connector 50 to the supporting means 32 is otherwise substantially the same as the attachment procedure described above with respect to the female connector shown in Figures 1 to 3. The inner wall 56 of connecting means 52 is integral with the outer wall 54 through a 180t bend at the top edges of the walls, and is integrally formed with a botton wall 122 coplanar with the flange 58 and from which an integral boss 124 extends. Boss 124 has a substantially cylindrical neck 126, a flange portion 127, and a closed bottom 128 in the form of a disc.

The closed bottom 128 of boss 124 has a larger diameter than the diameter of aperature 130 in the supporting means 32, whereby the boss 124 and the planar wall 122 securely hold said supporting means 32 therebetween after expansion of the bottom of the boss.

It is understood that changes and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A connector assembly comprising a one piece connector attached to a supporting means; said connector having a connecting means with an integral bottom wall, the bottom wall having an integral boss with a closed end protruding from said bottom wall

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ing rotation is the use of a turned down edge of an annular flange which extends around the connecting means. This can be formed by forcing one or more parts of the edge of the annular flange into the supporting means. The means for preventing pivotal rotation operates by the partial penetration of said means into the supporting means. In general this partial penetration = occurs simultaneously with the peening of the end of the boss. The force exerted in peening the end of the boss over is sufficient to cause the lance, the dimple, or the turned down edge to part penetrate the supporting means. The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a female connector assembly made in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the connector of Figure 1 before it is attached to a supporting means; Figure 3 is a vertical diametrical crosssectional view of the one piece connector shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a corresponding vertical crosssectional view of an alternative embodiment wherein a male connector is shown attached to a supporting means. Figures 1--3 show a one piece female connector 10 with a female connecting means 12 consisting of an outer discontinuous cylindrical wall 14, an inner discontinuous cylindrical wall 16, connecting means 20 between the top edges of and integral with said walls and forming a 180 bend therebetween, and a plurality of axial slits 18 passing through both said walls and said connecting means. The discontinuous cylindrical walls form a plurality of resilient fingers which are adapted to grip the corresponding parts of a male connector. The connecting means 12 is integral with a planar bottom wall 22 from which an integral boss 24 projects in a direction opposite to connecting means 12. The boss 24 has a substantially cylindrical neck 26, an encircling flange 27 integral with the outer wall 14, and a closed disc shaped bottom 28. The enlarged diameter of bottom 28 together with planar wall 22 securely hold the connector 10 in place on a supporting means 32 which has a hole 30 receiving the neck 26. Two integral rosettes 34 are formed in bottom wall 22. Rosettes 34 prevent pivotal rotation of the connector, by virtue of four lances 36 which project from wall 22 and partially penetrate into the supporting means 32. A metal tab 38 from the cells of a conventional 9 volt electromechanical cell (not shown) is welded to the closed bottom 28. Figures 2 and 3 show the one piece female connector 10 prior to attachment to the supporting means 32. In this state the boss 24 has a cylindrical form without flange 27. The closed bottom 28 has a diameter less than that of the hole 30 (Figure 1). After insertion of the boss 24 in the hole 30, the closed bottom 28 of the boss 24 is flattened against the bottom of the support 32 whereby the flange 27 is formed and enlargement of the bottom 28 occurs while, simultaneously, lances 36 penetrate into the support 32. Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein a one piece male connector 50 has a male connecting means 52 which consists of an outer cylindrical wall 54 and an inner cylindrical wall 56. The outer wall 54 has a diameter adjacent to the supporting means 32 which is less than the diameter of the wall 54 in the region nearer its opposite end, so that a female connector will be securely held in place thereon. In the embodiment shown, the enlarged portion forms a cylinder of somewhat greater diameter than the cylindrical form of the small portion, but other configurations can be used. The outer wall 54 is integral with an annular flange 58 which helps to buttress connecting means 52 against supporting means 32. In addition, flange 58 provides a means 60 for preventing rotation. Means 60 is formed by pressing the outer edge 62 of said annular flange 58 into the supporting means 32 at one or more positions around the periphery of the flange 58. Attachment of the male connector 50 to the supporting means 32 is otherwise substantially the same as the attachment procedure described above with respect to the female connector shown in Figures 1 to 3. The inner wall 56 of connecting means 52 is integral with the outer wall 54 through a 180t bend at the top edges of the walls, and is integrally formed with a botton wall 122 coplanar with the flange 58 and from which an integral boss 124 extends. Boss 124 has a substantially cylindrical neck 126, a flange portion 127, and a closed bottom 128 in the form of a disc. The closed bottom 128 of boss 124 has a larger diameter than the diameter of aperature 130 in the supporting means 32, whereby the boss 124 and the planar wall 122 securely hold said supporting means 32 therebetween after expansion of the bottom of the boss. It is understood that changes and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A connector assembly comprising a one piece connector attached to a supporting means; said connector having a connecting means with an integral bottom wall, the bottom wall having an integral boss with a closed end protruding from said bottom wall

in a direction away from said connecting means, said supporting means having an aperture therein through which said boss extends; the bottom end portion of the boss being pressed flat against the supporting means in the form of an outwardly extending shoulder having a diameter greater than the diameter of said aperture; whereby said supporting means is secured in leakproof sealing relation between the said shoulder and bottom wall and the connector is securely attached to said supporting means forming a leakproof assembly.

2. The connector assembly of Claim I further comprising means for preventing pivotal movement of said connector.

3. The connector assembly of Claim 2 wherein said means for preventing pivotal movement comprises a rosette containing at least one lance extending from said rosette, said lance penetrating partly through said supporting means whereby said connecting means is held stationary against said supporting means.

4. The connector assembly of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said boss is hollow and consists of a neck portion which is substantially cylindrical and said bottom end which is substantially a disc.

5. The connector assembly claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said one piece connector is made of steel, brass, phosphorus bronze, or beryllium copper.

6. The connector claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5 wherein said supporting means is an electrical insulator.

7. The connector assembly of Claim 6 wherein said electrical insulator is made of vulcanized fibre, or fibreglass embedded in an epoxy resin, and is between 0.5 mm and 1 mm thick.

8. The connector assembly claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7 wherein said connecting means comprises an inner generally cylindrical wall axially slit to provide a circular series of resilient fingers that provide bearing surfaces to bear resiliently and make contact against an outer surface of a mating connecting means, and an integral outer, generally cylindrical wall encircling said inner wall, into and through which outer wall the axial slits of said inner wall extend, said outer wall being joined to the top edge of said inner wall through a bend of substantially 180 and extending downwardly until it merges with said integral bottom wall.

9. The connector assembly of Claim 8 wherein said connecting means has been work hardened during the forming of said boss whereby the resiliency of said resilient fingers is increased.

10. The connector assembly claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7 wherein said connecting means comprises a generally cylindrical outer wall, the diameter of said outer wall adjacent to said supporting means being less than the diameter thereof at a point nearer its opposite end, said outer wall being to make good contact with the inner wall of a mating connecting means; and a generally cylindrical inner wall within the outer wall and joined at the top edge of said outer wall through a bend of substantially 180 and extending downwardly until it merges with said integral bottom wall.

I I. The connector assembly claimed in Claim 10 having an annular flange which extends outwardly from said outer wall, said flange being coplanar with said bottom wall, at least one part of the outer edge of said annular flange being turned towards said supporting means, said edge penetrating said supporting means whereby said connecting means is held stationary against rotation in said supporting means.

12. The connector assembly claimed in any preceding claim wherein said boss has a length of between 1.25 mm and 2.55 mm and an outside diameter of between 3.1 mm and 3.2 mm.

13. A connector assembly as defined in any preceding claim forming one terminal of an electrical battery.

14. A connector assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 and Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.