GB1603193A - Terminal connector for a battery cell - Google Patents

Description

(54) TERMINAL CONNECTOR FOR A BATTERY CELL (71) We, CHLORIDE GROUP LIMI TED, a Company registered under the Laws of England, of 52, Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W OAU, 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 terminal connectors for example, intercell connectors for use with electric storage batteries.

Some electric storage butteries, for industrial use, comprises separate cells in individual compartments with terminal posts passing through the cell lid. Known intercell connectors have been pre-cast from lead. However, in certain applications there is a need for fully insulated intercell connections.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved, insulated terminal post or intercell or other connector.

According to the present invention, a terminal connector from a battery cell to the outside of the battery case, comprises a con ductor extending through a hole in a well in the cell lid, an insulating sleeve surrounding at least the outer part of the conductor, a seal in engagement with the sleeve and with the wall of the well, an external cable connected to the conductor, and a second insulating sleeve around the outside of the cable, the first and second insulating sleeves being in overlapping relationship. Eitherlor each insulating sleeve is conveniently heat shrunk around its respective components.

The insulating sleeves and the seal, which may be an elastomeric sealing ring, between them ensure that the conductor and cable are insulated from the surrounding components.

The cable is conveniently an insulated cable which may serve to be an external lead from the cell, or may lead to a conductor on an adjacent cell so as to act as an intercell con nector. Conveniently, a preformed conducting insert is fitted both to the cable core and to the conductor.

The sealing ring may be engaged by means of a nut screwed into the wall of the well to compress the sealing ring axially td cause it to expand radially into intimate sealing contact on the one hand with the wall of the well, and on the other hand with the external surface of the first insulating sleeve. Such a nut can also form a moisture seal with the external surface of the second insulating sleeve, and can indeed define with the nut and the sealing ring a chamber between the interior of the battery casing and the outside.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a sec tion through an intercell connector in position in a battery lid.

As shown in the Figure, a lead plate strap containing a copper insert 16, has an up wardly extending post 11 which passes through an aperture 15 in a recess or well 12 in a battery lid 13 when the lid 13 is in position on the battery casing. The post 11 has a heat shrunk sleeve 14 of insulating material sur rounding it for part of its length extending on either side of the aperture 15.

The copper insert 16 is cast into the post 11. The insert 16 is formed with a bore in which the core 17 of a cable 18 is located and fixed by means of soldering. It will be seen that the post 11, the insert 16 and the cable core 17 are all in electrical connection.

A heat shrunk sleeve 19 of insulating material surrounds the post 11, the insert 16, and the cable 18. This sleeve 19 overlaps the end of the sleeve 14 and extends over the insert 16 and overlaps the insulation of the cable 18. Thus all the components of the connector are fully electrically insulated.

A compression nut 21 is located about the connector and is in screw-thread engagement with the top of the wall of the well 12 in the lid 13. The nut 21 acts down upon an elastomeric sealing ring 22 located in the recess 12 about the post 11. As the ring 22 is compressed it expands radially and forms a seal between the lid 13 and the sleeve 14 about the post 11. The nut is also formed with an inwardly and upwardly extending frustoconical collar 23 which serves as a seal around the sleeve 19 above the level of the recess 12, to define a chamber within the nut above the ring and around the sleeve 19.

A feature of the design of the terminal connector is the ease with which it can be assembled, insulated and sealed. Thus the post 11 with its heat shrunk insulating sleeve 14 will be in position on the cell when the lid 13 of the battery case is fitted over it with the hole 15 in the base of the well sliding around the outside of the sleeve. The casing lid is sealed to the casing wall at the position where the lead line for the numeral 13 is shown on the figure. The sealing ring 22 is slid around the sleeve 14 between it and the bottom and side wall of the well 12.

Then the cable 18 is prepared by removing some of the insulation at each end to expose the conductor 17, which is to be tinned and fitted into the counter bore in the insert 16 and soldered into good electrical contact with it. One end of the cable 18 is soldered in at first. The sleeve 19 is fitted loosely over the end of the cable and slid down into the well 12 until it is around the cable insulation 18, copper insert 16, post 11, and the top of the sleeve 14 where it rest on a shoulder on the post 11. It is then shrunk in that position (which is shown on the drawing) by application of a jet of hot air, for example. The nut 21 is fitted over the free end of the cable and slid down around sleeve 19 and is screwed into the well using the co-operating threads formed at the top of the well wall, until it compresses the sealing ring 22 making it expand radially into good sealing contact with both sleeve 14 and the well wall 12. To complete the connection at the other end of the cable a similar nut 21 is fitted inverted, over the free end of the cable 18 followed by a length of heat shrunk sleeve 19 until they are resting on the completed seal. The cable is then bent over and the exposed conductor at the other end is soldered into its own insert 16. The sleeve 19 is then slid along the cable 18 and the seal is completed as previously described.

The connection can be broken by unscrewing the nut 21, removing or destroying the sleeve 19 and pulling out the insert 16. Replacement is carried out as before.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A terminal connector from a battery cell to the outside of the battery case, comprising a conductor extending through a hole in a well in the cell lid, an insulating sleeve surrounding at least the outer part of the conductor, a seal in engagement with the sleeve and with the wall of the well, an external cable connected to the conductor and a second insulating sleeve around the outside of the cable, the first and second insulating sleeves being in overlapping relationship.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 m which either/or each sleeve is heat shrunk round it respective component.

3. A connector as claimed in either of the preceding claims in which the seal is an elastomeric ring.

4. A connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which a preformed conducting insert is fitted to the cable core and to the conductor.

5. A connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the seal is engaged.

by a nut screwed into the wall of the well to compress the seal axially to cause it to expand radially.

6. A connector as claimed in Claim 5 in which the nut forms a moisture seal with the external surface of the second insulating sleeve.

7. A connector as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the nut defines with the seal a chamber between the interior of the battery casing and the outside.

8. A terminal connector constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the sleeve 19 above the level of the recess 12, to define a chamber within the nut above the ring and around the sleeve 19. A feature of the design of the terminal connector is the ease with which it can be assembled, insulated and sealed. Thus the post 11 with its heat shrunk insulating sleeve 14 will be in position on the cell when the lid 13 of the battery case is fitted over it with the hole 15 in the base of the well sliding around the outside of the sleeve. The casing lid is sealed to the casing wall at the position where the lead line for the numeral 13 is shown on the figure. The sealing ring 22 is slid around the sleeve 14 between it and the bottom and side wall of the well 12. Then the cable 18 is prepared by removing some of the insulation at each end to expose the conductor 17, which is to be tinned and fitted into the counter bore in the insert 16 and soldered into good electrical contact with it. One end of the cable 18 is soldered in at first. The sleeve 19 is fitted loosely over the end of the cable and slid down into the well 12 until it is around the cable insulation 18, copper insert 16, post 11, and the top of the sleeve 14 where it rest on a shoulder on the post 11. It is then shrunk in that position (which is shown on the drawing) by application of a jet of hot air, for example. The nut 21 is fitted over the free end of the cable and slid down around sleeve 19 and is screwed into the well using the co-operating threads formed at the top of the well wall, until it compresses the sealing ring 22 making it expand radially into good sealing contact with both sleeve 14 and the well wall 12. To complete the connection at the other end of the cable a similar nut 21 is fitted inverted, over the free end of the cable 18 followed by a length of heat shrunk sleeve 19 until they are resting on the completed seal. The cable is then bent over and the exposed conductor at the other end is soldered into its own insert 16. The sleeve 19 is then slid along the cable 18 and the seal is completed as previously described. The connection can be broken by unscrewing the nut 21, removing or destroying the sleeve 19 and pulling out the insert 16. Replacement is carried out as before. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A terminal connector from a battery cell to the outside of the battery case, comprising a conductor extending through a hole in a well in the cell lid, an insulating sleeve surrounding at least the outer part of the conductor, a seal in engagement with the sleeve and with the wall of the well, an external cable connected to the conductor and a second insulating sleeve around the outside of the cable, the first and second insulating sleeves being in overlapping relationship.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 m which either/or each sleeve is heat shrunk round it respective component.

3. A connector as claimed in either of the preceding claims in which the seal is an elastomeric ring.

4. A connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which a preformed conducting insert is fitted to the cable core and to the conductor.

5. A connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the seal is engaged.

by a nut screwed into the wall of the well to compress the seal axially to cause it to expand radially.

6. A connector as claimed in Claim 5 in which the nut forms a moisture seal with the external surface of the second insulating sleeve.

7. A connector as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the nut defines with the seal a chamber between the interior of the battery casing and the outside.

8. A terminal connector constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.