JP2000340213A - Protection cover for battery terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide superior appearance and to provide a stable lock state for a long time by forming a locking receiving part on a main body for holding a covering piece in a state of covering a clamp part by being elastically locked with a lock arm flexibly deformably formed in the covering piece. SOLUTION: When a cover piece 1B is closed relative to a body, it can be elastically and detachably locked to lock receiving parts 23 in the body side respectively. The lock receiving parts 23 are recessed into rectangles in outer faces of the body sidewalls of widened parts 18, respectively. The both lock receiving parts 23 have wall surfaces in four sides, and claw parts 20 of lock arms 21 are in a state hookable in either wall surfaces of the lock receiving parts 23 so that, when the cover pieces 1B is closed, the lock receiving parts are immovable relative to the body not only in the vertical direction but also in the front/rear direction. When the cover pieces 1B is closed, the lock arms 21 are elastically locked relative to the lock receiving parts 23 so as to hold the cover piece 1B in covering a clamp part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a protective cover for a battery terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a connection terminal connected to a battery post is covered with a protective cover to prevent a short circuit with a vehicle body. As this kind of protective cover, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-85858 is known. In this device, the structure for holding the protective cover in a closed state is such that a protrusion is formed on the inner wall surface of the protective cover, and a concave portion for locking the protrusion is formed on the receiving side. Has become.

[0003]

However, with such a structure, when the protective cover is repeatedly opened and closed, the projections are damaged by rubbing of the projections against the recesses, such as crushing or chipping. There was a possibility that the protection cover could not be closed. In addition, when such a protrusion is formed on the protective cover, there is a possibility that “sink” may occur on the surface of the protective cover. In addition, it is not surprising that a structure in which a flexible locking piece utilizing elasticity is used instead of the projection is not considered, but if such a flexible locking piece is formed while being slit into the side wall of the protective cover,
There is a problem that the appearance of the protective cover deteriorates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been developed to meet such a demand, and an object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover for a battery terminal which has an excellent appearance and can obtain a stable locking state for a long period of time. That is.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery terminal having a clamp portion which is tightened and connected to a battery post, and a wire connecting portion which connects an electric wire. A protective cover comprising a main body that wraps around the wire connection portion and is attached thereto, and a cover piece that covers the upper side and the side of the clamp portion, wherein a flexible deformable locking arm is formed inside the cover piece. And
The main body is formed with a lock receiving portion which is elastically locked with the locking arm and holds the cover piece in a state of covering the clamp portion. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a rear end portion of the cover piece is connected to the main body via a hinge, and the cover piece is opened and closed in a vertical direction with respect to the main body. It is characterized by being movable.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the locking receiving portion is recessed in a side wall surface of the main body, and at least a front and rear portion of the locking portion is positioned with respect to the locking arm. It is characterized by being formed so as to be able to be locked.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the cover piece is closed, the locking arm is elastically locked to the locking receiving portion, thereby holding the clamp portion covered. I do. As described above, since the locking mechanism utilizes the elasticity of the locking arm, the locking structure itself is damaged compared to the conventional structure in which the locking is performed using a projection that does not use the elasticity. Therefore, a stable locking state can be ensured for a long period of time. Further, since the locking arm is provided inside without being exposed from the cover piece, the appearance is also excellent. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, since the cover piece is integrated with the main body, it is excellent in handling. Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, even if a hinge breaks when the cover piece is closed, since the locking arm is hooked back and forth with respect to the locking receiving portion, the cover piece is immediately moved. Departure is regulated.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the battery terminal 2 that is the target of the protective cover 1 in the present embodiment will be described.
The battery terminal 2 is made of a conductive metal, and has an electric wire connection portion 2A for peeling off the end of the electric wire 3 and caulking the exposed core wire 4.
And a clamp 2B connected to a battery post (not shown). The clamp portion 2B has a substantially short cylindrical tightening ring 5 for tightening the battery post (specifically, the distal end side is tapered). The fastening ring 5 projects a pair of projecting pieces 5A forward, and a fastening bolt 6 is attached to the tip thereof. Then, by tightening the tightening bolt 6, the diameter of the tightening ring 5 can be reduced, so that the battery post can be tightened.

The protective cover 1 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material as a whole, and is connected via a hinge 7 to a main body 1A which wraps and holds the electric wire connection portion 2A and the tightening ring 5. And a cover piece 1B that covers the upper side and the side of the clamp portion 2B. The main body 1A is formed so as to have a substantially U-shaped cross section with the bottom surface and side surfaces opened, so that the battery terminal 2 and a part of the tip of the electric wire 3 can be fitted through the bottom surface side opening. I have. The front end portion of the main body 1A is formed to be slightly wider, and serves as an annular holding portion 8 that accommodates the tightening ring 5 of the battery terminal 2. The inner wall of the annular holding portion 8 is formed so as to be able to substantially adhere along the outer periphery before the tightening ring 5 is tightened. On the other hand, the width of the main body 1A on the rear side of the annular holding portion 8 is substantially the same as the width of the wire connection portion 2A.

The bottom wall of the central portion of the main body 1A is notched, and a thin connecting edge 9 is arranged along one of the side walls in the cutout portion along the length direction. A closing lid 12 is connected to be openable and closable via the edge 9. The closing lid 12 serves to prevent the battery terminal 2 from coming off by closing a portion of the main body 1A corresponding to the wire connection portion 2A.

[0010] At the edge of the closing lid 12 opposite to the connection edge 9, a lock piece 11 having a locking claw 10 formed at the tip is provided. When the closing cover 12 is closed, the locking claw 10 is pushed into the inside of the hooking band 13 protruding from the corresponding position on the outer surface of the main body 1A and locked, so that the closing cover 12 is in the closed state. Is held. Also, the closing lid 1
In FIG. 2, a holding piece 14 having a front end in an arc shape is provided on an edge facing the annular holding portion 8 side. The holding piece 14 is formed so as to temporarily hang downward from the bottom surface of the closing lid 12 and then project forward. Then, in a state where the fastening ring 5 is accommodated in the annular holding portion 8, as shown in FIG. 5, the battery terminal 2 contacts the bottom edge of the fastening ring 5 without protruding into the inside of the fastening ring 5 and the battery terminal 2 is connected. Regulate the rattling.

As shown in FIG. 3, a total of three receiving projections 15 are provided along the width direction at the center of the ceiling surface in the main body 1A. Receiving ridges 16 each having a prismatic shape are provided at positions near both ends of the surface.
Are formed two on each side, and these are respectively brought into contact with the electric wire connection portion 2A of the battery terminal 2 and the clamp portion 2B, thereby defining the insertion depth position of the battery terminal 2 with respect to the main body 1A. Specifically, the periphery of the bottom surface of the stored tightening ring 5 and the bottom surface of the annular holding portion 8 are flush with each other.

On the other hand, the cover piece 1B is attached to the main body 1A by a hinge 7 so that it can be opened and closed in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the upper surface of the main body 1A is provided with a step 17 so that the rear side is higher, and the hinge 7 is arranged along the width direction at a position closer to the step 17 on the higher rear side. . The hinge 7 in the present embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the reinforcing member 7A is divided into three parts in the width direction, and the reinforcing member 7A at the center is formed with thick reinforcing portions 7A on both side edges, and the reinforcing members 7B on both sides are formed with the same reinforcing portions 7B on the outer edges. In addition,
The rigidity set for the hinge 7 is such that when the cover piece 1B is opened in a natural state (a state in which no external force is applied), the battery terminal 2 is exposed to allow the work to be tightened. To the extent that it is held.

The entire cover piece 1B is formed wider than the main body 1A, and can be closed so as to cover the main body 1A from above. In particular, almost half of the front side of the cover piece 1B (hereinafter, referred to as the widened portion 18) is formed wider than substantially half of the rear side (hereinafter, referred to as the base portion 19), and accommodates the tightening bolt 6 of the battery terminal 2. I do.

Next, a structure for holding the cover piece 1B in a closed state will be described. A pair of locking arms 21 each having a claw portion 20 at the tip are provided inside the cover piece 1B. The locking arm 21 is disposed in a hanging manner at a position near the boundary with the base 19 in the widened portion 18, and in this embodiment. Both locking arms 21 are formed by extending the inner surface of the base 19 flush with the widened portion 18. That is, both locking arms 21 are formed such that the edges of the widening portion 18 on the side facing the ceiling surface and the step surface 22 with the base 19 are connected to each other. As described above, since both the locking arms 21 are formed on the stepped surface 22, a gap is provided between the locking arms 21 and the inner surface of the widened portion 18 at the rear thereof to secure the bending deformation of the locking arms 21. It becomes the bending space S (see FIG. 4 and the like).

When the cover piece 1B is closed relative to the main body 1A, the cover piece 1B can be elastically and releasably locked to the locking receiving portion 23 on the main body 1A side. The lock receiving portions 23 are respectively formed in the outer surfaces of both side walls of the widened portion 18 and formed in a concave shape in a square shape. In the present embodiment, the both lock receiving portions 23 have a form having four wall surfaces, and therefore the claw portion 20 of the locking arm 21 can be hooked on any wall surface in the lock receiving portion 23. Because there is, cover piece 1
When B is closed, it cannot move not only in the vertical direction but also in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body 1A. by this,
In the unlikely event that the hinge 7 is cut, the closed state of the cover piece 1B with respect to the main body 1A is maintained as it is.

Also, as shown in FIG.
The first claw portion 20 and the upper edge of the locking receiving portion 23 are in contact with the tapered surfaces 20A and 23A having an upward slope.
Thereby, when the cover piece 1B is strongly opened,
The locking of the claw portion 20 can be forcibly released.

In addition, on the upper surface of the cover piece 1B, there is provided an opening 2 for die-cutting for forming the claw 20 of the locking arm 21.
4 penetrates. In addition, a display section 26 for indicating that the battery post is a positive electrode protrudes between the openings 24 on the upper surface of the cover piece 1B. Further, an operation piece 25 for opening operation protrudes from the front end of the upper surface of the cover piece 1B. Further, when the cover piece 1B is in a closed state, the bottom surface of the cover piece 1B and the bottom surface of the rear end of the main body 1A (the part on the rear side from the portion where the hooking band 13 is provided) are flush. However, the rear end of the bottom edge of the main body 1A has an arc surface 1C.
It has become. The arc surface 1C is for making it easier to rotate the entire protective cover 1 on the installation surface when the fastening ring 8 is fitted into the battery post.

The protective cover 1 according to the present embodiment is formed as described above. The connection operation to the battery post will be described.
The battery terminal 2 connected to is inserted along the main body 1A. At this time, the battery terminal 2 is
The main body 1A
The insertion depth is restricted. Then, when the closing lid 12 is closed and the locking claw 10 of the lock piece 11 is inserted and locked inside the hanging band 13 of the main body 1A, the closing lid 12 allows the battery terminal 2 to be accommodated in the main body 1A. At the same time, the holding pieces 14 hold down the periphery of the fastening ring 5 to fix the battery terminal 2.

Next, with the cover piece 1B opened, the battery post is fitted into the tightening ring 5 and tightened with the tightening bolt 6, thereby completing the connection between the battery terminal 2 and the battery post. Thereafter, when the cover piece 1B is closed around the hinge 7, the locking arms 21 are bent and deformed by the claws 20 slidingly contacting the outer surface of the annular holding portion 8 and adapted to the locking receiving portions 23. It returns at that point and falls into the inside and gets caught on the four walls. Thus,
The connection portion between the battery post and the battery terminal 2 is covered by the cover piece 1B.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the cover piece 1B is formed by the locking arm 21 that can be deformed and deformed. Therefore, even if the locking and disengaging operation is repeated, the arm itself is damaged. Because it is hard to receive, a stable closing situation can be obtained. The locking arm 21 is a main body 1A.
Since it is arranged inside and is not exposed to the outside, the appearance is not impaired. Further, since the claw portion 20 of the locking arm 21 is locked to the opening of the main body 1A having the wall surface in all directions, the locking arm 21 has a hook not only in the vertical direction but also in the front-back direction. Therefore, the hinge 7
Even if it is cut, the cover piece 1B
Does not fall off, and the closed state with respect to the battery terminal 2 is maintained as it is.

The present invention can be variously modified,
The following modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the locking arm 21 is configured such that two edges facing the ceiling surface of the widened portion 18 and the stepped surface on the base 19 side are connected to each other, so that the engaging force with the main body 1A is enhanced. May be connected to only the ceiling surface. In the present embodiment, a pair of locking arms 21 is provided, but the number is not limited.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery terminal connected to an electric wire.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a protective cover.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing an open state of a cover piece;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where both a cover piece and a closing lid are opened;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a state where the battery terminal is accommodated in a protective cover.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a closed state of a cover piece.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a locking state of a locking arm.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view in a state where a cover piece is opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Protective cover 1A ... Main body 1B ... Cover piece 2 ... Battery terminal 2A ... Electric wire connection part 2B ... Clamp part 7 ... Hinge 21 ... Locking arm 23 ... Lock receiving part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A battery terminal having a clamp portion connected to a battery post by tightening and a wire connection portion connecting an electric wire, a main body enclosing and attaching the wire connection portion, and a main body above and below the clamp portion. A protective cover comprising a cover piece that covers a side, a bending arm that can be bent and deformed is formed inside the cover piece, and the main body is elastically locked with the locking arm, and A protective cover for a battery terminal, wherein a lock receiving portion for holding a cover piece in a state of covering the clamp portion is formed. 2. A rear end portion of the cover piece is connected to the main body via a hinge, and the cover piece is rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the main body. The battery terminal protective cover according to claim 1. 3. The device according to claim 3, wherein the locking receiving portion is recessed in a side wall surface of the main body, and at least front and rear portions of the locking portion are formed so as to be lockable with the locking arm. The protective cover for a battery terminal according to claim 2, wherein: