JPH0317404Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of industrial application] The present invention maintains the tightening force of a screw-clamped terminal attached to a male terminal at an appropriate tightening force specified by the material of the terminal, and prevents excessive tightening. The present invention relates to a terminal protection mechanism that can prevent damage such as plastic deformation or cracking of the terminal by preventing tightening.

[Conventional technology and problems]

Conventional screw-type terminals that are attached to male terminals such as battery posts of automobiles include those shown in FIG. 6.

That is, in the figure, a terminal 1 has an opening 5 on one side of a terminal insertion hole 4 formed in approximately the same shape as a male terminal 3, which is a truncated cone-shaped battery post protruding from a battery 2. Jaws 6 on both sides of 5
is installed protrudingly.

A bolt hole 7 is formed in the jaw portion 6 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the terminal insertion hole 4.

After inserting the male terminal 3, which is a battery post, into the terminal insertion hole 4 of the terminal 1, the bolt hole 7
Insert a bolt 8 for tightening the terminal into the terminal, tighten the nut 9 screwed into the bolt 8 to clamp the jaw 6, and reduce the terminal insertion hole 4 of the terminal 1 within the elastic limit to remove the male battery post. This is to tighten the terminal 3.

In this way, the electric wire 10 connected to the terminal 1 is electrically connected to the battery 2, but the tightening force applied to the nut 9 is generally likely to be excessive.

However, the material of the terminal 1 is sometimes made of lead or brass, which has a narrower elastic range than iron, and if excessive tightening force is applied by mistake, the terminal will be permanently deformed, and This may require additional tightening.

Therefore, the length of the male threaded portion of the bolt 8 is made long in advance so that it can be tightened with more than the necessary tightening force, and there is a risk that the terminal will break due to excessive tightening force.

Furthermore, due to excessive tightening force of the nut, the nut contacting surface of the terminal made of a soft material such as lead is scraped by the nut's tightening force, causing the problem that the nut slips into the contact surface.

The present invention provides a protection mechanism that prevents the terminal from being damaged due to excessive tightening force as described above being applied to the terminal.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides an opening on one side of the terminal insertion hole into which a mating male terminal is inserted, jaws projecting outward from both sides of the opening, bolt holes passing through both jaws, and In a terminal that is tightened to a mating male terminal by tightening both jaws with a terminal tightening bolt inserted into a bolt hole and a nut screwed onto the terminal tightening bolt, the terminal tightening bolt is tightened to a mating male terminal. A terminal protection mechanism was constructed by providing a stopper for abutting the nut to limit the tightening force of the terminal.

[Effect]

When a screw-tight terminal is tightened with a bolt and nut, when the appropriate tightening force specified by the material of the terminal is reached, the end face of the nut hits the stopper provided on the bolt, limiting the tightening of the nut. Therefore, an excessive tightening force that would damage the terminal is not applied to the terminal, and the terminal is therefore protected within the range of appropriate tightening force.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Note that the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal 1 has an opening 5 on one side of a terminal insertion hole 4 having approximately the same shape as the male terminal 3 which is the battery post of the battery 2, and jaws 6 on both sides of the opening 5. This is the same as the conventional example.

A cylindrical part 11a having a diameter larger than the thread diameter of the male screw and whose end face becomes the stopper 11b of the nut 9 is provided on the head side of the bolt 11 for tightening the terminal, and the cylindrical part 1
Jaw portion when the terminal 1 is tightened with a tightening force that is within the elastic limit of the terminal 1 and the length A of 1a is sufficient to press the terminal 1 into contact with the male terminal 3, which is the battery post 3, without any gap. If the distance B is set to be equal to the distance B between the outer end faces of the terminal 1, when the bolt 11 is inserted into the bolt hole 7 of the jaw 6 of the terminal 1 and the nut 9 screwed into the threaded part of the bolt 11 is tightened, the nut The end face of the nut 9 abuts against the stopper 11b on the end face of the cylindrical portion 11a of the bolt 11, and the nut 9 cannot be tightened any further.

Therefore, the nut 9 is connected to the cylindrical portion 11a of the bolt 11.
When the nut 9 is completely tightened by colliding with the stopper 11b on the end face of the terminal 1, the distance between the outer end faces of the jaws 6 of the terminal 1 becomes B, and the tightening force applied to the terminal 1 is maintained at the above-mentioned appropriate pressure. Application of excessive tightening force is prevented.

This prevents permanent distortion and breakage of the end 1 due to over-tightening of the nut, which has been a problem in the past, and also prevents the nut 9 from scraping the outer end surface of the jaw portion 6 of the terminal 1 and causing the nut 9 to sink in. Any negative effects will be completely prevented.

Moreover, since the terminal 1 is deformed within its elastic limit, the contact pressure of the male terminal 3, which is a battery post, is maintained without decreasing.

Although the above embodiment shows the case where the terminal 1 is a cast product, the same applies to the terminal 12 made by press molding from a plate material, as shown in FIG.

That is, in FIG. 2, a base 14 having a wire connection portion 13 at one end thereof is provided with a curved portion 15 forming a terminal insertion hole 4 having approximately the same shape as a male terminal 3 serving as a battery post on the other side, The end of the curved part 15 is extended parallel to the base to form a nut receiving part 16, and the end 16a of the nut receiving part 16 is bent toward the base 14 to form an opening 5 between the nut receiving part 16 and the base 14. Even when tightening a terminal 12 with a bolt hole 7 formed in a nut receiving part 16 and a base part 14 using a bolt 11 and a nut 9, the nut 9 is a stopper 11b at the end of the columnar part 11a of the bolt 11.
At this time, since the tightening of the terminal 1 is restricted, excessive tightening force is prevented from being applied to the terminal 12.

The stopper provided on the bolt 11 is not provided on the end face of the cylindrical portion 11a, but rather, as shown in FIG. The end surface 17a of the nut can be used as a stopper to restrict tightening of the nut.

FIG. 5 shows a bolt 8 in which a protrusion 8a is provided on a part of the bolt 8 by plastic deformation or parts welding.
If the distance from the outer end of a to the bolt head is A, the same effect as that of the stopper 11b can be obtained.

Further, the protrusion 8a may be fixed by inserting a pin into a hole formed in the bolt 8.

〔effect〕

The present invention produces the following effects.

(a) Workers who tighten nuts tend to know the proper tightening force, so workers who try to avoid insufficient tightening force generally apply excessive tightening force to the terminal, causing permanent damage to the terminal body. Although distortion or breakage often occurs, the terminal provided with the protection mechanism of the present invention can completely prevent such problems.

(b) Terminals equipped with the protection mechanism of the present invention have almost no cost increase compared to conventional products.

(c) Since the terminal is protected against excessive tightening force by using only the bolt and nut, the terminal body no longer requires the rigidity of the conventional terminal, making it possible to downsize and simplify the terminal, or to select materials more easily. This brings about design advantages such as an expanded degree of freedom.

Therefore, the cost of the terminal can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 5 show embodiments of the present invention.
The figure is a perspective view of the terminal and terminal tightening mechanism, etc., Figure 2 is a front view of the press-molded terminal, Figure 3 is a plan view of the same, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bolt showing another embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a perspective view of a bolt showing a further different embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a terminal tightening bolt and a terminal in a conventional example. 1... Terminal, 2... Battery, 3... Male terminal, 4... Terminal insertion hole, 5... Opening, 6... Jaw, 7... Bolt hole, 8... Bolt, 8a... Projection , 9... Nut, 10... Electric wire, 11... Bolt, 11a... Cylindrical part, 11b... Stopper, 12... Terminal, 13... Electric wire connection part, 14...
... Base, 15 ... Curved part, 16 ... Nut receiver, 16a ... End, 17 ... Sleeve.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An opening 5 is provided on one side of the terminal insertion hole 4 into which the mating male terminal 3 is inserted, jaws 6 projecting outward from both sides of the opening 5, and a bolt hole 7 passing through both jaws 6. The terminal is tightened to the mating male terminal 3 by tightening both jaws 6 with a terminal tightening bolt 11 inserted into the bolt hole 7 and a nut 9 screwed onto the terminal tightening bolt 11. 1, wherein the terminal tightening bolt 11 is provided with a stopper 11b for nut abutting that limits the tightening force of the terminal 1.