US3521223A

US3521223A - Battery terminal connector

Info

Publication number: US3521223A
Application number: US720762A
Authority: US
Inventors: David M Martinez
Original assignee: DAVID M MARTINEZ
Current assignee: DAVID M MARTINEZ
Priority date: 1968-04-12
Filing date: 1968-04-12
Publication date: 1970-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-21

Description

July 21, 1970 M. MARTINEZ 3,521,223

BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed April 12, 1968 W /7 Day/0 M M4/PT/A/LZ,

INVENTOR.

United States Patent US. Cl. 339-239 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A quick detachable battery terminal post clamp suitable, for example, for connecting cables to storage batteries and embodying the operating means of applicants co-pending application hereinafter identified, and characterized by means preventing corrosion including a nonconductive component means which surrounds the post and cable connecting and conducting component except for the electrically conductive surfaces thereof and which cooperates with the operating means to cause the conducting component to be conductively engaged with a battery terminal post and which, upon release of the operating means, assists in the disengagement of the conductor component from the battery terminal post.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of the invention is that of electrical connectors of the types classified in class 339, sub-classes 238 and 239.

Description of the prior art The principal prior art comprises applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 641,018, filed May 24, 1967.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The presence of corrosion at the terminals of storage batteries and particularly those used in motor vehicles has always been a problem. For terminal post connectors employing bolts as the tightening medium, the corrosion frequently causes the bolts and nuts to be frozen together making disengagement a difficult and sometimes almost impossible task. a

In the past, numerous efforts have been made to over come this problem. Generally, these efforts have followed one or the other of two principal forms of attempted solution. One of these forms has been the use of some type of cam lever means as the means for causing the connector to grip a battery terminal post, but until the advent of applicants said co-pending application, all said cam lever means were limited to the throw of the cam lever unless that cam lever means also included a screw threaded bolt or the like for adjustment. Another form was some quick detachable bolt means not involving a cam lever but the disadvantages of all of these prior proposals were that those cam lever operated devices not having a take up were limited to one size of battery post and those having threaded take up means were subject to the same troubles from corrosion as were the conventional bolt operated post engaging terminal devices.

Applicants said co-pending application discloses a metal post engaging clamp operated by a cam lever means having a non-threaded and non-corrosive take up means but with these advantages, that terminal connector means did not overcome the accumulation of corrosion on the connector and on the battery post.

The present invention is directed to and has for its principal objective, the provision of a battery post terminal clamp or connector in which the metal component which electrically interconnects the battery cable with the battery post may be formed of a non-corrosive metal and in which that component, except for the electrically conductively engageable surfaces thereof is wholly encased in a non-conductive, non-corrosive body component with which an operating means, e.g., the cam lever means of applicants said co-pending application is operatively engageable. Other objects and advantages will appear as the detailed description of certain present preferred embodiments of the invention proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention described in the specification following:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first presently preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a storage battery terminal post;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conductor component of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the connector shown in FIG. 1, the clamping means being shown closed in full lines in progressive steps towards closed position in broken lines;

FIG. 4 is a medial side elevational view taken in the plane of the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views taken respectively in the planes of the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view showing a second mode of encasing the conductor component, the clamping component being omitted;

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view showing a third mode of encasing the conductor component, the clamping component being omitted;

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view on the line 10-10' of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view generally like FIG. 1 but showing a second presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, both embodiments, FIGS. 1-10 and FIG. 11 comprise three principal components, viz., a conductor component 1, a casing component 2 and a clamping component 3. The conductor component may be wholly formed from a corrosion resistant metal alloy, preferably one having some degree of resilience as for example, Inconel, or it may be formed of less corrosion resistant material or alloy having a surface protected by a layer of metal or alloy of high corrosion resistance. So long as the minimum cross sectional area of this component across which current will flow is sufliciently large, the higher resistivity factor of a corrosion resistant alloy or metal is not a deleterious factor.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the illustrated conductor component 1 comprises a unitary member having a split ring post engaging portion 4 adapted to fit over a battery terminal post P and further having a radially outwardly extending tubular shank 5 disposed diametrically opposite the opening 6 in the post engaging portion 4. The shank 5 includes an axial bore 7 adapted to receive the end of the conductor component C of a conductor cable C secured therein byany appropriate process or means as soldering or swaging. The inner surface of the post engaging portion 4 of the conductor component may be tapered to correspond to the taper of the battery post P with which it is to be used.

The casing component 2 is formed from a somewhat resilient, non-conductive, and acid resistant plastic material and covers all surfaces of the conductor component except the interior surface of the post engaging portion and the cable receiving bore 7 of the shank portion. It further includes a shank portion 8 surrounding the conductor shank as well as the distal end of said shank F, relatively heavy side sections 9, 9 which extend around outer surface of the post engaging portion 4 and the edges of said portion, said side sections thence extending in parallel

distal end portions

10, 10 separated by the slot or opening 11 which is slightly narrower than the opening 6 between the ends of the post receiving portion 4. The walls 12 of the casing component which are parallel to the inner surface of the post engaging portion 4 are of slightly greater diameter than said inner surface so that when the device is caused to grip a battery terminal post, the contact pressure will be that of the engagement of the conductor component with the terminal post. This distance is actually only a few thousandths of an inch but is shown in exaggerated form in the drawings for clearness of illustration.

The clamping component 3 may be identical with that shown in applicants said prior application and includes a link 13 of rectangular configuration, preferably formed of stainless steel or equivalent corrosion resistant metal and including

parallel side members

14, 14 extending between a lever engaging bight 15 and axially aligned

end portions

16, 16 which are parallel to the bight 15 and which meet in a bore 17 extending in eccentric relation through a generally cylindrical cam member 18 formed of non-corrosive, non-conductive material, said cam having a notched peripheral surface to which further specific reference will be made. The bight 15 is received in a slot 19 in the cam end 20 of a hand lever 21 preferably formed of a rigid but slightly resilent plastic of a character which is acid resistant. The inner end of the slot 19 is of a width in which the link bight 15 is closely but freely received and outwardly from said inner end the slot is slightly narrower so that the link is assembled therein by being snapped into the slot, the resilience of the lever material permitting said snapin assembly. The cam end 20 of the hand lever is formed with a cam face 22 which is generated about a center line parallel to and slightly ofiset toward the handle end of the lever with respect to the center line about which the inner end of the slot 19 is generated so that when the lever is moved to the closed position as shown in FIG. 3, there will have been an over center action. The opposite side faces of the

members

10, 10 remote from the slot 11 are provided with concave portions 10', 10' which are complementary to the curvature of the cam face 22 of the cam lever 21.

The cylindrical cam 18 is of a diameter which is at least slightly greater than twice the radial dimension of the concave side faces 10', 10' and is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced notches 23 adapted to engage one or the other of the corners 23' defining the juncture of the ends of said concave side faces with the side surface of the casing component 2. The number of said notches is an odd number and the length of the concave faces 10' between the

corners

23 and 23 thereof is such that when a notch 23 is engaging one or the other of said corners the other corner will be engaged by a land or side surface of said cam extending between two adjacent ones of said notches. Thus, for example, assuming that the cam 18 is provided with 15 equally spaced notches, the cam may be engaged in 30 different circumferential positions.

Having reference to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the cam 18 has a notch 23 thereof engaged with an inner corner 23' of the concave side face 10' and that the opposite corner 23' of said side face is disposed between two adjacent notches 23.

In use, a connector of the invention is fitted over the terminal post to which it is to be connected, the handle being in the opened position as indicated at 24 in FIG. 3. The cam 18 is initially at a point of rotation which presents the least dimension eccentrically to the concave surface with which it is engaged and the cam is then rotated to take up any existing slack. Then upon moving the lever 21 to its closed position shown in full lines in FIG. 3, the bifurcated end of the combined conductor and casing components will be compressed with resultant tight gripping of the terminal post. If further tightness is desired, the handle 21 is released and the cam is moved a few notches in the direction of taking up slack after which, the handle is again brought to its clamping or closed position. When the terminal is to be disconnected, the handle 21 is simply moved to its opened position and the connector lifted clear of the terminal posts. The clamping component 3 has a snap-in engagement with the casing component by virtue of

bosses

24, 24 formed on the opposite sides of one each of the

members

10, 10 as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. The dimension of said bosses being such that positioning the clamping assembly on the casing component requires snapping the

side bars

14, 14 over the

bosses

24, 24.

Since the conductor component is completely encased in the casing component, means must be provided for attaching a jumper for such purposes as starting a car having a dead battery. For this purpose, the shank portion 5 of the conductor component is provided with a sectoral shaped boss 25 which extends through the shank portion 8 of the casing component and presents a conductive surface to which a jumper connector may be attached.

There remains to be described the method by which the conductor component may be encased within a casing component. In the form shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, the conductor component is shown as having been molded in situ in a plastic molding comprising the casing component. In FIGS. 7 and 8 the casing component is shown as being formed of two halves meeting along a plane normal to the axial line of the post receiving opening of the device and having an interior configuration closely fitting the exterior contour of the conductor component. Alternatively, the conductor component can be molded in situ in one of these halves and the other half applied thereto and secured by adhesive means. In FIGS. 9 and 10 the same considerations are involved but the two halves are mirror image duplicates and meet on a center line which is parallel to the axial line of the battery post receiving opening. The two halves would, of course, be secured to one another by any appropriate means, preferably adhesive.

Referring finally to FIG. 11, there is illustrated the fact that the cable receiving shank portion of the device need not be in diametral alignment with the slot 11 but can be in any desired angle. In this figure, the cable receiving shank is shown as being positioned at right angles in a clockwise direction about the axis of the post with reference to FIG. 1. The shank portion 5 of the conductor component would, of course, be similarly positioned with respect to the post engaging right portion 4 thereof and the casing component would be appropriately changed to conform to the desired configuration. Also, if desired, the configuration of the hand lever could be changed so that in this closed position it extended across the ends of the casing component instead of along the side thereof as shown in the said co-pending application of applicant.

With these considerations in mind, it will be understood that the invention is not to be deemed to be limited to the precise details of certain embodiments thus disclosed by way of example and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as are obvious to one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An electrical terminal connector comrising a conductor component having a first portion adaptable to at least substantially encircling a terminal post and presenting an electrical conductive surface capable upon constriction of said first portion of conductively engaging the surface of a terminal post encircled by said first portion and a second portion presenting an electrical conductive surface for a permanent connection to an electrical conductor, a casing component defined by a pair of covers meeting along a medial line of said conductor component and capable of being adhesively united to enclose said conductor component, said covers being made from a stifily resilient, non-conductive material and covering substantially all surfaces of said conductor component except said conductive surface, and manually operable devices engageable with said casing component operative to effect such deflection of said casing component as to cause said first portion of said conductor component to be constricted into tight, conductive engagement with a terminal post encircled thereby.

2. The electrical terminal conductor defined in claim 1 wherein said casing component is formed of plastic molded members.

3. The electrical terminal connector defined in claim 1 wherein said conductor component includes a third portion presenting a conductive surface for detachable attachment with a second conductor.

4. An electrical terminal conductor as claimed in claim 1 in which said conductor component is formed of an electrically conductive, corrosion resistant metallic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,873,775 8/1932 McMaster et a1. 339-229 2,818,552 12/1957 Zam 339-116 3,152,854 10/1964 Osborn 339-237 3,356,988 12/1967 Gall 339-230 3,397,382 8/1968 Shannon 339-230 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,818 1/1951 Australia.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner