Abstract:
A protective cover has a body in which an electrical wire connection part of a battery connection terminal is installed and a cover piece covering a clamping part of the terminal and hinged to the body. The cover piece contains a pair of elastically deformable locking arms extending vertically. The body has receiving portions locking lip portions of the locking arms thereto when the cover piece is closed. The locking arms are protected inside the cover piece and are sufficiently flexible to reduce risk of breakage on repeated opening and closing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a protective cover for a battery connection terminal, and to an assembly of such a protective cover and terminal. The present invention is particularly applicable in the connection of an electrical wire to a battery post of a battery, e.g. a lead-acid battery, in a vehicle or boat, for example. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Generally, a connection terminal connected with a battery post is covered with a protective cover to prevent it from being shorted to a vehicle body. A cover of this kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,516. In this construction, for holding the protective cover in its closed state, lugs on the inner surface of the cover lock into slots on a base member. 
     However, in such a construction, the lugs are liable to be broken or chipped, because they rub on the base member every time that opening and closing of the cover is repeated. As a result, there is a possibility that the cover becomes unable to be closed. Further, when the lug is formed on the protective cover, a “sink mark” may be formed on the exterior surface thereof during molding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A construction may be conceived in which, instead of the lug, an elastic locking piece is used to elastically lock the protective cover. However, in this case it is necessary to form a slit on a side wall of the protective cover. Thus, this construction does not provide a good appearance. 
     The present invention seeks to remove or reduce the above-described disadvantages. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a protective cover for a battery terminal which has a good appearance and has a reliable locking state. 
     According to the invention there is provided a protective cover for a battery connection terminal, including a body member adapted to receive and enclose an electrical wire connection part of the battery connection terminal, and a cover member having a top wall and opposite side walls and adapted to cover upper and side portions of a clamping part of the battery connection terminal when the clamping part is clamped onto a terminal post of a battery. For locking of the cover member to the body member, the cover member has at its interior at least one elastically deformable locking member having a free end spaced from and displaceable relative to an adjacent side wall of the cover member by its elastic deformation. The body member has a locking formation adapted to make locking connection with the locking member, thereby to hold the cover member in position covering the clamping part of the battery connection terminal. 
     In the invention, when the cover member is closed, the locking formation locks the locking member thereto and elastically holds the cover member in position, with the cover member covering the clamping portion of the terminal. Because the cover member is locked to the body member by utilizing the elasticity of the locking member, the locking construction is less likely to be damaged, unlike the known locking construction in which a non-elastic or low elasticity lug is used. Thus, the locking construction provides a reliable locking performance for a long time. Further, because the locking member is disposed inside the cover member and is not exposed to the outside, the appearance of the protective cover is good. 
     In one embodiment, the locking member has two mutually perpendicular edge portions spaced from its free end and is connected to an adjacent side wall and a top wall of the cover member at the two mutually perpendicular edge portions. To achieve such a connection of the locking member, the side wall may have a joggle or step formation, connecting a wider part and a narrower part of the cover member. Alternatively, the locking member may be in a form of a cantilever arm having a second end remote from the free end and connected to the top wall of the cover member at the second end. 
     When the cover member and the body member are connected hingedly to each other, the protective cover can be handled easily. 
     Preferably, in the locked-together position of the cover member and the body member, the body member and cover member are restrained from relative movement in all of the upward, downward, forward and rearward directions, as well as in the two lateral directions. Accordingly, in the case where the body member and cover member are hinged, even if the hinge is cut or broken, the cover member is not lost from the body member, and its use can continue. 
     The invention also provides the assembly of the protective cover and the battery connection terminal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical battery connection terminal secured to an electric wire, to which the present invention may be applied; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first protective cover of one embodiment of the present invention for use with the terminal of FIG. 1, showing an open state of the cover piece; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the protective cover of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the protective cover of FIG. 2, showing a state in which a cover piece and a locking flap are opened; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the protective cover of FIG. 2, showing a state in which a battery terminal is accommodated in the protective cover; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the protective cover of FIG. 2, showing a closed state of the cover piece; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the protective cover of FIG. 2, showing a locked state of locking arms; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the protective cover of FIG. 2, showing a state in which the cover piece is open; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a protective cover of another embodiment, for use with the terminal of FIG. 1, showing the open state of the cover piece; and 
     FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the protective cover of FIG. 9, with the cover piece being closed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the drawings, a battery connection terminal  2  is covered by a protective cover  1 . The terminal  2  is shown in FIG. 1 without the protective cover  1  and is made of an electrically conductive metal. The terminal  2  has an electrical wire connection part  2 A at which a bundle of bare core wires  4  of a covered wire  3  are crimped, and a clamping part  2 B connected in use with a battery post (not shown). The clamping part  2 B for clamping the battery post has an axially short, split clamping ring  5 , which is approximately cylindrical (in practice usually tapered). A pair of overhangs or lugs  5 A project from respective ends of the split clamping ring  5  and accommodate a fastening bolt  6 . The diameter of the clamping ring  5  can be reduced by the fastening bolt  6 , to clamp the clamping ring  5  onto the battery post in a conventional manner. 
     The protective cover  1  shown in FIGS. 2 to  8  is preferably made of a suitable synthetic resin material and is preferably produced by one-piece molding, e.g. injection molding. The protective cover  1  includes a body  1 A which in use holds and covers the electrical wire connection part  2 A and the clamping ring  5  by enclosing them but does not cover the lugs  5 A, and a cover piece  1 B connected with the body  1 A through an integral hinge  7  and in use covering upper and side portions of the clamping part  2 B including the lugs  5 A and bolt  6 . As can be seen in the drawings, in its closed position, the cover piece  1 B at its narrower portion overlays with the body A. 
     The body  1 A is open at its bottom face and its end faces, and is approximately inverted U-shaped in cross-section to allow insertion of the terminal  2  and a part of the front end of the electrical wire  3  through the bottom opening. The front end portion of the body  1 A is wide, forming a part-annular holding portion  8  for accommodating the clamping ring  5  of the terminal  2 . The inner wall of the holding portion  8  is so formed that it contacts the peripheral surface of the unclamped clamping ring  5  closely. The width of the portion of the body  1 A rearward from the holding portion  8  is almost equal to that of the electrical wire connection part  2 A. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the side walls of the body  1 A have central recessed portions at their bottom edges. An integral thin connection edge or web  9  is longitudinally formed to join the recessed portion of one of the side walls. A flap  12  is connected with this side wall through the web  9 , which acts as a hinge such that the flap  12  can be opened and closed. The flap  12  closes around underneath a portion of the electrical wire connection part  2 A, thus preventing removal of the terminal  2  from the cover  1 . 
     A locking piece  11  having a locking lip  10  formed at its extremity is formed at an edge of the flap  12 , on the side opposite to the connection web  9 . When the flap  12  is closed, the locking lip  10  is pressed into a latching portion  13  projecting from the corresponding recessed portion of the other side wall of the body  1 A and locked thereto. The flap  12  is thus held in a closed state. A pressing piece  14  whose front end is, for example, a circular arc is formed on the flap  12  at an edge thereof confronting the holding portion  8 . The pressing piece  14  includes a portion extending perpendicularly downward (in the closed state) from the bottom surface of the flap  12  and a portion projecting forward from this perpendicular portion. As shown in FIG. 5, in the state in which the clamping ring  5  is accommodated in the holding portion  8 , the pressing piece  14  does not project over the interior of the clamping ring  5  but contacts the peripheral bottom surface of the clamping ring  5 , thus helping to prevent the terminal  2  from being loose in the cover  1 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, three downwardly projecting ribs  15  are formed widthwise at the centre of the top wall of the body  1 A. Two locating convexities or ribs  16 , which may, for example, have a square pillar shape, are formed in each side wall off the holding portion  8  next to each end portion of the inner top surface of the holding portion  8 . The ribs  15  and ribs  16  contact the electric wire connection part  2 A and the clamping part  2 B of the terminal  2 , respectively, thus regulating the insertion depth of the terminal  2  into the body  1 A. More specifically, the periphery of the bottom surface of the clamping ring  5  is made flush with the bottom surface of the holding portion  8 . 
     The cover piece  1 B is attached to the body  1 A through the integral hinge  7  such that the cover piece  1 B is pivotable relative to the body  1 A. As shown in FIG. 8, the body  1 A has a step  17  in its top wall so that its rear portion is higher. The hinge  7  is formed widthwise on the high rear portion in the vicinity of the step  17 . As shown in FIG. 6, the hinge  7  in this embodiment is divided into three parts. Thick reinforcing portions  7 A are formed on both edges of the centre part of the hinge  7 . Similarly, thick reinforcing portions  7 B are formed on an outer edge of each side part of the hinge  7 . The shaping and rigidity of the hinge  7  is such that, supposing that the cover piece  1 B is open in its natural or unrestrained state (no external force applied), the cover is kept in its open position when an operation such as clamping the terminal  2  is to be accomplished, with the bolt  6  exposed. 
     The entire cover piece  1 B is wider than the body  1 A. The cover piece  1 B can be closed so as to cover the front part of the body  1 A, with the cover piece  1 B located above the body  1 A. The front half portion (hereinafter referred to as wide portion  18 ) of the cover piece  1 B is wider than the rear half portion (hereinafter referred to as base portion  19 ) and when closed accommodates the clamping bolt  6  of the terminal  2 . 
     For holding the cover piece  1 B in a closed state, the cover piece  1 B has a pair of opposed locking members in a form of arms  21  each having a hook-like laterally projecting lip portion  20  at the free end thereof. Each locking arm  21  is disposed inside the wide portion  18  such that it extends vertically (parallel to the adjacent side wall) in the vicinity of the boundary between the wide portion  18  and the base portion  19 . In this embodiment, the locking arms  21  are formed by extending respective inner surfaces of the base portion  19  to overlap the wide portion  18  such that the locking arms  21  are flush with the base portion  19 . More specifically, a first edge of each locking arm  21  joins the top wall of the wide portion  18 , and a second edge thereof, perpendicular to the first edge, joins a step surface  22  formed between the wide portion  18  and the base portion  19 . Because the locking arm  21  is formed on the step surface  22 , a gap exists between the locking arm  21  and the inner surface of the wide portion  18 , thus serving as a space S permitting elastic deformation of the locking arm  21  (see FIG.  4 ). The free end carrying the lip portion  20  is thus resiliently displaceable relative to the side wall of the cover piece  1 B. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, when the body  1 A is closed by the cover piece  1 B, the locking arms  21  are elastically locked in a latching manner to corresponding recesses  23  of the body  1 A, by the application of suitable manual force. The recesses  23  may, for example, have a square shape on an outer surface of the two side walls of the annular holding portion  8 . In this embodiment, each recess  23  has a wall surface at each of its four sides. Accordingly, the lip portion  20  of the locking arm  21  is retained by all of the four wall surfaces of the recess  23  so that, when the cover piece  1 B is closed, it is incapable of moving vertically or horizontally with respect to the body  1 A. Thereby, even if the hinge  7  is cut or broken, as may happen due to rough handling, the closed state of the cover piece  1 B can be maintained and the cover piece  1 B can be repeatedly re-used. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, an upwardly inclined surface  20 A of the tapered lip  20  of the locking arm  21  contacts a corresponding upwardly inclined surface  23 A of the upper edge of the receiving portion  23 . Thereby, by opening the cover piece  1 B with a suitable manual force, the tapered lip  20  can be forcibly unlocked. 
     As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, die cutting openings  24  for shaping each tapered lip  20  of the locking arm  21  penetrate through the top wall of the cover piece  1 B. A sign portion  26  for indicating that the battery post is a positive (or negative as appropriate) electrode projects from the upper surface of the cover piece  1 B, interposed between the two openings  24 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, an operating handle  25  for use in performing an opening operation projects from the front end of the upper surface of the cover piece  1 B. When the cover piece  1 B is closed, the bottom surface of the cover piece  1 B and that of the rear end portion of the body  1 A (i.e. rearwardly from the zone of the flap  12 ) are flush with each other. The rear edge portion of the bottom surface of the body  1 A is preferably curved to form a circular arc surface  1 C. The circular arc surface  1 C is formed to allow the cover  1  to pivot easily on an installing surface when fitting the clamping ring  5  onto a battery post. 
     The operation of connecting the cover  1  having the above construction to a battery post will now be described. With the flap  12  open, the terminal  2  connected to the electrical wire  3  is inserted into the body  1 A of the cover  1 . At this time, the terminal  2  contacts the ribs  15  and  16  so that the insertion depth of the terminal  2  into the body  1 A is regulated. Then, the flap  12  is closed and the locking lip  10  of the locking piece  11  is inserted into the latching portion  13  of the body  1 A to lock the lip  10  thereto. As a result, the flap  12  holds the terminal  2  in the body  1 A. Further, the pressing piece  14  presses the periphery of the clamping ring  5  so as to fix the position of the terminal  2 . 
     Then, with the cover piece  1 B open, the battery post is inserted into the clamping ring  5 , and the clamping ring  5  is tightened by the clamping bolt  6 . In this manner, the operation of connecting the terminal  2  and the battery post is completed. Then, the cover piece  1 B is pivoted on the hinge  7 . As a result, the lip portion  20  of each locking arm  21  slides along the outer surface of the holding portion  8  and elastically deforms. When each lip portion  20  reaches the corresponding recess  23 , it is restored to its original state, i.e. the lip portion  20  drops into the recess  23  and is caught by the four wall surfaces of the recess  23 . In this manner, the connection zone of the battery post and the terminal  2  is covered by the cover piece  1 B. 
     As described above, in this embodiment of the present invention, the cover piece  1 B is locked to the body  1 A by the elastic locking arms  21  which can easily be displaced relative to the adjacent side walls of the cover piece  1 B. Thus, when locking and unlocking operations are repeated, the locking arms  21  are hardly damaged and thus a stable closing situation can be obtained. Further, because the locking arms  21  are disposed inside the cover piece  1 B and are not exposed to the outside, the cover  1  does not have a poor appearance and the arms  21  are protected. Furthermore, because the lip portion  20  of each locking arm  21  is locked in an opening (recess) of the body  1 A having wall surfaces at the four sides, the locking arm  21  is held vertically and horizontally. Accordingly, even if the hinge  7  is cut or broken, the cover piece  1 B is not removed from the body  1 A, and thus it is possible to keep the battery terminal  2  closed. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 show a modified embodiment of the protective cover of the invention. Except as mentioned below, this embodiment is the same as that of FIGS. 2 to  8 . The same reference numerals are used for corresponding parts. For ease of molding, the receiving recesses  23  in the side walls of the body  1 A extend to the forward ends of the side walls, so that they do not have bounding wall portions at their forward ends. Therefore, when received in these recesses  23 , the lip portions  20  of the locking arms are restrained in the up and down directions but not restrained in the forward/rearward directions indicated by the arrows X-X. To prevent relative forward and rearward movement of the body  1 A and the cover piece  1 B, the cover piece  1 B has a downward projection or lug  27  on its top wall, which engages tightly in an aperture  28  in the top wall of the body  1 A when the cover piece  1 B is closed (see FIG.  10 ). The front edge  27 A of the lug  27  is chamfered or rounded to allow its tight insertion into the aperture  28 . This construction reduces load accidentally applied to the hinge  7 . 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, modifications such as those described below are possible and are included in the scope of the present invention. 
     In the embodiments, two edges of each locking arm  21  join the top of the wide portion  18  and the stepped surface  22  respectively, but the locking arms  21  may alternatively be formed integrally with only the top wall of the cover piece  1 B, so that they are of a cantilever type, connected only at an end remote from the free end  20 . 
     Furthermore, in the embodiments, two locking arms  21  are employed. However, the number of the locking arms is not limited to two. 
     While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.