Battery terminal stopper and battery terminal unit

A battery terminal unit includes a battery terminal that is assembled on a battery post and also includes a battery terminal stopper. The battery terminal stopper includes a first rotation preventing portion that abuts against a first abutment surface formed on a side surface of a battery housing in a state where the battery terminal is assembled on the battery post so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal about the battery post as the rotating center. The battery terminal stopper also includes a second rotation preventing portion that abuts against a second abutment surface formed on the battery housing along a direction intersecting with the first abutment surface in the assembled state so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal about the battery post as the rotating center.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a battery terminal stopper and a battery terminal unit.

2. Description of the Related Art

As a conventional battery terminal stopper and battery terminal unit, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-40258 discloses a battery terminal unit including a battery terminal that is connected to a battery post provided upright on a battery and a rotational movement restricting member that is attached to the battery terminal and is made of a synthetic resin. The rotational movement restricting member of the battery terminal unit has a configuration in which it abuts against the battery in a state where the battery terminal is connected to the battery post so as to restrict an assembled angle of the battery terminal with respect to the battery post.

The battery terminal unit as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-40258 has been desired to be further improved in assembling accuracy of the battery terminal on the battery post in consideration of a space for mounting the battery, for example.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumferences and an object thereof is to provide a battery terminal stopper and a battery terminal unit that can improve assembling accuracy of a battery terminal on a battery post.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery terminal stopper includes an attachment portion capable of being attached to a battery terminal that is assembled on a battery post provided on a battery housing; a first rotation preventing portion configured to be provided on the attachment portion, oppose a first abutment surface formed on a side surface of the battery housing, and abut against the first abutment surface in a state where the battery terminal is assembled on the battery post together with the attachment portion so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal about the battery post as a rotating center; and a second rotation preventing portion configured to be provided on the attachment portion, oppose a second abutment surface formed on the battery housing along a direction intersecting with the first abutment surface, and abut against the second abutment surface in the state where the battery terminal is assembled on the battery post together with the attachment portion so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal about the battery post as the rotating center.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the second abutment surface is formed on a wall surface of a recess that is formed on a post stand surface provided with the battery post and on which the battery post is provided upright in the battery housing, the wall surface being orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing on which the first abutment surface is formed.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the second abutment surface is formed on a side surface of the battery housing that is orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing on which the first abutment surface is formed.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the first rotation preventing portion and the second rotation preventing portion are formed integrally with the attachment portion, and the attachment portion is interposed between the battery terminal and the battery housing in a state where the battery terminal is assembled on the battery post together with the attachment portion.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a battery terminal unit includes a battery terminal configured to be assembled on a battery post provided on a battery housing; and a battery terminal stopper configured to include an attachment portion capable of being attached to the battery terminal, a first rotation preventing portion that is provided on the attachment portion, opposes a first abutment surface formed on a side surface of the battery housing and abuts against the first abutment surface in a state where the battery terminal is assembled on the battery post together with the attachment portion so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal about the battery post as a rotating center, and a second rotation preventing portion that is provided on the attachment portion, opposes a second abutment surface formed on the battery housing along a direction intersecting with the first abutment surface and abuts against the second abutment surface in the state where the battery terminal is assembled on the battery post together with the attachment portion so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal about the battery post as the rotating center.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments do not limit the invention. The constituent components in the following embodiments include constituent components that can be replaced by those skilled in the art or are substantially the same.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1is a partial perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of a battery terminal unit according to a first embodiment.FIG. 2is a partial plan view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit according to the first embodiment. In the following description, the direction along a center axis line X of a battery post is referred to as an axial direction. In order to make the following description be understood easily, one of two directions orthogonal to the axial direction is referred to as a long-side direction (first width direction) and the other of them is referred to as a short-side direction (second width direction) for the convenience. The axial direction, the long-side direction, and the short-side direction are orthogonal to one another.

A battery terminal unit1in the embodiment as illustrated inFIG. 1andFIG. 2is assembled on a battery post51of a battery50and includes a battery terminal2and a battery terminal stopper3.

The battery50to which the battery terminal unit1is applied is mounted on a vehicle or the like as a power accumulation device, for example. The battery50includes a battery housing52and the battery post51provided in the battery housing52. The battery housing52accommodates battery liquid and various components constituting the battery50. The battery housing52includes a housing main body53having a substantially rectangular box shape and a lid member54, and is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape entirely. Any one of the surfaces of the housing main body53is opened. The lid member54closes the opened surface. Although the direction along the long-side direction of the battery housing52corresponds to the longer sides thereof and the direction along the short-side direction of the battery housing52corresponds to the shorter sides thereof, the configuration of the battery housing52is not limited thereto. The battery post51is formed by lead or the like and is provided upright on a post stand surface55of the lid member54. The post stand surface55is a surface of the battery housing52on which the battery post51is provided upright. For example, the post stand surface55is an upper surface of the lid member54in the vertical direction in a state where the battery50is mounted on the vehicle or the like. The battery post51has a substantially columnar shape and is provided upright so as to project onto the post stand surface55with a positional relation that the center axis line X thereof is orthogonal to the post stand surface55. To be more specific, the battery post51in the embodiment is provided upright in a recess56formed in the vicinity of a corner position of the post stand surface55. The recess56is a portion depressed into a substantially rectangular shape in the vicinity of the corner position of the post stand surface55. The battery post51is provided upright in the recess56. The battery post51is tapered such that the diameter thereof is smaller toward the front end side in the axial direction typically. That is to say, the battery post51has a tapered shape that the outer diameter of the front end is smaller than the outer diameter of the base end.

The battery terminal unit1in the embodiment limits an assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51by restricting rotation of the battery terminal2about the center axis line X of the battery post51as the rotating center by the battery terminal stopper3in a state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51. With this configuration, the battery terminal unit1tries to improve assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2. The following describes the respective configurations of the battery terminal unit1in detail.

FIG. 3is a perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal in the first embodiment. First, the configuration of the battery terminal2is described with reference toFIG. 1,FIG. 2, andFIG. 3.

The battery terminal2is a component that is attached to the battery post51so as to electrically connect the battery50and a clasp or the like provided on a terminal end of an electric wire on a main body of the vehicle or the like on which the battery50is mounted. The battery terminal.2includes a main body portion21, a stud bolt22, and a clumping portion23.

The main body portion21is configured by integrally forming a pair of ring-like portions21aand21b, a pair of bolt holding portions21cand21d, and a bending coupling portion21eby press folding processing of a metal plate having conductivity, for example. The pair of ring-like portions21aand21bare formed into substantially rectangular shapes and include post insertion holes21fand21gformed into substantially circular shapes into which the battery post51is inserted, respectively. The pair of bolt holding portions21cand21dare formed into substantially rectangular shapes and the bolt holding portion21cincludes a bolt insertion hole21hhaving a substantially circular shape into which the stud bolt22is inserted. The bolt holding portion21cis formed integrally with the ring-like portion21ain a continuous manner and the bolt holding portion21dis formed integrally with the ring-like portion21bin a continuous manner. The ring-like portion21aand the ring-like portion21bare formed integrally such that end portions at the side opposite to end portions on which the bolt holding portions21cand21dare provided are continuous through the bending coupling portion21e. With this configuration, the main body portion21is formed into a state of being folded back in a U-turn form with the bending coupling portion21einterposed. The main body portion21is formed such that the ring-like portion21aand the ring-like portion21b, and the bolt holding portion21cand the bolt holding portion21dare laminated vertically in a state where the ring-like portion21aand the bolt holding portion21c, and the ring-like portion21band the bolt holding portion21dare substantially parallel with each other.

The vertically laminated state typically corresponds to a state where they are laminated along the axial direction of the battery post51when the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51. The lamination direction typically corresponds to the direction along the axial direction in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51. The side at which a shaft portion22aof the stud bolt22, which will be describe later, projects corresponds to the upper side in the lamination direction, and the opposite side corresponds to the lower side in the lamination direction. Furthermore, the upper side in the lamination direction corresponds to the front end side of the battery post51, and the lower side in the lamination direction corresponds to the base end side of the battery post51. The main body portion21is arranged such that the ring-like portion21aand the bolt holding portion21care at the upper side in the lamination direction and the ring-like portion21band the bolt holding portion21dare at the lower side in the lamination direction.

The post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gare formed on the pair of ring-like portions21aand21b, respectively, with a positional relation that the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21goppose to each other in the lamination direction in the state where the ring-like portions21aand21bare laminated vertically through the bending coupling portion21e. The inner circumferential wall surfaces of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gare formed by folding back a sheet metal in the same direction, in this example, to the lower side. The inner circumferential wall surfaces of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gare tapered so as to correspond to the tapered portions of the battery post51. The inner diameters of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gat the side at which the shaft portion22aof the stud bolt22, which will be described later, projects, that is, at the post insertion hole21fside are minimum and the inner diameters thereof at the opposite side, that is, at the post insertion hole21gside are maximum. The respective inner circumferential surfaces of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gmake contact with the battery post51in a state where the battery post51is inserted thereinto. Furthermore, edge portions of the pair of ring-like portions21aand21bbetween the bending coupling portion21eand the pair of bolt holding portions21cand21dare folded back toward each other. Folding-back portions21iand21jof the pair of ring-like portions21aand21bthat are formed to have projections and recesses are engaged with each other.

The pair of bolt holding portions21cand21dare subject to folding processing in a state where the stud bolt22is inserted into the bolt insertion hole21hpreviously before the folding processing. With this configuration, the bolt holding portions21cand21dhold the stud bolt22in a state of being laminated vertically through the bending coupling portion21e. That is to say, the main body portion21holds the stud bolt22between the holding portion21cand the bolt holding portion21din the lamination direction of the pair of bolt holding portions21cand21d.

The stud bolt22is exposed such that the shaft portion22aprojects from the bolt insertion hole21hin a state of being held between the bolt holding portion21cand the bolt holding portion21d. The clasp or the like provided on the terminal end of the electric wire is electrically connected to the shaft portion22aof the stud bolt22that is exposed from the bolt insertion hole21h.

The main body portion21includes a slit (gap)21kformed on the bending coupling portion21eand the ring-like portions21aand21bso as to extend to the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gfrom the bending coupling portion21e.

The clumping portion23is a member for clumping the pair of ring-like portions21aand21bto the battery post51in the state where the battery post51is inserted into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21g. The clumping portion23includes a bolt23aand a nut23b. The bolt23ais inserted from one end portion of the bending coupling portion21ewith a positional relation of crossing the slit21k. That is to say, the bolt23ais inserted into an insertion hole portion formed between the pair of ring-like portions21aand21bin a state of being laminated vertically through the bending coupling portion21eso as to cross the slit21k. The nut23bis screwed together with the front end portion of the bolt23athat is exposed from the other end portion of the bending coupling portion21e.

The battery terminal2configured as described above is assembled on the battery post51by inserting the battery post51into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gwith the positional relation that the shaft portion22aof the stud bolt22is exposed. The bolt23aand the nut23bof the clumping portion23of the battery terminal2are clumped in a state where the inner circumferential surfaces of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gmake contact with the outer circumferential surface of the battery post51. This causes both sides of the bending coupling portion21eand the ring-like portions21aand21bto be clumped in the directions of making closer to each other with the slit21kinterposed therebetween. With this configuration, the diameters of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gare made to be decreased in the state where the inner circumferential surfaces of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gmake contact with the outer circumferential surface of the battery post51, so that the battery terminal2is clumped to the battery post51with a tightening force by the clumping portion23. Furthermore, the clasp or the like provided on the terminal end of the electric wire is electrically connected to the shaft portion22aof the stud bolt22of the battery terminal2. On the other hand, when the bolt23aand the nut23bof the clumping portion23of the battery terminal2are loosened, both the sides of the bending coupling portion21eand the ring-like portions21aand21bare loosened in the direction of being separated from each other with the slit21kinterposed therebetween. This enlarges the diameters of the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21g, so that the battery terminal2can be detached from the battery post51.

In the battery terminal unit.1according to the embodiment, the battery terminal stopper3is attached to the battery terminal2before the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51. This can improve the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2.

FIG. 4is an exploded perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit in the first embodiment.FIG. 5is a perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit in the first embodiment.FIG. 6is a view when seen from an arrow A inFIG. 5.FIG. 7is a view when seen from an arrow B inFIG. 5. The configuration of the battery terminal stopper3is described with reference toFIG. 1,FIG. 2, andFIG. 4toFIG. 7.

As illustrated inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, for example, the battery terminal stopper3is a member interposed between the lid member54of the battery housing52and the battery terminal2. The battery terminal stopper3includes an attachment portion31, a lid portion32, a first rotation preventing portion33, and a second rotation preventing portion34. The battery terminal stopper3in the embodiment is configured by integrally forming the attachment portion31, the lid portion32, the first rotation preventing portion33, and the second rotation preventing portion34with a synthetic resin material or the like in order to give corrosion resistance (anticorrosive function) to the battery liquid to the battery terminal stopper3.

The attachment portion31is a portion capable of being attached to the battery terminal2. As illustrated inFIG. 4andFIG. 5, for example, the attachment portion31is attached to the side of the ring-like portion21band the bolt holding portion21dof the battery terminal2, that is, at the lower side thereof in the lamination direction so as to cover the lower sides of the ring-like portion21band the bolt holding portion21din the lamination direction. The attachment portion31includes an accommodation recess31aaccommodating the ring-like portion21band the bolt holding portion21dby forming wall surfaces on a plate-like member. A plate-like portion constituting the bottom portion of the accommodation recess31aof the attachment portion31is interposed between the ring-like portion21band the bolt holding portion21dand the lid member54of the battery housing52.

The attachment portion31includes three temporary locking claws31b,31c, and31dand a post insertion hole31ehaving a substantially circular shape that are formed in the accommodation recess31a. The temporary locking claws31b,31c, and31dare claws for temporarily locking the battery terminal2. The battery post51is inserted into the post insertion hole31e. The temporary locking claw31band the temporary locking claw31care formed at the sides of the post insertion hole31e. The temporary locking claw31band the temporary locking claw31care formed at positions next to the post insertion hole31eand at symmetrical positions with respect to the post insertion hole31ein the direction (hereinafter, referred to as “long-side direction” simply in some cases) as the long-side direction of the battery terminal unit1in the state where the battery terminal unit1is assembled on the battery post51. The temporary locking claw31dis formed at a position separated from the post insertion hole31ein the direction (hereinafter, referred to as “short-side direction” simply in some cases) as the short-side direction of the battery terminal unit1in the state where the battery terminal unit1is assembled on the battery post51. When the attachment portion31is attached to the battery terminal2, the temporary locking claw31bis engaged with a space211(seeFIG. 3) next to the folding-back portions21iand21jof the battery terminal2, the temporary locking claw31cis engaged with a space21m(seeFIG. 4) next to the folding-back portions21iand21j, and the temporary locking claw31dis engaged with a space21n(seeFIG. 3) between the bolt holding portion21cand the bolt holding portion21d. This configuration enables the attachment portion31to temporarily lock the battery terminal2in the accommodation recess31a. The post insertion hole31eopposes the post insertion holes21fand21galong the axial direction (hereinafter, referred to as “axial direction” simply in some cases) when the battery terminal unit1is assembled on the battery post51in the state where the attachment portion31temporarily locks the battery terminal2. In other words, the temporary locking claws31b,31c, and31dand the post insertion hole31eare formed on the attachment portion31so as to satisfy a positional relation that the post insertion hole31eopposes the post insertion holes21fand21galong the axial direction in the state where the attachment portion31temporarily locks the battery terminal2. Furthermore, in the state where the battery terminal2is temporarily locked by the attachment portion31, the inner circumferential wall surface of the post insertion hole21gis fitted into the post insertion hole31eof the attachment portion31. The lower side of the attachment portion31in the lamination direction, that is, the surface of the attachment portion31at the side opposing the lid member54in the state where the battery terminal unit1is assembled on the battery post51is reinforced by a reinforcing rib or the like.

As illustrated inFIG. 4andFIG. 5, for example, the lid portion32is attached at the side of the ring-like portion21aof the battery terminal2, that is, at the upper side in the lamination direction so as to cover a part of the upper side of the ring-like portion21ain the lamination direction. The lid portion32is coupled to the attachment portion31so as to be opened and closed. The lid portion32is made into the closed state in the state where the battery terminal2is temporarily locked by the attachment portion31, so that the battery terminal2can be held between the lid portion32and the attachment portion31. The lid portion32is restricted so as not to be opened when a lock portion32a(also seeFIG. 1andFIG. 2, for example) is locked to the attachment portion31side in the state of holding the battery terminal2between the lid portion32and the attachment portion31, that is, in the closed state. This enables the battery terminal2to be finally fixed. That is to say, the battery terminal stopper3sandwiches the battery terminal2between the attachment portion31and the lid portion32so as to keep the sandwiching state with the lock portion32a. With this configuration, the battery terminal stopper3is assembled on the battery terminal2. A semi-circular cut-out32binto which the battery post51is inserted is formed on the lid portion32on a portion overlapping with the post insertion holes21f,21g, and31ein the axial direction in the state where the battery terminal2is finally fixed. The cut-out32bis formed so as to correspond to the shape of the battery post51.

As illustrated inFIG. 1,FIG. 2, andFIG. 4toFIG. 6, the first rotation preventing portion33is provided on the attachment portion31. The first rotation preventing portion33is provided at a position opposing a first abutment surface57formed on the battery housing52in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51together with the attachment portion31(hereinafter, referred to as “assembled state” simply in some cases) (seeFIG. 1andFIG. 2, for example). The first abutment surface57is formed on the side surface of the battery housing52, in this embodiment, the side surface along the short-side direction in the vicinity of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54. The first rotation preventing portion33abuts against the first abutment surface57in the assembled state so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal2around the axial direction about the center axis line X of the battery post51as the rotating center.

To be more specific, the first rotation preventing portion33is provided to extend from the attachment portion31, and includes a plate-like portion33aopposing the first abutment surface57in the assembled state, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs33band a plurality of transverse ribs33cfor reinforcing the plate-like portion33a. The plate-like portion33ais formed into a plate form along the short-side direction. The plate-like portion33ais provided to extend from the position in the vicinity of the corner of the lid member54to the position beyond the wall surface (wall surface on which a second abutment surface58, which will be described later, is formed) defining the recess56along the short-side direction. The plate-like portion33aincludes the longitudinal ribs33band the transverse ribs33cthat are formed on an opposing surface opposing the first abutment surface57and the rear surface of the opposing surface. The longitudinal ribs33bare projecting reinforcing portions extending along the axial direction and the transverse ribs33care projecting reinforcing portions extending along the short-side direction. Some of the longitudinal ribs33bare provided to extend to the attachment portion31so as to reinforce a coupling portion between the plate-like portion33aand the attachment portion31. Furthermore, the front end surfaces of the longitudinal ribs33band the transverse ribs33cformed on the opposing surface of the plate-like portion33athat opposes the first abutment surface57at predetermined intervals correspond to contact surfaces abutting against the first abutment surface57actually. The front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs33band the transverse ribs33cformed on the opposing surface of the plate-like portion33aare located on substantially the same plane.

As illustrated inFIG. 1,FIG. 2,FIG. 4,FIG. 5, andFIG. 7, the second rotation preventing portion34is provided on the attachment portion31. The second rotation preventing portion34is formed at a position opposing the second abutment surface58formed on the battery housing52in the assembled state (seeFIG. 1andFIG. 2, for example). The second abutment surface58is formed on the battery housing52along the direction intersecting with the first abutment surface57, in this example, the direction orthogonal to the first abutment surface57. The second abutment surface58in the embodiment is formed on the wall surface of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54in the battery housing52, the wall surface being orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed. That is to say, the second abutment surface58is formed on the wall surface defining the recess56formed into the substantially rectangular shape, the wall surface being along the long-side direction. The second rotation preventing portion34abuts against the second abutment surface58in the assembled state so as to be able to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2around the axial direction about the center axis line X of the battery post51as the rotating center.

To be more specific, the second rotation preventing portion34is provided to extend from the attachment portion31, and includes a plate-like portion34aopposing the second abutment surface58in the assembled state and a plurality of coupling ribs34bcoupling the plate-like portion34ato the attachment portion31. The plate-like portion34ais formed into a plate form along the long-side direction. The plate-like portion34ais provided to extend from the vicinity of the corner of the recess56to the plate-like portion33aalong the long-side direction in the assembled state and is substantially orthogonal to the plate-like portion33a. The plate-like portion34aincludes the coupling ribs34bformed on the rear surface of the opposing surface thereof opposing the second abutment surface58. The coupling ribs34bare provided to extend to the attachment portion31and reinforce a coupling portion between the plate-like portion34aand the attachment portion31. Furthermore, the opposing surface of the plate-like portion34athat opposes the second abutment surface58corresponds to a contact surface abutting against the second abutment surface58actually. The plane including the opposing surface (contact surface) of the plate-like portion34ais substantially orthogonal to the plane including the front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs33band the transverse ribs33cof the first rotation preventing portion33. That is to say, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34intersect with each other in a substantially T-shaped form when seen from the above as illustrated inFIG. 2.

The battery terminal stopper3configured as described above constitutes the battery terminal unit1together with the battery terminal2by attaching the attachment portion31to the battery terminal2(seeFIG. 5, for example). The battery terminal unit1is assembled on the battery post51by inserting the battery post51into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gof the battery terminal2. In the assembled state of the battery terminal unit1, the first rotation preventing portion33of the battery terminal stopper3abuts against the first abutment surface57of the battery housing52so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. Alternatively, the second rotation preventing portion34abuts against the second abutment surface58of the battery housing52so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. With this configuration, the battery terminal unit1can limit the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51to a relatively narrow range by the battery terminal stopper3.

FIG. 8andFIG. 9are partial plan views for explaining the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal unit in the first embodiment.

For example, as illustrated inFIG. 8, in the battery terminal unit1, when the battery terminal2rotates integrally with the battery terminal stopper3in the clockwise direction about the battery post51as the rotating center, the second rotation preventing portion34abuts against the second abutment surface58before the first rotation preventing portion33abuts against the first abutment surface57so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2. This configuration enables the battery terminal stopper3to restrict the assembled angle of the battery terminal2by the second rotation preventing portion34. In contrast, as illustrated inFIG. 9, in the battery terminal unit1, when the battery terminal2rotates integrally with the battery terminal stopper3in the counter-clockwise direction about the battery post51as the rotating center, the first rotation preventing portion33abuts against the first abutment surface57before the second rotation preventing portion34abuts against the second abutment surface58so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2. This configuration enables the battery terminal stopper3to restrict the assembled angle of the battery terminal2by the first rotation preventing portion33.

The first rotation preventing portion33of the battery terminal stopper3abuts against the first abutment surface57first in any cases of the rotation in the clockwise direction and the rotation in the counter-clockwise direction in some cases depending on a magnitude relation between a clearance between the first rotation preventing portion33and the first abutment surface57and a clearance between the second rotation preventing portion34and the second abutment surface58. Note that the clearances can be generated in accordance with the dimensional tolerance (allowable dimensional error in manufacturing) of the attachment position dimension and the like of the battery post51. In the same manner, the second rotation preventing portion34of the battery terminal stopper3abuts against the second abutment surface58first in any cases of the rotation in the clockwise direction and the rotation in the counter-clockwise direction in some cases depending on a magnitude relation between the clearance between the first rotation preventing portion33and the first abutment surface57and the clearance between the second rotation preventing portion34and the second abutment surface58. In any of these cases, when the battery terminal2rotates with respect to the battery post51, any one of the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34with a smaller clearance to the opposing abutment surface (first abutment surface57or second abutment surface58) abuts first, so that the battery terminal stopper3restricts the rotation of the battery terminal2in the clockwise direction and restricts the rotation thereof in the counter-clockwise direction. With this configuration, the battery terminal stopper3can limit the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51to a relatively narrow range in comparison with the case where any one of the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34is not provided, for example.

The bolt23aand the nut23bof the clumping portion23are tightened in the state where the battery terminal stopper3limits the allowable range of the assembled angle with respect to the battery post51to the relatively narrow range as described above, so that the battery terminal2is clumped to the battery post51. As a result, the battery terminal unit1can reduce fluctuation of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2within a relatively small angle range, thereby improving the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2on the battery post51. Accordingly, for example, the battery terminal unit1enables the battery terminal2to be assembled and clumped onto the battery post51at an appropriate assembled angle required in manufacturing. This can prevent components that are assembled on the battery terminal2from interfering with other components on the vehicle in the state where the battery50is mounted on the vehicle or the like.

The battery terminal unit1is configured by integrally forming the attachment portion31, the first rotation preventing portion33, and the second rotation preventing portion34, and the attachment portion31is interposed between the battery terminal2and the lid member54of the battery housing52in the assembled state. In other words, in the battery terminal unit1, the battery terminal stopper3is attached to the battery terminal2as described above, and then, the battery terminal2and the battery terminal stopper3are integrally assembled on the battery post51. With this configuration, the attachment portion31is interposed between the battery terminal2and the lid member54. In this case, for example, in the battery terminal unit1, when a worker inserts the battery post51into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gof the battery terminal2, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34function as a positioning mechanism of the battery terminal unit1in the horizontal direction. This enables the battery post51to be inserted into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21geasily. That is to say, in the battery terminal unit1, the first rotation preventing portion33abuts against the first abutment surface57and the second rotation preventing portion34abuts against the second abutment surface58so as to guide an operation of inserting the battery post51into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21gwhile positioning the battery terminal unit1in the short-side direction and the long-side direction. As a result, in the battery terminal unit1, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34function as guide members for inserting the battery post51into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21g, thereby improving operability when the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51.

The battery terminal unit1as described above includes the battery terminal2and the battery terminal stopper3. The battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51provided on the battery housing52. The battery terminal stopper3includes the attachment portion31, the first rotation preventing portion33, and the second rotation preventing portion34. The attachment portion31can be attached to the battery terminal2. The first rotation preventing portion33is provided on the attachment portion31, opposes the first abutment surface57formed on the side surface of the battery housing52and abuts against the first abutment surface57in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51together with the attachment portion31so as to be able to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. The second rotation preventing portion34is provided on the attachment portion31, opposes the second abutment surface58formed on the battery housing52along the direction intersecting with the first abutment surface57and abuts against the second abutment surface58in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51together with the attachment portion31so as to be able to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. Accordingly, the battery terminal unit1and the battery terminal stopper3can limit the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51to the relatively narrow range, thereby improving the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2on the battery post51.

Furthermore, with the battery terminal unit1described above, the second abutment surface58is formed on the wall surface of the recess56that is formed on the post stand surface55provided with the battery post51in the battery housing52and on which the battery post51is provided upright, the wall surface being orthogonal, to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed. That is, the second abutment surface58as the abutment surface of the second rotation preventing portion34is formed on the wall surface of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55. With this configuration, the battery terminal unit1and the battery terminal stopper3can make a projecting portion of the battery terminal stopper3from the contour of the battery housing52relatively small in the assembled state to save space, and can improve the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2.

Furthermore, with the battery terminal unit1described above, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34are formed integrally with the attachment portion31. The attachment portion31is interposed between the battery terminal2and the battery housing52in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51together with the attachment portion31. Accordingly, in the battery terminal unit1and the battery terminal stopper3, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion34function as the guide members for inserting the battery post51into the post insertion hole21fand the post insertion hole21g, thereby improving operability when the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 10is a partial perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of a battery terminal unit according to a second embodiment.FIG. 11is a partial plan view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit in the second embodiment.FIG. 12is an exploded perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit in the second embodiment.FIG. 13is a perspective view illustrating the schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit in the second embodiment. Positions of a second abutment surface and a second rotation preventing portion in a battery terminal stopper and the battery terminal unit in the second embodiment are different from those in the first embodiment. In addition, overlapped description of configurations, actions, effects common to those in the above-mentioned embodiment are omitted as much as possible (the same holds true for the following embodiment and modifications).

A battery terminal unit201in the embodiment as illustrated inFIG. 10,FIG. 11,FIG. 12, andFIG. 13includes the battery terminal2and a battery terminal stopper203. The battery terminal stopper203in the embodiment includes the attachment portion31, the lid portion32, the first rotation preventing portion33, and a second rotation preventing portion234. In this embodiment, the positions of the lid portion32and the lock portion32aare different from those in the first embodiment.

The second rotation preventing portion234is provided on the attachment portion31. The second rotation preventing portion234is formed at a position opposing a second abutment surface258formed on the battery housing52in the assembled state (seeFIG. 10andFIG. 11, for example). The second abutment surface258is formed on the battery housing52along the direction intersecting with the first abutment surface57, in this example, along the direction orthogonal to the first abutment surface57. The second abutment surface258in the embodiment is formed on the side surface of the battery housing52that is orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed, in this embodiment, the side surface being along the long-side direction in the vicinity of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54. The second rotation preventing portion234abuts against the second abutment surface258in the assembled state so as to be able to restrict rotation of the battery terminal2around the axial direction about the center axis line X of the battery post51as the rotating center.

To be more specific, the second rotation preventing portion234is provided to extend from the attachment portion31, and includes a plate-like portion234aopposing the second abutment surface258in the assembled state, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs234band a plurality of transverse ribs234cfor reinforcing the plate-like portion234a. The plate-like portion234ais formed into a plate form along the long-side direction. The plate-like portion234ais provided to extend from the position in the vicinity of the corner of the lid member54to the vicinity of the wall surface defining the recess56in the assembled state along the long-side direction. The plate-like portion234aincludes the longitudinal ribs234band the transverse ribs234cthat are formed on an opposing surface opposing the second abutment surface258and the rear surface of the opposing surface. The longitudinal ribs234bare projecting reinforcing portions extending along the axial direction and the transverse ribs234care projecting reinforcing portions extending along the long-side direction. Some of the longitudinal ribs234bare provided to extend to the attachment portion31so as to reinforce a coupling portion between the plate-like portion234aand the attachment portion31. Furthermore, the front end surfaces of the longitudinal ribs234band the transverse ribs234cformed on the opposing surface of the plate-like portion234athat opposes the second abutment surface258at predetermined intervals correspond to contact surfaces abutting against the second abutment surface258actually. The front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs234band the transverse ribs234cformed on the opposing surface of the plate-like portion234aare located on substantially the same plane. The plane including the front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs234band the transverse ribs234cof the second rotation preventing portion234is substantially orthogonal to the plane including the front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs33band the transverse ribs33cof the first rotation preventing portion33. That is to say, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion234intersect with each other in a substantially L-shaped form when seen from the above as illustrated inFIG. 11.

The battery terminal stopper203configured as described above constitutes the battery terminal unit201together with the battery terminal2by attaching the attachment portion31to the battery terminal2(seeFIG. 13, for example). In the assembled state of the battery terminal unit201, the first rotation preventing portion33of the battery terminal stopper203abuts against the first abutment surface57of the battery housing52so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. Alternatively, the second rotation preventing portion234abuts against the second abutment surface258of the battery housing52so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. With this configuration, the battery terminal unit201can limit the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51to a relatively narrow range by the battery terminal stopper203.

The battery terminal unit201and the battery terminal stopper203described above can limit the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51to the relatively narrow range, thereby improving the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2on the battery post51.

Furthermore, with the battery terminal unit201described above, the second abutment surface258is formed on the side surface of the battery housing52that is orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed. That is, the second abutment surface258as the abutment surface of the second rotation preventing portion234is formed on the side surface that is orthogonal to the first abutment surface57. With this configuration, the battery terminal unit201and the battery terminal stopper203enables the second rotation preventing portion234having an appropriate size to be provided, thereby improving the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal more reliably.

The battery terminal stopper and the battery terminal unit in the above-mentioned embodiments of the invention are not limited to those in the above-mentioned embodiments, and various changes can be made in a range described in the scope of the appended claims. The battery terminal stopper and the battery terminal unit in the embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining constituent components in the respective embodiments as described above.

Although the battery terminal2is configured by press folding processing of the metal plate having conductivity, the invention is not limited thereto. Moreover, the positional relation among the battery terminal2, the first rotation preventing portion33, and the second rotation preventing portion34or234in the state where the battery terminal stopper3or203is attached to the battery terminal2may be adjusted appropriately in accordance with the assembled angle required in manufacturing.

The battery terminal stopper3or203of the battery terminal unit1or201described above includes the attachment portion31, the first rotation preventing portion33, and the second rotation preventing portion34or234. The attachment portion31is capable of being attached to the battery terminal2. The first rotation preventing portion33is provided on the attachment portion31, opposes the first abutment surface57formed on the battery housing52and abuts against the first abutment surface57in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51together with the attachment portion31so as to be able to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. The second rotation preventing portion34or234is provided on the attachment portion31, opposes the second abutment surface58or258formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface57and abuts against the second abutment surface58or258in the state where the battery terminal2is assembled on the battery post51together with the attachment portion31so as to be able to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2about the battery post51as the rotating center. In the battery terminal stopper3, the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface57and on which the second abutment surface58is formed corresponds to the wall surface of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55and the wall surface that is orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed. On the other hand, in the battery terminal stopper203, the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface57and on which the second abutment surface258is formed corresponds to the side surface of the battery housing52that is orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed, that is, corresponds to the side surface along the long-side direction in the vicinity of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54. The positions of the respective rotation preventing portions and the positional relations of the respective abutment surfaces are not limited to those described above. The following describes modifications with reference toFIG. 14toFIG. 17.

Modifications

FIG. 14,FIG. 15,FIG. 16, andFIG. 17are partial plan views illustrating the schematic configuration of a battery terminal unit according to a modification. Positions of respective rotation preventing portions of battery terminal units301,401,501, and601according to the modifications as illustrated inFIG. 14toFIG. 17are different from those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above.

The battery terminal unit301according to the modification illustrated inFIG. 14includes the battery terminal2and a battery terminal stopper303. The battery terminal stopper303in the modification includes the attachment portion31, the lid portion32, the first rotation preventing portion33, and a second rotation preventing portion334.

The second rotation preventing portion334is provided on the attachment portion31. The second rotation preventing portion334is formed at a position opposing a second abutment surface358formed on the battery housing52in the assembled state. The second abutment surface358is formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface57. The second abutment surface358in the modification is formed on the wall surface of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54in the battery housing52, the wall surface opposing the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface57is formed substantially in parallel. That is to say, the second abutment surface358is formed on the wall surface defining the recess56formed into a substantially rectangular shape, the wall surface being along the short-side direction. The second rotation preventing portion334abuts against the second abutment surface358in the assembled state so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2around the axial direction about the battery post51as the rotating center.

To be more specific, the second rotation preventing portion334is provided to extend from the attachment portion31, and includes a plate-like portion334aopposing the second abutment surface358in the assembled state and a plurality of coupling ribs334bcoupling the plate-like portion334ato the attachment portion31. The plate-like portion334ais formed into a plate form along the short-side direction. The plate-like portion334ais provided to extend along the wall surface defining the recess56, the wall surface being along the short-side direction in the assembled state, and is substantially parallel with the plate-like portion33a. The plate-like portion334aincludes the coupling ribs334bformed on the rear surface of the opposing surface thereof opposing the second abutment surface358. The coupling ribs334bare provided to extend to the attachment portion31and reinforce a coupling portion between the plate-like portion334aand the attachment portion31. Furthermore, the opposing surface of the plate-like portion334athat opposes the second abutment surface358corresponds to a contact surface abutting against the second abutment surface358actually. The plane including the opposing surface (contact surface) of the plate-like portion334ais substantially parallel with the plane including the front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs33band the transverse ribs33cof the first rotation preventing portion33. That is to say, the first rotation preventing portion33and the second rotation preventing portion334are substantially parallel with each other when seen from the above as illustrated inFIG. 14.

The battery terminal unit401according to the modification as illustrated inFIG. 15includes the battery terminal2and a battery terminal stopper403. The battery terminal stopper403in the modification includes the attachment portion31, the lid portion32, a first rotation preventing portion433, and the second rotation preventing portion34. The first rotation preventing portion433has substantially the same configuration as the above-mentioned second rotation preventing portion234(seeFIG. 11). A first abutment surface457has substantially the same configuration as the second abutment surface258(seeFIG. 11). The second abutment surface58against which the second rotation preventing portion34in the modification abuts is formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface457.

The first rotation preventing portion433is provided on the attachment portion31. The first rotation preventing portion433is formed at a position opposing the first abutment surface457formed on the battery housing52in the assembled state. The first abutment surface457is formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the second abutment surface58. The first abutment surface457in the modification is formed on the side surface of the battery housing52that is parallel with the second abutment surface58, in this example, on the side surface along the long-side direction in the vicinity of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54. The first rotation preventing portion433abuts against the first abutment surface457in the assembled state so as to restrict rotation of the battery terminal2around the axial direction about the center axis line X of the battery post51as the rotating center.

To be more specific, the first rotation preventing portion433is provided to extend from the attachment portion31, and includes a plate-like portion433aopposing the first abutment surface457in the assembled state, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs433band a plurality of transverse ribs433cfor reinforcing the plate-like portion433a. The plate-like portion433ais formed into a plate form along the long-side direction. The plate-like portion433a, the longitudinal ribs433b, and the transverse ribs433chave substantially the same configurations as the plate-like portion234a(seeFIG. 11), the longitudinal ribs234b(seeFIG. 11), and the transverse ribs234c(seeFIG. 11), respectively. The plane including the front end surfaces (contact surfaces) of the longitudinal ribs433band the transverse ribs433cformed on the opposing surface of the plate-like portion433athat opposes the first abutment surface457are substantially parallel with the plane including the opposing surface (contact surface) of the plate-like portion34aof the second rotation preventing portion34. That is to say, the first rotation preventing portion433and the second rotation preventing portion34are substantially parallel with each other when seen from the above as illustrated inFIG. 15.

The battery terminal unit501according to the modification illustrated inFIG. 16includes the battery terminal2and a battery terminal stopper503. The battery terminal stopper503in the modification includes the attachment portion31, the lid portion32, a first rotation preventing portion533, and the second rotation preventing portion34. The first rotation preventing portion533has substantially the same configuration as the above-mentioned second rotation preventing portion334(seeFIG. 14). Furthermore, a first abutment surface557against which the first rotation preventing portion533abuts has substantially the same configuration as the above-mentioned second abutment surface358(seeFIG. 14). The second abutment surface58against which the second rotation preventing portion34in the modification abuts is formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface557.

The first rotation preventing portion533is provided on the attachment portion31. The first rotation preventing portion533is formed at a position opposing the first abutment surface557formed on the battery housing52in the assembled state. The first abutment surface557is formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the second abutment surface58. The first abutment surface557in the modification is formed on the wall surface of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54in the battery housing52, the wall surface being orthogonal to the wall surface of the recess56on which the second abutment surface58is formed. That is to say, the first abutment surface557is formed on the wall surface defining the recess56formed into a substantially rectangular shape, the wall surface being along the short-side direction. The first rotation preventing portion533abuts against the first abutment surface557in the assembled state so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal2around the axial direction about the battery post51as the rotating center.

To be more specific, the first rotation preventing portion533is provided to extend from the attachment portion31, and includes a plate-like portion533aopposing the first abutment surface557in the assembled state and a plurality of coupling ribs533bcoupling the plate-like portion533ato the attachment portion31. The plate-like portion533aand the coupling ribs533bhave substantially the same configurations as the plate-like portion334a(seeFIG. 14) and the coupling ribs334b(seeFIG. 1.4), respectively. Some of the coupling ribs533balso serve as the coupling ribs34b. The plane including the opposing surface (contact surface) of the plate-like portion533ais substantially orthogonal to the plane including the opposing surface (contact surface) of the plate-like portion34aof the second rotation preventing portion34. That is to say, the first rotation preventing portion533and the second rotation preventing portion34intersect with each other in a substantially L-shaped form when seen from the above as illustrated inFIG. 16.

The battery terminal unit601according to the modification illustrated inFIG. 17includes the battery terminal2and a battery terminal stopper603. The battery terminal stopper603in the modification includes the attachment portion31, the lid portion32, the first rotation preventing portion433, and the second rotation preventing portion334. The first rotation preventing portion433and the first abutment surface457against which the first rotation preventing portion433abuts have substantially the same configurations as those inFIG. 15. The second rotation preventing portion334and the second abutment surface358against which the second rotation preventing portion334abuts have substantially the same configurations as those inFIG. 14. The second abutment surface358in the modification is formed on the surface of the battery housing52that is different from the first abutment surface457. The first abutment surface457is formed on the side surface of the battery housing52along the long-side direction of the lid member54, and the second abutment surface358is formed on the battery housing52along the direction intersecting with the first abutment surface457. To be more specific, the second abutment surface358is formed on the wall surface of the recess56formed on the post stand surface55of the lid member54on which the battery post51is provided upright in the battery housing52, the wall surface being orthogonal to the side surface of the battery housing52on which the first abutment surface457is formed. The first rotation preventing portion433and the second rotation preventing portion334in the modification intersect with each other in a substantially T-shaped form when seen from the above as illustrated inFIG. 17.

With any of the battery terminal stopper and the battery terminal unit according to the embodiments and the modifications described above, the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal2with respect to the battery post51can be limited to the relatively narrow range, thereby improving the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal2on the battery post51.

In the battery terminal stopper and the battery terminal unit according to the invention, the first rotation preventing portion abuts against the first abutment surface of the battery housing so as to restrict rotation of the battery terminal or the second rotation preventing portion abuts against the second abutment surface of the battery housing so as to restrict the rotation of the battery terminal. This can limit the allowable range of the assembled angle of the battery terminal with respect to the battery post to the relatively narrow range, thereby achieving an effect that the assembling accuracy of the battery terminal on the battery post.