Battery terminal connector having pad contacts

A battery terminal connector has a hollow cylindrical gripping portion which is axially slit and which has raised radially inwardly extending pads which are knurled for biting into a top battery post when the gripping portion is tightened around the battery post.

The present invention relates to a battery terminal connector and, more 
particularly, to a battery terminal connector having a gripping portion 
provided with three radially inwardly extending pads at three 
equidistantly spaced circumferential locations for gripping a battery post 
when clamped thereto. 
Heretofore battery terminal connectors for connecting an electrical cable 
to a battery post have comprised elastically deformable gripping portions 
which were axially slit so that the gripping portion could be opened and 
closed around the battery post. It is also known to provide a large number 
of radially inwardly extending and axially extending indentations at 
spaced circumferential locations in the gripping portions of such a 
battery connector for engaging the battery posts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,726, 
issued Oct. 19, 1982, shows the latter type of battery terminal connector. 
It has been found that when a battery terminal connector which has an 
axially slit cylindrical or hollow gripping portion is clamped onto a 
battery post, that the clamping forces are primarily located at three 
circumferentially spaced locations around the battery posts. Based on 
this, Applicants have devised a novel battery terminal connector in which 
the axially slit gripping portion is provided with three equidistant, 
circumferentially spaced, radially inwardly extending pads or indentations 
which grip the battery post at three circumferential locations when the 
gripping portion is clamped thereto. Another novel feature is that the 
pads have an interface which is coplanar with the inner wall of the 
gripping portion and which is knurled so that the knurls in the face of 
the pads dig into the battery post to enhance both the mechanical and the 
electrical connection thereto. 
The present invention further resides in various novel constructions and 
arrangement of parts, and further objects, novel characteristics and 
advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in 
the art to which it relates and from the following detailed description of 
the illustrated, preferred embodiment thereof made with reference to the 
accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which 
similar reference numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts 
throughout the several views, and in which: 
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a novel battery terminal connector 
embodying the present invention; 
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the battery terminal connector shown 
in FIG. 1 and showing the same attached to a battery post; 
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken approximately along line 3--3 of 
FIG. 2; 
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view taken approximately 
along line 4--4 of FIG. 1; and 
FIG. 5 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 4, but showing an 
alternative configuration for the pad of the battery terminal connector.

Referring to the drawings, a novel battery terminal connector 10 is 
thereshown for connecting an electrical cable 12 to a top post battery 
terminal 14 of a battery 16. 
The battery terminal connector 10 comprises, in general, a gripping portion 
20 for clamping onto the top post 14 of the battery 16, a first extension 
arm 22 for clamping onto an electrical cable 12, a second extension arm 24 
which extends generally parallel to the first extension arm 22 and which 
serves as a nut carrier for a fastener means 26 carried by the extension 
arms 22, 24 for fastening the gripping portion 20 onto the battery post 
14. 
The battery terminal connector 10 is made from a suitable elastically 
deformable and electrically conductive metal material, preferably copper. 
The gripping portion 20 is axially slit, as indicated by reference numeral 
30, and is in the shape of a hollow cylinder. The gripping portion 20 has 
an annular side wall 32 and a radially outwardly extending flange 34 at 
its lower end. The gripping portion 20 at its ends 36, 38 is integral with 
the extension arms 22, 24, respectively. 
The extension arm 22 is planar and has a pair of crimping wings 40, 42 at 
its end remote from the gripping portion 20. The crimping wings 40, 42 
along with a bottom 44 of the extension arm 22 at their inner surfaces 
adjacent the crimping wings 40 are knurled (not shown). The crimping wings 
40, 42 are adapted to be crimped around the stripped end or core 12A of a 
suitable electrical cable 12, as shown in FIG. 2. 
The extension arm 24, which extends generally parallel to the extension arm 
22 is bent and shaped to define a U-shaped nut carrier 50. The U-shaped 
nut carrier 50 comprises a pair of spaced side walls 52, 54 and an 
intermediate bight portion 56. The side walls 52, 54 are parallel to each 
other. The wall 54 also includes an end wall 58 adjacent the gripping 
portion 20. The U-shaped nut carrier 50 thus has an open bottom side 60 
for receiving a nut 62 of the fastener means 26. The fastener means 26 
comprises a headed bolt 63 which extends through aligned openings 64 and 
66 and 68 in the extension arm 22 and the sides 52, 54 of the nut carrier 
50 of the extension arm 24, respectively. The headed bolt 63 is threaded 
and is threadably secured to the nut 62 which is positioned within the 
U-shape nut carrier 50. The side wall 58 serves to prevent the nut 62 from 
rotating when the fastener means 26 is tightened to clamp the gripping 
portion 20 of the battery terminal connector 10 onto the battery post 14. 
As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the gripping portion 20 of the battery 
terminal connector 10 has three raised pads 70 for engaging the battery 
post 14. The raised pads 70, in the preferred embodiment, are rectangular 
in shape, as shown in FIG. 4, and are formed by indenting the side wall at 
three equidistant circumferentially spaced locations. The raised pads 70 
are located approximately midway between the upper and lower ends of the 
gripping portions 20. The raised pads 70 extend radially inwardly from the 
inner side wall surface 72 of the gripping portion 20 and have an inner 
end face 74 which is coplanar with the side wall surface 72 of the 
gripping portion. 
Another feature of the raised pads 70 is that they are knurled at their 
radially inwardly extending end face 74, as indicated by reference numeral 
76 so that the raised pads 70 will bite into the battery post 14 when 
connected thereto. 
FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment for the raised pads 70' in that the 
pads are circular in shape rather than rectangular. In other respects the 
raised pads 70' are identical. 
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the nut 62 is cradled in the 
nut carrier 50 and threadably receives the bolt 63. The battery terminal 
connector 10 can be connected to the battery post 14 by sliding the same 
thereover and with the radially extending flange 34 engaging the battery 
16 at its top surface. The battery terminal connector 10 is thereafter 
connected to or closed around the post 14 by tightening the bolt 63 of the 
fastener means 26 to draw the extension arms 22, 24 toward one another so 
that the raised pads 70 engage the battery post 14 at three equidistantly 
spaced circumferential locations and with the knurls 76 of the pads 70 
biting into the post 14 to provide both a good or solid electrical and 
mechanical connection thereto. It should also be noted that overtightening 
cannot occur due to the fact that the wall 54 of the extension arm 24 will 
engage the extension arm 22. 
From the foregoing it should be apparent that a simple and highly effective 
battery terminal connector for connecting to a top post battery has been 
provided. Although the battery terminal connector 10 and battery post 14 
are illustrated in the drawings as being cylindrical, they could also be 
of a tapered, truncated cone shape. 
Although the illustrated embodiment hereof has been described in great 
detail, it should be apparent that certain modifications, changes and 
adaptations may be made in the illustrated embodiment, and that it is 
intended to cover all such modifications, changes and adaptations which 
come within the spirit of the present invention.