Electrical connector for a vehicle

A vehicle having an internal storage battery and a body panel is provided with electrical connectors or fittings having portions extending through first and second openings in the body panel. Each fitting includes a conducting stem having an axial recess therein and includes an insulator head abutting one side of the body panel. One fitting has an insulator to prevent conduction between the stem and the body panel. Each threaded stem passes through an opening and receives a nut to clamp the insulator head against the body panel. A conductor extends from one stem to one pole of the internal storage battery. The other fitting is similar but is not insulated. Rather, it is electrically connected to the body panel or may have a conductor extending from the stem to the other pole of the internal storage battery. The fitting recesses receive electrical conductors in an exterior electrical circuit that may extend to another, external storage battery. There can be electrical transmission from the internal storage battery to the external storage battery or vice versa. Normally, the fitting recesses are protected by safety plugs readily removable when the device is to be used.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Vehicle storage batteries occasionally are without charge. This invention 
provides recesses on the vehicle body to receive a connecting, charging 
arrangement remote from gas evolving from the internal battery of the 
vehicle. There is a neat, safe, convenient body installation for the 
removable reception of a pair of electrical conductors. One conductor is 
insulated from the generally grounded body panel of the vehicle and is 
directly connected to the internal battery. The other conductor is 
connected through the grounded body panel to the battery. If the panel is 
not grounded, a second, direct connector to the storage battery is used. 
Removable protecting caps normally occupy the recesses. External 
electrical leads from a charging source are plugged into the two recesses 
in a location remote from any hydrogen gas generated by battery charging. 
There is an easy and effective temporary connection provided for charging 
purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The device of the invention is primarily for use in connection with a 
vehicle such as a boat, truck, automobile or the like. In the present 
instance, an automobile 6 has a metallic frame 7 and has an enclosing body 
shell 8 including a panel 9 of metal. Situated on the body frame 7 is an 
interior, electrical storage battery 11 of the customary lead-acid sort 
having a terminal 12 or pole of one polarity connected by a conductor 13 
to a terminal 14 on the vehicle frame 7, which serves as a ground. The 
metal body panel 9 also is either directly connected to the frame 7 and 
thus is grounded, or has a conductor 16 joined at one end 17 to the frame 
and at the other end joined at 18 to the body panel 9. In any event, the 
body shell and particularly the panel 9 has electrical continuity with the 
ground pole 12 of the battery 11. 
In the usual vehicle construction, the other pole or terminal 21 of the 
battery 11 is of opposite polarity and is joined by a regularly provided 
conductor 22 to a terminal 23 on a suitable box 24, which represents a 
relay or a connector panel board. Another terminal 26 on the relay or 
board 24 has a conductor or conductors 27 leading to various electrical 
instrumentalities on the vehicle 6. 
Pursuant to the present invention, there is provided in the panel 9 at a 
location quite remote from the battery 11 a first opening 31 and a second 
opening 32. The panel may be a radiator shell or skirt or a fender, rocker 
panel or load box, or the like far away from and shielded from the 
interior battery 11. The openings are not necessarily of the same size. 
Preferably the opening 31 is slightly larger in diameter than the opening 
32, but both openings are provided adjacent each other, spaced apart, for 
example, a matter of three or four inches. 
With respect to the opening 31, there is provided a first conducting stem 
33 conveniently of metal having a hexagonal, enlarged head 34 and being 
provided with an axially extending central recess 36 open to the exterior. 
The stem is reduced in diameter from the head and is provided with 
external threads 37 throughout much of its length. The diameter of the 
threads 37 is such that the first stem 33 can easily go through the first 
opening 31 with substantial radial clearance. 
Surrounding a portion of the stem and the head 34 is a first insulator body 
38 preferably of molded plastic encompassing the periphery of the head 34. 
The body has an end face 39 normal to the axis of the stem 33 and is 
designed to abut the outside, for example, of the body panel 9. 
Furthermore, the body 38 has an integral, extended boss 41 designed snugly 
to fit into the enlarged first opening 31 and to extend more or less the 
entire distance therethrough. 
In use, the first stem 33 is positioned as shown in FIG. 3, and an 
insulating washer 42 is slipped over the stem 33 and moved toward the 
panel 9. A first nut 43, usually metal, preferably having a roughened end 
face 44, and having a hex portion 46, is threaded onto the first stem and 
is tightened thereon. The rough portion 44 of the nut digs into the washer 
42 and compresses the washer, the end face 39 and the panel 9 into tight 
engagement but ensures that there is no metal contact between the stem 33 
and the body panel 9. The two are fully insulated electrically from each 
other. 
Also slipped over the stem 33 is an apertured terminal 47 of a first 
conducting cable 48 which also is connected to the terminal 23. Thus, 
electrical continuity is established between the first stem 33 and the 
pole 21 or terminal of the storage battery. Usually, a lock nut 49 is also 
screwed upon the stem 33 to hold the terminal 47 in position. 
Under usual circumstances the recess 36 is adapted frictionally to receive 
a hollow and therefore slightly deformable shank 51 of a removable safety 
and protecting plug as shown in FIG. 3. The plug preferably is fabricated 
of nonconducting plastic and has an enlarged disc 52 integral with the 
stem 51. The disc overlies the otherwise exposed external face 53 of the 
head 34 and normally prevents ingress of foreign material into the recess 
36 and prevents casual tampering with the structure. 
In the smaller opening 32 there is inserted a second, conducting stem 54 
having a recess 56 therein normally occupied by a plug shank similar to 
the plug shank 51. An insulator 57, like the insulator 38, has a hexagonal 
portion abutting the vehicle body 9 and preferably is molded onto the 
hexagonal end of the second stem 54 substantially identical to the stem 
33. The body 57, however, has no boss like the boss 41. The body 57 
carrying the stem 54 is pulled into abutment with the panel 9 surrounding 
the opening 32 therethrough by a second, roughened face nut 60 engaging 
threads on the second stem. Normally, electrical continuity is established 
between the stem 54 and the conducting body panel 9, as the roughened nut 
60 serves, as tightened, to remove any insulating overlay and digging 
directly into the body panel. There is thus established electrical 
continuity between the second stem 54 and the second terminal 12 of the 
internal storage battery through the body, panel, the frame and any other 
metallic parts that are customarily joined. 
It sometimes occurs that the body panel 9 or some intermediates may be 
either coated with insulating material or may be made of fiber glass or 
like electrically nonconducting material. In that instance, there is 
provided a second connector 61 engaging the second conducting stem 54 and 
having a nut 62 securing the connector 61 in place. A conductor 63 extends 
from the connector 54 either directly to the ground terminal 12 of the 
internal battery or to a conducting portion (frame 7) of the vehicle which 
does extend to such terminal. There is thus a second, complete conducting 
path. 
In the use of this device, it is assumed, for example, that the internal 
battery 11 is fully charged and that electricity is to be supplied to some 
other, external storage battery, perhaps on a second vehicle. In that 
instance, the two plug discs 52 are removed by the fingers or a screw 
driver, exposing the first recess 36 and the second recess 56. Into those 
recesses are plugged the respective ends of connecting cables such as the 
cable 64 shown in FIG. 5. The other ends of the cables are connected to 
the second, external battery in the customary way preferably prior to the 
connections into the recesses 36 and 56 and preferably at a substantial 
distance from the connecting points. Electrically then flows safely from 
the internal battery to the external battery. When the transaction is 
completed, the connecting terminals are removed in reverse order and the 
safety discs 52 are reinserted. 
Under some circumstances, it may be that the internal battery 11 needs to 
be charged. In that instance, the terminals of cables from an exterior, 
charged battery are introduced into the recesses 36 and 56 after the 
safety discs 52 have been removed therefrom. When a battery such as the 
battery 11 is being charged, hydrogen gas is evolved therefrom. This is 
highly flammable. It is, therefore, important to have any electrical 
connections, such as in the stems 33 and 54, as remote as possible from 
any charging storage battery. There is then no likelihood of any sparks 
occurring upon conductor connection igniting any hydrogen evolved at the 
battery. For that reason the first and second stems 33 and 54 are disposed 
preferably low down on the far side of the vehicle 6. The installation is 
usually made in such a fashion that the exposed parts are actually 
attractive and do not disfigure the vehicle at all, and yet they are 
readily available for quick, safe use when needed.