Abstract:
A connection arrangement enables rapid connection and disconnection of a cable wire ( 11 ) to a post-shaped automobile battery terminal ( 12 ). A battery terminal connector ( 16 ), has a platform ( 17 ) with a front end forming a post-receiving hole ( 18 ) that receives the battery terminal, the platform having a rear end with a pair of stationary shoulders ( 21 ) and a pin contact ( 22 ) lying between the shoulders. A cable connector ( 25 ) includes a socket contact ( 26 ) that can connect to the battery connector, and a locking device. The locking device has a pair of clamp arms ( 31 ) that are resiliently biased together but that are deflected apart by a separator ( 38 ) until the arm shoulders ( 35 ) snap behind the stationary shoulders.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    Applicant claims priority from German patent application 100 12 387.2 filed Mar. 14, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Present vehicles commonly have 12 volt batteries with a battery casing and with a pair of largely cylindrical posts projecting from the casing. A common type of fitting for connecting a high amperage cable wire to a battery post includes a front end forming a slit ring that is pushed over the post and clamped to it, and a rear end that has lugs that are clamped against opposite sides of the bared cable wire by a screw. The connection and release of the fitting connection to the battery terminal is relatively inexact and complicated, and exposes the worker to the battery terminals and sparks that may occur there at. There are proposals for vehicle batteries that supply a higher voltage, such as 42 volts. This results in the need for somewhat lower current-carrying capacity, but better protection of a worker from the voltage of the battery. A connector arrangement for vehicle batteries, which facilitated connection and disconnection of a cable wire to the battery terminal, would also be desirable in facilitating connections to the vehicle electrical system as in starting a vehicle when the battery is run down.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle battery connector arrangement is provided, which simplifies connection and disconnection of a cable wire to the battery terminal while better protecting a worker who performs such connection and disconnection. The connection arrangement includes a battery connector designed to be fixed to a battery terminal and a cable connector designed to be fixed to a cable conductor. The connectors have pin and socket contacts that enable quick mating and unmating. A locking device holds the connectors together, but enables rapid release so the connectors can be unmated. The locking device includes an insulative sheath that surrounds a conductive insert that form one of the contacts, to isolate a workman who holds the cable connector, from the voltage of the battery.  
           [0004]    The locking device can include a pair of resilient catch arms that are deflected apart, until they snap in front of stationary shoulders on the platform of the battery connector, at which time the pin and socket contacts have been fully mated. Disconnection is accomplished by spreading apart the catch arms.  
           [0005]    The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a connector assembly of the present invention, showing how it connects a cable wire to a vehicle battery terminal.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1A is a side elevation view of the assembled connector assembly of FIG. 1 and a portion of a vehicle battery, with the connectors of the assembly shown fully mated.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1B is a view taken on line  1 B of FIG. 1A.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1, with the connectors only partially mated.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a sectional top view of the assembly of FIG. 2.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4A is an exploded side elevation view of a connector assembly which is similar to that of FIGS.  1 - 3  but with a variation.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4B is a partially sectional top view of the connector assembly of FIG. 4A.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a partially sectional front elevation view of a connector assembly shown secured on a pair of battery terminals, and constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the connector assembly of FIG. 5.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a partially sectional view taken along arrow VII of FIG. 5.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a plan view of a connector assembly connected to battery terminals, according to another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a partially sectional side view taken along arrow IX in FIG. 8.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a partially sectional side view of a connector assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, shown with a portion of a vehicle battery.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is an exploded side view of the assembly of FIG. 10, but with only the battery terminal.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of a connector assembly which is a variation of the assembly of FIG. 10.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a plan view of the assembly of FIG. 10, shown with a portion of a vehicle battery. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 illustrates a connector assembly  10  of the invention for connecting a single wire or conductor  11  of a cable, to a battery terminal  12  of a vehicle-type battery  14 . Such terminal is usually in the form of an upwardly projecting post. The assembly includes a battery connector  16  that connects to the battery terminal  12  and a cable connector  25  that connects to the cable wire  11 . The two connectors can be mated and unmated to make and break the connection of the cable to the battery terminal.  
         [0023]    The battery connector  16  includes a platform  17  with a front F end forming a hole  18  that closely receives the battery terminal  12 . When the terminal is tapered, the platform front end can be hammered down around the terminal, although it also can be clamped in place by forming the platform front end with two sides that can be moved together by tightening a screw. The platform has a rear R end with an upward projection  19  and a pin contact  22 . The entire battery connector  16  is formed of electrically conductive material. The front and rear directions extend in longitudinal directions M that are perpendicular to lateral directions L and vertical directions V.  
         [0024]    The cable connector  25  includes an electrically conductive insert  20  that includes a socket contact  26  at its front end and a wire terminator  23  at its rear end that can receive the wire  11  and crimp and/or solder to the wire. The socket contact  26  can be moved forwardly to mate with the pin contact  22 .  
         [0025]    The cable connector also includes an insulative housing  27  that surrounds the insert  20  and that has a pair of catch arms  31 . The catch arms are part of a locking device  30  that locks the cable connector to the battery connector. The battery connector  16  has an upstanding rail or projection  19  that forms a pair of laterally-spaced forwardly-facing shoulders  21 . The shoulders  21  can be engaged by arm shoulders  35  on the front ends of the catch arms  31 . When the conductive insert  20  is inserted into the housing  27  and locked in place therein, forward movement of the cable connector  25  results in the catch arms  31  being laterally L deflected apart as they move across a separating portion  38  of the rail  19 . When the catch arms pass forward of the separating portion  38 , catch arm shoulders  35  snap forward of the rail shoulders  21 , to thereby lock the cable connector to the battery connector. The connectors can be disengaged by pushing apart the catch arms  31 , against their resilience.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 1A, 1B,  2  and  3  show that the insulative housing  27  has an inward flange  50  (FIG. 2) at the front of its region  28 , that locks the conductive insert  20  in the housing  27 . The socket contact  26  rests on an overlapping edge of region  28 . The rear end at  23  of the conductive insert receives the cable wire  11  and is crimped and/or soldered thereto. The insulative housing forms the catch arms  31  whose catch arms shoulders can snap forward of the stationary shoulders  21  to lock the connectors together. A tool is generally required to  10  spread the arms to release this embodiment of the invention. A sheath part  29  extends partially around the front of the socket contact.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4A shows a connector assembly  10 ′ which is a variation of the assembly of FIGS.  1 - 3 . The battery connector  16 ′ has a guide strip  36  that extends parallel to the direction of mating. As the connectors move together, the guide strip  36  enters a slot  37  in the cable connector housing. The guide strip  36  and slot  37  prevent misalignment of the connectors as they approach one another to mate.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4B shows a connector assembly  10 ″ where the cable connector  25 ″ has catch arms  31  that extend rearward to a pair of opposite actuating levers  32 . The levers  32  can be squeezed together to spread apart the catch arms  31  so as to release the connectors. Mount parts  60  extend sidewardly, or laterally, to locations  62  on an insulative sleeve  64 . The handle rear ends lie rearward of locations  62 . The particular battery connector  16 ″ is split into two lugs  33  at the front terminal-engaging end of the platform  17 ″. A screw  34  extends through holes in the split front end and can be screwed tight to clamp the platform to the battery terminal.  
         [0029]    In FIGS.  5 - 7 , each connector assembly for each battery terminal  123 , is formed by a pin contact  122  that projects downward from the rear end of the platform, to thereby project downwardly along a side of the casing of the battery  14 . The cable connector  25 ′ has a socket that connects to the pin  122 , and has a pair of catch arms  31 ′ with shoulders that lock against shoulders at the rear of the platform.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIGS. 5 and 6 show that the battery terminal posts  123  are provided with a conventional clamp connection  43  that includes a platform or lug  117 ′ with flanges  133 , and a screw  134  that can clamp the flanges around the battery terminal. The platform  117 ′ is provided with wire clamp lugs  144  that are capable of directly clamping a wire to the battery connector. FIG. 5 shows an opening  131  which is expanded when the screws are unscrewed, with any wire in the opening  131  then clamped by tightening the screws.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIGS. 8 and 9 show battery connectors  212 ,  213 , each with a post mount  223  and a pin contact  222  (FIG. 9). Each post mount has a set of teeth  249  (FIG. 8). The teeth serve to lock catch arms  231  of a locking device  230  of the cable connector  225 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 10- 13  show a connector arrangement  310  that includes a battery terminal connector  300  with a platform  342  having a hole that receives a battery terminal  323 . The battery terminal connector includes a pin  322  that is offset vertically upward from the platform  342 . As shown in FIG. 10, this allows the platform  342  to lie against the bottom of the battery post  323  while the pin contact  322  lies above that level so the socket contact  326  can surround the pin and lie over the battery casing.  
         [0033]    The socket contact  326  is fixed in an insulative housing  325 . A rotatable sleeve  351  can rotate on the housing and socket contact about a horizontal axis  355 . The rotating sleeve  351  has an internal bayonet thread that engages a thread on the pin contact  322 , by turning the rotating sleeve as the socket engages the pin contact.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 12 shows a connector assembly  310 ′ in which the cylindrical sleeve  353  is connected to a right angle piece  356  through which the cable wire  11  is guided and sealed with a stopper at  357 .  
         [0035]    Color or mechanical coding can be provided to indicate the plus and minus battery terminals and corresponding connector assemblies. It is possible to exchange the pin and socket contacts so, for example, the socket contact can be part of the connector that is clamped to the battery terminal while the pin contact is attached to the cable wire.  
         [0036]    Thus, the invention provides a connector assembly for easier and safer connection and disconnection of a cable wire to a battery terminal. A terminal connector has a front end clamped or otherwise attached to a battery terminal, and a rear end forming a socket or pin contact. A cable connector includes a corresponding socket or pin contact and is connected to the cable wire. The platform or a projection on it forms forwardly-facing shoulders, and the cable connector has a pair of resilient clamp legs with rearwardly-facing shoulders that snap immediately in front of the stationary shoulders on the platform. As an alternative, a bayonet thread on the battery connector is engaged by a rotatable threaded part on the cable connector to hold the connectors together. In both holding arrangements, engagement requires movement of the clamp arms or locations on the bayonet threaded sleeve, perpendicular to the forward and rearward directions in which the contacts are mated and unmated.  
         [0037]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.