Abstract:
A storage battery includes a battery ease having opposed side walls and a top wall. A battery terminal extends from one of the wails. The battery terminal includes a projecting portion for accommodating termination hardware in mechanical and electrical engagement. The protecting portion of the battery terminal includes a test surface portion externally accessible from the termination hardware for directly accommodating a testing device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a storage battery terminal having a test surface. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery terminal having an accessible surface available for accommodating an externally applied test device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Storage batteries such as lead acid storage batteries are used in a variety of applications, particularly for standby power. A typical storage battery includes battery cells housed in a battery case which are electrically accessible through a terminal mounted to either the top or sides of the case. Connection is made to the battery terminal by connection hardware which may be attached to cables or other type of connecting components. Such connection hardware may include lugs, bus bars or the like. 
         [0003]    In a proper battery maintenance program, it is necessary to test the battery to confirm voltage, ohmic data and micro-ohmic connection resistances. Typically, such testing is done by placing a test probe or other testing device in electrical engagement with the battery through the battery terminal. However, in many applications, the lug, bus bar or other connection hardware used to connect to the battery hinders access to the terminal itself. This results in measurements being taken through the connecting hardware by attachment of the test probe thereto. This creates certain issues with the inability to obtain micro-ohmic connection resistances to ensure connection integrity and unreliable ohmic diagnostic readings on the battery. It has been found that testing in this manner may result in inaccurate readings and non-consistent readings inasmuch as the test probe may be attached to different locations of the hardware attached to the terminal. 
         [0004]    In a proper maintenance program it is desirable that a battery terminal allows direct and repeated access to the terminal itself for testing and measurement purposes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a battery including a battery case having perimetrical side walls and a top wall. A battery terminal extends from one of the walls. The terminal has a projecting portion for accommodating terminal hardware in mechanical and electrical engagement. A portion of the terminal remains externally accessible from the termination hardware so as to accommodate a testing device. 
         [0006]    The present invention further provides a combination of an electrical storage battery and a test device for electrically engaging the storage battery. The combination includes a battery case having side walls and a top wall. A battery terminal extends from one of the walls. A connecting device is attached to the terminal. The battery terminal has an exposed location adjacent the connecting device. The test probe may include contacting members which are engageable with the exposed location for direct contact therewith. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the test probe may have spring actuatable jaws which engage a recess surface on the terminal. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, the test probe may include test points extending therefrom for direct engagement with an exposed annular surface of the terminal. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a typical storage battery having a battery terminal constructed in accordance with the present invention for use with a probe. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross-section showing of a portion of the battery of  FIG. 1  including an improved terminal of the present invention having the probe attached thereto. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a probe design used in combination with the terminal of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a portion of the probe of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows the battery of  FIG. 1  with the probe attached to a terminal beneath a bus bar. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows a further embodiment of a battery terminal of the present invention extending from a wall of the battery. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective showing of the battery terminal of  FIG. 5  with a connection bus bar attached thereto. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the battery terminal of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is as sectional showing of the battery terminal of  FIG. 7  taken through the lines A-A thereof. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 10 and 11  show the battery terminal and bus bar combination of  FIG. 6  with a ohmic/micro-ohmic test probe in electrical engagement therewith. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    The present invention is directed to a storage battery, including a battery terminal extending therefrom, which allows attachment of a testing device such as a test probe to mechanically and electrically connect to the battery terminal directly without having to contact any of the connecting hardware attached thereto. Quite often when terminating to a battery terminal, the connecting hardware such as connectors, lugs, bus bars and the like, block direct access to the terminal. This results in the need to take test measurements such as ohmic and voltage measurements through the attached hardware. Often times this results in inaccurate or non-uniform readings. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a first embodiment of the improved battery terminal of the present invention is shown. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the battery  10  may be a conventional 12 volt industrial battery having a plurality of cells (not shown) housed within a case  12  covered by a top cover  14 . A plurality of terminals  16 , typically including positive and negative terminals extend from the upper surface or cover  14  of battery  10 . While the terminals  16  are shown extending from cover  14 , it may be appreciated that the terminals may extend from any surface of the battery including a side surface. As is well known, the terminals are electrically connected to the cells contained within the battery. 
         [0021]    As shown additionally and in more detail in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a probe  30  may be employed to contact battery terminal  16  directly without having to contact any securement hardware (such as a bus bar  40  shown in  FIG. 5 ). The probe  30  is a clamp-type member formed generally of electrically conductive material having a pair of actuatable spring-biased jaws  32  and  34  pivotally movable about a torsion spring  36  between an opened and closed position. This allows it to snap on to the terminal, eliminating the need for two people for both reading and recording of data. The jaws  32  and  34  are connected to two separate electrical wires  38  which are connected to a test apparatus. The wires  38  and a portion of the jaws  32  and  34  are covered by an insulative cover/handle  39 . 
         [0022]    Referring additionally to  FIG. 2 , the terminal  16  includes an upstanding extending member  18 , which is generally cylindrical, and has adjacent its upper end an annular recess or undercut  19 . The upstanding extending member is also formed of an electrically conductive material. The jaws  32  and  34  of probe  30  are spring loaded to fit around upstanding member  18  and then be actuatably closed to seat within the annular recess  19 . Such an arrangement provides secure mechanical and electrical engagement between the jaw of probe  30  and the terminal  16 . Such direct engagement is achieved with the terminal  16  without need to engage various securement hardware which may be placed on the terminals. For example, with reference to  FIG. 5 , it is often required that a bus bar  40  be placed across the upper extent of the terminals. This would ordinarily block access to the terminal for test purposes. 
         [0023]    As can be appreciated from the depiction in  FIG. 5 , the terminals are constructed so that the probe  30  may engage the upstanding member  18  as shown in  FIG. 2  even with the bus bar  40  in place. Thus, when the terminals are covered by securement hardware such as bus bar  40 . direct electrical engagement can be made with the terminal itself without having to make electrical connection to the bus bar. This increases the accuracy and uniformity of any testing conducted using probe  30 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6-11 , a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. A wall  112  of a battery case may include terminal  116  extending therefrom. In the present illustrative embodiment, wall  112  may represent the side wall of a battery case. As particularly shown in  FIG. 7 , terminal  116  may be formed of an electrically conductive bushing  118  having supported therein an electrically conductive insert  120 . The bushing  118  may be molded about insert  120 . Typically, the bushing  118  would be formed of lead and the insert  120  would be formed of brass. The subassembly of the bushing  118  and insert  120  is molded within an annular extending portion  113  of wall  112 . While the construction and formation of terminal  116  may be achieved in a conventional manner, the specific terminal shown herein is of the type more fully shown and described in copending, application Ser. No. ______, filed ______ entitled “A BATTERY WITH A MOLDED FRONT TERMINAL”, bearing Attorney Docket No. 1161-99. This disclosure is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , battery terminal  116  has electrically and mechanically connected thereto a bus bar  130 . Bus bar  130  is representative of typical attachment hardware which may be attached to the terminal. Other similar connection hardware may also be employed. The bus bar  130  has a central aperture therethrough which is alignable with the threaded aperture  122  in insert  120 . This allows threaded insertion of bolt  135  therethrough to secure, in mechanical and electrical engagement, bus bar  130  to terminal  116 . A conductive washer  137  and lock washer (not shown) may also optionally be interposed between bolt  135  and bus bar  130 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , bushing  118  defines an annular surface  119  about an extending portion  125  of insert  120 . As will be described in further detail hereinbelow, annular surface  119  provides a contacting surface so that a test probe may electrically connect directly to the terminal bypassing bus bar  130 . The annular surface  119  extends radially outwardly from the center of the terminal  116  a sufficient distance that it is not fully covered by has bar  130 . Thus, as can be clearly seen in  FIG. 7 , even with bus bar  130  attached to terminal  116 , annular surface  119  is exposed for direct engagement. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the use of terminal  116  for testing purposes may be shown. A test probe  150  has a body  152  and a pair of electrically conductive probe tips  154  extending therefrom. Probe tips  154  include pointed extents  154   a  which help assure electrical contact with surface  119  even if there exist some corrosion on the surface. As can be appreciated from the depictions in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , annular surface  119  is exposed about a substantial arc thereof which permits easy direct contact of the probe tips  154  therewith. Such surface engagement between the probe tips  154  and surface  119  permits direct contact with the terminal  116  without need to make engagement through the bus bar  130  or bolt  135 . This provides a higher degree of reliability, accuracy and consistency when making probe measurements. This allows for the ability to obtain connection resistance measurements which is not possible on many of the front access terminal designs in the market today. 
         [0028]    Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures would now be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.