Patent ID: 7259330

Claim:
A ground wire connecting structure for grounding a circuit to a watercraft component, the ground wire connecting structure comprising a joint unit having a joint unit body and a conductive member mounted thereto, the joint unit body comprising a conductive material that is in electrical communication with the conductive member, at least one joint unit side connector section being attached to the joint unit body, the at least one joint unit side connector section being configured to accommodate a ground terminal connected to the conductive member, the watercraft component defining a ground surface, the joint unit body defining a contact surface being sized and configured such that at least a portion of the contact surface abuts the ground surface when the joint unit body is attached to the watercraft component, the joint unit body further comprising a seal being disposed along the contact surface within an outer periphery of the contact surface, the seal defining an inner contact area wherein at least a portion of the ground surface and at least a portion of the contact surface are in isolated electrical contact, the seal being disposed intermediate the contact surface and the ground surface for preventing ingress of contaminants into the contact area, the ground surface being comprised of a conductive material such that the ground surface and the conductive member are electrically coupled together, an external connector section being coupled to an external ground wire and the at least one joint unit side connector section, the ground wire and the ground terminal are coupled together so that the external ground wire and the ground surface are in electrical communication, the joint unit body being detachably attached to the ground surface via at least one fastening assembly.