Battery terminal adapter

• US 10,115,955 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Brian Wiley
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Brian Wiley
• Inventors: Wiley, Lawrence Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Leong, Jonathan G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Erwin, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/681,240
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 429121
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/287 Intermediate parts between battery post and cable end piece
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/32 End pieces with two or more terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2416 Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery terminal adapter providing support for a plurality of wires, allowing several wires to be connected simultaneously and in parallel to a single battery electrode or terminal, such as the positive or negative electrode of a vehicle battery. For this purpose, the battery terminal adapter includes an adapter body having clamping arms arranged around a battery terminal receiving cavity in which the battery terminal is to be inserted. Wire-receiving holes are provided on both ends of the arms, i.e. on the free end of the arms and on the end opposing the free end. The holes are in electrical communication with the battery terminal receiving cavity so that all electrical wires connected to the wire-receiving holes are powered by the battery. Clean and safe connection of a plurality of electrical wires is achieved by having the wire-receiving holes arranged on opposite sides of the arms.

Claims

1. A battery terminal adapter for allowing a plurality of electrical wires to be connected to a single battery terminal, said battery terminal adapter comprising:

a body side portion having a first end and a second end, said body side portion defining at least one wire-receiving hole therein;

a resiliently deformable first arm extending from said first end of said side portion, said first arm having a central portion and extending longitudinally from said side portion and an end portion opposite from said side portion;

a resiliently deformable second arm extending from said second end of said side portion opposing said first arm, said second arm having a central portion and extending longitudinally from said side portion and an end portion opposite from said side portion; and

a battery terminal receiving cavity defined by and delimited between said central portions of said first and said second arms;

wherein

at least one of the end portion of the first arm and the end portion of the second arm extends from and forms an L-shaped arrangement with the corresponding central portion of the first arm and the central portion of the second arm, respectively, and defines at least one transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole and at least one respective fastener bore corresponding to each transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole of the at least one transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole, wherein the respective fastener bore is configured to allow insertion of a fastener therethrough to secure a wire within the corresponding transversely-oriented fastener bore; and

further wherein

the battery terminal receiving cavity is electrically conductive with the at least one wire-receiving hole in the body side portion and with the at least one transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole.

2. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein said transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole terminates at an opening arranged on an oppositely-facing respective side surface of said end portion.

3. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein said central portion of each said arm defines a transverse through hole, said transverse through holes in axial alignment one with the other.

4. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein each said wire-receiving hole defined in said side portion is arranged on a terminal side surface of said side portion, said terminal side surface being positioned opposite from said battery terminal receiving cavity.

5. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 4, wherein said side portion of said battery terminal adapter defines a fastener bore corresponding to each said wire-receiving hole, each said fastener bore being oriented perpendicular to a corresponding one of said wire-receiving holes and in internal physical communication therewith.

6. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein said battery terminal adapter is formed of an electrically conductive metal.

7. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein said battery terminal adapter is at least partially formed of a non-electrically conductive material and further wherein said battery terminal adapter includes a conductive connection between each said wire-receiving hole and said battery terminal receiving cavity.

8. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, further including a protruding neck in axial alignment with said battery terminal receiving cavity for incrementing an effective length of said battery terminal receiving cavity.

9. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the end portion of the first arm and the end portion of the second arm defines a single transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole and said body side portion defines a plurality of wire-receiving holes and further wherein said single wire-receiving hole defined in said at least one of the end portions has a greater cross-sectional area than said wire-receiving holes defined by said body side portion.

10. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 1, wherein the fastener bore is oriented perpendicularly to the corresponding transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole and in internal physical communication therewith.

11. A battery terminal adapter for allowing a plurality of electrical wires to be connected to a single battery terminal, said battery terminal adapter comprising:

a body side portion having a first end and a second end, said body side portion defining at least one wire-receiving hole therein;

a resiliently deformable, L-shaped first arm extending from said first end of said side portion, said first arm having a central portion extending longitudinally from said side portion and an end portion arranged opposite from said side portion and extending from said central portion of the first arm;

a resiliently deformable, L-shaped second arm extending from said second end of said side portion opposing said first arm, said second arm having a central portion extending longitudinally from said side portion and an end portion arranged opposite from said side portion and extending from said central portion of the second arm; and

a battery terminal receiving cavity defined by and delimited between said central portions of said first and said second arms;

wherein

the end portions of said first arm and said second arm define a respective transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole therein and a respective fastener bore corresponding to the transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole and configured to allow insertion of a fastener therethrough to secure a wire within the corresponding transversely-oriented fastener bore, wherein the transversely-oriented wire-receiving holes of the end portions of the first and second arms terminate at respective openings arranged on oppositely-facing respective side surfaces of said end portions; and

further wherein

the battery terminal receiving cavity is electrically conductive with the at least one wire-receiving hole in the body side portion and with the respective transversely-oriented wire-receiving holes of the end portions of the first and second arms.

12. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 11, wherein said side portion of said battery terminal adapter defines a fastener bore corresponding to each said wire-receiving hole, each said fastener bore being oriented perpendicular to a corresponding one of said wire-receiving holes and in internal physical communication therewith.

13. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 11, wherein the fastener bore is oriented perpendicularly to the corresponding transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole and in internal physical communication therewith.

14. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 13, wherein said side portion of said battery terminal adapter defines a fastener bore corresponding to each said wire-receiving hole, each said fastener bore being oriented perpendicular to a corresponding one of said wire-receiving holes and in internal physical communication therewith, and further wherein the fastener bores of the side portion and the end portions are facing in a same direction relative to one another.

15. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 11, further including a protruding neck in axial alignment with said battery terminal receiving cavity for incrementing an effective length of said battery terminal receiving cavity.

16. A battery terminal adapter for allowing a plurality of electrical wires to be connected to a single battery terminal, said battery terminal adapter comprising:

a body side portion having a first end and a second end, said body side portion defining a plurality of wire-receiving holes therein;

a resiliently deformable, L-shaped first arm extending from said first end of said side portion, said first arm having a central portion extending longitudinally from said side portion and an end portion arranged opposite from said side portion and extending from said central portion of the first arm;

a resiliently deformable, L-shaped second arm extending from said second end of said side portion opposing said first arm, said second arm having a central portion extending longitudinally from said side portion and an end portion arranged opposite from said side portion and extending from said central portion of the second arm; and

a battery terminal receiving cavity defined by and delimited between said central portions of said first and said second arms;

wherein

the end portions of said first arm and said second arm define a respective transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole therein and a respective fastener bore corresponding to the transversely-oriented wire-receiving hole and configured to allow insertion of a fastener therethrough to secure a wire within the corresponding transversely-oriented fastener bore, wherein the transversely-oriented wire-receiving holes of the end portions of the first and second arms are transversely oriented and terminate at respective openings arranged on oppositely-facing respective side surfaces of said end portions and have a greater cross-sectional area than said wire-receiving holes comprised in said body side portion; and

further wherein

the battery terminal receiving cavity is electrically conductive with the at least one wire-receiving hole in the body side portion and with the respective transversely-oriented wire-receiving holes of the end portions of the first and second arms.

17. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 16, wherein the fastener bore is oriented perpendicularly to the corresponding wire-receiving hole and in internal physical communication therewith.

18. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 17, wherein said side portion of said battery terminal adapter defines a fastener bore corresponding to each said wire-receiving hole, each said fastener bore being oriented perpendicular to a corresponding one of said wire-receiving holes and in internal physical communication therewith, and further wherein the fastener bores of the side portion and the end portions are facing in a same direction relative to one another.

19. The battery terminal adapter according to claim 18, further including a protruding neck in axial alignment with said battery terminal receiving cavity for incrementing an effective length of said battery terminal receiving cavity, wherein the protruding neck protrudes from the battery terminal receiving cavity oppositely to the fastener bores of the side portion and the end portions.