Ignition terminal with welded barrel beam

• US 5,951,308 A
• Filed: 10/29/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Rea, Michael Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R.
• Application Number:
  US08/959,906
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 439/125, 439/127, 439/839, 439/126, 439/851, 439/852, 439/854, 439/856, 439/858, 439/855, 439/860
• US Class Current: 439/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/18 with the spring member surrounding the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2101/00 One pole
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/20 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01T 13/04 Means providing electrical connection to sparking plugs

Abstract

A terminal for making an electrical connection to a spark plug. The terminal has a first end for attachment to a wire and a second end having a spark plug terminal barrel. The terminal barrel includes two tabs that are curved to converge on each other forming a seam. The tabs are welded together to prevent the tab from being spread open, particularly under side-load conditions.

Claims

1. An ignition terminal system for use on a spark plug having a terminal post having a head portion and an annular groove formed in the terminal post immediately below the head portion, comprising:

an ignition terminal having a body portion and crimp wings extending outwardly from the body portion near one end for crimping onto an ignition wire, barrel tabs extending outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel for receiving a portion of the terminal post and wherein the barrel tabs are permanently fixed together at locations along edges of the tabs and wherein apertures are formed in the tabs defining the terminal barrel, and further comprising a snap ring formed from a variable width blank and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extends through an associated aperture in a and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and the spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove, and wherein the snap ring has a tapered portion adjacent the raised features which has less material traversing the width of the snap ring than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at a middle portion.

2. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the barrel tabs are permanently fixed together by a weld.

3. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the snap ring has an aperture formed therein adjacent each raised feature so that the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at the portion having the aperture is less than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at a middle portion.

4. An ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the snap ring has outer edges that are indented at the tapered portion.

5. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 1 forming from a single-piece of continuous material.

6. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said weld is formed using a laser welding machine.

7. An ignition terminal system for use on a spark plug having a terminal post with an annular groove formed therein comprising, an ignition terminal having a body portion and crimp wings extending outwardly from the body portion near one end for crimping onto an ignition wire, barrel tabs extending outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel, an aperture formed in each of the terminal barrel tabs, a snap ring formed from a blank having outer edges forming a rectangle and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends, a hole formed through the snap ring adjacent each raised feature, and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extend through an associated aperture in a tab and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and a spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove, and wherein said tabs defining the terminal barrel are welded together.

8. An ignition terminal system for use on a spark plug having a terminal post with an annular groove formed therein comprising, a terminal having a body portion and crimp wings extending outwardly from the body portion for crimping onto an ignition wire, and barrel tabs extending outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel and wherein the barrel tabs are permanently fixed together at locations along edges of the tabs by a weld, and wherein apertures are formed in the tabs defining the terminal barrel, and further comprising a snap ring formed from a variable width blank and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extends through an associate aperture in a tab and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and a spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove, and wherein the snap ring has a tapered portion adjacent the raised features that has less material traversing the width of snap ring than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at a middle portion.

9. A combination comprising an ignition terminal and a spark plug having a terminal post with a head portion and an annular groove formed immediately below the head portion, the ignition terminal having a body portion and crimp wings extending outwardly from the body portion near one end for crimping onto an ignition wire, and barrel tabs extend outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel and wherein the barrel tabs are permanently fixed together at locations along edges of the tabs by a weld, and wherein an aperture is formed in each of the tabs defining the terminal barrel, and further comprising a snap ring formed from a variable width blank and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extends through an associated aperture in a tab and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and the spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove and wherein the snap ring has a tapered portion adjacent each of the raised features and wherein there is less material traversing the width of the snap ring at the tapered portion than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at a middle portion.

10. A combination comprising an ignition terminal and a spark plug having a terminal post with a head portion and an annular groove formed immediately below the head portion, the ignition terminal having a body portion and crimp wings extending outwardly from the body portion near one end for crimping onto an ignition wire, and barrel tabs extending outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel and wherein the barrel tabs are permanently fixed together at locations along edges of the tabs by a weld, and wherein an aperture is formed in each of the tabs defining the terminal barrel, and further comprising a snap ring formed from a variable width blank and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extends through an associated aperture in a tab and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and the spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove and wherein the snap ring has an aperture formed therein adjacent each raised feature so that the amount of the material traversing the width of the snap ring the portion having the aperture is less than the amount of material traversing the width of snap ring at a middle portion.

11. An ignition terminal system for use on a spark plug having a terminal post with an annular groove formed therein comprising, a terminal having a body portion and crimp wings for crimping onto an ignition wire extending outwardly from the body portion near one end, tabs extending outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel, apertures being formed in the terminal barrel, a snap ring formed from a variable width blank and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extends through an associated aperture in the terminal barrel and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and a spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove, and wherein the snap ring has portions adjacent the respective raised features that have less material traversing the width of the snap ring than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at a middle portion.

12. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the portions adjacent the respective raised features have an aperture so that the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at the portions having the aperture are less than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at the middle portion.

13. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the portions adjacent the respective raised features have outer edges that are indented so that the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at the portions having the aperture are less than the amount of material traversing the width of the snap ring at the tapered portion.

14. The ignition terminal system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the tabs are permanently fixed together at locations along edges of the tabs.

15. An ignition terminal system for use on a spark plug having a terminal post with an annular groove formed therein comprising, a terminal having a body portion and crimp wings for crimping onto an ignition wire extending outwardly from the body portion near one end, tabs extending outwardly from the body portion near a second end and curved towards each other to define a terminal barrel, apertures being formed in the terminal barrel, a snap ring formed from a blank having outer edges forming a rectangle and having a raised feature formed near each of two opposite ends, a hole formed through the snap ring adjacent each raised feature, and wherein the snap ring is received over the terminal barrel so that each raised feature extend through an associated aperture in the barrel and so that an interference fit is provided between each raised feature and a spark plug terminal post at the location of the annular groove.