Releasable side terminal battery cable connector clamp

• US 7,029,338 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fene Fenelon, Margaret, SPC International, LLC
• Original Assignee: Batlock, LLC
• Inventors: Orange, Charles M., Eller, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, PHUONG K
• Application Number:
  US11/253,265
• Time in Patent Office: 182 Days
• Field of Search: 439/755, 439/773, 439/766, 439/754
• US Class Current: 439/755
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/282 comprising means for facilitating engagement or disengagement, e.g. quick release terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/5008 using rotatable cam

Abstract

A side terminal battery cable converter clamp is provided with a clamp shaft having a distal male threaded end adapted to mate with a female threaded side terminal, said clamp shaft carrying a cam seat, a cammed handle with pin, and a locknut, wherein the cammed handle is operable to frictionally engage and release the distal male threaded shaft end and female threaded side terminal.

Claims

1. A battery cable terminal connector comprising

(a) a shaft having a threaded distal end, a central portion and a threaded proximal end of relatively small diameter than the distal end;

(b) a cam seat having an opening received on the central portion of the shaft and a bottom surface facing the threaded distal end of the shaft and a top cam surface;

(c) a pin being received within a lateral aperture of a handle, said pin having an aperture received over the central portion of the shaft;

(d) said handle having a base section with both a cam section and the lateral aperture, and a handle section; and

(e) a locknut mounted to the proximal end of the shaft and thereby restraining the pin and cam seat on said shaft.

2. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the aperture of the cam seat is ovular in shape.

3. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the cam section of the handle is exaggerated.

4. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the handle section of the handle is offset from the center of the lateral pin receiving opening in the direction of the cam section of the base of the handle.

5. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the base portion of the handle has a bottom opening and a top opening through which the shaft passes.

6. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 5 wherein the top and bottom openings are generally ovular with front and back edges acting as stops to permit limited angular rotation of the handle with respect to the shaft.

7. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the handle is angularly rotatable with respect to the clamp shaft through an arc of approximately 45 degrees.

8. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 7 wherein the locknut is accessible for manual rotation, and corresponding rotation of the shaft, throughout the range of angular rotation of the handle.

9. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 7 wherein when the handle section is oriented normal to the longitudinal axis of the clamp shaft the cam section of the base is interposed between the pin and cam seat.

10. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 7 wherein the locknut has a knurled surface.

11. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the pin and handle are freely axially rotatable with respect to the shaft.

12. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the pin has a recess and a distal portion of the locknut abuts said recess.

13. The battery cable terminal connector of claim 1 wherein the shaft, cam seat, pin, handle and locknut are fabricated from non-corrosive materials.

14. A method of securing a battery cable to a side-terminal utilizing a battery cable terminal connector having a shaft with a threaded distal end, a central portion and a threaded proximal end of relatively small diameter than the distal end, a cam seat having an opening received on the central portion of the shaft and a bottom surface facing the threaded distal end of the shaft and a top cam surface, a pin being received within a lateral aperture of a handle said pin having an aperture received over the central portion of the shaft, comprising the steps of:

(a) passing the threaded distal end through a battery cable terminal aperture and engaging the threaded distal end of the shaft with a threaded aperture of the side terminal while the cam section is not interposed between the pin and cam seat;

(b) turning the locknut and thereby the shaft to engage at least several revolutions of threads;

(c) angularly rotating the handle section with respect to the shaft to interpose the cam section between the pin and cam seat and thereby secure the battery cable terminal against the battery side terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the handle section is moved through an arc of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the shaft in order to interpose the cam section between the pin and cam seat.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the handle and pin are axially rotated with respect to the shaft before the handle section is rotated angularly to interpose the connectors between the pin and cam seat.

17. A method of removing a battery cable terminal that is secured to a battery side-terminal with a threaded aperture by a battery cable terminal connector of the type having a shaft with a threaded distal end, a central portion and a threaded proximal end of relatively small diameter than the distal end, a central portion and a threaded proximal end of relatively small diameter than the distal end, a cam seat having an opening received on the central portion of the shaft and a bottom surface facing the threaded distal end of the shaft and a top cam surface, a pin being received within a lateral aperture of a handle said pin having an aperture received over the central portion of the shaft, comprising the steps of:

(a) rotating the handle section angularly with respect to the shaft to remove the cam section from between the pin and cam seat;

(b) turning the locknut and attached shaft to unthread the distal end of the shaft from the side-terminal aperture removing the distal end of the shaft from the battery cable terminal aperture; and

(c) removing the battery cable terminal from the battery side-terminal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the handle section is moved through an arc of about 45°

with respect to the shaft in order to remove the cam section from between the pin and the cam seat.