Battery clamp for use with top post and side post batteries and methods for using the same

• US 7,736,201 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auto Meter Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Auto Meter Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Richard S., Gathman, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US12/411,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 439757-759
• US Class Current: 439/759
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/24 with gripping jaws, e.g. crocodile clip

Abstract

A battery clamp for use with (a) batteries with top post terminal connections and (b) batteries with side post terminal connections includes a first jaw handle and a second jaw handle. The jaw handles each have a handle portion and a clamping portion. The jaw handles are pivotally coupled to each other and are biased with the clamping portions in a closed position. The battery clamp further includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The jaw members have a jaw clamp portion, a jaw pivot portion, and a jaw wire portion. The jaw pivot portion of the first jaw member and the jaw pivot portion of the second jaw member are both pivotally coupled to the jaw handles. The battery clamp further includes a load pad and a volt rod. The load pad has an aperture and is coupled to the first jaw member. The volt rod is coupled to the second jaw member and protrudes through the aperture of the load pad.

Claims

1. A battery clamp for use with (a) batteries with top post terminal connections and (b) batteries with side post terminal connections, comprising:

a biasing member;

a first jaw handle and a second jaw handle, the first jaw handle and the second jaw handle having a respective handle portion and a respective clamping portion, the first jaw handle and the second jaw handle being pivotally coupled together, the first jaw handle and the second jaw handle being biased by the biasing member with the clamping portions being in a closed position;

a first jaw member and a second jaw member, the first jaw member and the second jaw member each having a respective jaw clamp portion, a respective jaw pivot portion, and a respective jaw wire connection portion, the jaw pivot portion of the first jaw member being pivotally coupled to the first jaw handle and the second jaw handle, the jaw pivot portion of the second jaw member being pivotally coupled to the first jaw handle and the second jaw handle;

a load pad electrically coupled to the first jaw member, the load pad having an aperture therein; and

a volt rod electrically coupled to the second jaw member, the volt rod having a first end and a second end, the first end protruding through the aperture of the load pad.

2. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the first jaw handle further includes a first aperture and a second aperture, and the second jaw handle further includes a third aperture and a fourth aperture;

the first aperture and the third aperture being positioned to form a first pivot point, and the second aperture and the fourth aperture being positioned to form a second pivot point;

wherein the jaw pivot portion of the first jaw member is pivotally rotatable about the first pivot point, and the jaw pivot portion of the second jaw member is pivotally rotatable about the second pivot point.

3. The battery clamp of claim 2, wherein the load pad is electrically coupled to the first jaw member through the jaw pivot portion of the first jaw member.

4. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the first end of the volt rod includes a threaded portion at least partially made of stainless steel.

5. The battery clamp of claim 4, further comprising a handle connected to the second end of the volt rod, whereby the handle is coupled to the volt rod such that the volt rod rotates when the handle is rotated thereby permitting the threaded portion of the volt rod to be screwed into a battery terminal by rotating the handle.

6. The battery clamp of claim 1, further including a stopping mechanism, the stopping mechanism configured to prevent the first jaw member from contacting the second jaw member when the jaw handles are in the closed position such that the first jaw member is electrically insulated from the second jaw member.

7. The battery clamp of claim 6, wherein the stopping mechanism comprises at least one tab on at least one of the jaw handles.

8. The battery clamp of claim 1, further comprising a first insulated wire and a second insulated wire, the first insulated wire being electrically connected to the first jaw member and the load pad, the second insulating wire being electrically connected to the second jaw member and the volt rod.

9. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the battery clamp is configured to be coupled to a device to measure current levels between about ½

amp and about 800 amps.

10. The battery clamp of claim 1, further including an insulating member coupled to the load pad, the insulating member configured to electrically insulate the load pad from the volt rod.

11. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the first and second jaw members are electrically insulated from the first and second jaw handles.

12. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the jaw clamp portion of the first jaw member is coupled to the clamping portion of the second jaw handle, the jaw clamp portion of the second jaw member is coupled to the clamping portion of the first jaw handle.

13. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the volt rod is further electrically coupled to a volt pad, the volt pad being electrically coupled to the second jaw member.

14. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the first jaw member is electrically insulated from the second jaw member.

15. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the load pad is operatively coupled to the jaw pivot portion of the first jaw member.

16. The battery clamp of claim 1, wherein the jaw clamp portions of the jaw members are coupled to the clamping portions of the jaw handles by at least one of a screw connection, a solder connection, a glue connection, a nut and bolt connection, and a force fit connection.

17. A method of using a pair of battery clamps, each of the pair of battery clamps comprising a side post adapter, each of the side post adapters including a load pad and a volt rod, the method comprising:

a) inserting each of the volt rods into a respective side post terminal in a battery;

b) rotating each of the volt rods to cause the load pads to become electrically coupled to respective lead pads on the battery;

c) applying a load to the battery; and

d) measuring a current, a voltage, or both of the battery.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying a charge to the battery.

19. The method claim 17, wherein the side post adapter further comprises a handle connected to the volt rod, whereby the rotating is in response to rotating the handle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the measuring includes measuring current levels between about ½

amp and about 800 amps.