Jumper cable assembly

• US 4,781,629 A
• Filed: 08/05/1987
• Issued: 11/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Max D. Mize
• Original Assignee: Max D. Mize
• Inventors: Mize, Max D.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US07/082,059
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 439/822, 439/829
• US Class Current: 439/822
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/24 with gripping jaws, e.g. crocodile clip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/28 End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve

Abstract

A jumper cable assembly having a battery contact clamp for use in charging storage batteries. A pair of members is pivotally secured to each other. Each member has a jaw and a plurality of teeth. A torsion spring urges the jaws together. A lug terminal is pivotally secured to one of the members to provide a connection joint for a cable. A connector is secured to the cable.

Claims

1. A jumper cable assembly comprising a pair of battery contact clamps, each battery contact clamp comprising

a lower member having a pair of lower parallel ears with aligned lower apertures and having one end terminating into a lower jaw portion having a structure defining a plurality of teeth;

an upper member having a pair of upper parallel ears with aligned upper apertures that register with the lower apertures of said lower parallel ears of said lower member when said upper parallel ears and said lower parallel ears mate, said upper member additionally having an end terminating into an upper jaw portion having a structure defining a plurality of teeth;

a rivet means passing through said lower and upper apertures pivotally securing said lower member to said upper member such that the jaw portions of the lower and upper member cooperate with each other respectively;

torsion spring means for urging said jaw portions together in a touching relationship about said rivet means and maintaining said jaw portions in a touching relationship when said clamp is in a closed posture, said torsion spring means having convolutions that are positioned around the rivet means and an upper end and a lower end that respectively engage the upper and lower members, said upper end and said lower end of said torsion spring means extend away from said rivet means in the same direction and in an opposed relationship with respect to each other;

a lug terminal means pivotally secured to said lower member, said lug terminal means being contacted biasingly by said lower end of said torsion spring means to retain and urge said lug terminal means against said lower member and assist in retaining any cable engaged to the lug terminal means against the lower member;

a pair of cables with one cable secured to the lug terminal means of one of the battery contact clamps and the other cable secured to the lug terminal means of the other battery contact clamp; and

a connector secured to the ends of the pair of cables opposed to the ends secured to the lug terminal means of the pair of battery contact clamps.

2. The battery contact clamp of claim 1 wherein said lower end of said torsion spring means additionally comprises a structure defining a protruding lip that lodges over said cable engaged to the lug terminal means in order to additionally assist in retaining said cable against the lower member, said lower end contacts said lug terminal means between the convolutions and the protruding lip.

3. The battery contact clamp of claim 2 wherein said lower member includes a lower handle having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of parallel handle walls and inside bottom.

4. The battery contact clamp of claim 3 wherein said upper member includes an upper handle having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of parallel handle walls and inside bottom.

5. The battery contact clamp of claim 4 additionally comprising an insulation means bound entirely around said lower and upper handle including the respective inside walls and respective inside bottom of each of the lower and upper handle.

6. The battery contact clamp of claim 5 wherein said connector comprises a connector bottom;

a connector top bound to said connector bottom, said connector top having a structure generally defining a pair of semi-circular grooves integrally bound to each other in an aligned relationship such that when the connector top secures to the connector bottom, the connector has a pair of generally semi-circular recesses;

a partition having an upper edge and bound to an end of said connector top and partly covering one of the ends of said semicircular recesses such that there is a pair of connector openings between the connector bottom and the upper edge of the partition;

a pair of connector bottom lips attached integrally to the connector bottom and to the partition, each of said bottom lips having a structure defining generally a pair of U-shaped channels communicating with said connector openings;

a connector top lip secured to the top and extending out over the pair of connector bottom lips, said connector top lip having a structure defining a pair of generally U-shaped channels each of which is wider than each U-shaped channel of each of the connector bottom lips;

a pair of leaf-spring biasing means secured to the connector bottom and extending respectively through one of the connector openings; and

a pair of contacts lodging respectively in said semicircular recesses and extending respectively through one of the connector openings and into one of the U-shaped channels of the connector bottom lips and each contact releasably engaged by one of said leaf spring biasing means such that the mid-point of each contact is biased against the upper edge of the partition.

7. The battery contact clamp of claim 2 wherein said lower end and said upper end of said torsion spring means extend towards rear ends of the lower handle and the upper handle.

8. A method for jumping and energizing a side-mount battery having a side-mount battery terminal comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a battery and a first connector means and a pair of first connector cables interconnecting said first connector means with said battery;

(b) providing a second connector means and a pair of battery contact clamps and a pair of second connector cables interconnecting said second connector means with said pair of battery contact clamps;

(c) mating releasably the first connector means with the second connector means;

(d) grasping a pair of handles of said battery contact clamp which are riveted pivotally together and such has a U-shaped configuration and includes a jaw having a plurality of teeth formed and structured along a pair of sides and the front of the respective jaw, said teeth of said jaws of said handles being in a touching, occlusive relationship when said clamp is in a closed posture and urged biasingly together by a torsion spring means that convolutes the rivet and includes a pair of spring arms that extend from the convolutions of the spring in the same direction in an opposed relationship with respect to each other and into the U-shaped handles with one of the spring arms having a lip and contacting biasingly between the convolutions and the lip a lug terminal pivotally secured within one of the U-shaped handles to urge and hold the lug terminal within and against the inside of the U-shaped handle and protect the user from accidentally contacting a cable secured to the lug terminal and passing underneath said lip of said spring arm;

(e) forcing the jaws of the handles apart by pressuring the handles against the spring arms of the torsion spring;

(f) positioning the open jaws of step (e) around a counter-sunk battery bolt within a side-mount battery terminal of a side-mount battery; and

(g) releasing the pressure off the handles such that the jaws of the handles close around the counter-sunk battery bolt.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said releasing step (g) includes the side teeth of the jaws of the handles closing around the counter-sunk battery bolt.