Two conductor split ring battery post connector

• US 6,250,973 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Energy Conversion Systems Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Multicraft International
• Inventors: Lowery, Vernon, Gordy, Dylan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khiem
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUVERNE, JEAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/257,527
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 439/764, 439/772, 439/770, 439/762, 439/763, 439/759, 439/522
• US Class Current: 439/763
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/281 for connections to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/183 for cylindrical elongated bodies, e.g. cables having circular cross-section H01R4/01 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery connector connects two wires to a battery post. The battery connector includes two identically formed L-shaped conductors electrically insulated from one another by an insulator. Each of the conductors comprises a split ring portion for making good mechanical and electrical contact with a battery post and a crimping portion for electrically connecting a wire to the conductor. The conductors and insulator are assembled and held together by cooperating and mating components.

Claims

1. A connector for electrically connecting a plurality of wires to a battery post, the connector comprising:

a plurality of conductors each comprising;

a split ring portion having a conducting surface for electrically contacting the post; and

a crimping portion for electrically connecting the conductor to one of the plurality of wires;

an insulator disposed between the conductors for electrically insulating the conductors from one another; and

a single fastener for urging the split ring portions into gripping mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the conductor comprises an L-shaped metal stamping.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the conductors are formed identically to one another.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the insulator is formed as a split ring.

5. The connector of claim 1, including two conductors, the split ring portion of each conductor including first and second depending tabs, the insulator having a pair of channels on opposite sides thereof for receiving the first depending tab of each conductor.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the channels of the insulator define a pair of insulator plates, the second depending tab of each conductor being insulated from the first depending tab of the other conductor by a respective one of said plates.

7. The connector of claim 6, including a projecting rim on each of said insulator plates, the second depending tab of each conductor having an opening adapted to fit around the projecting rim of a respective plate.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein said insulator has a central bore and said split ring portion of each conductor has a tubular section, the tubular section of each split ring portion extending into the central bore of the insulator.

9. The connector of claim 8, wherein said central bore has an annular shoulder, the tubular section of each conductor being insulated from the other by said annular shoulder.

10. The connector of claim 5, wherein the depending tabs of each conductor have openings through which the fastener is adapted to extend for urging the split ring portions into mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the openings are square in shape.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the opening in the first depending tab is smaller than the opening in the second depending tab.

13. The connector of claim 5, wherein the two conductors have essentially identical shapes, and one conductor is inverted relative to the other conductor.

14. The connector of claim 1, wherein the crimping portion has a pair of depending ears adapted to be bent over to grip and make electrical contact with a wire.

15. A connector for electrically connecting a plurality of wires to a battery post, the connector comprising:

a plurality of conductors each comprising;

a split ring portion formed from a sheet metal stamping having a conducting surface for electrically contacting the post and first and second depending tabs; and

a crimping portion for electrically connecting the conductor to one of the plurality of wires;

an insulator diposed between the conductors for electrically insulating the conductors from one another, the insulator having a pair of channels on opposite sides thereof for recieving the first depending tab of each conductor; and

a fastener for urging the stamped split ring portions into gripping mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

16. The connector of claim 15, wherein the conductors are formed identically to one another.

17. The connector of claim 15, wherein the channels of the insulator define a pair of insulator plates, the second depending tab of each conductor being insulated from the first depending tab of the other conductor by a respective one of said plates.

18. The connector of claim 17, including a projecting rim on each of said insulator plates, the second depending tab of each conductor having an opening adapted to fit around the projecting rim of a respective plate.

19. The connector of claim 15, wherein the depending tabs of each conductor have openings through which the fastener is adapted to extend for urging the split ring portions into mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

20. The connector of claim 19, wherein the openings are square in shape.

21. The connector of claim 20, wherein the opening in the first depending tab is smaller than the opening in the second depending tab.

22. The connector of claim 15, wherein the two conductors have essentially identical shapes, and one conductor is inverted relative to the other conductor.

23. A connector for electrically connecting a plurality of wires to a battery post, the connector comprising:

a plurality of conductors each comprising;

a split ring portion formed from a sheet metal stamping having a conducting surface for electrically contacting the post, the split ring portion having a tubular section; and

a crimping portion for electrically connecting the conductor to one of the plurality of wires;

an insulator disposed between the conductors for electrically insulating the conductors from one another, the insulator having a central bore for recieving the tubular section of each split ring portion; and

a fastener for urging the stamped split ring portions into gripping mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

24. The connector of claim 23, wherein the conductors are formed identically to one another.

25. The connector of claim 23, wherein said central bore has annular shoulder, the tubular section of each conductor being insulated from the other by said annular shoulder.

26. A connector for electrically connecting two wires to a battery post, the connector comprising:

a first conductor having a conducting surface for electrically contacting the post, a first depending tab, and a first crimping portion for electrically connecting the first conductor to one of the two wires;

a second conductor having a conducting surface for electrically contacting the post, a second depending tab, and a second crimping portion for electrically connecting the second conductor to the other of the two wires, wherein the second depending tab of the second conductor overlaps the first depending tab of the first conductor; and

an insulator disposed between said first conductor and said second conductor for electrically insulating said first and second conductors from one another.

27. The connector of claim 26, said first conductor having a first split ring portion and said second conductor having a second split ring portion, and a fastener for urging the first and second split ring portions into gripping mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

28. The connector of claim 27, wherein the first and second depending tabs have openings through which the fastener is adapted to extend for urging the split ring portions into mechanical and electrical contact with the battery post.

29. The connector of claim 28, wherein the openings are square in shape.

30. The connector of claim 26, wherein the first and second depending tabs extend substantially perpendicular to a main portion of the first and second conductors, respectively.

31. The connector of claim 26, wherein the first and second conductors are formed identically to one another.

32. The connector of claim 26, wherein the first and second conductors and the insulator are each formed as split rings.

33. The connector of claim 26, wherein said insulator has a central bore and the first and second conductors each have a tubular section, the tubular section of each conductor extending into the central bore of the insulator.

34. The connector of claim 33, wherein said central bore has an annular shoulder, the tubulr section of the first and second conductors being insulated from the other by said annular shoulder.

35. The connector of claim 26, wherein the two conductors have essentially identical shapes, and one conductor is inverted relative to the other conductor.

36. The connector of claim 26, further comprising a first and second channel on opposite sides of the insulator, the first channel recieving the first depending tab and the second channel receiving the second depending tab.

37. The connector of claim 36, said first conductor having a third depending tab and said second conductor having a fourth depending tab.

38. The connector of claim 37, wherein the first and second channels each define an insulating plate, the first and second depending tabs and the third and fourth depending tabs being insulated from each other by a respective one of the insulating plates.