Battery post terminal assembly

{
  "publication_number": "US9774110B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Battery post terminal assembly",
  "abstract": "A battery post terminal assembly includes a conductive band and a clamp mechanism. The conductive band includes a first free end and a second free end. The conductive band defines an aperture for receiving a battery post of a battery. The clamp mechanism includes a wedge member that defines a recess between a first surface and a second surface thereof. The recess has an open end and a closed end that is narrower than the open end. The first surface is convex. The first free end and the second free end are positioned in the recess. The first free end is movable along the first surface toward the closed end to be moved by the first surface toward the second free end to tighten the conductive band around the battery post.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A battery post terminal assembly comprising: a conductive band having a first free end and a second free end, wherein the conductive band defines an aperture for receiving a battery post of a battery; and a clamp mechanism having a wedge member that defines a recess between a first surface and a second surface thereof, wherein the recess has an open end and a closed end that is narrower than the open end, and the first surface is convex; wherein the first free end and the second free end are positioned in the recess, and the first free end is movable along the first surface toward the closed end to be moved by the first surface toward the second free end to tighten the conductive band around the battery post.",
    "2. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, comprising a body member that forms the conductive band as an upper band and that also forms a lower band spaced below the upper band, wherein first sides of the upper band and the lower band are coupled together to form the first free end, second sides of the upper band and the lower band are coupled together to form the second free end, and the first free end and the second free end are substantially planar; wherein the recess is further defined between a third surface and a fourth surface of the wedge member that are spaced apart from the first surface and the second surface; and wherein the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface each engage one the first free end or the second free end and have a convex profile with an upper portion that extends straight and a lower portion that extends straight at a steeper angle than the upper portion.",
    "3. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second surface is convex.",
    "4. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 3, wherein the recess is further defined between a third surface and a fourth surface of the wedge member, the third surface and the fourth surface being convex; and wherein the first free end engages the first surface and the third surface, and the second free end engages the second surface and the fourth surface.",
    "5. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 4, wherein the wedge member is a unitary component that includes a base, a first flange extending from the base, and a second flange extending from the base parallel with and spaced apart from the first flange, wherein the first flange forms the first surface and the second surface, and the second flange forms the third surface and the fourth surface.",
    "6. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 5, wherein the clamp mechanism further comprises a spacer member that presses the first free end and the second free end into the recess toward the closed end, the spacer member sliding within a gap formed between the first flange and the second flange of the wedge member.",
    "7. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 6, wherein the spacer member and the wedge member circumscribe the first free end and the second free end.",
    "8. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first surface includes an upper portion adjacent the open end and a lower portion adjacent the closed end, wherein the upper portion extends straight and the lower portion extends straight at a steeper angle than the upper portion.",
    "9. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first free end and the second free end are substantially planar.",
    "10. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first free end and the second free end are nominally horizontal.",
    "11. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, comprising a body member that forms the conductive band as an upper band and that forms a lower band spaced below the upper band, wherein first sides of the upper band and the lower band are coupled together to form the first free end, and second sides of the upper band and the lower band are coupled together to form the second free end.",
    "12. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first side of the lower band is folded around the first side of the upper band and engages the first surface of the wedge member, and the second side of the lower band is folded around the second side of the upper band and engages the second surface of the wedge member.",
    "13. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a lead attachment post coupled to the conductive band and positioned generally opposite the clamping mechanism.",
    "14. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 13 comprising a body member that forms the conductive band, wherein the lead attachment post includes a base and a threaded shaft, the body member being folded around the base and the threaded shaft protruding through the base.",
    "15. A battery post terminal assembly comprising: a conductive member forming an aperture to receive a battery post of a battery and having a first free end and a second free end spaced apart by a gap; and a coupling mechanism having a wedge member, a threaded post coupled to the wedge member, a nut threadably attached to the threaded post, and a spacer member slidably received on the threaded post, wherein the wedge member defines a sloped recess in which the first free end and the second free end of the conductive member are received; wherein the spacer member is drivable by the nut along the threaded post to press the first free end and the second free end of the conductive member into the sloped recess to reduce the gap, and the spacer member is permitted to tilt relative to the threaded post.",
    "16. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 15, wherein the wedge member and the spacer member cooperatively circumscribe the first free and the second free end of the conductive member.",
    "17. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 15, wherein the wedge member includes two flanges that define the recess and that extend parallel to each other to define a slot, and the spacer member slides within the slot and is prevented from rotating by the two flanges when driven by the nut.",
    "18. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 17, wherein the first free end and the second free end include protrusions that slide within the slot between the two flanges of the wedge member.",
    "19. The battery post terminal assembly according to claim 15, further comprising a lead attachment post coupled to the conductive member."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "None.\n\nThis disclosure relates to battery connectors and, in particular, connector assemblies for battery posts.\n\nBattery terminal assemblies in automotive applications electrically couple a vehicle battery to various electrical systems. More particularly, battery terminal assemblies are configured to couple to battery posts (e.g., positive and negative battery posts). However, battery posts of different batteries may vary widely vary in shape despite being configured according to a common specification. For example, battery posts having a 9:1 taper may require only having specific upper and lower diameters, while varying greatly in regions therebetween (e.g., angle, surface profiles, etc.) and still meeting design specifications. Furthermore, while battery terminals are typically tightened using horizontal drive mechanisms (e.g., a screw extending perpendicular to an axis of the battery post), such horizontal drive mechanisms may be ergonomically disadvantageous in automotive assembly line environments. It would, therefore, be advantageous to provide a battery terminal assembly that reliably couples to battery posts of varied shapes and that employs an alternative drive mechanism.\n\nDisclosed herein are implementations of a battery post terminal assembly. In one implementation, a battery post terminal assembly includes a conductive band and a clamp mechanism. The conductive band includes a first free end and a second free end. The conductive band defines an aperture for receiving a battery post of a battery.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01R 11/282",
    "H01M 2/305",
    "H01M 2220/20",
    "H01M 50/552",
    "H01M 50/567",
    "H01R 11/283",
    "H01R 4/308",
    "H01R 4/5091",
    "Y02E 60/10"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H01M 50/552",
    "H01M 50/567",
    "H01R 11/28",
    "H01R 4/30"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Ema-Us Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Scott Ritchie",
    "William Olsen",
    "Jum Pil Kim"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-02-10",
  "publication_date": "2017-09-26",
  "grant_date": "2017-09-26",
  "priority_date": "2017-02-10",
  "application_number": "US-201715429901-A",
  "family_id": "59886614",
  "cited_by_count": 11,
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}