Connecting structure for battery terminals

Abstract

Terminal covers (51, 52) have terminal accommodation spaces, each of which has an opening of a predetermined shape that permits only one of battery terminals (24, 25), which is of predetermined polarity, to be fitted thereto. Each of the battery terminals (24, 25) is formed in such a manner as to have a predetermined shape enabling the battery terminal to be fitted into the corresponding terminal accommodation space. The battery body (27) has cover fitting holes (54a, 54b (55a, 55b)), which permit only fitting projection pieces (51c, 51d (52c, 52d)) of the terminal cover (51 (52)) accommodating and holding the battery terminal (24 (25)) to be fitted thereinto, in the vicinity of the battery electrode (29 (30)) so that only the battery terminal (24 (25)) is placed at a fastening / fixing position on the battery electrode (29(30)). Each of the fitting projection pieces (51c, 51d (52x, 52d)) is formed in such away as to have a predetermined shape that permits these pieces can be fitted into the corresponding cover fitting holes (54a, 54b (55a, 55b)).

Description

[0001] 1. Technical Field of the Invention[0002] The present invention generally relates to a connecting structure for battery terminals and, more particularly, to a connecting structure for surely connecting battery terminals to battery electrodes of corresponding polarity of a battery body mounted on a vehicle without miscontact of the battery terminals with the battery electrode.[0003] 2. Related Art[0004] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a related connecting structure for fastening and fixing battery terminals, provided at an end of an electric wire connected to various kinds of electrical equipment, to battery electrodes of a battery body, mounted on a vehicle, by screw members.[0005] This connecting structure for a battery terminal is disclosed in JP-A-4-220947, and configured so that a positive battery electrode 3 and a negative battery electrode 4 of the vehicle-mounted battery body 1 are quadrangular-prism-like posts 3b and 4b respectively erected on base potions 3a and 4a on the t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] Therefore, the misconnection between the contact between the battery terminal and the battery electrode, which do not correspond to each other, is known without the contact and electrical conduction therebetween. Therefore, the misconnection therebetween can be reliably prevented.

[0025] Therefore, one hand of a worker can be prevented from being used for supporting the battery terminals during an operation of fastening the battery terminals by the nuts. Consequently, the worker can easily perform the screwing operation by freely using both hands.

[0028] That is, in addition to the prevention of the misconnection according to the difference in the distance between the fitting projection pieces of the terminal cover and the cover fitting holes of the battery body, or in the width size of the pieces, the prevention of the misconnection according to the difference in the shape between the pedestal portions of the battery electrodes and the fitting concave portions of the terminal covers can be achieved.

[0029] Thus, even when a plurality of batteries are provided in the apparatus, for example, in the case of connecting a plurality of batteries, the misconnection between the battery terminals and the battery electrodes is prevented by suitably changing the shapes, sizes and combinations of such portions to thereby know an occurrence of the misconnection therebetween without the contact and electrical conduction between the battery terminals and the battery electrodes. Consequently, the misconnection therebetween is reliably prevented.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, there is a fear that electric backflow caused by the miscontact may break the equipment.

However, the implementation of a high-voltage battery increases the degree of seriousness of the problems of accidents due to the miscontact and sparks due to an arc.

Furthermore, recent increase in the power consumption of per vehicle results in increase in the number of batteries mounted on a vehicle.

Even when the battery terminal is misfitted into the terminal accommodation space of the terminal cover that does not correspond to this battery terminal, this battery terminal cannot be fitted thereinto owing to the difference in the shape therebetween.

Further, even when the terminal cover having accommodated and held the battery terminal is misplaced at the fastening / fixing position on the battery electrode of the polarity that does not correspond to the terminal cover, the fitting projection piece of the terminal cover cannot be fitted to the cover fitting hole of the battery body owing to the difference in the configuration, such as the opening shape and the position, between the fitting projection piece and the fitting hole.

Moreover, even the contact between the battery terminal, which is surrounded by the terminal cover, and the battery electrode of the polarity, which does not correspond to the battery terminal, cannot be achieved.

Thus, even when each of the terminal covers respectively accommodating and holding the corresponding battery terminals is misplaced at the fastening / fixing positions on one of the battery electrodes, which is of the polarity that does not correspond thereto, the fitting concave portion of this terminal cover cannot be fitted thereonto because of the difference in shape between the corresponding battery electrode and the corresponding pedestal.

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