Nissan Motor Company Limited

Susumu Hashimoto

Shinichi Kato

Syuichi Otani

Yukio Shimada

Shuichi Otani

Teruo Suda

Kyohichi Itoh

Michio Kasamatsu

Noriyasu Saito

A connector for connecting a battery terminal to an electrical cable of an automotive vehicle, comprising: a gripping portion formed of elastically deformable material in the shape of a cylindrical or part-conical shell which has a slot formed axially thereof; two extensions from this gripping portion, each extending outwardly from one side of the slot, and extending generally in the same direction, approximately parallel to one another, and to one of which the cable is coupled; and a means for biasing these two extensions towards one another; with the particular feature that the inner surface of the gripping portion is formed with a plurality of high portions and low portions on it, so that, when it is brought around a battery terminal post and closely contacted thereto by the extensions being biased towards one another by the biasing means and deforming the gripping portion so that its inner surface is constricted, the contact area between the gripping portion and the battery terminal is substantially less than the total area of the inner surface of the gripping portion, and is interrupted by non-contacting portions of the said area. In particular embodiments, this inner surface of the gripping portion can be formed with troughs or with raised ribs, and these can either be axial along the inner surface, or can extend around its circumferential direction. Alternatively, this inner surface can be formed with either a raised or a depressed criss-cross diagonal pattern thereon. Further, a projection from one of the extensions may be provided as projecting towards the other extension, in order to prevent these extensions approaching one another closer than a certain fixed distance.

Battery terminal connector with an uneven interior surface

A locking arm having at one end a hook portion is unitedly connected at its generally middle portion to a housing of a female terminal. The locking arm is constructed to be biased to pivot in a given direction about the unitedly connected portion so that upon coupling between the male and female terminals, the hook portion is forced to enter an opening of the male terminal permitting locking connection therebetween.

Electrical connector with terminal locking means

A plug-in fuse assembly is disclosed which includes a fuse element made up of a pair of elongated current-carrying portions in spaced relationship and a fuse-forming link portion extending between the current-carrying portions. The fuse element is placed in an insulating casing with its terminal portions projecting therefrom. Means is provided for providing a fuse opening indication in response to heat generated from the fuse-forming link portion when it opens up.

Plug-in fuse assembly

Growing community of inventors

Kitakawabe, Japan

Susumu Hashimoto