FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of batteries and in particular, the present invention relates to a female type terminal for batteries which is one-piece female type terminal.
5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Batteries have become inevitable part of our lives. Batteries are used in
almost every domain for powering various utilities. More specifically,
batteries have been and are being employed in vehicles for powering
electrical and/or electronic components in the vehicles and most
10 importantly for cranking the vehicle engine, wherein an electrical motor is
suitably coupled to the vehicle engine. The electrical motor is powered by a battery, which can be lead acid battery or nickel metal hydride battery.
The lead acid batteries are one of the cheapest rechargeable batteries
and are known to produce desirable amount of power as and when
15 required. In particular, the lead batteries provide power to a utility (which
can be an electrical and/or electronic component). In order to provide power to the utility the lead acid batteries are connected to the utility employing one or more battery terminals.
A typical conventional battery comprises a container, one or more
20 electrodes, separator membranes and electrolyte suitably housed within
the container. The containers can be in form of hollow plastic containers,
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the containers being resistant to the corrosive electrolyte. Further, a lid or
cover is provided, such that the lid completely seals and/or encloses the
above-mentioned components of the battery. In order to establish
connection between the battery and an electronic and/or electrical
5 component, one or more terminals (also referred to as battery terminals)
are provided. Specifically, the terminals are provided over the lid of the
battery, wherein the terminals are electrically coupled with the electrodes
of the battery and to an electrical and/or electronic component via a wire,
hence acting as an intermediate connection between the battery and the
10 component.
Conventionally, in relation to the lead acid batteries, the terminals can be of two types, male terminal and female terminal.
One drawback associated with the male type terminal of the lead acid
battery is that a protrusion extends vertically upward from and above the
15 lid of the battery. There is a good chance of the male terminal being
damaged during stacking and/or transporting the lead acid battery. Further, at times the male type terminals can be misaligned and in worst situations, the terminals may break and dis-engage from the battery.
In order to overcome the drawbacks associated with the male type
20 terminal, a female type terminal is provided. Instead of a vertical protrusion
that extends vertically upwards in the male type terminals, in case of the
female type terminals, a threaded insert is provided that extends vertically
3

downwards from the battery cover. The threaded insert is required as the
terminal is generally made of lead, which is a soft material, and hence
employing lead, it is difficult to retain thread’s accuracy. The threaded
insert essentially requires a special plating process to be performed. The
5 plating of the threaded insert is required for bonding of the terminal with
the threaded insert of the female type terminal of the lead acid battery. Further, the threaded insert is configured to receive a threaded bolt, which is essentially of different material.
One drawback associated with the female type terminal is that the bonding
10 between the terminal and the threaded insert weakens in a short time
span as the plated coating wears away.
Another drawback associated with the female type terminal is loss of current and increase in resistance. This may be attributed to the fact that there is no direct supply of current from the battery to the utility.
15 Specifically, the current first passes from the lead acid battery (electrode)
to the threaded insert of the female type terminal, then to the brass coating (plated thereon) and from the brass coating to the utility. This leads to huge amount of current loss and increase in resistance, which is not desired. Further, this leads to improper supply of current from the battery
20 to the utility and hence may result in malfunctioning of the battery itself
and/or the utility.
4

Further, while working with the conventionally known male type and
female type terminals, an operator, while connecting and/or disconnecting
a battery, has to hold a loose nut with one hand and tighten a screw with
thimble. While doing so, there is always a possibility that the operator may
5 accidentally get an electrical shock, which may be fatal in certain cases to
the operator and in other cases, damage the battery.
There is, therefore, felt a need to provide a terminal for a battery that overcomes one or more drawbacks discussed herein above associated with the conventionally known male and/or female type terminals.
10 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Some of the objects of the presently disclosed invention, of which at the minimum one object is fulfilled by at least one embodiment disclosed herein, are as follows:
It is an object of the present invention to solve at least one problem of the
15 prior art or to provide a useful substitute;
An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal for a battery;
Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal for a lead acid type battery;
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a battery terminal
20 that is damage proof, more specifically, the terminal is not damaged while
5

stacking and/or transporting and/or is not misaligned and/or does not break;
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a battery terminal,
which does not require coating of the threaded insert, and hence the
5 problem of wearing of the coating is avoided;
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery terminal, wherein the loss of current and increase in resistance is reduced and/or eliminated; and
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery terminal,
10 which is safe and easy to operate.
Other objects and benefits of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to bind the scope of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
15 The present invention envisages a one-piece female type terminal
configured to be coupled to a battery lid, wherein the terminal facilitates
passage of current therethrough, to and from a battery to which it is
coupled, with minimum loss and resistance.
The one-piece female type terminal, in accordance with the embodiments
20 of the present invention, comprises a body defined by a first end, a second
6

end, an operative top surface and an operative bottom surface, the
operative top surface being substantially flat and the operative bottom
surface being configured to bond with the battery lid, a first through hole
configured in proximity of the first end defining a passage from the
5 operative top surface to the bottom surface, a second through hole
configured in proximity of the second end, and a boss extending operatively downwardly from the operative bottom surface, and being concentric with the second through hole, the boss having engaging formations configured on an outer surface thereof.
10 In an embodiment, the passage is configured to receive a nut member,
wherein the nut member is received in a protrusion extending downwardly from a bottom surface of the battery lid, the protrusion having a profile complimentary to the profile of the nut member. Further, the passage is configured to receive a bolt member from the operative top surface; the
15 bolt member having engaging formations configured thereon to engage
with engaging formations configured on the nut member.
In accordance with an embodiment, the battery lid is having at least one
boss extending downwardly from a bottom surface thereof, the boss
having a profile complimentary to the engaging formations of the boss of
20 the terminal and is configured to receive the boss of the terminal
concentrically and in a tight fitting configuration, wherein the boss of the terminal is configured to receive a male connection from within the battery.
7

The terminal of the present invention facilitates passage of current therethrough, to and from a battery to which it is coupled, with minimum loss and resistance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
5 The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following
detailed description with reference to the drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic top view of a battery lid or cover with the one-piece female type terminal, in accordance with the present invention, connected thereto;
10 Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective view a complete battery along
with the battery lid and housing, and the one-piece female type terminal, in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the one-piece female type terminal
along with a nut member in accordance with an embodiment of the
15 present invention;
Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the one-piece female type terminal, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic view of a battery with the one-piece terminal fitted to the lid of the battery; and
8

Fig. 6 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a battery with the one-piece terminal fitted to the lid of the battery.

LIST OF NUMERALS
100 - Battery
102 - Battery lid or cover
102a - Bottom surface
102b - Boss
102c - Inner portion
102d - Operative bottom end
102e - Chamfered
104 - Battery housing
106 - One-piece female type terminal
108 - Body
110 - First end
112 - Second end
114 - Operative top surface
116 - Operative bottom surface
118 - First through hole
118a - Passage
120 - Second through hole
122 - Boss
122a - Engaging formations
9

122b - Outer surface
122c - Inner portion
122d - Operative bottom end
122e - Chamfered
124 - Nut member
124a - Engaging formations
126 - Protrusion
130 - Male connection
134 - Holes in battery lid or cover 102
136 - Screw member
136a - Engaging formations
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to a female type terminal for batteries which is one-piece female type terminal.
As described herein above in the background section, there are certain
5 drawbacks associated with the conventionally known male and female
type terminals. More specifically, the male type terminals are prone to damage during stacking and/or transporting the lead acid battery and further prone to misalignment and in worst situations, these terminals may break and dis-engage from the battery.
10 In case of the conventional female type terminals, the threaded insert
provided extends vertically downwards from the battery cover. The
10

threaded insert is required as the terminal is generally made of lead, which
is a soft material, and hence employing lead, it is difficult to retain thread’s
accuracy. The threaded insert essentially requires a special plating
process to be performed. The plating of the threaded insert is required for
5 bonding of the terminal with the threaded insert of the female type terminal
of the lead acid battery. The bonding weakens in a short time span as the
plated coating wears away. Also, there is loss of current and increase in
resistance along with improper supply of current from the battery to the
utility which may result in malfunctioning of the battery itself and/or the
10 utility.
Another drawback relates to operations, wherein while working with the
conventionally known male type and/or female type terminals, there is
always a possibility that an operator may accidentally get an electrical
shock, which may be fatal in certain cases to the operator. In other cases,
15 the battery may be damaged.
The present invention therefore envisages and provides a one-piece female type terminal, which overcomes one or more drawbacks associated with the conventional male and/or female type terminals for batteries.
20 More specifically, the present invention provides a one-piece female type
terminal which is manufactured by casting process and is coupled with the battery lid or cover by injection molding process.
11

The present invention is described by referring to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6,
wherein Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic view of a battery 100 with the one-
piece terminal 106 fitted to the lid 102 of the battery; and Fig. 6 illustrates
a schematic perspective view of a battery 100 with the one-piece terminal
5 106 fitted to the lid 102 of the battery.
In an aspect, the present invention provides a battery 100 comprising a lid
or cover 102, battery housing 104, one or more electrodes, and electrolyte
(not shown in the figures), wherein the one or more electrodes and the
electrolyte (not shown in the figure) are housed within the battery housing
10 104. The lid or the cover 102, seals the battery 100 from an operative top
end of the battery housing 104 making it leak proof. The terminal 106 is securely disposed in one of the through holes 134 provided on the battery lid 102.
Now referring to Fig. 1, wherein Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic top view of a
15 battery lid or cover 102 with the one-piece female type terminal 106, in
accordance with the present invention, connected thereto, Fig. 2 illustrates
a schematic perspective view a complete battery 100 along with the
battery lid 102 and battery housing 104, and the one-piece female type
terminal 106, in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 3 illustrates a
20 perspective view of the one-piece female type terminal 106 along with a
nut member 124 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the one-piece
12

female type terminal 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
In accordance with an embodiment, a one-piece female type terminal 106
is provided, which is configured to be coupled to the battery lid 102,
5 wherein the one-piece female type terminal 106 comprises a body 108
defined by a first end 110, a second end 112, an operative top surface 114
and an operative bottom surface 116, the operative top surface 114 having
a substantially flat profile and the operative bottom surface 116 is
configured to bond with the battery lid 102 during the injection molding
10 process.
Further, the one-piece female type terminal 106 includes a first through hole 118 configured in proximity of the first end 110 defining a passage 118a from the operative top surface 114 to the operative bottom surface 116.
15 A second through hole 120 is configured in proximity of the second end
112. In the present invention, though the first and second through holes are configured in proximity of the first and second ends of the one-piece female type terminal, the present invention is not limited by this configuration. The one-piece female type terminal can have the first and
20 second through holes away from the first and second ends or at any other
suitable position.
13

The one-piece female type terminal 106 further comprises a boss 122 that
extends operatively downwards from the operative bottom surface 116. In
one embodiment, the boss 122 is concentric with the second through hole
120. The boss 122 is provided with engaging formations 122a configured
5 on an outer surface 122b thereof.
The passage 118a is configured to receive the nut member 124 having engaging formations 124a. In an embodiment, the nut member 124 is engageable from the operative bottom surface.
In an embodiment, the nut member 124 is received in a downwardly
10 extending protrusion 126, the protrusion 126 formed and/or configured on
a bottom surface 102a of the battery lid 102. The protrusion 126 typically
has a profile which is complimentary to the profile of the nut member 124
so that the nut member 124 is accommodated easily. In one embodiment,
the nut member 124 is press fitted with the terminal 106 employing a
15 toggle press (not shown in the figures).
In one embodiment, the passage 118a is configured to receive a bolt
member (not shown in figure) from the operative top surface 114, the bolt
member have engaging formations 136a configured thereon to engage
with the engaging formations (not shown in the figure) of the nut member
20 124. The bolt member 136 is employed to couple and/or fasten an end of
a conducting wire to the one-piece female type terminal 106 to establish a connection.
14

The battery lid 102 is also provided with a boss or a similar structure 102b
that extends downwardly from the bottom surface 102a thereof. The boss
102b is having a profile complimentary to the engaging formations 122a of
the boss 122 of the one-piece female type terminal 106 and is configured
5 to receive the boss 122 concentrically and in a tight fitting configuration.
Particularly, the boss 122 of the one-piece female type terminal 106 is fixedly secured with the lid 102 while the lid 102 is injection molded. The boss 102b of the lid 102 and the boss 122 of the terminal are configured to receive a male connection 130 from within the battery 100.
10 In an embodiment, an inner portion 102c at an around an operative bottom
end 102d of the boss 102b of the lid 102 is chamfered 102e to receive the male connection 130 from within the battery 100.
In an embodiment, an inner portion 122c at and around an operative
bottom end 122d of the boss 122 of the terminal 106 is chamfered 122e to
15 receive the male connection 130 from within the battery 100.
In an operative configuration, the battery 100 is provided with at least one
one-piece female type terminal 106, wherein the terminal 106 is coupled to
the lid 102 of the battery 100. As can be seen from Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the
male connection 130 is received in the boss 102b. A first end of the wire
20 (not shown in the figures) is connected the one-piece female type terminal
106 by employing the bolt member 136 at the first through hole 118 and the second end of the wire (not shown in the figures) is connected to a
15

utility which may be an electrical and/or electronic component. The current
drawn from the male connection 130 is passed on to the boss 102b and
from the boss 102b to the wire and from the wire to the utility. Thus, the
terminal facilitates passage of current therethrough, to and from a battery
5 to which it is coupled, with minimum loss and resistance.
In accordance with the present invention, the battery housing, and the lid, can be made of any suitable material such as polypropylene.
The terminal can be made of any suitable metal and/or alloy, wherein the
metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, and
10 lead and the alloy can be brass.
The terminal can be manufactured by well-known casting method or any other suitable method which is known for manufacturing such components/parts.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES OF THE PRESENTLY DISCLOSED INVENTION
15 The presently disclosed invention, as described herein above, provides
several advances including, but that are not limited to, a one-piece female type terminal for a lead acid type battery, the one-piece female type terminal being configured to be coupled to a battery lid, wherein the one-piece female type terminal:
20 - is damage proof, and does not get damaged while stacking and/or
transporting and/or is not misaligned and/or does not break;
16
does not require coating of the threaded insert, and hence the problem of wearing of the coating is avoided;
- when employed for connecting, the loss of current and increase in resistance is reduced and/or eliminated; and
5 - is operator friendly and safe to operate.

WE CLAIMS

1. A one-piece female type terminal, configured to be coupled to a battery
lid, said one-piece female type terminal comprising:
- a body defined by a first end, a second end, an operative top
5 surface and an operative bottom surface, said operative top surface
being substantially flat and said operative bottom surface being configured to bond with said battery lid;
- a first through hole configured in proximity of said first end defining
a passage from said operative top surface to said bottom surface;
10 - a second through hole configured in proximity of said second end;
and
- a boss extending operatively downwardly from said operative
bottom surface, and being concentric with said second through
hole, said boss having engaging formations configured on an outer
15 surface thereof.
2. The terminal as claimed in claim 1 is made of at least one of a metal
and an alloy.
3. The terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein said metal is at least one
selected from the group consisting of copper, and lead, and said alloy is
20 brass.
18

4. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said passage is configured
to receive a nut member.
5. The terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein said nut member is
received in a protrusion extending downwardly from a bottom surface
5 of said battery lid, said protrusion having a profile complimentary to the
profile of said nut member.
6. The terminal as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said passage is
configured to receive a bolt member from said operative top surface,
said bolt member having engaging formations configured thereon to
10 engage with engaging formations configured on said nut member.
7. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery lid having at
least one boss extending downwardly from a bottom surface thereof,
said boss having a profile complimentary to the engaging formations of
said boss of said terminal and is configured to receive said boss of said
15 terminal concentrically and in a tight fitting configuration.
8. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said boss of said terminal is
configured to receive a male connection from within said battery.
9. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inner portion at an
around an operative bottom end of said boss of said terminal is
20 chamfered to receive a male connection from within said battery.
19

10.The terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein an inner portion at and around an operative bottom end of said boss of said battery lid is chamfered to receive a male connection from within said battery.
11.The terminal as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said
5 lid is made of polypropylene.
12. The terminal as claimed in any of the preceding claims facilitates passage of current therethrough, to and from a battery to which it is coupled, with minimum loss and resistance.