Cable terminal protection arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10218092-B2
Application number	US-201815979996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A cable terminal protection arrangement according to the disclosure comprises a cable terminal and a cable terminal protector to protect the cable terminal. The cable terminal comprises an end piece. The cable terminal protector comprises a housing and a suspension unit located within the housing. The suspension unit comprises a holding element for holding the end piece and an arm connecting the holding element to the housing. The holding element is displaceable relative to the housing from a first position to a second position, wherein, in the first position, a major portion of a second surface of the end piece is covered by the holding element, and in the second position, the end piece is outside the holding element. The disclosure also relates to a kit comprising the cable terminal protection arrangement and a fastening element, and to a method of attaching the cable terminal protection arrangement to an object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable terminal protection arrangement comprising:
a cable terminal that is attachable to an end of a cable, the cable terminal comprising a flat-shaped end piece with a first surface and a second surface, being opposite to the first surface, the end piece having a through-going hole configured for insertion of a fastening element;
a cable terminal protector configured to protect the cable terminal, the cable terminal protector comprising a housing having a cable opening for receiving the cable and a tool opening; and
a suspension unit located within the housing and comprising a holding element for holding the end piece and an arm connecting the holding element to the housing, the holding element being displaceable in relation to the housing from a first position to a second position;
wherein, in the first position, the holding element is configured to cover a major portion of the second surface of the end piece when the end piece is received by the holding element, and, in the second position, the end piece is positionable outside the holding element, and wherein, when the end piece is received in the cable terminal protector, the first surface of the end piece is configured to face the tool opening of the cable terminal protector, and the second surface of the end piece is configured to face away from the tool opening.

2. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein, in the first position, the holding element is configured to cover at least 70% of the second surface of the end piece when the end piece is received in the holding element.

3. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein, in the first position, the holding element is configured to cover at least 80% of the second surface of the end piece when the end piece is received in the holding element.

4. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein, in the first position, the holding element is configured to cover at least 90% of the second surface of the end piece when the end piece is received in the holding element.

5. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the holding element has a through-going hole configured for insertion of the fastening element.

6. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the holding element is biased towards the first position.

7. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the arm of the suspension unit is flexible.

8. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the arm has a curved shape so that the arm is curved in a direction towards a center-plane that is perpendicular to the tool opening and to the cable opening of the housing.

9. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the arm is connected to the housing at a distance d from the tool opening, as seen in a first direction which is perpendicular to a plane spanning the tool opening, and wherein the distance d is less than a distance e to the holding element as seen in the first direction.

10. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the housing has an extension h in the first direction, and the distance d is in the range of 0≤d<0.5 h.

11. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the distance d is in the range of 0≤d<0.3 h.

12. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the arm comprises a bore facing the tool opening.

13. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising an additional suspension unit comprising an additional holding element and an additional arm, wherein the additional suspension unit is a mirror image of the suspension unit.

14. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being configured to face the first surface of the end piece and the second portion being configured to face the second surface of the end piece, and wherein the first portion defines the tool opening.

15. The cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cable terminal comprises a second portion located adjacent to the end piece, and the cable terminal protection arrangement comprises an abutment located spaced apart from the suspension unit, and wherein the second portion of the cable terminal is configured to abut the abutment.

16. A kit comprising the cable terminal protection arrangement according to claim 1 and a fastening element, the fastening element having a first portion with a first radius and a second portion with a second radius that is larger than the first radius, wherein the first radius is configured to pass through the through-going hole of the end piece of the cable terminal and the second radius is configured to cooperate with the arm of the suspension unit during the displacement of the holding element from the first position to the second position.

17. The kit according to claim 16 wherein the fastening element is a flanged screw or a flanged bolt, and the first radius is a radius of a stem of the fastening element and the second radius is a radius of a flange of the fastening element.

18. A method of attaching a cable terminal protection arrangement to an object, wherein the cable terminal protection arrangement includes a cable terminal and a cable terminal protector configured to protect the cable terminal, the cable terminal being attachable to an end of a cable and including a flat-shaped end piece having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a through-going hole, the cable terminal protector including a housing and a suspension unit located within the housing, the housing having a cable opening for receiving the cable and a tool opening, the suspension unit including a holding element for holding the end piece and an arm connecting the holding element to the housing, the holding element being displaceable in relation to the housing from a first position to a second position, wherein, in the first position, the holding element is configured to cover a portion of the second surface of the end piece when the end piece is received by the holding element, and, in the second position, the end piece is positionable outside the holding element, and wherein, when the end piece is received in the cable terminal protector, the first surface of the end piece is configured to face the tool opening of the cable terminal protector, and the second surface of the end piece is configured to face away from the tool opening, the method comprising:
a) providing a fastening element;
b) positioning the cable terminal protection arrangement on the object with the end piece of the cable terminal received in the cable terminal protector and with the tool opening of the cable terminal protector facing away from the object;
c) inserting the fastening element through the tool opening and through the through-going hole of the end piece, which is held by the holding element being in the first position;
d) displacing the holding element to the second position by means of further insertion of the fastening element; and
e) attaching the end piece to the object by means of further insertion of the fastening element.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the step d) is performed by the fastening element acting on the arm of the suspension unit, thereby displacing the holding element to

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Salkovic Edvin
• Tomic Ivan
• Gunnarsson Lars

Classifications

• H02G15/043 Primary

  with end caps, e.g. sleeve closed at one end · CPC title

• H01R11/12

  End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork · CPC title

• H01R4/34 Primary

  Conductive members located under head of screw · CPC title

• H01R4/301

  having means for preventing complete unscrewing of screw or nut · CPC title

• H02G15/04

  Cable-end sealings · CPC title