1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to terminal devices used to electrically ground a direct current (DC) powered electrical or electronic component, and more particularly to terminal devices used to electrically ground audio amplifiers used in automobile or truck audio systems.
2. Prior Art
When installing a radio amplifier or similar electrical or electronic components, it is desirable to ground these components by electrically connecting them to some metal surface of another structure. In many cases this is achieved by attaching a ground wire operatively extending from the component to a near by metal surface.
In the case of installing a car radio having an amplifier it is common to affix the amplifier ground wire by use of a ground terminal to some part of the car metal structure, such as the relatively thin wall forming the car trunk. This is typically achieved by the use of a sheet metal screw to affix the ground terminal to the vehicle chassis, such as to trunk floor or wall. However, when the car engine is operating it creates vibrations in the vehicle chassis, including the trunk floor and wall that can cause the sheet metal screw to back out of the trunk floor or wall causing loss of the grounding connection between the ground terminal and the trunk floor or wall. Attempts have been made to design a terminal device to better prevent the terminal device from becoming unattached to the metal wall surface. Although some of these designs have reduced or eliminated some of these problems, there is still a need in the industry for a device that is not only less expensive to manufacture, but which can also be installed easily and quickly by a person having minimal training.