00:26 Jul 24, 2010 

J'ai visité les sites que vous avez indiqués et il n'y a vraiment aucun doute sur le fait que *post* = borne et *terminal* = cosse. Les illustrations sont vraiment éloquentes et vous avez fait une excellente recherche. J'arrêtre là ma contribution car je ne voudrais pas devenir importun...

23:17 Jul 23, 2010 

We effectively have the two words - post and terminal - to designate either a post (borne) or a terminal (cosse). However, even not being English native, I understand that the term *post* refers to a sort of column, mast, etc. So, a *borne* having the form of a very small column, *post* should be the right term in English?

21:31 Jul 23, 2010 

The final solution here may well depend on just how these terms are being distinguished in Daniel's source text — we really do need a bit more context in order to fully understand.

The basic problem is that 'terminal' is used in 2 distinct ways in EN in connection with batteries: it may refer to the connection element of the battery itself, which are commonly either round 'posts' (always 'bornes') or flat terminals with a bolt-through connection (and I think these are 'bornes' too); OR it may refer to the connector on the cable that connects to the battery — and these are what I think are properly referred to as 'cosses' in FR.

So it may be that the single FR word 'borne' will have to be used for both EN terms, if they specifically refer to the battery component; only Daniel's wider context will presumably make it clear.

Note that the 'cosses' on the cables used to connect to the 'bornes' on the battery aren't usually made of lead (at least, not entirely) these days, presumably due to its relatively low mechnical strength for this element that of course has to be well tightened.

21:12 Jul 23, 2010 

Je suis entièrement d'accord avec FX sur le fait que :
post = borne (en général cylindrique et intégrée à la batterie)
terminal = cosse (extrémité - *terminal* d'un câble de batterie qui vient se fixer sur une borne)

20:38 Jul 23, 2010 

Pour éclairer le sujet, voici une liste de sites avec des illustations (un site montre à la fois des bornes et des cosses). Comme la borne se s'use pas autant que la cosse, pas facile de trouver un site avec illustration
1 ----battery terminal /battery top post terminal ----

http://www.ftzind.com/products

http://www.bicwarehouse.com/battery-terminals-and-cables.htm...

http://www.brassbatteryterminal.com/forged_battery_terminal/...


2 ----cosse de batterie -----
http://www.norauto.fr/catalogue/Pieces-Detachees/Demarrage/A...

http://www.connectiqueaudiovideo.fr/boutique/fiche_produit.c...


3 ----battery post ----

http://www.bicwarehouse.com/battery-terminals-and-cables.htm...


4 ----borne de batterie ----

http://www.infovisual.info/05/011_fr.html

16:46 Jul 23, 2010 

"Battery terminals are the electrical contacts used to connect a load and/or charger to a single cell or multiple-cell battery. These terminals have a wide variety of designs, sizes, and features that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_terminal
are often not well-documented."

Pictures of battery terminals (cosses)
http://www.google.be/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbs=isch:1&s...

LEAD battery posts: bornes de batterie en plomb- à ce que je sache, les cosses ne sont pas en plomb.
"The corrosion is caused by an imperfect seal between the plastic battery case and lead battery post allowing sulfuric acid to attack the battery posts."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_battery