INSULATION DISPLACEMENT WIRE CONNECTORS

摘要

A field friendly wire connector for on-the-go connecting insulation coated electrical wires to each other without having to remove the wire insulation coating from either of the wires and without having to cut the wires with the wire connector including a flexible electrical conductor mounted in a connector base and a pair of slotted pivot arms sandwiching the flexible electrical conductor therein as the slotted pivot arms push the electrical wires into electrical contact with the electrical connector and a dual mode housing that forms a hand grip when attached to a first side of the connector base to provide a hand grip or support to the wire connector during formation of electrical connections and when the dual mode housing is attached to an opposite side of the connector base the dual mode housing forms a protective covering over the electrical connections.

主权项

1. A wire connector comprising:
an elongated base; an electrically conductive wire-engaging member extending along the elongated base with the wire-engaging member having a first set of resilient wire engagement tabs cantilevered therefrom with a first wire receiving slot therebetween and a second set of resilient wire engagement tabs cantilevered therefrom with a second wire receiving slot 18d therebetween with each of the wire engagement tabs flexing in response to insertion of an insulation covered wire therebetween; a first wire cradle for holding a first insulation covered wire in position for sliding into insulation piercing engagement with the first set of resilient wire engaging tabs; a second wire cradle for holding a second insulation covered wire in position for sliding into insulation piercing engagement with the second set of resilient wire engaging tabs;
a first edge and a second edge on said first set of wire engagement tabs;a first edge and a second edge on said second set of wire engagement tabs;a first pivot arm pivotally mounted on one end of said base, said first pivot arm having a slot aligned with said first set of tabs for receiving the first set of wire engaging tabs as the first pivot arm pivots and forces a first wire into electrical contact with the first edge and the second edge of the first set of tabs as the tabs extend into the slot of the first pivot arm;a second pivot arm spaced from said first pivot arm and in axial alignment with said first pivot arm, said second pivot arm having a slot aligned with said second set of tabs as the second pivot arm pivots and forces a second wire into electrical contact with the first edge and the second edge of the second set of wire engagement tabs, said second set of tabs extending into the slot in the second pivot arm, the electrical contact of the first wire with the first set of wire engagement tabs and the second wire with the second set of wire engagement tabs forming an electrical path between the first wire and the second wire as the first edge and the second edge of the first set of wire engagement tabs flex to bring the first insulation covered wire into contact therewith and the first edge and the second edge of the second set of wire engagement tabs flex to bring the second insulation covered wire into contact therewith; anda dual mode housing providing a handgrip when attached to a first side of the base and a cover when attached to the opposite side of the base.