| 摘要 |
<p>The present invention relates to electrical connecting devices and, particularly, to a novel insulation-piercing contact which may be used in a variety of electrical applications to effect solderless electrical terminal connections. A number of disadvantages are associated with the prior art devices, resulting in their performance being not wholly satisfactory. For example conventional prior art devices employ a thin, insulation-piercing jaw having a forked construction, with inside edges which penetrate the insulation and which also serve as contact surfaces to make the necessary electrical connection with the conductor. While these thin inside edges facilitate the insulation. piercing function of the contacts, they do not serve as optimal electrical contacts because of the small surface area actually engaging the conductor. Moreover, these edges have a tendency to cut or score the conductor thereby weakening the conductor and sometimes adversely affecting the desired current flow. Accordingly, in the present invention, a novel insulation-piercing terminal element is employed with an active contact element. The insulation-piercing terminal includes insulation-cutting means to initially penetrate the insulation, insulation-stripping means to subsequently expose a longitudinal portion of the conductor and conductor-engaging means for establishing wiping engagement between the conductor and the contact member over an extended area.</p> |
