Insulation piercing compression connector

Claim 2

A connector for an electrical cable having a stranded conductor surrounded by an insulative casing comprising: a housing having a central opening therethrough; and an elongate conductive member slidably received in said housing, said conductive member having a terminal portion at one end thereof and an insulation displacing portion at the other end thereof for electrical connection with said conductor, said insulation displacing portion including a plurality of resilient cantilevered members for surrounding said cable, each said member including an inwardly directed insulation piercing projection, each of said'projections having a pair of intersecting side edges, said cantilevered members being deflectable upon slidable engagement of said housing with said conductive member to deflect inwardly toward said cable to move said insulation piercing projection into said cable to displace said strands in said casing and conductively contact said strands of said conductor, said side edges of said insulation piercing projections forming therebetween a plurality of elongate conductor compression slots, extending outwardly from a central locus, for compressively retaining said displaced strands of said conductor therein.

Claim 3

A connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said slots have elongate side walls defined by said side edges of adjacent insulation piercing projections and wherein said walls of each slot are substantially parallel.

Claim 4

A connector in accordance with Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said conductive member includes four cantilevered members thereby forming four slots extending from said central locus, each slot radially extending from said locus at 90° orientation with respect to the adjacent slot.

Claim 5

A connector in accordance with claim 3 wherein said insulation piercing projections extend substantially transversely from said cantilevered portions.

Claim 6

A connector in accordance with claim 4 wherein said insulation piercing projections extend from the unsupported end of said cantilevered members.

Claim 7

A connector in accordance with claim 5 wherein said housing is an elongate member having a central longitudinal bore therethrough defining said opening, said conductive member being progressively insertable into said housing bore for relative movement of said housing toward said insulation piercing projections to resiliently deflect said cantilevered members toward said cable and into insulated displacing contact with said conductors.

Claim 8

An electrical terminal for terminating an insulated conductor comprising: an elongate conductive member having a terminal end and a conductor engaging end for receipt of one end of said insulated conductor; said conductive member including a plurality of resiliently deformable insulation displacing elements for electrically engaging said conductor upon said resilient deformation; said plural insulation displacing elements forming plural outwardly extending conductor retaining slots, said slots each having a width which is decreased upon deformation of said insulation displacing elements and having parallel side walls defined by said insulation displacing elements for maintaining a uniform compressive force on a cross-sectional area of said conductor; means for resiliently deforming said insulation displacing elements.

Claim 9

An electrical terminal for terminating an insulated conductor comprising: an elongate conductive member having a terminal end and a conductor engaging end for receipt of one end of said insulated conductor; said conductive member including a plurality of resiliently deformable insulation displacing elements for electrically engaging said conductor upon said resilient deformation; said plural insulation displacing elements forming plural outwardly extending conductor retaining slots, said slots each having a width which is decreased upon deformation of said insulation displacing elements and having parallel side walls defined by said insulation displacing elements for maintaining a uniform compressive force on a cross-sectional area of said conductor; means for resiliently deforming said insulation displacing elements.

Claim 10

A terminal in accordance with claim 7 wherein said conductive member includes a plurality of cantilevered contact arms defining said insulation displacing elements said cantilevered contact arms be_g deflectable toward said insulated conductor and responsive to said deforming means.

Claim 11

A terminal in accordance with claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of cantilevered contact arms includes an insulation piercing projection, said insulation piercing projections of each said cantilevered contact arms forming said conductor retaining slots.

Claim 12

A terminal for electrical cable having an outer insulative jacket surrounding a plurality of conductive strands defining an inner cross-sectional area, said terminal comprising: a cylindrical housing having a central bore therethrough; an elongate conductive member insertably received in said bore of said cylindrical housing, said conductive member being cylindrical about a central longitudinal axis and having at one axial end a terminal end portion and at the other end a plurality of resiliently deformable cantilevered arms for surrounding said cable, each of said cantilevered arms including a wedge-shaped insulation piercing projection having a pair of side edges forming at their intersection an insulation piercing point, said cantilevered arms being deflectable inwardly toward said central axis upon insertion of said conductive member into said housing to move said insulation piercing projections into conductive contact with the strands of said cable, said side edges of said insulation piercing projection, upon said movement of said projections, forming therebetween a plurality of elongate slots extending radially from said central axis, said slots each having parallel longitudinal sides defined by adjacent side edges of said projections, said slots collectively defining a cross-sectional strand retaining area less than said inner cross-sectional area.

Claim 13

A terminal for electrical cable having an outer insulative jacket surrounding a plurality of conductive strands defining an inner cross-sectional area, said terminal comprising: a cylindrical housing having a central bore therethrough; an elongate conductive member insertably received in said bore of said cylindrical housing, said conductive member being cylindrical about a central longitudinal axis and having at one axial end a terminal end portion and at the other end a plurality of resiliently deformable cantilevered arms for surrounding said cable, each of said cantilevered arms including a wedge-shaped insulation piercing projection having a pair of side edges forming at their intersection an insulation piercing point, said cantilevered arms being deflectable inwardly toward said central axis upon insertion of said conductive member into said housing to move said insulation piercing projections into conductive contact with the strands of said cable, said side edges of said insulation piercing projection, upon said movement of said projections, forming therebetween a plurality of elongate slots extending radially from said central axis, said slots each having parallel longitudinal sides defined by adjacent side edges of said projections, said slots collectively defining a cross-sectional strand retaining area less than said inner cross-sectional area.