Terminals for flat electrical conductors

Claim 1

A TERMINAL FOR A FLAT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR COMPRISING A FORWARD BODY HAVING A PAIR OF JAWS EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A FLAT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR THEREBETWEEN, A FIRST PAIR OF OPPOSED INTERNAL GRIPPING TEETH GENERALLY REARWARDLY DISPOSED ON THE JAWS, AND A SECOND PAIR OF OPPOSED INTERNAL GRIPPING TEETH ON THE JAWS INTERMEDIATE THE FIRST TEETH AND THE BODY, THE JAWS HAVING A FIRST RELATIVE POSITION WHEREIN THEY DIVERGE REARWARDLY FROM THE BODY TOWARD THEIR FREE ENDS FOR INSERTION OF A FLAT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR THEREBETWEEN, A SECOND RELATIVE POSITION WHEREIN THE JAWS ARE PARTIALLY CLOSED AND SAID FIRST TEETH ARE INITIALLY ENGAGED AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FLAT CONDUCTOR, AND A THIRD RELATIVE POSITION WHEREIN SAID JAWS ARE FULLY CLOSED WITH BOTH OF SAID PAIRS OF OPPOSED TEETH TIGHTLY ENGAGED AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FLAT CONDUCTOR, AT LEAST ONE OF THE JAWS BEING BENDABLE AT A PRIMARY BEND REGION PROXIMATE THE BODY TO ALLOW PARTIAL CLOSING OF THE JAWS FROM THEIR SAID FIRST RELATIVE POSITION TO THEIR SAID SECOND RELATIVE POSITION, SAID FIRST OPPOSED TEETH PROJECTING FURTHER TOWARD EACH OTHER THAN SAID SECOND OPPOSED TEETH SO THAT IN SAID SECOND RELATIVE POSITION OF THE JAWS WITH SAID FIRST OPPOSED TEETH ENGAGED AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FLAT CONDUCTOR THERE IS A CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID SECOND OPPOSED TEETH THAT IS MATERIALLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE FLAT CONDUCTOR, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID JAWS BEING BENDABLE AT A SECONDARY BEND REGION INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST TEETH AND THE BODY, WHEREBY DURING THE FINAL CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE JAWS FROM SAID SECOND RELATIVE POSITION TO SAID THIRD RELATIVE POSITION THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FIRST TEETH AGAINST THE CONDUCTOR WILL OPPOSE RELATIVE CLOSING MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE FREE END PORTIONS OF THE JAWS AND CLOSURE OF SAID SECOND TEETH AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CONDUCTOR WILL RESULT IN GENERALLY OPPOSITELY DIRECTED BENDING MOVEMENTS IN SAID PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BEND REGIONS AND HENCE GENERALLY OPPOSITELY DIRECTED STRESS PATTERNS IN SAID PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BEND REGIONS.