Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A wire terminal including means for making electrical connection to a wire inserted in a given direction and for retaining the inserted wire securely against pullout effort, said electrical connection and retaining means including lateral support means and including first and second leaf spring elements for biasing an inserted wire against said lateral support means, said leaf spring elements being arranged for endwise engagement individually with an inserted wire at different acute angles to the wire, the sides of each angle converging in the direction of wire insertion, said second leaf spring element engaging an inserted wire closer than said first leaf spring element to the inserted end of the wire and said second leaf spring element having a smaller angle to the wire than said first leaf spring element, any pull on an inserted wire tending to develop an increase in the separation between the points of engagement of said leaf spring elements with the wire, whereby there is an enhanced sharing of the pull between said first and second leaf spring elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
A wire terminal including means for making electrical connection to a wire inserted in a given direction and for retaining the inserted wire securely against pullout effort, said electrical connection and retaining means including lateral support means and including first and second leaf spring elements for biasing an inserted wire against said lateral support means, said leaf spring elements being arranged for endwise engagement individually with an inserted wire at different acute angles to the wire, the sides of each angle converging in the direction of wire insertion, said second leaf spring element engaging an inserted wire closer than said first leaf spring element to the inserted end of the wire and said second leaf spring element having a smaller angle to the wire than said first leaf spring element, any pull on an inserted wire tending to develop an increase in the separation between the points of engagement of said leaf spring elements with the wire, whereby there is an enhanced sharing of the pull between said first and second leaf spring elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 for electrically interconnecting multiple wires inserted along respective paths, wherein said lateral support means is a metal contact member extending across multiple wire-insertion paths, and said first and second leaf spring elements each including as many separately resilient portions as there are wire-insertion paths.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said leaf spring elements are interconnected portions of a common leaf spring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said leaf spring elements has a serrated wire-engaging edge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1, including an insulating enclosure containing said lateral support means and said leaf spring elements and embodying a wire-guide formation for directing wire insertion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A wire terminal in accordance with claim 5, wherein said first leaf spring element has a serrated wire-engaging edge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
A wire terminal in accordance with claim 5 wherein said enclosure incorporates guide formations defining a wire-insertion path, said enclosure further including a hook lateral of said path for engaging and retaining an inserted wire when the inserted wire has been bent and pressed under the hook.