Electrical connector

Claim 2

An electrical circuit connector adapted to conductively engage an insulated conductor comprising: a connector member formed of generally rectangular metallic stock and having a pair of upwardly extending sidewalls forming a conductor-engaging junction at a portion thereof, said sidewalls having upper insulation removing inner facing portions biased toward each other, at least one of said inner facing portions having a plurality of sharpened edge portions formed by twisting said facing portion along a part of its length, said sharpened edge portions being adapted to remove the insulation from an insulated conductor as it is drawn between said walls toward said junction.

Claim 3

The electrical connector described in claim 1 and further comprising an insulated housing of plastic-like material formed around said connector, said housing having slotted openings therein in substantial alignment with the openings in said connector.

Claim 4

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls diverge above said sharpened edge portions to form an entrance opening for said insulated conductor.

Claim 5

An electrical connector as described in claim 3 wherein said entrance opening sidewalls form a cam-like surface at their lower portion for resiliently separating said sharpened edge portions as said conductor is slid therebetween.

Claim 6

The electrical connector as described in claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of like connectors fixed to each other by a link member extending between said sidewalls forming said entrance opening.

Claim 7

The electrical connectors described in claim 5 wherein said link member has an indentation therein to facilitate separation.

Claim 8

The electrical connector Described in claim 5 and further comprising an insulated housing of plastic-like material formed around said plurality of connectors, said housing having slotted openings therein in substantial alignment with said entrance openings in said connectors.

Claim 9

An electrical connector as described in claim 1 wherein each of said sidewalls are twisted to form a plurality of facing sharpened edges on each sidewall.

Claim 10

The electrical connector described in claim 8 wherein said connector is formed from resilient square stock coated with a layer of relative inert material having good electrical conductive properties.

Claim 11

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls converge toward each other from said conductor-engaging portion and form, at their point of convergence, a restricted opening into said conductor-engaging junction portion.

Claim 12

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 10 wherein said point of convergence of said sidewalls operates to clean the insulation from said conductor member as it is drawn therebetween into said conductor-engaging junction portion.

Claim 13

An electrical circuit connector adapted to cut the insulation from and conductively engage an insulated conductor comprising: a conductive connector member formed of resilient generally rectangular metallic stock having a pair of upwardly extending sidewalls forming an integral, generally U-shaped conductor-engaging junction at a lower portion thereof, said sidewalls extending upwardly from said junction forming a conductor-receiving channel therebetween, said sidewalls diverging to form an entrance opening into said channel, said conductor receiving channel having insulation-removing inner facing portions biased toward each other, said inner facing portions being formed by twisting said sidewalls such that corner edges thereof face each other, at least one of said edges having a plurality of, serrated sharpened portions along a part of its length to remove the insulation from an insulated conductor as it is drawn between said sidewalls toward said junction and said upstanding sidewalls converging toward each other below said serrated inner facing portions forming a restricted entrance opening into said conductor-engaging junction portion.

Claim 14

An electrical circuit connector adapted to cut the insulation from and conductively engage an insulated conductor comprising: a conductive connector member formed of resilient generally rectangular metallic stock having a pair of upwardly extending sidewalls forming an integral, generally U-shaped conductor-engaging junction at a lower portion thereof, said sidewalls extending upwardly from said junction forming a conductor-receiving channel therebetween, said sidewalls diverging to form an entrance opening into said channel, said conductor receiving channel having insulation-removing inner facing portions biased toward each other, said inner facing portions being formed by twisting said sidewalls such that corner edges thereof face each other, at least one of said edges having a plurality of, serrated sharpened portions along a part of its length to remove the insulation from an insulated conductor as it is drawn between said sidewalls toward said junction and said upstanding sidewalls converging toward each other below said serrated inner facing portions forming a restricted entrance opening into said conductor-engaging junction portion.

Claim 15

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 12 wherein said sidewalls form, at their point of convergence, means to prevent said biased inner facing portions from contacting each other.

Claim 16

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 13 wherein said point of convergence of said sidewalls operates to clean the insulation from said conductor member as it is drawn therebetween into said conductor-engaging junction portion.

Claim 17

The electrical connector described in claim 14 wherein said connector is formed from resilient stock coated with a layer of relative inert material having good electrical conductive properties.