Electrical terminal connector

Claim 2

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base, a stop on said base and extending into said receptacle; said base said base including a bottom surface and first and second dovetail walls intersecting with said bottom surface to define said receptacle, said dovetail walls being non-parallel to each other and being closer together at the top of saidbase than at the bottom surface of said receptacle; said base being made of resilient material so that the material behind said dovetail walls resiliently deflects to permit entry of said top into said receptacle between said dovetail walls, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle and positioned against said stop; and a top, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle said top being positioned adjacent said stop when said top is in its engaged position to coOperate with said base so that the space for the electrical terminal connector is configured to retain an electrical terminal.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 comprising: first and second stops, said first and second stops each extending inward from one of said dovetail walls and extending substantially from said top of said base to said bottom surface of said receptacle, said stops being positioned intermediate the ends of said device.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 comprising: said base having a wire end, from which end the wire connected to a wire terminal extends when a wire terminal is positioned within said receptacle and engaged by said stops; and a groove in said bottom surface of said receptacle, said groove being positioned and being of such size as to accept the cylindrical collar on a wire terminal positioned within said receptacle against said stops, said groove extending to said wire end of said base.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 wherein: said receptacle is open to said wire end of said base; and said dovetail walls and said bottom surface of said receptacle intersect with said wire end of said base.

Claim 6

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base, said base having a top surface; said receptacle having a bottom surface, a stop on said base extending into said receptacle, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle and positioned against said stop; and a top, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle, said top having a channel therein to engage around said stop so that said top extends into said receptacle around said stop, said receptacle having dovetail walls and said top having corresponding edge walls said dovetail walls being closer adjacent each other toward said top surface and farther away from each other toward said bottom surface, said dovetail walls being supported by resilient base structure so that said top is resiliently retained in said receptacle with said edge walls lying adjacent said dovetail walls so that the space for the electrical terminal connector is configured to retain an electrical terminal.

Claim 7

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base, said base having a top surface; said receptacle having a bottom surface, a stop on said base extending into said receptacle, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle and positioned against said stop; and a top, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle, said top having a channel therein to engage around said stop so that said top extends into said receptacle around said stop, said receptacle having dovetail walls and said top having corresponding edge walls said dovetail walls being closer adjacent each other toward said top surface and farther away from each other toward said bottom surface, said dovetail walls being supported by resilient base structure so that said top is resiliently retained in said receptacle with said edge walls lying adjacent said dovetail walls so that the space for the electrical terminal connector is configured to retain an electrical terminal.

Claim 8

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base, a stop on said base and extending into said receptacle, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle in position against said stop; said base including a bottom surface and first and second dovetail walls intersecting with said bottom surface to define said receptacle, said dovetail walls being non-parallel to each other and being closer together at the top of said base than at the bottom surface of said receptacle; said base being made of resilient material so that the material behind said dovetail walls resiliently deflects to permit entry of said top into said receptacle between said dovetail walls; a top, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle, said top being positioned adjacent said stop when said top is in its engaged position to cooperate with said base so that the space for the electrical terminal connectors is configured to retain an electrical connector, said top being integrally formed with said base; and said entire electrical terminal device being molded of thermoplastic synthetic polymer composition material, said top being joined to said base by a thin web which forms a hinge so that said top can be pivoted on said hinge from an open position away from said receptacle to its engaged position where it is at least partway into said receptacle.

Claim 9

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base, a stop on said base and extending into said receptacle, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle in position against said stop; said base including a bottom surface and first and second dovetail walls intersecting with said bottom surface to define said receptacle, said dovetail walls being non-parallel to each other and being closer together at the top of said base than at the bottom surface of said receptacle; said base being made of resilient material so that the material behind said dovetail walls resiliently deflects to permit entry of said top into said receptacle between said dovetail walls; a top, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle, said top being positioned adjacent said stop when said top is in its engaged position to cooperate with said base so that the space for the electrical terminal connectors is configured to retain an electrical connector, said top being integrally formed with said base; and said entire electrical terminal device being molded of thermoplastic synthetic polymer composition material, said top being joined to said base by a thin web which forms a hinge so that said top can be pivoted on said hinge from an open position away from said receptacle to its engaged position where it is at least partway into said receptacle.

Claim 10

The device of claim 6 comprising: first and second stops, said first and second stops each extending iNward from one of said dovetail walls and extending substantially from said top of said base to said bottom surface of said receptacle, said stops being positioned intermediate the ends of said device.

Claim 11

The device of claim 7 comprising: said base having a wire end, from which end the wire connected to a wire terminal extends when a wire terminal is positioned within said receptacle and engaged by said stops; and a groove in said bottom surface of said receptacle, said groove being positioned and being of such size as to accept the cylindrical collar on a wire terminal positioned within said receptacle against said stops, said groove extending to said wire end of said base.

Claim 12

The device of claim 8 wherein: said receptacle is open to said wire end of said base; and said dovetail walls and said bottom surface of said receptacle intersect with said wire end of said base.

Claim 13

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base said base having a top surface; said receptacle having a bottom surface, a stop on said base and extending into said receptacle, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle and positioned against said stop; and a top, said top being integrally formed with said base, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle, said top having a channel therein to engage around said stop so that said top extends into said receptacle around said stop, said entire electrical terminal device being molded of thermoplastic synthetic polymer composition material, said top being joined to said base by a thin web which forms a hinge, said receptacle having dovetail walls, and said top having corresponding edge walls, said dovetail walls being closer adjacent each other toward said top surface and farther away from each other toward said bottom surface, said dovetail walls being supported by resilient base structure so that said top is resiliently retained in said receptacle with said edge walls lying adjacent said dovetail walls and said channel embracing said stop.

Claim 14

An electrical terminal device comprising: a base formed at least partly of insulating material, a receptacle within said base said base having a top surface; said receptacle having a bottom surface, a stop on said base and extending into said receptacle, said receptacle and said stop being configured so that an electrical terminal can be inserted into said receptacle and positioned against said stop; and a top, said top being integrally formed with said base, said top being movable from a position away from said receptacle to an engaged position at least partway into said receptacle, said top having a channel therein to engage around said stop so that said top extends into said receptacle around said stop, said entire electrical terminal device being molded of thermoplastic synthetic polymer composition material, said top being joined to said base by a thin web which forms a hinge, said receptacle having dovetail walls, and said top having corresponding edge walls, said dovetail walls being closer adjacent each other toward said top surface and farther away from each other toward said bottom surface, said dovetail walls being supported by resilient base structure so that said top is resiliently retained in said receptacle with said edge walls lying adjacent said dovetail walls and said channel embracing said stop.