Wire terminal

Claim 2

A wire terminal comprising; a substantially planar strip of electrically conductive material having first and second sets of longitudinally arranged laterally spaced fingers extending therefrom, said first set being disposed above said plane and said second set being disposed below said plane; and an enclosure of insulating material comprising a pair of complementary encapsulating members adapted to lock together, each comprising an inner abutment wall and a plurality of longitudinally arranged cavities having converging top and bottom walls aligned to receive said fingers; whereby when said encapsulating members are locked together, said fingers are placed in spring tension by said converging cavity walls to maintain a constant contact force against a wire placed therebetween to securely hold the wire in place against said abutment wall and to make intimate electrical contact with the wire notwithstanding wire deformation.

Claim 3

A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cavities extend from said abutment wall.

Claim 4

A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said strip has two major peripheral sides and wherein said first and second sets of fingers extend from said major sides.

Claim 5

A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first set of fingers comprises every other one of said fingers.

Claim 6

A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said fingers include an elongated indentation for stiffening said fingers.

Claim 7

A wire terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein side portions of first given pairs of said fingers are contoured away from the wire and side portions of given pairs of said fingers are contoured towards the wire, whereby second given pairs of fingers pierce the insulation of an insulated wire to be terminated.

Claim 8

A wire terminal in accordance witH claim 1 wherein said cavities have end openings and the ends of said fingers are bent outwardly whereby said fingers are placed in locked engagement with said encapsulating members when aid finger ends are inserted past said end openings.

Claim 9

A wire terminal comprising: a first substantially planar strip of electrically conductive material having a plurality of longitudinally arranged laterally spaced fingers extending therefrom, said fingers being disposed in a plane displaced from said planar strip; a second substantially planar strip of electrically conductive material integral with said first planar strip having continuous extending portions aligned with said fingers and spaced apart therefrom; an enclosure of insulating material comprising a pair of complementary encapsulating members adapted to be locked together, each comprising an inner abutment surface, a plurality of longitudinally arranged cavities having declining top walls, said cavities being aligned to receive said fingers and a continuous cavity having an inclined bottom wall aligned with said plural cavities and spaced apart therefrom to receive said continous extending portions; whereby, when said encapsulating members are locked together, said fingers and said extending portions are placed in spring tension around a wire placed therebetween by said declining top and inclining bottom walls respectively to maintain a constant contact force against the wire to securely hold the wire in place against said abutment surface and to make intimate electrical contact with the wire notwithstanding wire deformation.

Claim 10

A wire terminal comprising: a first substantially planar strip of electrically conductive material having a plurality of longitudinally arranged laterally spaced fingers extending therefrom, said fingers being disposed in a plane displaced from said planar strip; a second substantially planar strip of electrically conductive material integral with said first planar strip having continuous extending portions aligned with said fingers and spaced apart therefrom; an enclosure of insulating material comprising a pair of complementary encapsulating members adapted to be locked together, each comprising an inner abutment surface, a plurality of longitudinally arranged cavities having declining top walls, said cavities being aligned to receive said fingers and a continuous cavity having an inclined bottom wall aligned with said plural cavities and spaced apart therefrom to receive said continous extending portions; whereby, when said encapsulating members are locked together, said fingers and said extending portions are placed in spring tension around a wire placed therebetween by said declining top and inclining bottom walls respectively to maintain a constant contact force against the wire to securely hold the wire in place against said abutment surface and to make intimate electrical contact with the wire notwithstanding wire deformation.

Claim 11

A wire terminal in accordance with claim 8 wherein each of said plural cavities and said continuous cavities have end openings and the ends of said fingers and said extending portions are bent outwardly whereby said fingers and extending portions are placed in locked engagement with said encapsulating members when said bent ends are inserted past said end openings.