Integral housing and strain relief

Claim 2

In a connector having a plurality of electrical terminals electrically connected respectively to a plurality of conductors and received within a housing of insulation material, a strain relief for the conductors, comprising: first and second arms on said housing receiving said conductors, said arms being relatively thin and flexible substantially along their lengths, said arms further being flexibly deflected toward each other to grip said conductors therebetween, and said arms being joined together and abutting at their free ends to form a non-flexible and non-deflectable triangular truss connected to said housing and extending outwardly from said housing in gripping relationship on said conductors at a location spaced from said housing, thereby providing a strain relief resisting twisting and bending of said conductors with respect to said terminals and said housing.

Claim 3

The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said arms are integral with said housing and are individually flexible, first away from each other to freely receive said conductors therebetween, and second toward each other into gripping relationship on said conductors received therebetween.

Claim 4

The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing is provided with longitudinal aligned cavities receiving said terminals therein, said conductors extend generally longitudinally from said cavities, and said arms are connected on said housing generally laterally outward from the longitudinal axes of said cavities, whereby said arms are flexibly deflected toward each other in mutual engagement against said conductors extending generally longitudinally of said cavities.

Claim 5

The structure as recited in claim 2, wherein, said housing is provided with longitudinally aligned cavities receiving said terminals therein, and said arms are connected on said housing generally laterally outward from the longitudinal axes of said cavities, whereby said arms are flexibly deflected toward each other into mutual engagement against said conductors which are electrically connected to said terminals and project generally longitudinally of said cavities.

Claim 6

The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, each arm includes a pair of flexible webs extending outwardly of said housing, with a band portion connecting said webs and engageable on said conductors.

Claim 7

The structure as recited in claim 5, wherein, said band portions are provided with projecting ribs engageable in gripping relationship on said conductors.

Claim 8

The structure as recited in claim 5, wherein, said conductors are individually insulated wires, and said band portions are provided with opposed permanently outwardly bowed portions cooperating to provide an outwardly bowed encirclement area receiving said wires therethrough, said encirclement area of said bands thereby serving to gather said wires into a bundle as the wires extend between said bands.

Claim 9

In a connector having a plurality of electrical terminals electrically connected respectively to a plurality of conductors and received within a housing of insulation material, a strain relief for the conductors, comprising: a sleeve portion detachably received over the outer periphery of said housing, first and second arms on said sleeve portion receiving said conductors, said arms being relatively thin and flexible substantially along their lengths for deflection flexibly toward each other to grip said conductors therebetween, and said arms being joined together and abutting at their free ends to form a non-flexible and non-deflectable triangular truss connected to said housing and extending outwardly from said housing in gripping relationship on said conductors at a location spaced from said housing, thereby providing a strain relief resisting twisting and bending of said conductors with respect to said terminals and said housing.

Claim 10

In a connector having a plurality of electrical terminals electrically connected respectively to a plurality of conductors and received within a housing of insulation material, a strain relief for the conductors, comprising: a sleeve portion detachably received over the outer periphery of said housing, first and second arms on said sleeve portion receiving said conductors, said arms being relatively thin and flexible substantially along their lengths for deflection flexibly toward each other to grip said conductors therebetween, and said arms being joined together and abutting at their free ends to form a non-flexible and non-deflectable triangular truss connected to said housing and extending outwardly from said housing in gripping relationship on said conductors at a location spaced from said housing, thereby providing a strain relief resisting twisting and bending of said conductors with respect to said terminals and said housing.