Electrical connection device

Claim 2

In an electrical connection device comprising an insulator casing, at least one contact piece and a corresponding contact blade in said casing disposed at an acute angle with respect to said contact piece, said blade being resiliently urged toward said contact piece whereby an electrical wire slipped into the acute angle between said blade and said contact piece will be pressed against said contact piece and held in position by said blade, the improvement which comprises articulation means for said blade allowing pivotal movement of said blade toward and away from said contact piece, said articulation means including a resilient conductive strip having a generally Z-shaped configuration and a pivot point formed on said casing within the plane of said strip, the lower arm of said Z-shaped strip terminating in said contact blade and being pivotal about said pivot point, the free end of the upper arm of said Z-shaped strip being fixed to said casing, said upper arm and the slanting portion of said Z-shaped strip forming an indentation adapted to receive a tool which, when pivoted, pivots said blade about said pivot point so as to have its free end moved away from said contact piece.

Claim 3

In an electrical connection device comprising an insulator casing, at least one contact piece and a corresponding contact blade in said casing disposed at an acute angle with respect to said contact piece, said blade being resiliently urged toward said contact piece whereby an electrical wire slipped into the acute angle between said blade and said contact piece will be pressed against said contact piece and held in position by said blade, the improvement which comprises articulation means for said blade allowing pivotal movement of said blade toward and away from said contact piece, said casing being formed with two openings intersecting one another, said contact piece being mounted in one of said openings, a pair of complementary arcuate grooves extending transversely across said other opening defining a cylindrical cavity, said articulation means comprising a pivot pin rotatable in said cavity with the surface thereof being in sealing engagement with the surfaces of said grooves to isolate the exterior of said other opening from said contact piece, said blade being fixed to said pin, spring means urging the free end of said blade toward said contact piece, and an indentation formed in said pin adapted to receive a tool which, when pivoted, pivots said blade so as to have its free end moved away from said contact piece.

Claim 4

In an electrical connection device comprising an insulator casing, at least one contact piece and a corresponding contact blade in said casing disposed at an acute angle with respect to said contact piece, said blade being resiliently urged toward said contact piece whereby an electrical wire slipped into the acute angle between said blade and said contact piece will be pressed against said contact piece and held in position by said blade, the improvement which comprises articulation means for said blade allowing pivotal movement of said blade toward and away from said contact piece, said casing being formed with two openings intersecting one another, said contact piece being mounted in one of said openings, a pair of complementary arcuate grooves extending transversely across said other opening defining a cylindrical cavity, said articulation means comprising a pivot pin rotatable in said cavity with the surface thereof being in sealing engagement with the surfaces of said grooves to isolate the exterior of said other opening from said contact piece, said blade being fixed to said pin, spring means urging the free end of said blade toward said contact piece, and an indentation formed in said pin adapted to receive a tool which, when pivoted, pivots said blade so as to have its free end moved away from said contact piece.

Claim 5

An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 2 wherein there if provided a single contact piece having a pair of contact areas and a corresponding contact blade and pivot pin for each said contact area.

Claim 6

An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein a single spring commOn to said contact blades biases said blades toward their corresponding contact areas.

Claim 7

An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said contact piece is L-shaped with the inner sides of the legs of the L-shaped contact piece forming the contact areas of the contact piece.

Claim 8

An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said contact areas of said contact piece lie in the same plane.

Claim 9

An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said contact piece is T-shaped with the various sides of the T-shaped contact piece forming the contact areas of the contact piece.