Connecting means for fine wires

Claim 1

Electrical connecting means for establishing electrical contact with a wire having a thin film insulating material thereon and comprising an insulating housing having a terminal-receiving surface and a terminal-receiving cavity extending into said terminal-receiving surface, said cavity having an inner end which extends parallel to said terminal-receiving surface and said cavity having internal walls which extend from said inner end towards said terminal-receiving surface, wire-admitting slot means in said housing, said wire-admitting slot means extending from said terminal-receiving surface and communicating with said cavity, wire-supporting means in said cavity for supporting a wire extending through the wire-admitting slot means with the axis of said wire extending transversely across said cavity, and a terminal dimensioned to be inserted into said cavity, said terminal having insulating penetrating and contact surface portions which are engageable with said wire upon insertion of said terminal into said cavity, said connecting means being characterized in that: said wire-supporting means comprises a wire-supporting ledge on one of said internal walls of said cavity, said ledge extending transversely across said one internal wall and being in alignment with said wire-admitting slot means, said ledge extending parallel to the axis of a wire positioned said wire-admitting slot means, said one internal wall having one surface portion which extends from said ledge towards said terminal-receiving surface and a second surface portion which extends from said ledge away from said terminal-receiving surface and to said inner end of said cavity, said terminal being dimensioned to have a force fit of said insulating penetrating and contact surface portions against a wire supported on said ledge when said terminal is inserted into said cavity, said ledge having a width which is substantially no greater than the diameter of said wire and which is sufficient to prevent movement of said wire laterally of its axis past said ledge and across said second surface portion of said one internal wall during insertion of said terminal into said cavity whereby, upon placement of said wire in said wire-admitting slot means and insertion of said terminal into said cavity, said insulation penetrating and contact surface portions of said terminal move over said wire and establish electrical contact therewith.