Self-stripping connector for insulated wires

Claim 1

In an electrical radiant heating panel assembly for connection in parallel to a pair of insulated power wires of opposite polarity and which extend in a closely spaced parallel relationship with each other, the combination comprising: (a) a radiant heating panel including an electrical resistance heating wire having a major portion extending in the body of the panel and two insulated lead end portion protruding from one edge of the panel for connection in parallel to the pair of insulated power wires of opposite polarity, a connector including (a) an insulative body member in the form of a generally rectangular block having opposite sides and a top, said body member defining a pair of elongated through channels extending between said opposite ends and arranged on opposite sides of the member, each channel opening outwardly and having a narrow neck portion and a wider interior portion so as to receive and securely retain an insulated power wire urged sideways in a snap action and in a lateral direction into said interior portion of the channel, said body member thus being supported in suspended relationship between said spaced parallel power wires, said body member further defining first and second elongated openings extending toward one another from said opposte ends but insulated form one another, said first and second openings being approximately concentric and arranged end-to-end between and in closely spaced relationship with said channels in said body member, and said first and second openings being adapted respectively to receive and position longitudinally said lead wire end portions in an endwise entry movement of the end portions, and said body member still further defining two thin slots, each slot extending from said body member top surface and in communication with one of said channels and one of said openings, (b) two thin flat resilient conductive contact elements each having a head portion and spaced wire-receiving slots defined by fingers extending opposite the head portion, each of said contact elements being of such size and shape as to be slidably received within a separate one of said thin body member slots, and said fingers of each contact element adapted to engage the conductors of isulated wire positioned within the channel and opening communicating with its slot to form electrical contact between the conductors, and (c) a cover fastenable over the insulative body member for covering the head portions of the contact elements and securing the same in fully inserted condition within their respective slots, said cover also extending over said narrow neck portion of each of said channels and thus positively retaining said power wires against accidental lateral dislodgement from their respective channels.