Process for forming a termination on an electrical conductor

Claim 1

A process for forming a termination on an electrical conductor for mechanical attachment into an electrical circuit comprising the steps of: providing an electrical connector comprising; a crimpable ferrule, a transparent outer sleeve surrounding said ferrule in a longitudinal direction, said outer sleeve formed of coextruded, multi-layer material, with at least one layer thereof being oriented and heat shrinkable, and with the inner layer thereof being a heat-activable adhesive, and an exposed connector unsurrounded by said outer sleeve in electrical communication with said ferrule, said exposed connector being generally U-shaped or annularly shaped, said exposed connector defining means for receipt of a mechanical connection through the center thereof in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, said outer sleeve being preshrunken on one end thereof into conformity with said ferrule on an end thereof closest to said exposed connector, said outer sleeve being of greater diameter and generally unshrunken on the end thereof opposite said preshrunken one end for receipt of a conductor therein; placing an end of said conductor into said unshrunken opposite end of said sleeve and into said crimpable ferrule; viewing the location of said conductor through said transparent outer sleeve to assure proper location of said conductor for the crimping thereof; applying pressure to said outer sleeve to crimp said crimpable ferrule through said outer sleeve into electrical communication with said conductor; and applying heat to said outer sleeve to shrink said outer sleeve into conformity with said electrical conductor and to activate said heat activable adhesive to bond said outer sleeve with said conductor.