Wiring device and wire release arrangement therefor

Claim 1

IN A WIRING DEVICE HAVING AN INSULATIVE HOUSING WITH AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED WIRE INSERTION CHANNEL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A RESILIENT MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED RESILIENT WIRE ENGAGEMENT ARM, A FREE OUTER END OF SAID ARM EXTENDING AT LEAST PARTLY ACROSS SAID WIRE INSERTION CHANNEL SO THAT INSERTION OF A WIRE ALONG SAID CHANNEL PRODUCES ANGULAR RESILIENT DEFLECTION OF SAID ARM WHICH IN TURN BRACES SAID WIRE AGAINST ADJACENT ABUTMENT MEANS, AND A WIRE RELEASE INSULATIVE MEMBER SUPPORTED IN MOVABLE RELATION TO SAID HOUSING, SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE PIVOT PORTION PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ADJACENT A BOTTOM SURFACE OF ANOTHER ELONGATED CHANNEL IN SAID HOUSING, SAID OTHER CHANNEL EXTENDING IN GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION WITH SAID ARM AND HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDE SURFACES, A DRIVE PORTION OF SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER EXTENDING INWARDLY ALONG SAID OTHER CHANNEL FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER PIVOT PORTION, AN ACTUATING PORTION OF SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY ALONG SAID OTHER CHANNEL FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER PIVOT PORTION, SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF GENERAL PARALLELOGRAM CONTOUR THROUGH SAID DRIVE AND ACTUATING PORTIONS, ONE PARALLELOGRAM SIDE OF SAID DRIVE PORTION BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH AND EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL WITH AN INWARDLY LOCATED PORTION OF SAID WIRE ENGAGEMENT ARM SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR URGING SAID ARM RESILIENTLY AND ANGULARLY OUTWARDLY FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WIRE, ANOTHER PARALLELOGRAM SIDE OF ONE OF SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER DRIVE AND ACTUATING PORTIONS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH ONE OF OPPOSITE SIDE SURFACES OF SAID OTHER CHANNEL TO LIMIT THE EXTENT TO WHICH SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER CAN BE DEFLECTED AWAY FROM SAID WIRE ENGAGEMENT ARM AND THUS THE EXTENT TO WHICH SAID ARM CAN BE DEFLECTED BY PULLING FORCES ON SAID WIRE, SAID OTHER CHANNEL OPENING TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING SO THAT ACCESS IS PROVIDED TO SAID INSULATIVE MEMBER ACTUATING PORTION FOR THE APPLICATION OF WIRE RELEASE FORCES THERETO.