Clamp-type electrical terminals

Claim 2

A detachable electrical connector for providing an electrical connection to an electrical conductor comprising, in combination: a pair of rigid jaws; a flexible electrical lead wire connected to one of said jaws; spring means for urging said jaws together to clamp said electrical conductor between said jaws; and compressible, electrically-conductive wire pad means mounted on at least one of said jaws to be compressed against said electrical conductor with a predetermined amount of force determined by said spring means upon closure of said jaws to wipe said electrical conductor, said wire pad means comprising a plurality of resilient, electrically-conductive wires.

Claim 3

A detachable electrical connector according to claim 1 in which said pair of jaws have at least one pair of rigid mating edges which meet to limit the closure of said jaws, said compressible wire pad means being arranged upon closure of said jaws to be at least partially compressed between said jaws prior to the mating of said rigid edges.

Claim 4

A detachable electrical connector according to claim 1 in which said wires of said wire pad means comprise beryllium copper wires.

Claim 5

A connector according to claim 1 in which said wires of said wire pad means are non-circular in cross-section, providing wire edges which scrape said electrical conductor to provide improved electrical contact as said wire pad means wipes said electrical conductor.

Claim 6

A connector according to claim 1 in which said wires of said wire pad means comprise interwoven warp and woof wires.

Claim 7

A connector according to claim 1 wherein said wire pad means comprises a first compressible wire pad mounted on one of said jaws and a second wire pad mounted on the other of said jaws so that portions of said first and second pads are compressed against each other and surround said electrical conductor upon closure of said jaws.

Claim 8

A connector according to claim 1 having a lead wire connected to at least one of said jaws, said wires of said wire pad means being smaller in diameter than said lead wire.

Claim 9

A connector according to claim 1 in which each of said jaws includes a serrated edge.

Claim 10

A connector according to claim 1 in which said wire pad means is mounted solely on one of said jaws and adapted to be compressed against a rigid surface of the other of said jaws upon closure of said jaws.

Claim 11

A connector according to claim 1 in which said wire pad means includes an arcuate surface adapted to partially surround a cylindrical conductor.

Claim 12

A connector according to claim 1 in which said compressible wire pad means comprises a plurality of fine wires disposed across the surface of a compressible non-conductive pad.

Claim 13

A connector according to claim 1 in which said compressible wire pad means comprises a mesh of wires superimposed upon one or more wire springs.

Claim 14

A connector according to claim 1 in which at least one of said rigid jaws includes a rigid cylindrical external surface and said jaws of said connector are adapted to be inserted into an electrical jack having a cylindrical recess, whereby the resilience of said compressible wire pad means serves to urge said jaws apart and to urge said rigid cylindrical external surface against the inside of said recess to frictionally hold said connector in said electrical jack.

Claim 15

A connector according to claim 1 wherein said first wire pad and said second wire pad are arranged to be compressed against each other upon closure of said jaws toward each other.

Claim 16

A connector according to claim 1 in which said spring means is operable to urge said jaws toward each other to a limit position in which rigid portions of said rigid jaws abut opposite sides of one portion of said conductor and said wire pad means is compressed against another portion of said conductor.

Claim 17

A connector according to claim 1 having adjustable stop means carried on at least one of said jaws for limiting the motion of said jaws toward each other.

Claim 18

A connector according to claim 1 in which at least one of said rigid jaws includes a pair of spaced-apart side flanges extending toward the other of said rigid jaws, and in which the wire pad means mounted on said one of said rigid jaws is situated between said side flanges.

Claim 19

A connector according to claim 1 in which each of said rigid jaws comprises one end portion of a respective rigid lever, and pivot means interconnecting portions of said rigid levers intermediate their ends for mounting said levers to pivot relative to each other, whereby squeezing the other ends of said levers together against the force of said spring means moves said jaws apart and releasing said other ends of said levers allows said spring means to automatically close said jaws.

Claim 20

A connector aCcording to claim 18 in which portions of said wire pad means vary in thickness as a function of their distance from said pivot means.

Claim 21

A detachable electrical connector for providing an electrical connection to an electrical conductor, comprising, in combination: a pair of jaws; compressible, electrically-conductive wire pad means mounted on at least one of said jaws to be compressed against said electrical conductor upon closure of said jaws, said wire pad means comprising a plurality of resilient electrically-conductive wires; spring means adapted to urge said jaws apart from each other; a first length of hollow tubing adapted to be slid longitudinally along said jaws to urge said jaws together against the force of said spring means; a flexible lead wire extending through said first length of hollow tubing and connected to at least one of said jaws; and a second length of hollow tubing extending inside said first length of hollow tubing and adapted to engage said jaws, said second length of tubing being slidable relative to said first length of tubing to move said first length of tubing relative to said jaws thereby to release said jaws.

Claim 22

A detachable electrical connector for providing an electrical connection to an electrical conductor, comprising, in combination: a pair of jaws; compressible, electrically-conductive wire pad means mounted on at least one of said jaws to be compressed against said electrical conductor upon closure of said jaws, said wire pad means comprising a plurality of resilient electrically-conductive wires; spring means adapted to urge said jaws apart from each other; a first length of hollow tubing adapted to be slid longitudinally along said jaws to urge said jaws together against the force of said spring means; a flexible lead wire extending through said first length of hollow tubing and connected to at least one of said jaws; and a second length of hollow tubing extending inside said first length of hollow tubing and adapted to engage said jaws, said second length of tubing being slidable relative to said first length of tubing to move said first length of tubing relative to said jaws thereby to release said jaws.