Electrical contact member, contact and connector - is for use with conductor having multistranded core and retaining strands in their original alignment

摘要

An electrical contact member comprises a conductive plate (3) in which a slot (5) opens to an edge. The slot has a mouth (28) leading to a first, inwardly-tapering section (29) which leads to a second section (30) with straight, parallel sides. The second section leads via a third, inwardly-tapering section (31) having convex converging sides to a throat (32). This opens in turn to a fourth outwardly tapering section (33) leading into a fifth inwardly-tapering section (34) having convex converging sides. The max. width of the fifth section is less than that of the third section and it terminates in a closed end for the slot. Pref. the contact member has bevelled sides in the second section to provide relatively sharp insulation-cutting edges. An electrical contact is formed by two such contact members arranged in spaced parallel planes with their slots aligned.. The contact member provides reliable electrical and mechanical connection to a conductor with a multistrand core for core cross-sectional areas between 0.6 and 2.0 square millimetres. The strands are retained in the slot in an arrangement close to their original arrangement in the core.