Patent ID: 7347716

Claim:
A connector arrangement for connecting an insulated conductor ( 3 ) of a flat multi-conductor cable ( 2 ) with a tapped-off branch conductor ( 17 ), comprising: (a) housing base means ( 6 ) including a generally rectangular base member ( 8 ) having a longitudinal axis and a horizontal upper surface; (b) a plurality of insulation-piercing electrical contacts ( 9 ) carried by said base member and extending upwardly from said base upper surface, the upper extremities of said contacts having knife edges ( 10 , 11 ); (c) cable support means for supporting the flat cable for vertical displacement relative to said base means with the conductors of the cable positioned above said contacts, respectively, said cable support means containing openings ( 21 ) opposite said contacts: (d) a horizontal actuator plate ( 27 ) connected with said base member above said cable support means for displacement between an upper position spaced above said contacts toward a lower position adjacent said contacts, the spacing distance between said actuator plate and said contacts being greater than the thickness of the flat cable, thereby to permit the longitudinal horizontal introduction of the flat cable between said actuator plate and said contacts with the conductors of the cables being arranged above the contacts, respectively; (e) displacing means for displacing said actuator plate downwardly to press the cable conductors into insulation-piercing engagement with the associated respective contacts, including: (1) a housing cover member ( 28 ) arranged horizontally above and spaced from said actuator plate; (2) engaging means ( 31 , 40 ) connecting said cover member with said base member for longitudinal sliding displacement relative to said base member between a first position partially displaced from said base member and a second position over said base member; (3) first wedge means ( 30 ) arranged between said actuator plate and said cover member, said first wedge means being operable by said actuator plate during the initial displacement of said cover member from said first position toward said second position to displace the cable downwardly into insulation-piercing engagement with said contact knife edges; and (f) a plurality of branch conductors ( 17 ) connected with said contacts, respectively.