Patent ID: 7491084

Claim:
A connector system for making selective branch connections to the exposed insulated conductors of a multi-conductor cable having a stripped section from which the outer cable sheath has been removed, comprising; (a) a base plate supporting the individual insulated conductors of the cable section in parallel spaced relation in a given horizontal plane; (b) a plurality of generally rectangular conductor piercing units, each of said piercing units including: (1) a hollow body formed of synthetic plastic insulting material and including a pair of spaced vertical body side walls; (2) an insulation-piercing contact extending downwardly from said hollow body; (3) said body having a top surface containing longitudinally spaced first and second recesses; (4) a pair of output electrical contacts arranged within said body beneath said first and second recesses, respectively; and (5) bus bar means arranged in said body and operable to electrically connect said insulation-piercing contact with said output contacts; (c) a rectangular hollow frame including a pair of parallel spaced vertical frame side walls, said piercing units being arranged in spaced side-by-side relation between and parallel with said frame side walls, thereby to define a frame and piercing unit assembly; (d) frame mounting means mounting said frame and piercing unit assembly on said base plate with said piercing units being arranged with their insulation piercing contacts directly above the insulated conductors, respectively, each of said piercing units being vertically displaceable relative to said frame between an upper disconnected position in which said insulation-piercing contact is spaced from the associated insulated conductor, and a lower connected position in which said insulation-piercing piercing contact pierces the insulation layer of, and is in electrical engagement with, the associated conductor; (e) displacing means for selectively displacing said piercing units between said upper and lower positions, whereby when a given piercing unit is in said lower connected position, the associated conductor is adapted for connection with a pair of output branch lines via the associated piercing contact, bus bar, and pair of output terminals, respectively; (f) an open-topped rectangular support housing having a horizontal bottom wall, and pairs of opposed vertical side and end walls, said base plate and said frame being arranged in said housing with the cable extending through opposed cable openings contained in said housing end walls, and seal means sealing said cable openings; (g) a generally-rectangular cover member having a horizontal top wall, and opposed pairs of downwardly extending vertical side and end walls; and (h) at least one electrical component carried by said cover member, said electrical component being electrically connected with said piercing unit assembly.