Patent ID: 7686661

Claim:
An enclosed connection system for connecting first and second elongate electrical conductors, the enclosed connection system comprising: a) a transverse wedge connector including: an electrically conductive first connector member including: a first body having inner and outer opposed ends; a first hook portion on the outer end of the first body, the first hook portion defining a first channel to receive the first conductor; and a first abutment portion on the inner end of the first body; an electrically conductive second connector member including: a second body having inner and outer opposed ends; a second hook portion on the outer end of the second body, the second hook portion defining a second channel to receive the second conductor; and a second abutment portion on the inner end of the second body; and a clamping mechanism selectively operable to displace the first and second connector members relative to one another from an open position to a clamping position to clamp the first conductor in the first channel and between the first hook portion and the second abutment portion and to clamp the second conductor in the second channel and between the second hook portion and the first abutment portion to thereby form a connection; and b) an enclosure configured to receive and cover the connection and to protect the transverse wedge connector; wherein the enclosure includes: first and second cover members defining first and second cover member cavities, respectively; a first flowable sealant disposed in the first cover member cavity and a second flowable sealant disposed in the second cover member cavity to provide a seal about the transverse wedge connector; wherein the first and second cover members are relatively movable between an open position to receive the connection and a closed position wherein the first and second cover members define an enclosure cavity to receive the transverse wedge connector and contain the connection such that the transverse wedge connector is encapsulated in the first and second sealants; and wherein the enclosure is configured such that the transverse wedge connector will displace the first and second sealants when the first and second cover members are moved from the open position to the closed position about the transverse wedge connector; and wherein: the transverse wedge connector has a connector volume; the first and second sealants include first and second voids, respectively, defined therein to receive the transverse wedge connector, the first and second voids having a first void volume and a second void volume, respectively; and the sum of the first void volume and the second void volume is less than the connector volume.