US Patent 7287999 Electrical connector including conductor engaging means

An electrical connector for insulated conductors includes a housing containing a chamber and having a conductor opening communicating with the chamber, a bus bar mounted in the chamber adjacent the conductor opening, a compression spring mounted in the chamber for biasing the bare end of an insulated conductor inserted into the chamber via the conductor opening into electrical engagement with the bus bar, a retaining device normally retaining the spring in a retracted inoperable condition, and a manually operable release member for releasing the spring to its operable condition. In one embodiment, the release member is connected for sliding movement between releasing and retaining positions, and the housing contains a reset access opening. In a second embodiment, the release member includes a pair of rigid sections joined by a flexible section, the release member being movable between retaining and releasing positions by operating buttons at exposed ends of the sections.