Electrical terminals and method for terminating flat power cable

Abstract

A pair of transition adapter terminals especially useful for terminating respective conductors of a dual conductor flat power cable, include respective contact sections at forward ends thereof. Cable-receiving slots across rearward ends thereof extend between pairs of integral bight straps or hinge sections joining upper and lower terminal plate sections. The slots receive respective tab-shaped portions of flat power cable insertably thereinto which are then disposed between the opposed slightly spaced upper and lower plate sections. The plate sections include opposing arrays of shearing waves shapes alternating with relief recesses transversely across, with each wave shape opposed from a respective relief recess. When the plate sections are pressed together, the opposing arrays of wave shapes shear the insulation and the conductor of the tab-shaped cable portion therebetween and simultaneously extrude the sheared conductor strips into the opposed relief recesses, exposing sheared conductor edges for enabling electrical connections therewith. The cable is prepared by cutting an axial slot along the centerline preferably dimensioned so that the exposed inwardly facing conductor edges are bitten into by the adjacent bight straps upon pressing together the plate sections.