Electrical wiring devices with screwless connection terminals

An electrical wiring device with screwless connections terminals comprising:

• a housing having an interior, a plurality of wire receiving apertures and a plurality of spring actuator openings, wherein at least a portion of the interior is hollow, wherein each of the plurality of wire receiving apertures provides access from an exterior of the housing to the hollow portion of the interior of the housing, and wherein each of the plurality of spring actuator openings provides access from the exterior of the housing to the hollow portion of the interior of the housing;
• and
• a plurality of contact assemblies positioned in the hollow portion of the interior of the housing such that one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of spring actuator openings;
• wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes:
• a contact member;
• a wire terminal including a clamp brace electrically connected to the contact member to form an electrically conductive path with the contact member, and a clamp spring electrically connected to the clamp brace, the clamp spring being movable relative to the clamp brace between a closed position where a wire can be clamped between the clamp spring and the clamp brace with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire so that the clamp spring can press the wire against the clamp brace, and an open position where a wire can be inserted through one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures in the housing and between the clamp spring and the clamp brace;
• and
• a spring actuator extending at least partially through one of the plurality of spring actuator openings in the housing, the spring actuator being interactive with the clamp spring such that movement of the spring actuator in a first direction relative to the housing causes the spring actuator to apply a mechanical load to the clamp spring causing the clamp spring to move from the closed position to the open position and movement of the spring actuator in a second direction relative to the housing removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring so that to the clamp spring automatically moves from the open position to the closed position.

An electrical wiring device with screwless connection terminals comprising:

• a housing having an interior, a plurality of wire receiving apertures and a plurality of spring actuator openings, wherein each of the plurality of wire receiving apertures provides access from an exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing, and wherein each of the plurality of spring actuator openings provides access from the exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing;
• and
• a plurality of contact assemblies positioned in the interior of the housing such that one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of spring actuator openings;
• wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes:
• a contact member;
• a wire terminal including a clamp brace electrically connected to a clamp spring, the clamp spring being movable relative to the clamp brace between a closed position where a wire can be clamped between the clamp spring and the clamp brace and an open position where a wire can be inserted through one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures in the housing and between the clamp spring and the clamp brace;
• and
• a spring actuator extending at least partially through one of the plurality of spring actuator openings in the housing, the spring actuator being interactive with the clamp spring such that movement of the spring actuator in a first direction relative to the clamp spring from a first position to a second position causes the spring actuator to apply a mechanical load to the clamp spring causing the clamp spring to move from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the spring actuator in a second direction relative to the clamp spring from the second position to the first position removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring so that to the clamp spring automatically moves from the open position to the closed position, wherein the spring actuator remains in the first position or the second position until manually moved.