Electrical wiring devices with screwless wire terminals

An electrical wiring device comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of cavities within an interior of the housing, a plurality of wire receiving openings and a plurality of activating member openings;
• and
• a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially in one of the plurality of cavities such that the one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from a respective one of the plurality of wire receiving openings and a respective one of the plurality of activating member openings;
• wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes:
• a wire terminal having a clamp brace, a force applying member secured to the clamp brace and at least one contact enhancing member extending from the clamp brace or the force applying member, the force applying member having a wire pressing member and is movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the clamp brace and the wire pressing member such that the wire pressing member and the at least one contact enhancing member contact the wire, and a second position where the wire can be inserted through the one of the plurality of wire receiving openings and between the clamp brace and the wire pressing member;
• and
• an activating member at least partially positioned in the one of the plurality of cavities such that the activating member is at least partially operatively associated with the force applying member and extending at least partially through the one of the plurality of activating member openings, the activating member being interactive with the force applying member such that movement of the activating member in a first direction causes the activating member to apply a force or mechanical load to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position, and movement of the activating member in a second direction removes the force or mechanical load from the force applying member so that the force applying member can move from the second position to the first position.

An electrical wiring device comprising:

• a housing having at least one cavity within an interior of the housing, at least one wire receiving opening and at least one activating member opening;
• and
• at least one contact assembly positioned at least partially in the at least one cavity such that the at least one contact assembly is accessible from the at least one wire receiving opening and the at least one activating member opening;
• wherein the at least one contact assembly includes:
• a wire terminal having a clamp brace, a force applying member secured to the clamp brace and at least one contact enhancing member extending from the clamp brace or the force applying member, the at least one contact enhancing member includes a wire contacting surface configured to cut through insulation surrounding a wire, the force applying member being movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the clamp brace and the force applying member such that the wire contacting surface of the at least one contact enhancing member cuts through insulation surrounding the wire and contacts the wire, and a second position where the wire can be inserted through the at least one wire receiving opening and between the clamp brace and force applying member;
• and
• an activating member at least partially positioned in the at least one cavity such that the activating member is at least partially operatively associated with the force applying member and extending at least partially through the at least one activating member opening, the activating member being interactive with the force applying member such that movement of the activating member in a first direction causes the activating member to apply a force or mechanical load to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position, and movement of the activating member in a second direction removes the force or mechanical load from the force applying member so that the force applying member can move from the second position to the first position.