Poke-In Electrical Connector

An electrical connector comprising:

• a housing having contact channels and wire channels open to corresponding contact channels, the wire channels being configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination;
• electrical contacts received in corresponding contact channels and held by the housing, each electrical contact comprising a poke-in spring beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the corresponding wire channel, the spring beam having a separable wire interface configured to engage in physical contact with the electrical wire, wherein the electrical contact includes tabs extending from the spring beam, and wherein the electrical contact being movable between a resting position when no wire is present in the wire channel and a clearance position where the electrical contact allows the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel;
• and
• pivot levers held by the housing and being coupled to corresponding electrical contacts, the pivot levers moving with the corresponding electrical contacts, each pivot lever includes at least one opening receiving corresponding tabs to mechanically couple the electrical contact to the pivot lever to allow coordinated movement of the electrical contact with the pivot lever, each pivot lever extending between a pivot end and a push button end, the pivot end being pivotably coupled to the housing, the push button end having a push button configured to be pressed in a pressing direction by an operator to move the corresponding electrical contact to the clearance position;
• wherein, when the electrical wire is loaded into the wire channel, the electrical contact is positioned in a pinching position between the clearance position and the resting position in which the spring beam pinches against the electrical wire in physical contact with the electrical wire.

A thermostat assembly comprising:

• a thermostat comprising a printed circuit having mating contacts;
• and
• an electrical connector configured to be mated with the thermostat, the electrical connector comprising;
• a housing having contact channels and wire channels open to corresponding contact channels, the wire channels being configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination;
• electrical contacts received in corresponding contact channels and held by the housing, each electrical contact comprising a poke-in spring beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the corresponding wire channel, the spring beam having a separable wire interface configured to engage in physical contact with the electrical wire, the electrical contact being movable between a resting position when no wire is present in the wire channel and a clearance position where the electrical contact allows the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel, the electrical contact comprising pin beams directly electrically connected to the corresponding mating contact;
• and
• pivot levers held by the housing and being coupled to corresponding electrical contacts, the pivot levers moving with the corresponding electrical contacts, each pivot lever having a pair of arms extending between a pivot end and a push button end, the arms extending along the outside of the spring beam and of the pin beams such that the spring beam and the pin beams are positioned between the arms, the pivot end being pivotably coupled to the housing, the push button end having a push button configured to be pressed in a pressing direction by an operator to move the corresponding electrical contact to the clearance position;
• wherein, when the electrical wire is loaded into the wire channel, the electrical contact is positioned in a pinching position between the clearance position and the resting position in which the spring beam pinches against the electrical wire in physical contact with the electrical wire.