Electrical harnesses and connecting devices therefor

An electrical connecting device for establishing an electrical connection with an insulated conductor, said conductor being in a cable having a plurality of conductors, said connecting device comprising:

• an insulating body member, said body member having supporting surface portions for supporting said conductors in side-by-side parallel co-planar relationship,
• a contact spring member of conductive metal, said contact member extending transversely across said supporting surface portions, releasable holding means for releasably holding at least one end of said spring contact member on said body member so that said contact member can be moved away from said body member, and
• lead wire connecting means for electrically connecting a lead wire to said contact spring member whereby,
• upon electrically exposing a portion of said conductor, positioning said conductors on said supporting surface portions in side-by-side co-planar relationship with the electrically exposed portions on said supporting surface portions, and securing said contact member to said body member, said contact member will engage the electrically exposed portion of said conductor and establish electrical contact therewith, and upon connecting said lead wire to said contact spring member, said lead wire is connected to said conductor.

In an electrical harness of the type comprising a plurality of insulated conductors, a plurality of electrical loads, a plurality of switches, and a power source, each of said loads being connected to a predetermined one of said conductors by a load conductor and each of said switches being connected to said power source and to a predetermined one of said conductors by a tap conductor whereby said loads can be energized by closing said switches, the improvement comprising:

• said switches and said loads being connected to said conductors by substantially identical connecting devices,
• each of said connecting devices comprising an insulating body member, said body member having conductor supporting surface portions, said conductors being supported on said conductor supporting surface portions in side-by-side parallel relationship, said conductors having electrically exposed portions which are selectively located adjacent to said conductor supporting surface portions of said connecting devices,
• a metallic contact member on each of said body members, each of said contact members extending transversely across its associated body member with said conductors between said contact members and said supporting surface portions, each of said contact members being in electrical contact with one of said electrically exposed portions of one of said conductors, and
• said load conductors and said tap conductors being selectively connected to said contact members whereby
• said loads are selectively connected through said switches to said power source.

The method of providing an electrical wiring harness on a apparatus having functional electrical devices at different locations thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a cable having a member of insulated conductors which is sufficient for said electrical devices and having a length which is sufficient to extend to said devices,
• electrically exposing short portions of said conductors at locations along the length of said cable which correspond to the locations of said devices on said apparatus,
• assembling said cable to said apparatus so that the electrically exposed portions of said cable are proximate to said electrical devices,
• assembling to said cable at said locations connecting devices which contact said electrically exposed portions of said conductors, and
• connecting said electrical devices to said connecting devices.