Flat flexible cable connector assembly including insulation piercing contacts

A connector assembly for terminating flat flexible cable having a plurality of insulated conductors comprising:

• a contact block having a plurality of through passages therein;
• a like plurality of contacts each positioned in a respective one of said passages, each said contact including a planar body portion, a matable terminal portion extending from one side of said body portion, a cantilever arm extending from another side of said body portion and lying substantially in the plane thereof, a forked projection on the free end of said arm, each said forked projection including at least two tines defining a plane offset with respect to the plane of said body portion and defining therebetween an insulation displacing slot, and at least one outwardly directed barb on the free end of each said tine;
• a pair of mating housing members pivotally attached to said contact block and adapted to act against said contact arm and said cable to cause said projections to penetrate completely through the cable with the barbs lockingly engaging the opposite mating housing member whereby the conductors of said cable are entrapped and engaged by said tines;
• a plurality of grooves in the mating face of one of said mating housing members, each groove adapted to frictionally engage respective arms of said contacts;
• and
• a slot in the other of said mating housing members closely adjacent the pivotal attachment to said contact block for through passage of said cable whereby said connector is attached intermediate the ends of said cable in daisy chain fashion.