Solderless universal outlet

A method of making an electrical receptacle comprising the steps of:

• forming an electrical receptacle body face part of electrical insulating material;
• forming first and second spaced, parallel, elongated prong-receiving slots in said face part;
• forming first and second wire-receiving grooves in the sides of said face part, both grooves being substantially perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the prong-receiving slots, and the first groove intersecting the first slot and the second groove intersecting the second slot;
• forming an electrical receptacle body rear part of electrical insulating material, with a resilient portion thereof;
• and
• providing conductors for making contact with an electrical plug prong inserted into the prong-receiving slots, said conductors-providing step consisting of the substeps of providing first and second conductor wires, each having a bare portion thereof;
• placing the first conductor wire in the first groove with the bare portion thereof at the area of intersection of the first groove and the first slot;
• placing the second conductor wire in the second groove with the bare portion thereof at the intersection of the second groove and the second slot;
• and affixing the electrical receptacle body face and rear part together so that the body rear part resilient portion engages the first and second conductor wire bare portions and biases them to intersecting relationship with the first and second prong-receiving slots, and covers the sides of the face part.

An electrical receptable comprising:

• a receptacle body of electrical insulating material;
• means defining first and second spaced, parallel, elongated prong-receiving slots in said receptacle body;
• first and second conductor wires, each having a bare, uninsulated portion thereof, and each being substantially longer than any dimensions of said body;
• means formed in said receptacle body for receiving said first and second conductor wire bare portions and mounting said first conductor wire bare portion so that it intersects said first prong-receiving slot at an intermediate portion of said slot, and for mounting said second conductor wire bare portion so that it intersects said second prong-receiving slot at an intermediate portion of said slot, and mounting said conductor wires so that said first and second wire conductor bare portions will be directly tangetially engaged by an electrical plug prong when a said prong is inserted into said respective first and second prong-receiving slots;
• resilient biasing means for resiliently biasing said first and second conductor wire bare portions into intersecting relationship with said first and second prong-receiving slots, including a portion of said receptacle body;
• and wherein said receptacle body comprises two parts:
• a face part having the entrances for said means defining said prong-receiving slots formed therein, and having open side portions providing said prong-receiving slots each open along one side thereof;
• and a rear part for receiving said face part and covering the sides thereof, said rear part including a pair of side portions thereof formed as said resilient biasing means, and wherein said rear part is generally U-shaped, and comprises first, second, and third subparts, each of said subparts also being generally U-shaped;
• said first and third subparts being relatively thick and therefore relatively inflexible, and said second subpart being located between said first and third subparts and being relatively thin and therefore relatively flexible, said second subpart forming said resilient biasing means;
• and cooperating tongue-and-groove surface manifestations formed on said rear part first and third subparts, and said face part sides, for cooperation to releasbly hold said face and rear parts together when brought into interengagement.

An electrical receptacle comprising:

• a receptacle body of electrical insulating material;
• means defining first and second spaced, parallel, elongated prong-receiving slots in said receptacle body;
• first and second conductor wires, each having a bare, uninsulated portion thereof, and each being substantially longer than any dimensions of said body;
• means formed in said receptacle body for receptacle body for receiving first and second conductor wire bare portions and mounting said first conductor wire bare portion so that it intersects said first prong-receiving slot at an intermediate portion of said slot, and for mounting said second conductor wire bare portion so that it intersects said second prong-receiving slot at an intermediate portion of said slot, and mounting said conductor wires so that said first and second wire conductor bare portions will be directly tangentially engaged by an electrical plug prong when a said prong is inserted into said respective first and second prong-receiving slots;
• resilient biasing means, including a portion of said receptacle body, for resiliently biasing said first and second conductor wire bare portions into intersecting relationship with said first and second prong-receiving slots;
• and wherein said receptacle body comprises two parts:
• a face part having the entrances for said means defining said prong-receiving slots formed therein, and having open side portions providing said prong-receiving slots each open along one side thereof;
• and a rear part for receiving said face part and covering the sides thereof, said rear part including a pair of side portions thereof formed as said resilient biasing means;
• and wherein said means formed in said receptacle body for receiving said first and second conductor wire bare portions further comprise means defining an open groove in said receptacle body face part along each side thereof, each groove for receipt of one of said first and second conductor wires, and said grooves extending substantially perpendicular to said prong-receiving slots.