Receptacle assembly with both insulation displacement connector bussing and friction connector coupling of power conductors to surge suppressor circuit

A method of making a power receptacle assembly, comprising the steps of:

• (a) attaching three slotted male tab friction fit connectors to a printed circuit board having thereon a circuit that interacts with three insulated power conductors, each slotted male tab friction fit connector having a slot separating two bifurcated prongs;
• (b) mechanically and electrically connecting the three power conductors to a plurality of female power receptacles by placing the power conductors on three insulation displacement connectors, respectively, of the female power receptacle and pressing them into knife edge slots of the insulation displacement connectors by means of a snap-on retainer so that knife edges of the three insulation displacement connectors displace insulation of and electrically contact the three power conductors, respectively;
• and
• (c) mechanically and electrically connecting the printed circuit board to the three power conductors by inserting the three slotted male tab friction fit connectors into connector-receiving slots of the snap-on retainer so that outer edges of the prongs frictionally contact inner contact surfaces of the three insulation displacement connectors and the three power conductors pass through the slots of the three slotted male tab friction fit connectors.

A power receptacle assembly comprising in combination:

• (a) a female receptacle including a base containing three insulation displacement connectors each electrically connected to a separate female receptacle connector element, and each having a knife edge slot, the female receptacle also including a snap-on retainer, the snap-on retainer having three connector-receiving slots;
• (b) three insulated wires, each having an inner power conductor, pressed by the snap-on retainer into the three knife edge slots, respectively, causing knife edges of the knife edge slots to displace insulation of the three insulated wires and contact the three power conductors, respectively;
• and
• (c) three slotted male tab friction fit connectors connected to a circuit that interacts with the three power conductors, each slotted male tab friction fit connector having an elongated slot separating two bifurcated prongs, outer edges of each pair of prongs frictionally engaging a pair of inner contact surfaces of a separate insulation displacement connector, respectively, the three insulated wires extending through the elongated slots, respectively.