Electrical tap connector

A method of connecting at least one tap wire to at least one through wire in an electrical tap connector assembly, comprising the steps of:

• providing a dielectric housing body with a wire slot for receiving the tap wire, a through wire passage for receiving the through wire and a terminal-receiving cavity extending in a direction transverse to the wire slot and the through wire passage;
• providing a terminal with a first insulation displacement portion for connection to the tap wire and a second insulation displacement portion for connection to the through wire;
• positioning the terminal in the terminal-receiving cavity with the first insulation displacement end intersecting the wire slot and the second insulation displacement end intersecting the through wire passage;
• inserting the tap wire into said wire slot;
• moving the terminal from a first position allowing said insertion of the tap wire into the wire slot to a final position terminating the first insulation displacement portion with the tap wire without the second insulation displacement portion terminating the through wire;
• inserting the through wire in said wire passage;
• mounting a housing closure on the housing body in a preliminary shipping position for shipment of the assembly to a remote location whereat the through wire can be terminated to the second insulation displacement portion of the terminal.

An electrical tap connector assembly for connecting at least one tap wire to at least one through wire, comprising:

• a dielectric housing body having a wire slot for receiving the tap wire, a through wire passage for receiving the through wire and a terminal receiving cavity extending in a direction transverse to one of the wire slot and the through wire passage;
• a terminal having a first insulation displacement portion for connection to the tap wire and a second insulation displacement portion for connection to the through wire, the terminal being positionable in the terminal-receiving cavity with the first insulation displacement portion intersecting the wire slot and the second insulation displacement portion intersecting the through wire passage, and a flat surface on the terminal for engagement to drive the terminal into a final position in the terminal-receiving cavity;
• complementary interengaging stops between the terminal and the housing body to define said final position of the terminal;
• strain relief means on the housing body remote from the wire slot for receiving a length of the tap wire spaced from the wire slot;
• and
• a dielectric housing closure mountable on the housing body and engageable with the through wire in the through wire passage in the housing body for driving the through wire into insulation displacement termination with the second insulation displacement portion of the terminal.