Electrical connectors and methods of manufacturing and using same

A connector for electrically-conductive wires, the connector comprising:

• an electrically-conductive first spiral being twistable from a relaxed configuration having a relaxed diameter to a tightened configuration having a tightened diameter that is smaller than the relaxed diameter;
• and
• an electrically-insulating first housing adapted to receive electrically-conductive wire extending into the first spiral through a first housing port, the first housing comprising multiple housing portions connected to different regions of the first spiral so that relative rotation of the multiple housing portions tightens the first spiral into said tightened configuration so that the first spiral electrically connects to the wire;
• and
• wherein the first housing further comprises a latch adapted to prevent said multiple housing portions from rotating in an opposite direction to relax the spiral to the relaxed configuration, and wherein the latch comprises cooperating axially-extending ratchet teeth on said multiple portions of the first housing that engage to retain the first spiral in a tightened configuration, wherein, when said multiple portions of the first housing move apart a distance relative to each other in an axial direction, said ratchet teeth stay engaged to retain the first spiral in tightened configuration.