Cable for electrical power connection

1. An electrical cable assembly comprising:

a plurality of stranded electrically conductive fibers of wire extending from a first end to a second end;

an electrical insulator surrounding the plurality of strands of wire, such that each of the first and second ends extends out from the electrical insulator, wherein the fibers of wire of at least the first end are fused to each other so as to define a solidified shape having at least one keyed surface;

a first electrically conductive contact member comprising at least one contact surface in surface contact with the at least one keyed surface of the solidified shape;

a first electrically conductive arm in electrical contact with the first electrically conductive contact member; and

a second electrically conductive arm that cooperates with the first electrically conductive arm to define a receptacle.

2. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one contact surface is in electrical communication with a mating member, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the first end and the mating member.

3. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein the at least one keyed surface is fused to the at least one contact surface.

4. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 2 , further comprising an electrically insulative material that surrounds at least a portion of the electrical insulator, surrounds the first end, and further surrounds the contact surface.

5. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 2 , further comprising an electrically conductive plate that defines the mounting member and the at least one contact surface.

6. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein the shaped first end defines a first centerline with respect to a lateral direction that is perpendicular to both the forward direction and the upward direction, the cable assembly further comprises a contact member that defines the contact surface, the contact member defining a second centerline with respect to the lateral direction, and the first and second centerlines are offset from each other along the lateral direction.

7. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one keyed surface is a flat surface.

8. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein the at least one contact surface is a flat surface.

9. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stranded electrically conductive fibers of wire are braided with each other between the first end and a second end.

10. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an electrically insulative housing that surrounds the mating member and is configured to be mounted onto a panel.

11. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 10 , wherein the mating member is configured to be inserted into a channel of the housing along a forward direction, and the mating member comprises at least one latch arm that is configured to interfere with the housing so as to prevent removal of the mating member from the housing along a rearward direction opposite the forward direction.

12. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 10 , wherein the housing comprises a housing body and a latch member rotatably supported by the housing body about a pivot axis so as to couple the latch member to a complementary electrical device.

13. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 12 , wherein the housing further defines an anti-rotation wall that is configured to be inserted into a slot defined by the complementary electrical device so as to limit rotation of the housing body about an axis that extends through at least one or both of the aperture of the complementary electrical device and the head.

14. The electrical assembly as recited in claim 13 , wherein the complementary electrical device comprises a power rail, the electrical assembly further comprising an electrically conductive substrate, wherein the power rail is configured to be mounted to the electrically conductive substrate.

15. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibers of wire are ultrasonically bonded, welded, or soldered to each other at the at least one of the first and second ends so as to fuse the fibers of wire to each other at the at least one of the first and second ends.

16. The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the solidified shape is configured to only allow surface contact between the at least one keyed surface and the at least one contact surface if the solidified shape is in one or more predetermined orientations relative to the at least one contact surface.

17. An electrical cable assembly comprising:

a plurality of stranded electrically conductive fibers of wire extending from a first end to a second end;

an electrical insulator surrounding the plurality of strands of wire, such that each of the

first and second ends extends out from the electrical insulator, wherein the fibers of wire of at least one of the first and second ends are shaped so as to define at least one keyed surface, and fused to each other while shaped so as to define a solidified shape having the at least one keyed surface, prior to electrically connecting the at least one of the first and second ends to a mating member or mounting member, respectively;

first and second electrically conductive arms that cooperate with each other so as to define the receptacle of the mating member; and

an electrically conductive shroud having first and second shroud arms that are disposed adjacent and outboard the first and second electrically conductive arms, respectively, such that each of the first and second electrically conductive arms is disposed between the first and second shroud arms.

18. The electrical cable assembly as recited in claim 17 , wherein the electrically conductive shroud comprises first and second shroud members that are separate from each other, wherein each of the first and second shroud members includes first and second shroud arms that are disposed adjacent and outboard the first and second electrically conductive arms, respectively, such that each of the first and second electrically conductive arms is disposed between the first and second shroud arms.

19. An electrical cable assembly comprising:

a plurality of stranded electrically conductive fibers of wire extending from a first end to a second end;

an electrical insulator surrounding the plurality of strands of wire, such that each of the first and second ends extends out from the electrical insulator, wherein the fibers of wire of at least one of the first and second ends are fused to each other so as to define a rectangular tab having a first flat surface and a second flat surface opposed to the first flat surface;

a first conductive contact member comprising:

a first contact surface, wherein the first flat surface of the rectangular tab is in surface contact with the first contact surface of the first conductive contact member; and

a second contact surface, wherein the second flat surface of the rectangular tab is in surface contact with the second contact surface of the first conductive contact member; and

at least one electrically conductive arm in electrical contact with the first and second electrically conductive contact member.

20. The electrical cable assembly of claim 19 , wherein:

the rectangular tab is a first rectangular tab;

the first conductive contact member comprises a second rectangular tab;

the second conductive contact member comprises a third rectangular tab; and

the first rectangular tab is located between the second rectangular tab and the third rectangular tab.