Electrical connector having an improved connector shield and a multi-purpose strain relief
First Claim
1. An electrical connector for terminating discrete conductors of a multi-conductor cable comprising:
- at least one insulative contact support member;
a plurality of electrical contacts supported by the contact support member, each of the contacts having a connecting end and insulation displacement termination end portions for electrical connection with the conductors of one of said cables;
at least one dressing block including receiving openings therein for said conductors, the dressing block guiding and moving the conductors into engagement with insulation displacement termination end portions of said contacts; and
an electrically conductive shield member for supporting therein said at least one contact support member, said shield member comprising at least an outer housing formed of walls which completely surround a portion of said contacts and a cross member formed within and integral with said outer housing, said cross member having a horizontal extent for supporting at least a portion of said contact support member thereon and a vertical extent, said horizontal extent and said vertical extent providing for shielding both horizontally and vertically between at least a portion of two contacts separated by said cross member, said cross member extending a distance rearwardly past the at least one of dressing block to provide shielding between a length of at least two of the discrete conductors of the multi-conductor cable separated by said cross member.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical connector having an improved connector shield and a multi-purpose strain relief includes an electrically insulative contact support member having a rearward cable termination end and a plurality of electrical contacts positioned on the support member forward of the termination end. An electrically conductive contact shield housing having an outer and inner walls surrounds the contact support member and extends rearward beyond the electrical contacts to shield both the contacts and the discrete conductors of a multi-conductor cable. The connector includes an electrically conductive strain relief device comprised of mirrored strain relief members which are in electrical communication with the shield housing and the cable ground thereby providing a ground path between the cable ground and the contact shield housing.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electrical connector for terminating discrete conductors of a multi-conductor cable comprising:
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at least one insulative contact support member;
a plurality of electrical contacts supported by the contact support member, each of the contacts having a connecting end and insulation displacement termination end portions for electrical connection with the conductors of one of said cables;
at least one dressing block including receiving openings therein for said conductors, the dressing block guiding and moving the conductors into engagement with insulation displacement termination end portions of said contacts; and
an electrically conductive shield member for supporting therein said at least one contact support member, said shield member comprising at least an outer housing formed of walls which completely surround a portion of said contacts and a cross member formed within and integral with said outer housing, said cross member having a horizontal extent for supporting at least a portion of said contact support member thereon and a vertical extent, said horizontal extent and said vertical extent providing for shielding both horizontally and vertically between at least a portion of two contacts separated by said cross member, said cross member extending a distance rearwardly past the at least one of dressing block to provide shielding between a length of at least two of the discrete conductors of the multi-conductor cable separated by said cross member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for connecting discrete conductors of a first multi-conductor cable to discrete conductors of a second multi-conductor cable to form a signal path through a data connector assembly comprising the steps of:
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providing a data connector assembly comprising a plug and a jack, each of said plug and said jack including at least one electrically insulative contact support member;
supporting a plurality of electrical contacts on said at least one contact support member, said contacts having a connection end and a conductor termination end portion;
connecting discrete conductors of said first multi-conductor cable to said conductor termination end portion of said plug;
connecting discrete conductors of said second multi-conductor cable to said conductor termination end portion of said jack;
inserting said at least one contact support member along a longitudinal axis into an electrically conductive shield member of said plug and said jack, each of said shield members of said plug and said jack including a connection end and a conductor termination end said shield member comprising at least two outer walls and a cross member formed between and integral with said at least two outer walls, said cross member having a horizontal extent and a vertical extent for shielding both horizontally and vertically between the conductor termination end portion of at least two contacts separated by an extent of said cross member, said cross member extending rearwardly beyond said conductor termination end portion to separate and shield between at least a portion of two of the discrete conductors of the multi-conductor cable, wherein at least a portion of one of said horizontal and vertical shield extents of the cross member extends from the connection end to the conductor termination end; and
mechanically coupling said plug and said jack together so that said electrical contact connection end of said plug electrically mates with the electrical contact connection end of said jack. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification