Fully insulated, fully shielded electrical connector arrangment.

摘要

A shielded electrical connector having an elongated annular housing composed of an electrically insulative material molded so as to form an elongated structure for the connector and at least a portion of a grasp for a user of said connector. The housing defines outside and inside surfaces and front and rear ends for said connector. A contact holding portion composed of an electrically insulative material is positioned inside said annular housing and includes a plurality of electrically conductive signal contacts positioned therein so as to be completely surrounded by, yet spaced a distance away from, the inside surface of the housing. An elongated annular electrically conductive shield having inner and outer sides is insert molded with the housing so as to be disposed between its outside and inside surfaces. The elongated shield has a proximal end adapted for being coupled to a common shield associated with the plurality of signal conductors and a distal end extending to and encapsulated by the front end of the housing, yet the front end of the housing leaving an un-encapsulated portion of the inside surface of the shield which is spaced a predetermined distance away from the front end of the housing. The un-encapsulated portion of the inside surface of the shield is adapted for making electrical contact with a shield of a mating multi-conductor connector so as to provide an effectively continuous conductive shield which completely surrounds the electrically conductive signal contacts.