EP0107288A1 — Electrical connector assembly for terminating fla…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 239 words

An electrical connector assembly for use in terminating shielded electrical cable (100) of the type comprising a plurality of conductors (101, 102) arranged in a spaced, parallel, planar array in a sheet of insulating material, certain (102) of the conductors, in use, constituting ground conductors positioned betwen signal conductors (101) in the array, the assembly comprising a first connector (1) comprising a housing (2) of insulating material carrying a plurality of contacts (3, 4) for connection to respective conductors (101, 102) of a cable (100), and a second connector (10) comprising a housing (11) of insulating material carrying a plurality of contacts (12) mateable with the contacts (3, 4) of the first connector (1) when the connectors (1, lO) are mated, and having portions (13) connectable to other external circuitry (200, 201), characterised in that contacts (12) in the housing (11) of the second connector (10) are separated by shielding plates (30) each formed of conductive material and having a layer (31) of insulating material on both major surfaces, the shielding plates (30) being adapted for mating with contacts (4) of the first connector (1) to be connected to ground conductors (102) of the cable (100), and being interconnected in the second connector (10) by a ground bus member (18) carried by the housing (11) of the second connector (10), at least one of the shielding plates (30) having a portion (34) connectable to other external circuitry (202, 202).

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 239 words

An electrical connector assembly for use in terminating shielded electrical cable (100) of the type comprising a plurality of conductors (101, 102) arranged in a spaced, parallel, planar array in a sheet of insulating material, certain (102) of the conductors, in use, constituting ground conductors positioned betwen signal conductors (101) in the array, the assembly comprising a first connector (1) comprising a housing (2) of insulating material carrying a plurality of contacts (3, 4) for connection to respective conductors (101, 102) of a cable (100), and a second connector (10) comprising a housing (11) of insulating material carrying a plurality of contacts (12) mateable with the contacts (3, 4) of the first connector (1) when the connectors (1, lO) are mated, and having portions (13) connectable to other external circuitry (200, 201), characterised in that contacts (12) in the housing (11) of the second connector (10) are separated by shielding plates (30) each formed of conductive material and having a layer (31) of insulating material on both major surfaces, the shielding plates (30) being adapted for mating with contacts (4) of the first connector (1) to be connected to ground conductors (102) of the cable (100), and being interconnected in the second connector (10) by a ground bus member (18) carried by the housing (11) of the second connector (10), at least one of the shielding plates (30) having a portion (34) connectable to other external circuitry (202, 202).

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 80 words

A connector assembly as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the portions of the contacts (12) of the second connector (10) and of the shielding plates (30) connectable to other external circuitry are pin portions (13, 34) projecting from the housing (11) of the second connector (10), the ground bus (18) member having a planar portion (19) formed with a plurality of holes (22) through which the pin portions (13) of the contacts (12) project in electrically isolated manner.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 75 words

A connector assembly as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the pin portions (13) of the contacts (12) of the second connector (10) are offset from the mating portions (14) of the contacts (12) such that the pin portions (13) of the contacts (12) of pairs of adjacent contacts (12) lie in line in a plane parallel to and between the planes containing the mating portions (14) of the contacts (12) of the pair.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 43 words

A connector assembly as claimed in Claim l, Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised in that the shielding plates (30) are formed with slots (32) w lich engage over supported portions (20) of the ground bus member (18) to establish electrical connections thereto.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 49 words

A connector assembly as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3 or Claim 4, characterised in that each shielding plate (30) is formed with a slot (35) to receive a mating contact (4) of the first connector (1) when the first and second connectors (1, 10) are mated.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 90 words

A connector assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the housing (11) of the second connector (10) is formed of two parts (15, 24) secured together to define a cavity to receive a mating portion of the first connector (1), the shielding plates (30) having tab portions (27, 33) received in slots (26, 23) in the two parts (24, 15) of the housing (11) thereby to secure the shielding plates (30) in the housing (11) in spaced parallel planes between contacts (12) of the second connector (10).

Electrical connector assembly for terminating flat shielded electrical cable

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