EP0769828A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fully insulated, fully shielded electrical connector arrangement
Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc
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Filing: 1995-05-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-05-24
Abstract
Abstract A shielded electrical connector (2) having an elongated annular housing (4) 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 (10) composed of an electrically insulative material is positioned inside said annular housing and includes a plurality of electrically conductive signal contacts (12) positioned therein so as to be completely surrounded by, yet spaced a distance away from, the inside surface of the housing (14). An elongated annular electrically conductive shield (8) having inner and outer sides is positioned in the housing so as to be disposed between its inside surface and said signal contacts. The elongated shield (8) has a proximal end adapted for being coupled to a common shield associated with a plurality of signal conductors (18) and a distal end extending in the direction of and being in direct annular contact with the front end (5) of the housing (4), yet stopping short of the front end of the housing and having a contact portion (14) on the inside surface of the shield which is spaced a predetermined distance away from the front end of the housing. The contact portion (14) of the inside surface of the shield (8) is adapted for making electrical contact with a shield of a mating multi-conductor connector (22) so as to provide an effectively continuous conductive shield which completely surrounds the electrically conductive signal contacts (12).
Inventors
- 👤 Helen Connelly Crouse
- 👤 Edwin Muz
- 👤 Bernd Rosenfeldt
- 👤 Thomas K. Naylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 10:04
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/648; H01R13/658; H01R13/6581; H01R13/6585; H01R13/6591; H01R13/6592; H01R13/6593; H01R13/6582; H01R13/6583; H01R13/6584
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
513 words
An electrical connector arrangement for defining a first connector (2 or 22), comprising: an elongated annular housing portion (4) composed of an electrically insulative material for forming an elongated structure for said first connector and at least a portion of a grasp for a user of said first connector, said housing portion (4) having outside and inside surfaces and front (5) and rear ends for defining said first connector; a contact holding portion (10) composed of an electrically insulative material positioned inside said annular housing portion (4), said contact holding portion (10) including a plurality of electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) of a given length positioned therein in a longitudinal direction of said housing portion (4) so as to be completely surrounded by, yet spaced a distance away from, the inside surface of said housing portion (4), with a proximal end of each of said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) adapted for being coupled to a respective one of a plurality of signal conductors having a common shield associated therewith, and a distal end of each of said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) extending in the direction of, but stopping a given distance short of, the front (5) end of said housing portion (4); and an elongated annular electrically conductive shield (8) having inner and outer sides, disposed between the outside surface of said housing portion (4) and said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) so as to surround, yet be spaced away from, said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26), said elongated shield (8) having a proximal end adapted for being connected to said common shield associated with the plurality of signal conductors (18) and a distal end portion extending in the direction of the front (5) end of said housing portion (4) a predetermined distance past the distal end of said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26), CHARACTERIZED IN THAT : said extending of said shield in the direction of the front end (5) of the housing portion (4) stops short of the front end (5) of said housing portion (4), with the front end (5) of said housing portion (4) being in direct annular contact with the outer side of the distal end portion of said elongated shield (8) so that said housing portion (4) provides both a firm support for the distal end portion of said elongated shield (8), and a continuous insulation covering said elongated shield (8) for preventing a user of said first connector from touching said elongated shield (8), and further characterized in that the front end portion of said shield includes on it's inside surface a contact portion (14) that is spaced a predetermined distance away from the front end (5) of said housing (4) and is adapted to make electrical contact with a contact portion on an outside surface of a shield of a mating multi-conductor second connector (22 or 2) so as to provide an effectively continuous conductive shield which completely surrounds said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) over their given length.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
37 words
The connector arrangement of claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said contact portion (14) includes an annular-shaped depression (35) formed therein adapted to make a frictional latch-like electrical contact (35/27) with the shield of the mating multi-conductor connector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The connector arrangement of claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) comprise pin terminals (12).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The connector arrangement of claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26) comprise socket terminals (26).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The connector arrangement of claim 2, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said annular-shaped depression (35) is adapted to make electrical contact with at least one tab-like protrusion (27) of the shield (24) of said mating connector, thereby completing said frictional spring-like contact for connection to the shield of said mating connector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The connector arrangement of claim 3, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said contact portion (14) is located in that portion of said shield that extends a predetermined distance past the distal end of said electrically conductive signal contacts (12),
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The connector arrangement of claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said shield (8) is insert molded with said housing portion (14) so that the inside surface of said housing portion insulates the shield over substantially the given length of the electrically conductive signal contacts (12 or 26).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
330 words
The connector arrangement of claim 1, FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY a second connector (22) for mating with said first connector (2), said second connector comprising: an elongated annular housing portion (28,36,38,40,42) composed of an electrically insulative material for forming outer and inner surfaces and front and rear ends for defining said second connector (22); a contact holding portion (32) composed of an electrically insulative material positioned inside said annular housing portion (28), said contact holding portion (32) including a plurality of electrically conductive signal contacts (26) of a given length positioned therein in an axial direction of said housing portion so as to be completely surrounded by, yet spaced a distance away from, the inside surface of said housing, with a distal end of each of said electrically conductive signal contacts (26) extending in the direction of, but stopping a given distance short of, the front end of said housing, with the housing portions (4,28), contact holding portions (10,32) and the electrically conductive signal contacts (12,26) of said first and second connectors (2,22) being dimensioned so as to make a physical and electrical mating connection therebetween; and an elongated annular electrically conductive shield (24) disposed in a space (30) between the inside surface of said housing and said electrically conductive signal contacts (26) so as to surround, yet be spaced away from, said electrically conductive signal contacts (26), said elongated shield (24) having a proximal end connected to a common shield associated with the plurality of signal conductors and a distal end portion extending in the direction of said front end of said housing, the distal end portion of said shield (24) including at least one curved tab-like protrusion (27) which extends into said space (30) and is shaped so as to correspond with the shape of the contact portion (14) in the elongated shield (8) of said first connector (2) for thereby making electrical connection to said contact portion (14) of in the shield (8) of the first connector (2).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The connector arrangement of claim 8, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said contact portion (14) of said first connector (2) includes an annular-shaped depression (35) formed therein, and said curved tab-like protrusion (27) of said second connector (22) forms a frictional spring-like latch useful for thereby making a physical and electrical connection between said first and second connectors (2,22).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
137 words
The connector arrangement of claim 8, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the shield (24) of said second connector (22) comprises a plurality of said curved tab-like protrusions (27) circumferentially arranged in said space (30) about said electrically conductive signal contacts (26), and in that said space (30) is dimensioned so as to receive therein the front end (5) of the housing portion (4) of said first connector (2), thereby allowing the tab-like protrusions (27) of the shield (24) of said second connector (22) to make a circumferential connection to the contact portion (14) in the shield (8) of said first connector (2), thereby providing for continuity of the electrically conductive shields (8,24) of the first and second connectors when they are connected together, in a manner which also prevents a user of the connectors from touching their respective shields.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The connector arrangement of claim 8, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said grasp comprises a portion of said housing (4) having an overmold (21) thereon of a material which is softer than the material composing the housing portion (4).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The connector arrangement of claim 8, FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said first connector (2) is a plug-type connector and said second connector (22) is a mating socket-type connector.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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