Electrical connector for a shielded cable

Claim 1

A connector for a cable of the type having a plurality of conductors and a shield comprising: a dielectric housing with an array of openings for receiving the ends of each of the conductors; a shielding member formed of electrically conductive material in the shape of a substantially rectangular annular can, said shielding member surrounding the dielectric housing and being electrically connectable to the shield of the cable; a dielectric casing surrounding the shielding member to form a plug-like terminal of a substantially rectangular cross-section shape along a major portion of its length, the interior of the casing having a substantially rectangular recess for receiving said shielding member; a resilient latch pivotally mounted to the exterior of the casing; a cutout formed on one surface of the dielectric casing to expose a portion of one of the annular rectangular sides of the shielding member; a receptacle having a substantially rectangular recess for receiving the terminal, said receptacle further including a latch camming surface and an abutment surface; a ground connection contact mounted on an inner surface within the recess of the receptacle and projecting into the volume of said recess, said ground connection contact being in a position registrable with the cutout formed in the casing when the terminal is fully inserted into the receptacle; movement of the terminal into the recess of the receptacle causing the latch to engage the camming surface and to pivot with respect to the terminal casing to facilitate introduction of the terminal into the receptacle, the latch upon clearing the camming surface resiliently snapping into latched engagement against the abutment surface of the receptacle to hold the terminal in a locked position within the receptacle recess, said locked position being the position where the ground connection contact is registrable with the cutout formed in the casing so that the ground connection contact is in electrical engagement with the portion of the shielding member exposed by said cutout whereby at said locked position the shielding member portion exposed by said cutout is located entirely within the recess of the receptacle and said electrical engagement is achieved completely within the recess of the receptacle.