Dielectric shield for plug-in contacts

Claim 1

A conductor assembly for electrically joining the adjacent spaced ends of first and second annular shaped conductors of substantially equal diameter surrounded by an annular shaped conductive housing comprising: a first annular shaped hollow conductive shell having a diameter less than the diameter of said first and second conductors; a plurality of elongated contact fingers being axially arranged at spaced intervals about the interior of said first shell; means provided along the interior of said first shell and engaging said first shell and said contact fingers for maintaining each of said contact fingers at spaced intervals around the inner periphery of said first shell and for urging each of said fingers inwardly and away from the interior surface of said shell; a second annular shaped shell of a diameter less than the diameter of said first shell being substantially coaxially aligned with said first shell and being positioned within said first shell and surrounded by said contact fingers to limit the inward movement of all of said contact fingers toward the longitudinal axis of said second shell and thereby maintain said first and second shells and said contact fingers in their relative positions without the need for conventional fastening means; said contact fingers each having a pair of inwardly directed contact portions at each of their free ends, the inner ends of said portions abutting the opposing ends of said second shell to limit the linear movement of said contact fingers relative to said second shell, said contact portions extending inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said second shell and beyond the inner surface of said second shell; each of the adjacent ends of said first and second conductors having an axial conductive projection of reduced diameter for engaging the conductive surfaces at associated free ends of each of said contact fingers; a first one of said projections having an annular groove for receiving and seating the associated contact surfaces at one free end of said contact fingers to substantially prevent linear movement of said contact fingers relative to said annular groove while the remaining contact surfaces make sliding engagement with their associated projection to maintain good electrical engagement therebetween while enabling relative movement between said first and second conductors; said first shell being positioned to overlap at least a portion of each of said projections to provide good dielectric shielding for the region between said first and second conductors regardless of any movement of said first and second conductors.