Multi-pin high voltage connector

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising: a plug and a receptacle mateable with each other, each said plug and said receptacle having a housing defining a mating face, each said housing having a plurality of contact passages opening onto said mating face, each said housing having a shroud extending from said mating face including a first closed peripherial wall and a plurality of second walls extending from said mating face within said first wall defining a plurality of adjacent pairs of walls extending normal to each other formingartial individual contact compartments coaxial with and on first and second sides of each respective contact passage, said plug first wall enclosing the receptacle first wall throughout the full peripherial extent of the plug and receptacle when mated, a patterned array of grooves in each said mating face, said grooves being in adjacent pairs extending normal to each other and lying on third and fourth sides of each respective contact passage, each said groove aligned to receive a respective wall of said shroud of the opposite housing, at least one of said adjacent pairs of normally extending walls or grooves being interconnected and an electrical terminal mounted in each said passage projecting from said mating face but not beyond said shroud, whereby in an unmated condition said shrouds substantially enclose each terminal which is recessed within said shrouds making it impossible to make contact with said terminals and in a mated condition said first and second walls interfit with respective grooves of the opposite housing to form an extremely long creepage path for each terminal.