Shielded plug and jack connector

Claim 1

A plug and cable combination, comprising: a plug including, a housing assembly including a front housing part and a rear housing part separate from said front housing part; said front housing part having top, bottom and side walls defining a front interior cavity portion and a plurality of contact-receiving slots formed in said bottom wall communicating with said front interior cavity portion for receiving flat contact terminals; said rear housing part defining a rear interior cavity portion; and interference shielding means extending around the circumference of at least said front housing part over the exterior of said top, bottom and side walls thereof for attenuating interference radiation into and out from said plug; a cable including an outer jacket and a plurality of conductors enclosed within said outer jacket and having exposed portions extending beyond an end region of said jacket, said exposed conductor portions being situated within said front interior cavity portion in alignment with respective said contact-receiving slots, and said end region of said jacket being situated within said rear interior cavity portion; said interference shielding means surrounding at least some of said exposed conductor portions, said cable further including a conductive shield sheath situated between said jacket and said conductors and surrounding said conductors, said combination further including means for electrically coupling said interference shielding means and said cable shield sheath, said interference shielding means adapted to electrically engage an electrically grounded conductive part of a jack upon insertion of said plug into the jack to electrically ground said cable shield sheath. said shield sheath including a portion which is exposed in the area of the exterior of said jacket end region, said coupling means including an electrically conductive ferrule-like member surrounding said jacket end region and electrically engaging said exposed portion of said cable shield sheath, said interference shielding means being in electrical engagement with said ferrule-like member, and said means for extending around the circumference of said front housing part comprising a shield sleeve formed of conductive sheet metal having an extension strip which is one piece with said shield sleeve and which extends into said rear interior cavity portion and electrically engages said ferrule-like member.