Shielded data connector

Claim 1

An electrical connector for electrical interconnection with a shielded multiconductor data cable comprises: an insulative housing means having terminal supporting means including a platform for the receipt of a plurality of electrical terminals, and sidewalls upstanding from the platform, the platform and the sidewalls defining an open upper face of the housing means, a plurality of electrical terminals including base portions for mounting on the platform, the base portions being in transition with reversely bent portions forming resilient contact portions, the contact portions extending rearwardly to free ends of the terminals, the contact portions being intermatable with like contact portions in a complementary connector, the terminals further comprising wire connecting portions extending from ends of the terminal base portions, shield means securable to the housing means, and surrounding the exterior of the sidewalls, the exterior of the platform, and enclosing the open upper face of the housing means, the shield means further comprising semicircular shielding extensions which integrally extend from a rear of the shield means, and a one-piece ferrule having two semicircular portions having at least one collapsible portion interconnecting the two semicircular portions, whereby when the ferrule is slid over an end of the multiconductor data cable and the individual conductors of the multiconductor data cable are terminated to the wire connecting portions of the terminals, and the shield means is enclosed over the insulative housing means, the ferrule can be slid forward to overlie the semicircular shielding extensions, and the collapsible portion of the ferrule can be crimped thereby moving the semicircular portions of the ferrule uniformly radially inward to electrically trap a shielding braid of the data cable in electrical connection with the shield means.