Grounding system for IC cards

Claim 1

A grounding system for an electrical connector assembly which receives an IC card, the IC card including a receptacle connector at a front insertion end of the card and a receptacle grounding shield on a top surface of the receptacle connector, the grounding system comprising: a header connector including a dielectric connector housing into which at least the front insertion end of the IC card is inserted, and a plurality of terminals mounted in the connector housing having pin portions for mating to corresponding terminals in the IC card, and a grounding shroud generally extending over the pin portions of said terminals and including a main body plate having a plurality of ground contact portions formed therein for engaging corresponding contacts on the receptacle grounding shield of the IC card, each ground contact portion comprising a generally C-shaped spring arm having opposite ends of the C integrally joined to the shroud and the portion of the spring arm between the ends being formed downwardly for engaging a contact of the receptacle grounding shield, wherein each of said C-shaped spring arms is stamped out of an opening in the main body plate and said ends of each spring arm are integrally joined at opposite edges of the opening and wherein adjacent spring arms are mirror-image C-shapes such that the opening of the C-shape of one spring arm faces the opening of the C-shape of an adjacent spring arm, whereby, upon engaging the contact of the receptacle grounding shield, the C shape of the spring arms causes the ground contact portions to deflect about two separate axes.