Electrical connector assembly

Claim 2

An electrical connector assembly, comprising: an insulative housing having an interconnection end and an opposed contact receiving end, the housing further including an upper surface and a pair of spaced apart side surfaces depending from the upper surface; at least one contact member supported within said housing, said contact member being insertably positioned in the housing through said contact receiving end; and a one-piece conductive shield being positioned in partial circumscribing relation about said housing, the shield having a pair of side shield extents overlying the side surfaces of the housing, said shield further including an upper shield extent comprising a pair of longitudinally separated shield portions and forming a parting line therebetween, the pair of shield portions together substantially overlying the upper surface of the housing, said side shield extents and housing sidewalls having first cooperating interlocking members for preventing relative movement between said housing and said shield along a longitudinal direction of the housing, each of said upper shield extent shield portions and housing upper surface including second cooperating interlocking members for preventing relative transverse movement of said shield portions along the parting line.

Claim 3

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said at lease one projection includes a ramped surface for facilitating placement of said shield on said housing.

Claim 4

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the first cooperating interlocking members comprise at least one projection extending from the side surface of the housing and wherein said shield side extent includes a mating recess for receiving said at least one projection.

Claim 5

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the shield portions include an inwardly deflected cantilevered finger portion and wherein said housing upper surface includes finger engaging members for engagement with said finger portions to lockingly engage said shield to said housing.

Claim 6

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said finger engaging members include a slot in the upper surface of the housing having upstanding sidewalls, said cantilevered finger portions engaging the sidewalls to lockingly engage said shield to said housing.

Claim 7

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said shield includes a front face from which the upper shield extend portions and side shield extents extend from and said front face defining an opening permitting access to said interconnection end of said housing.

Claim 8

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein said front face includes a pair of transversely opposed cantilevered shield contacts extending into said interconnection end of said housing for electrical engagement with shield portions of a mating electrical connector upon interconnection therewith.

Claim 9

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the shield further includes a rear shield extent substantially overlying said termination end of said housing.

Claim 10

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the shield further includes at least one leg extending downwardly from each of said side shield extents for lockingly engaging said connector to a printed circuit board.

Claim 11

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the first cooperating interlocking members and second cooperating interlocking members are of different construction.

Claim 12

An electrical connector assembly, comprising: an insulative housing, said housing including an upper surface, two side surfaces depending downwardly from said upper surface, a front interconnection end, an opposed rear end and a bottom surface; at least one electrical contact supported by said insulative housing, the contact having a connection end supported adjacent the housing interconnection end and a terminating end extending beyond said housing; and a conductive shield being positioned in partial circumscribing relation about said housing, said shield including a front face from which depends at least opposed sidewalls overlying said housing side surfaces and an upper shield extent substantially overlying the housing upper surface and being formed in a pair of longitudinally separated shield portions and forming a parting line therebetween, each of the shield portions and upper surface of said housing including cooperating interlocking members, the cooperating interlocking members comprising inwardly deflected cantilevered fingers on said shield portions and finger engaging members on said upper surface of said housing to lockingly engage said shield portions to said housing and prevent relative transverse movement of said shield portions with respect to each other along the parting line.

Claim 13

An electrical connector assembly, comprising: an insulative housing, said housing including an upper surface, two side surfaces depending downwardly from said upper surface, a front interconnection end, an opposed rear end and a bottom surface; at least one electrical contact supported by said insulative housing, the contact having a connection end supported adjacent the housing interconnection end and a terminating end extending beyond said housing; and a conductive shield being positioned in partial circumscribing relation about said housing, said shield including a front face from which depends at least opposed sidewalls overlying said housing side surfaces and an upper shield extent substantially overlying the housing upper surface and being formed in a pair of longitudinally separated shield portions and forming a parting line therebetween, each of the shield portions and upper surface of said housing including cooperating interlocking members, the cooperating interlocking members comprising inwardly deflected cantilevered fingers on said shield portions and finger engaging members on said upper surface of said housing to lockingly engage said shield portions to said housing and prevent relative transverse movement of said shield portions with respect to each other along the parting line.

Claim 14

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 11, further comprising locking members associated with each of said shield sidewalls and said housing sidewalls for lockingly engaging said shield sidewalls to said housing sidewalls.

Claim 15

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said front face defines an opening permitting access to said interconnection end of said housing.

Claim 16

An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein said front face includes a pair of transversely opposed cantilevered shield contacts extending into said interconnection end of said housing for electrical engagement with shield portions of a mating electrical connector upon interconnection therewith.