Circumferential grounding and shielding spring for an electrical connector

An electrical connector comprising:

• a pair of mating electrical connector members having telescopically assembled conductive shells providing adjacent circumferential surfaces;
• a continuous groove of predetermined axial dimension in one of said surfaces;
• and
• a shielding and grounding device mounted in said groove, said device comprising:
• a ring portion extending substantially continuously around said groove, said ring portion having an axial dimension less than said predetermined axial dimension, said ring portion having opposite edges;
• a first set of spaced fingers integral with one of said edges of said ring portion and extending axially therefrom within said groove;
• and
• a second set of spaced fingers integral with the other of said edges of said ring portion and folded substantially 180.degree. against said ring portion so as to extend axially in the same direction as said fingers of said first set, said fingers of said first set being spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the width of the fingers in said second set, said first and second finger sets interleaving to minimize the circumferential clearance between adjacant fingers to form a continuous bracelet within said groove, said fingers engaging said circumferential surfaces of said shells.

An electrical connector comprising:

• a pair of mating electrical connector members having telescopically assembled conductive shells providing adjacent circumferential inner and outer surfaces;
• a continuous circumferential groove in said outer surface;
• and
• a shielding and grounding device mounted in said groove, said device comprising:
• a ring portion in said groove, said ring portion having opposite circumferential edges;
• a plurality of integral, resilient fingers extending axially in the same direction in said groove from said ring portion, said fingers being immediately adjacent to each other so that there is essentially no space between said fingers;
• alternative ones of said fingers being joined to one of said edges while the remaining fingers are joined to the other of said edges;
• said fingers electrically engaging said outer surface.