Filtered electrical connector

A transient suppression subassembly for an electrical article, comprising:

• a dielectric substrate member having opposed first and second major sides each having a peripheral region and a central region, and a plurality of peripheral and central apertures extending through said peripheral and central regions of said substrate member from said first major side to said second major side for receiving therethrough respective electrical terminal members, said substrate member having disposed on said first major side a plurality of discrete conductive path means associated with respective said peripheral and central terminal receiving apertures, each said conductive path means having a first path portion adapted to be electrically connected to a respective transient suppression means and a second path portion adapted to be electrically connected to a respective terminal disposed in an associated said terminal receiving aperture;
• ground conductive means comprising first and second ground conductive surfaces associated with said first and second major sides respectively and means for electrically interconnecting said first and second ground conductive surfaces, said ground conductive means being exposed to be electrically engaged by ground means of said electrical article;
• said first ground conductive surface being disposed on said peripheral region of said first major side and electrically isolated from said peripheral terminal receiving apertures and said discrete conductive path means, said first ground conductive surface having first ground portions each associated with and spaced a selected small distance from a respective said first path portion associated with a said peripheral terminal receiving aperture and adapted to be electrically connected to a respective transient suppression means;
• said second ground conductive surface being disposed on and substantially covering said peripheral and central regions of said second major side of said substrate member and electrically isolated from said terminal receiving apertures;
• said ground conductive means including second ground portions disposed on said central region of first major side each associated with and spaced a selected small distance from a respective said first path portion associated with a central terminal receiving aperture and adapted to be electrically connected to a respective transient suppression means;
• said ground conductive means further including conductive aperture means extending from said second ground portions on said first major side to said second ground conductive surface on said second major side and establishing an electrical connector therebetween;
• and
• a plurality of transient suppression means secured to said first major side of said substrate member associated with respective said terminal receiving apertures and each electrically connected to a respective said first path portion and a respective one of a first and second ground portion associated with said respective first path portion for suppressing voltages outside a specified level as they are conductive along a respective said electrical terminal member secured in a respective said terminal receiving aperture when said ground conductive means is grounded by a said ground means, whereby an assured ground path is established between central ones of said transient suppression means and the periphery of said substrate member.