Protection member to protect resilient arm of contact assembly from stubbing

Abstract

To provide a coaxial connector which provides for an electrical path for grounding with a mating connector.SOLUTION: A cable assembly includes a cable assembly mating end and a cable assembly cable receiving end. A metallic outer shell is positioned proximate to the cable assembly mating end of the cable assembly. The metallic outer shell has a mating contact engagement portion 36. A housing made of a dielectric material is positioned in the metallic outer shell. Resilient contact arms 86 are provided on the mating contact engagement portion 36 of the metallic outer shell 32. The resilient contact arms 86 extend from the proximate part of the cable assembly mating end. Front ends 94 of the resilient contact arms 86 are provided proximate the cable assembly mating end, and cooperate with a protection portion 88 of the cable assembly to prevent the front ends 94 of the resilient contact arms 86 from stubbing when the cable assembly is mated to a mating assembly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact sleeve or contact assembly having an elastic contact arm. In particular, the present invention relates to a contact assembly having a protective member for preventing stubbing (stubbing, hitting, bumping) of the contact arm while providing an improved electrical path for grounding.

Background Art

[0002] Connectors, particularly coaxial connectors, function to releasably connect coaxial cables. Coaxial connectors have the advantages of coaxial cables, specifically, less electromagnetic interference and good electrical shielding. Also, coaxial connectors have an impedance corresponding to that of the connected coaxial cable in order to avoid reflection phenomena at the transition point between the coaxial connector and the coaxial cable.

[0003] Coaxial connectors are designed to provide a predetermined characteristic impedance in order to ensure reflectionless transmission of high-frequency signals. When mating a coaxial connector with a mating coaxial connector, impedance mismatches often occur, degrading the signals transmitted between the connectors. In addition, in many known connectors, when mating a coaxial connector with a mating coaxial connector, there is a risk of damage to the connector or the mating connector due to problems such as stubbing.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved is to provide a coaxial connector that provides an improved electrical path for grounding with a mating connector. Another problem to be solved is to provide a coaxial connector with a low likelihood of stubbing when mating the connector with a mating connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] These problems are solved by a cable assembly for terminating a cable. The cable assembly includes a cable assembly mating end portion and a cable assembly cable receiving end portion. A metal outer shell is positioned proximate to the cable assembly mating end portion of the cable assembly. The metal outer shell has a mating contact engaging portion. A housing formed from a dielectric material is positioned on the metal outer shell. The housing has a housing mating end portion and a housing conductor receiving end portion facing the opposite side. A terminal receiving opening extends from the housing mating end portion. The housing extends from immediately adjacent to the cable assembly mating end portion toward the cable assembly cable receiving end portion. An elastic contact arm is provided at the mating contact engaging portion of the metal outer shell. The elastic contact arm extends from immediately adjacent to the cable assembly mating end portion. A front end portion of the elastic contact arm is provided adjacent to the cable assembly mating end portion and cooperates with a protection portion of the cable assembly. This protection portion extends from the cable assembly mating end portion and prevents stubbing of the front end portion of the elastic contact arm when the cable assembly is mated to a mating assembly.

[0006] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, an electrical connector assembly 10 is electrically and mechanically connected to a cable 12. The cable 12 can transfer data between a memory device, a switch, a router, a printed circuit board (PCB), an analog-to-digital converter, a connector, and other devices. In various embodiments, the cable 12 can support a data transfer speed of 100 Mbps or more. In some embodiments, the cable 12 can support a data transfer speed of about 4.25 Gbps to about 25 Gbps. The cable 12 may be used at data transfer speeds above or below these exemplary speeds. As shown in FIG. 4, the cable 12 has a cable jacket 14, a braided shield 16, a metallized foil 18, and two central conductors 20, 22. The end of the cable 12 has the cable jacket 14 removed. The dielectrics 24, 26 of the conductors 20, 22 are also removed, exposing a portion of the conductors 20, 22.

[0009] The electrical connector assembly 10 has a cable assembly mating end 30 and a cable assembly cable receiving end 31. The connector assembly 10 includes a first metal outer shell 32, a second metal outer shell 34, and a third metal outer shell 35. The first metal outer shell 32 has a mating connector receiving portion 36 and a second metal outer shell receiving portion 40. The second metal outer shell 34 has a first metal outer shell receiving portion 42 and a conductor transition portion 44.

[0010] The dielectric housing 50 is positioned in the electrical connector assembly 10. The housing 50 is formed from a dielectric material. As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 50 has a mating end 52 and a conductor receiving end 54 facing the opposite side. A terminal receiving opening 56 extends from the mating end 52 to the conductor receiving end 54. The terminal receiving opening 56 is dimensioned to receive a terminal 60 (FIGS. 2 and 4) through the conductor receiving end 54. The terminal 60 is electrically connected to the exposed ends of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two terminal receiving openings 56 are provided, but other numbers and configurations of terminal receiving openings may be used.

[0011] The dielectric housing 50 has mounting projections 70 extending from the side surface 72. Each of the mounting projections has a first outer shell engaging surface 74 and a second outer shell engaging surface 76.

[0012] When assembled as shown in FIG. 4, the dielectric housing 50 is positioned in the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal outer shell 32 and the second metal outer shell receiving portion 40. The first outer shell engaging surface 74 of the mounting projection 70 engages the inner transition wall 78 of the mating connector receiving portion 36 to properly position the housing 50 and prevent the housing 50 from further moving into the mating connector receiving portion 36.

[0013] The end 80 of the first metal outer shell receiving portion 42 of the second metal outer shell 34 is positioned within the second metal outer shell receiving portion 40 of the first metal outer shell 32. One or more latches 82 of the first metal outer shell 32 cooperate with one or more openings 84 of the second metal outer shell 34 to fix the second metal outer shell 34 to the first metal outer shell 32. Alternatively, the second metal outer shell 34 is fixed to the first metal outer shell 32 by adhesion or other known mounting methods. In this position, the end 80 of the second metal outer shell 34 engages the second outer shell engaging surface 76 of the mounting projection 70 to properly position the housing 50 and prevent the housing 50 from moving into the second metal outer shell 34.

[0014] ​ As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the terminals 60 of the electrical connector assembly 10 are terminated to the ends of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12 by means such as crimping. However, other methods of terminating the terminals 60 to the conductors 20, 22 may be used. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the terminal 60 is a female terminal having a receptacle portion 62. However, without limitation, terminals of other configurations including female socket terminals may be used. With the terminals 60 properly terminated to the conductors 20, 22, the terminals 60 are inserted into the terminal receiving opening 56 through the conductor transition portion 44.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 3, the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal outer shell 32 has an elastic contact arm 86 that extends from the second metal outer shell receiving portion 40 to the conductive protection member or protection portion 88 of the mating connector receiving portion 36. The protection member 88 is positioned proximate to the cable assembly mating end portion 30 and extends from the cable assembly mating end portion 30. The protection member 88 surrounds the mating end portion 52 of the housing 50 but does not cover the terminal receiving opening 56. The protection member 88 has a tapered outer surface 90 that faces toward the longitudinal axis 92 of the cable assembly 10. The tapered shape of the outer surface 90 acts as an introduction surface when mating a mating connector to the connector assembly 10.

[0016] The elastic contact arm 86 has a front end portion 94 that is proximate to the cable assembly mating end portion 30 and cooperates with the protection member 88. As shown in FIG. 3, the front end portion 94 of the elastic contact arm 86 is integrally formed with and integrally attached to the protection member 88 of the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal outer shell 32. The rear end portion 95 of the elastic contact arm 86 is positioned away from the cable assembly mating end portion 30 and is integrally formed with and integrally attached to the inner transition wall 78 of the mating connector receiving portion 36. The elastic contact arm 86 is arcuate, and the central portion 96 of the elastic contact arm 86 is further spaced from the longitudinal axis 92 of the cable assembly 10 than the front end portion 94 of the elastic contact arm 86 or the protection member 88. In various embodiments, the central portion 96 has an enlarged contact portion that provides a larger surface area for engaging a mating connector when the mating connector is fitted into the connector assembly 10.

[0017] By using the elastic contact arm 86 and the arcuate central portion 96, the connection between a mating connector (not shown) and the connector assembly 10 is strengthened. In addition, since the elastic contact arm 86 is supported at both ends, the elastic contact arm 86 enhances the structural integrity of the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal outer shell 32.

[0018] When the connector assembly 10 is fitted to the mating connector, the arcuate central portion 96 of the elastic contact arm 86 engages a cavity (not shown) of the mating connector, and the arcuate central portion 96 elastically deforms toward the longitudinal axis 92 of the cable assembly 10. Since the front end portion 94 and the rear end portion 95 are fixed, the arcuate central portion 96 resists inward movement of the arcuate central portion 96, thereby applying a force to the mating connector. Also, due to the fixed front end portion 94 and rear end portion 95, the center of the arcuate central portion 96 deforms more than the ends of the arcuate central portion 96, the arcuate central portion 96 becomes flatter. Thereby, the electrical connection between the mating connector and the connector assembly 10 or the connection points and connection surfaces for the electrical path are increased. In addition, since the front end portion 94 is connected to the conductive protective member 88, the entire length of the elastic contact arm 86 and the conductive protective member 88 forms an electrical path, thereby facilitating high-speed transmission and good EMI performance. This is in contrast to conventional connectors where the contact arm is fixed or non-deformable and not connected to a conductive member at both ends, so the contact arm is electrically insulated and thus the EMI performance is not improved.

[0019] Since the front end portion 94 of the elastic contact arm 86 is integrally attached to the protection member 88, the free edge portion of the front end portion 94 is not free or exposed, and thus, when fitting the mating connector to the connector assembly 10, it cannot engage with the mating connector. In addition, compared with the prior art having a contact arm 86 with a free floating end face, the outer surface 90 of the integrally formed protection member 88 acts as an introduction surface when first fitting the mating connector to the connector assembly 10 and when the mating connector moves on the outer surface 90 and the contact arm 86. Thereby, the stubbing of the mating connector to the elastic contact arm 86 is minimized or prevented.

[0020] Alternative embodiments of the electrical connector 110 are shown in FIGS. 5-7. The electrical connector assembly 110 is electrically and mechanically connected to the cable 12. The electrical connector assembly 110 has a cable assembly mating end portion 130 and a cable assembly cable receiving end portion 131. The connector assembly 110 includes a first metal outer shell 132, a second metal outer shell 134, and a third metal outer shell 135. As shown in FIG. 6, the first metal outer shell 132 has a mating connector receiving portion 136 which is also a housing holding portion, and a second metal outer shell receiving portion 140. The second metal outer shell 134 has a first metal outer shell receiving portion 142, a conductor transition portion 144, and a third metal outer shell cooperating portion 146.

[0021] The dielectric housing 150 is positioned in the electrical connector assembly 110. The housing 150 is formed of a dielectric material. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the housing 150 has a mating end portion 152 and a conductor receiving end portion 154 facing the opposite side. A terminal receiving opening 156 extends from the mating end portion 152 to the conductor receiving end portion 154. The terminal receiving opening 156 is dimensioned to receive the terminal 160 (FIG. 2) through the conductor receiving end portion 154. The terminal 160 is electrically connected to the exposed end portions of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two terminal receiving openings 156 are provided, but other numbers and configurations of terminal receiving openings may be used.

[0022] The dielectric housing 150 has a recess 166 extending from the immediate vicinity of the fitting end 152 towards the conductor receiving end 154. A raised projection or region 167 (FIG. 7) is provided in the vicinity of the recess 166. A protective member 188 is provided at the fitting end 152 of the housing 150. The protective member 188 is formed of a dielectric material and is integrally molded with the housing 150. The protective member 188 surrounds the fitting end 152 of the housing 150 but does not cover the terminal receiving opening 156. As shown in FIG. 7, the protective member 188 has an outer surface 190, and this outer surface 190 has a shoulder 191 that defines an elastic arm receiving cavity 193.

[0023] The mating connector receiving portion 136 of the first metal outer shell 132 has an elastic contact arm 186 extending from the second metal outer shell receiving portion 140. The elastic contact arm 186 has a front end portion 194, and this front end portion 194 is close to the cable assembly fitting end 130 and cooperates with the protective member 188. The front end portion 194 of the elastic contact arm 186 has a curved or arcuate contact portion 196, and the curved contact portion 196 of the elastic contact arm 186 is further spaced from the longitudinal axis 192 of the cable assembly 110 than the front end portion 194 of the elastic contact arm 186 or the protective member 188.

[0024] When assembling the dielectric housing 150 to the first metal outer shell 132, the front end portion 194 of the elastic contact arm 186 of the first metal outer shell 132 is elastically deformed away from the longitudinal axis 192 by the raised region 167 of the housing 150. Continuing the insertion, the front end portion 194 can pass over the raised region 167, and the elastic contact arm 186 can return to a position where it is not stressed. In this position, the front end portion 194 is positioned in the recess 166, thereby holding the housing 150 to the first metal outer shell 132. In this position, the front end portion 194 is also positioned in the elastic arm receiving cavity 193 of the protective member 188, and the shoulder 191 is positioned on the front end portion 194 of the elastic contact arm 186.

[0025] By using the elastic contact arm 186 and the curved contact portion 196, the connection between the mating connector (not shown) and the connector assembly 110 is strengthened. In addition, since the free end 194 of the elastic contact arm 186 is supported by the housing 150, the movement of the elastic contact arm 186 toward the longitudinal axis 192 of the cable assembly 110 is restricted, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the mating connector receiving portion 136 of the first metal outer shell 132.

[0026] When the connector assembly 110 is mated with the mating connector, the curved contact portion 196 of the elastic contact arm 186 engages with a cavity (not shown) of the mating connector, and the curved contact portion 196 deforms toward the longitudinal axis 192 of the cable assembly 110. Since the front end portion 194 is supported by the housing 150, the inward movement of the curved contact portion 196 is prevented, whereby a force is applied to the mating connector by the curved contact portion 196. Since the movement of the front end portion 194 is prevented, the curved contact portion 196 deforms when mating occurs. When the curved contact portion 196 deforms, the curved contact portion 196 becomes flatter. Thereby, the electrical connection between the mating connector and the connector assembly 110 or the connection points and connection surfaces for the electrical path are increased.

[0027] Since the front end portion 194 of the elastic contact arm 186 is protected or covered by the protection member 188, the free edge portion of the front end portion 194 is not free or exposed, and thus cannot engage with the mating connector when the mating connector is mated with the connector assembly 110. Thereby, when the connector assembly 110 is mated with the mating connector, the stubbing of the elastic contact arm 186 is minimized or prevented.

[0028] Figures 8 to 10 show a second alternative embodiment of the electrical connector 210. The electrical connector assembly 210 is electrically and mechanically connected to the cable 12. The electrical connector assembly 210 has a cable assembly mating end 230 and a cable assembly cable receiving end 231. The connector assembly 210 includes a first metal outer shell 232 and a second metal outer shell 234. As shown in FIG. 9, the first metal outer shell 232 has a mating connector receiving portion 236 and a second metal outer shell receiving portion 240. The second metal outer shell 234 has a first metal outer shell receiving portion 242.

[0029] The dielectric housing 250 is positioned in the electrical connector assembly 210. The housing 250 is formed of a dielectric material. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the housing 250 has a mating end 252 and a conductor receiving end 254 facing the opposite side. A terminal receiving opening 256 extends from the mating end 252 to the conductor receiving end 254. The terminal receiving opening 256 is dimensioned to receive a terminal 260 (FIG. 9) through the conductor receiving end 254. The terminal 260 is electrically connected to the exposed ends of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two terminal receiving openings 256 are provided, but other numbers and configurations of terminal receiving openings may be used.

[0030] The dielectric housing 250 has a recess 266 that extends from near the mating end 252 toward the conductor receiving end 254. As shown in FIG. 10, a raised projection or region 267 is provided adjacent to the recess 266. A protective member 288 is provided at the mating end 252 of the housing 250. The protective member 288 is formed of a dielectric material and is integrally molded with the housing 250. The protective member 288 surrounds the mating end 252 of the housing 250 but does not cover the terminal receiving opening 256. The protective member 288 has an outer surface 290 that is tapered toward the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 10. The tapered shape of the outer surface 290 acts as an introduction surface when mating a mating connector to the connector assembly 210.

[0031] The mating connector receiving portion 236 of the first metal outer shell 232 has elastic contact arms 286 extending from the second metal outer shell receiving portion 240. The elastic contact arms 286 have front end portions 294, and these front end portions 294 are close to the cable assembly fitting end portion 230 and cooperate with the protective member 288. In one embodiment, the front end portion 294 is received in the recess 266 of the protective member 288. The front end portion 294 of the elastic contact arm 286 has a curved or arcuate contact portion 296. The curved contact portion 296 of the elastic contact arm 286 is further spaced from the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 210 than the front end portion 294 of the elastic contact arm 286 or the protective member 288.

[0032] When assembling the dielectric housing 250 to the first metal outer shell 232, the front end portion 294 of the elastic contact arm 286 is elastically deformed by the housing 250 to move away from the longitudinal axis 292. This is because the width of the housing 250 is larger than the opening between the front end portions 294 of the elastic contact arms 286. Continuing the insertion, the front end portion 294 can enter the recess 266, and the elastic contact arm 286 can return to a position where it is not stressed. In this position, the front end portion 294 is positioned in the recess 266, thereby holding the housing 250 to the first metal outer shell 232.

[0033] By using the elastic contact arms 286 and the curved contact portions 296, the connection between the mating connector (not shown) and the connector assembly 210 is strengthened. In addition, since the free end 294 of the elastic contact arm 286 is supported by the housing 250, the movement of the elastic contact arm 286 toward the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 210 is restricted, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the mating connector receiving portion 236 of the first metal outer shell 232.

[0034] When the connector assembly 210 is mated with a mating connector, the curved contact portion 296 of the elastic contact arm 286 engages a cavity (not shown) of the mating connector, and the curved contact portion 296 deforms toward the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 210. Since the front end portion 294 is supported by the housing 250, inward movement of the curved contact portion 296 is prevented, whereby a force is applied to the mating connector by the curved contact portion 296. Since movement of the front end portion 294 is prevented, the curved contact portion 296 deforms when mating occurs. When the curved contact portion 296 deforms, the curved contact portion 296 becomes flatter. Thereby, the electrical connection between the mating connector and the connector assembly 210 or the connection points and connection surfaces for the electrical path are increased.

[0035] Since the front end portion 294 of the elastic contact arm 286 is protected so as to be covered by the protective member 288, the free edge portion of the front end portion 294 is not free or exposed, and thus cannot engage the mating connector when the mating connector is mated with the connector assembly 210. In addition, when the mating connector is mated with the connector assembly 210, the outer surface 290 acts as an introduction surface, thereby minimizing or preventing stubbing of the elastic contact arm 86.

Claims

1. 1. An impedance controlled cable assembly for terminating a cable having exposed conductors, comprising: a cable assembly mating end and a cable assembly cable receiving end; a first metal shell positioned proximate the cable assembly mating end of the impedance controlled cable assembly and having a mating contact engaging portion and a second metal shell mating portion; a second metallic shell positioned proximate the cable assembly cable receiving end and in physical and electrical communication with the first metallic shell; a housing formed from a dielectric material and positioned on the first metal shell and the second metal shell, the housing having a housing mating end and an opposing housing conductor receiving end, with terminal receiving openings extending from the housing mating end to the housing conductor receiving end, the housing extending from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end toward the cable assembly cable receiving end; a resilient contact arm provided on the mating contact engagement portion of the first metal shell, the resilient contact arm extending from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end to the second metal shell mating portion of the first metal shell, a front end of the resilient contact arm being adjacent to the cable assembly mating end and cooperating with a protective portion of the impedance controlled cable assembly; An impedance controlled cable assembly, wherein the protection portion extends from the cable assembly mating end to prevent stabbing of the front ends of the resilient contact arms when the impedance controlled cable assembly is mated to a mating assembly.

2. 2. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the protective portion of the impedance controlled cable assembly is provided on the first metal shell.

3. 3. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 2, wherein said front end of said resilient contact arm is integrally formed with and attached to said guard portion of said impedance controlled cable assembly.

4. 4. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 3, wherein the resilient contact arm is arcuate and a central portion of the resilient contact arm is further away from a longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly than the front end of the resilient contact arm.

5. 5. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 4, wherein the central portion has a contact portion that expands in a direction further away from the longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly.

6. 2. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the protective portion of the impedance controlled cable assembly is provided on the housing.

7. 7. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 6, wherein said housing has a resilient contact arm receiving recess extending from said protective portion toward said cable assembly cable receiving end.

8. 8. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 7, wherein said front end of said resilient contact arm is positioned in said resilient contact arm receiving recess.

9. 9. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the guard has a shoulder that extends over a portion of the spring contact arm receiving recess and over the front end of the spring contact arm.

10. 9. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 8, wherein a mating assembly contact portion is provided adjacent the front end of the resilient contact arm, the mating assembly contact portion being further away from the longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly than the protective portion of the housing.

11. 8. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 7, wherein said housing has a raised protrusion, said raised protrusion being disposed adjacent said resilient contact arm receiving recess.

12. 7. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 6, wherein a curved contact portion is provided adjacent to the front end of the resilient contact arm, the curved contact portion being further away from the longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly than the front end of the resilient contact arm and the protective portion of the housing.

13. 7. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 6, wherein said front end of said resilient contact arm is a free end supported by said housing.

14. 1. An impedance controlled cable assembly for terminating a cable having exposed conductors, comprising: a cable assembly mating end and a cable assembly cable receiving end; a first metal shell positioned proximate the cable assembly mating end of the impedance controlled cable assembly and having a mating contact engaging portion and a second metal shell mating portion; a second metallic shell positioned proximate the cable assembly cable receiving end and in physical and electrical communication with the first metallic shell; a housing formed from a dielectric material and positioned on the first metal shell and the second metal shell, the housing having a housing mating end and an opposing housing conductor receiving end, with terminal receiving openings extending from the housing mating end to the housing conductor receiving end, the housing extending from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end toward the cable assembly cable receiving end; a resilient contact arm provided on the mating contact engagement portion of the first metal shell, the resilient contact arm extending from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end to the second metal shell mating portion of the first metal shell, a front end of the resilient contact arm being adjacent to the cable assembly mating end and cooperating with a protective portion of the impedance controlled cable assembly; the protective portion extends from the cable assembly mating end to prevent stabbing of the front ends of the resilient contact arms when the impedance controlled cable assembly is mated to a mating assembly; An impedance controlled cable assembly, wherein an outer surface of the protective portion and the front end of the resilient contact arm form a continuous surface, the continuous surface inclined inwardly toward a longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly, and the continuous surface acts as a lead-in surface when the impedance controlled cable assembly is mated with a mating assembly.

15. 15. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 14, wherein the protective portion of the impedance controlled cable assembly is provided on the first metal shell.

16. 16. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 15, wherein the front end of the resilient contact arm is integrally formed with and attached to the guard portion of the impedance controlled cable assembly.

17. 17. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 16, wherein the resilient contact arm is arcuate and a central portion of the resilient contact arm is further away from the longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly than the front end of the resilient contact arm.

18. 20. The impedance controlled cable assembly of claim 17, wherein the central portion has a contact portion that expands in a direction further away from the longitudinal axis of the impedance controlled cable assembly.

Images