Safety shroud for an electrical connector

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A shrouded electrical connector assembly according to the present invention is identified generally by reference numeral 10 in FIG.
1, and serves to complete an electrical circuit between a lead 12 and a lead 14 when the electrical connecting elements within the shrouded electrical connector assembly 10, to be hereinafter described more fully, are electrically connected.
As is shown in more detail in FIG.
4, the shrouded electrical connector assembly 10 includes a typical prior art male plug 16 from which has been removed the metal end cover (not shown) so that a rubber insulator material 17 may be directly mounted to a non-conducting shroud 22 by utilizing the same attachment arrangement as is provided with the prior art metal end cover of the male plug 16.
Utilizing the inventive shroud of the present invention, therefore, enables the elimination of the prior art metal end cover in the shrouded electrical connector assembly 10.
The male plug 16 is electrically connected to the lead 14 and a female socket 18, which receives the male plug 16, is electrically connected to the lead 14 to make electrical contact between the lead 12 and the lead 14.
The female socket 18 like the male plug may be a typical prior art connector which is encased in a cup-shaped, non-conducting shroud 20 which also utilizes the rubber insulator 17 and the male plug 16 is also encased in the cup-shaped, non-conducting shroud 22.
The cup-shaped, non-conducting shroud 22 of the male plug 16 is received in an annulus 24 located between the cup-shaped shroud 20 and the female socket 18 to permit the male plug 16 to be brought into electrical connection with the female socket 18.
By so enshrouding both the male plug 16 and the female socket 18, a person may connect or disconnect the male plug 16 and the female socket 18 by grasping the cup-shaped shroud 22 and the cup-shaped shroud 20 in opposite hands, to thereby avoid any danger of an electrical shock due to touching the electrically conductive elements of the male plug 16 when connecting or disconnecting the male plug 16 and the female socket 18