Frame for EMI shielding assembly and EMI shielding assembly including the frame

Abstract

The present invention relates to a frame for an EMI shielding assembly and an EMI shielding assembly including the frame. In an exemplary embodiment, the frame for the EMI shielding assembly includes one or more side walls configured to be mounted to a substrate approximately around one or more components along the substrate. The frame also includes one or more fingers or tabs extending upwardly on the one or more side walls. The one or more fingers or tabs can be aligned with corresponding one or more gaps approximately defined between portions of one or more side walls of a cover that can be attached to the frame, thereby inhibiting or preventing EMI from leaking through the one or more gaps or voids.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a frame for an EMI shield assembly and an EMI shield assembly including the frame. Background Art

[0002] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] A common problem in the operation of electronic devices is the generation of electromagnetic radiation within the device's electronic circuitry. This radiation can cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI), which can disrupt the operation of other electronic devices within a certain distance. Without adequate shielding, EMI / RFI interference can cause important signals to be degraded or completely eliminated, thereby rendering the electronic device inefficient or inoperable.

[0004] A common solution to improve the effects of EMI / RFI is through the use of shields that can absorb and / or reflect and / or redirect EMI energy. These shields are generally used to localize the EMI / RFI within the EMI / RFI source and to isolate other devices near the EMI / RFI source. For example, board-level shields are widely used to protect sensitive electronic devices from electromagnetic interference between and within systems and to reduce unwanted electromagnetic radiation from noisy integrated circuits (ICs).

[0005] As used herein, the term "EMI" should be considered to generally include and refer to both EMI emissions and RFI emissions, and the term "electromagnetic" should be considered to generally include and refer to both electromagnetic and radio frequency from both external and internal sources. Thus, the term shielding (as used herein) broadly includes and refers to mitigating (or limiting) EMI and / or FRI, such as by absorbing, reflecting, blocking and / or redirecting the energy, or a combination thereof, so that it no longer interferes with, for example, regulatory compliance requirements and / or the internal functionality of an electronic component system. Summary of the invention

[0006] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of a frame for an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding assembly are disclosed. Exemplary embodiments of an EMI shielding assembly including such a frame are also disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a frame for an EMI shielding assembly includes one or more side walls configured to be mounted to a substrate approximately around one or more components along the substrate. The frame also includes one or more fingers or tabs extending upwardly on the one or more side walls. The one or more fingers or tabs may be aligned with corresponding one or more gaps approximately defined between portions of one or more side walls of a cover that may be attached to the frame, thereby inhibiting or preventing EMI from leaking through the one or more gaps or voids.

[0008] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional board level shield (BLS), which includes a frame and a cover. Figure 1 As shown in , the conventional stamped and folded walls of the BLS cover leave gaps or voids that are not filled or covered by the frame, so that electromagnetic interference can pass through or leak through the gaps or voids.

[0011] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a frame for a board level shield (BLS) according to an exemplary embodiment, in which the BLS includes fingers or tabs (broadly, portions or contacts) configured to fill, cover or close gaps or voids defined by side walls of a cover, thereby inhibiting or preventing EMI from leaking through the gaps or voids.

[0012] Figure 3 Yes Figure 2 A perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a board level shield with a frame shown in FIG. 1 and a cover attachable to the frame. Figure 3 Also shown are pads of a printed circuit board (PCB) and an absorber between the cover and the frame. The frame is aligned to be positioned along the PCB pads. Also, the fingers or tabs of the frame are aligned to be positioned within or relative to the gap or void defined by the sidewalls of the cover.

[0013] Figure 4 After the cover is attached to the frame and the fingers or tabs of the frame cover the gap or void defined by the side walls of the cover Figure 3 A perspective view of the board level shielding shown in FIG.

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 0 is a perspective view of a portion of a board level shield shown in , and showing fingers or tabs of the frame covering gaps or voids defined by the side walls of the cover.

[0015] Figures 6 to 9 They are Figure 4 Side, front, top, and bottom views of the board-level shield shown in .

[0016] Fig.10 An exemplary method of making a frame having fingers or tabs (broadly, portions or contacts) configured to fill, cover or close gaps or voids in a side wall of a cover and / or to electrically contact a portion of a cover (e.g., an inner surface, a bottom surface, etc.) according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0017] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] As background, Figure 1 A conventional board level shield 1 (BLS) is shown, comprising a cover or lid 5 and a frame or fence 9. An absorber 13 is arranged below the BLS cover 5. The BLS frame 9 may be soldered to PCB pads 17.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the BLS cover 5 includes a stamped and folded side wall 21 that defines a non-square shape (e.g., an L-shape, etc.). A gap or void 25 is also defined by or substantially defined between portions of the cover's side wall 21 that are not filled, covered, or closed by the frame 9. Therefore, electromagnetic interference (EMI) may pass through or leak through the gap 25. Typically, a second cover (not shown) may be spot welded to fill, cover, or close the gap or void 25, thereby inhibiting EMI from leaking through the gap or void 25 of the cover 5.

[0021] After recognizing the above aspects, exemplary embodiments of a frame for board-level shielding (broadly, a shield or shielding assembly) have been developed and disclosed herein. As disclosed herein, the frame can include one or more portions (e.g., fingers, tabs, contacts, etc.) configured to align with and fill, cover, or close one or more corresponding openings, voids, gaps, etc. in a BLS cover, where the BLS cover does not provide sufficient material to cover the frame, and thus EMI leakage may result if not filled, covered, or closed. By covering the voids in the BLS cover, one or more portions of the frame can advantageously increase the EMI shielding effectiveness of the BLS assembly including the frame and cover.

[0022] One or more portions of the frame may be integrally formed (e.g., stamped, cut, bent, folded, etc.) from the frame sidewalls and an eave, flange, edge, or lip of the frame extending inwardly from and / or along a perimeter defined by the frame sidewalls. The one or more portions may include at least one finger, tab, or contact that is cut from the sidewall and eave of the frame and then bent vertically so that the finger, tab, or contact extends upwardly over and beyond the sidewall and eave of the frame with which it is integrally formed.

[0023] As an example, two slots for each finger can be cut (e.g., stamped, etc.) into a block of conductive material from which the frame will be made. The stamped material can be stretched or otherwise formed into the shape of the frame. The ends of each finger can be cut or trimmed independently of the slots. The fingers can be folded or bent (e.g., approximately vertically and / or vertically, etc.) relative to the drawn eaves of the frame so that the fingers extend upwardly over the drawn eaves of the frame. The ends of the fingers can be configured (e.g., bent, folded or formed approximately vertically and / or horizontally, provided with cam surfaces, etc.) for better electrical contact with a portion of the cover (e.g., an inner surface, a bottom surface, etc.) and / or for better cover lead-in.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the cover or lid can be releasably attached to the frame, detachable from the frame, and reattachable to the frame so that the cover can be reused, for example, after reprocessing, etc. For example, the cover can be removed from the frame to allow reprocessing and / or to allow access to PCB components while the frame remains mounted to the PCB. The cover can then be releasably attached back to the frame.

[0025] Figure 2 An exemplary implementation of a framework 104 embodying one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Figures 3 to 9An exemplary board level shield (BLS) 100 is shown that includes a frame 104 and a cover 108 that may be attached to the frame 104 .

[0026] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the frame 104 includes fingers or tabs 116 (broadly, contacts or portions) extending upwardly relative to the frame 104. The fingers or tabs 116 are configured to fill, cover or close gaps or voids 118 (eg, tabs, etc.) generally defined between portions (eg, tabs, etc.) of the sidewall 120 of the cover. Figure 3 When the cover 108 is attached to the frame 104, the fingers 116 of the frame fill, cover or close the gaps or voids 118 (eg, Figure 4 and Figure 5 ). Thus, the fingers or tabs 116 of the frame may therefore inhibit (eg, prevent, reduce, etc.) EMI leakage through the gaps or voids 118 of the cover 108.

[0027] The fingers or tabs 116 may also be configured to electrically contact a portion (e.g., an interior surface, a bottom surface, etc.) of the cover 108. For example, the frame fingers or tabs 116 may be sufficiently long so that the free end portions or tips 117 of the fingers 116 electrically contact a bottom surface or interior surface 122 defined by a top portion 126 of the cover 108. Additionally or alternatively, the frame fingers or tabs 116 may be configured (e.g., sized, shaped, positioned, etc.) to electrically contact a sidewall portion 120 of the cover that defines a gap or void 118 that is covered by the frame fingers or tabs 116.

[0028] The free end portions or tips 117 of the frame's fingers or tabs 116 may be configured (e.g., bent, folded, formed, shaped, etc.) for better electrical contact with the cover 108. Alternatively, for example, the free end portions or tips 117 of the fingers or tabs 116 may include dimples or other features that define cam surfaces for better guiding the cover.

[0029] Continue to refer Figure 2 , the frame 104 includes an eave, flange, edge or lip 124 that extends inwardly from and / or along a perimeter defined by side walls 128 of the frame. The eave 124 can define an open top or opening 130 of the frame 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the finger or tab 116 of the frame can be integrally formed from the eave 124 of the frame 104. The finger or tab 116 can be vertically upright and / or generally parallel to the side walls 128 of the frame. The finger or tab 116 can be generally perpendicular to the top surface of the inwardly extending eave, flange, edge or lip 124 of the frame.

[0030] The frame 104 may be configured to be mounted to a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), etc.) generally surrounding one or more components on the substrate such that the one or more components are below the board level shield 100 and / or within an interior or shielding enclosure cooperatively defined by the frame 104 and the cover 108. When the board level shield 100 is mounted (e.g., soldered, etc.) on the substrate, the board level shield 100 may be operable to shield the one or more components within the interior or shielding enclosure cooperatively defined by the frame 104 and the cover 108.

[0031] In this exemplary embodiment, the frame 104 can be made of a solderable material (e.g., 1 / 2 hard 770 nickel silver, other solderable materials, etc.) so that the frame 104 can be soldered to the PCB pads 112. The frame 104 includes mounting feet 140 ( Figure 2 ). The mounting feet 140 can be formed with a castellated structure (e.g., a structure having alternating recesses and protrusions, etc.). The mounting feet 140 provide an area for soldering the frame 104 to the PCB pads 112. The recesses or openings 144 between adjacent pairs of mounting feet 140 allow solder to flow around the mounting feet 140 to secure the frame 104 to the PCB pads 112. In other embodiments, the mounting feet 140 can be assembled into corresponding openings in the substrate to secure the frame 104 to the substrate. In other embodiments, the frame may not include any spaced-apart mounting feet along its lower edge portion. Instead, the frame may include side walls, each having a substantially continuous lower edge portion. In addition, alternative means other than welding may also be used to secure the shield to the substrate, such as adhesives, mechanical fasteners, etc.

[0032] In this exemplary embodiment, the cover 108 is configured to be releasably attached to the frame 104, detachable from the frame 104, and reattachable to the frame 104, so that the cover 108 can be reused, for example, after reprocessing, etc. For example, after the frame 104 is soldered to the pads 112 along the PCB, the cover 108 can be releasably attached to the frame 104. If reprocessing and / or access to other PCB components is required, the cover 108 can be disassembled and removed from the frame 104, allowing reprocessing and access to PCB components through the open top 130 of the frame 104. After the reprocessing and / or access to PCB components is completed, the same cover 108 can be reused and reattached to the frame 104.

[0033] The cover 108 can be releasably attached to the frame 104 via the dimples 148 and the openings 152, which are configured to engageably receive the dimples 148. In this exemplary embodiment, the sidewalls 120 of the cover include dimples or protrusions 148 (broadly, retention members or engagement members) extending inwardly. The sidewalls 128 of the frame include holes 152 (broadly, openings) configured to engageably receive the dimples 132 of the cover 108, thereby releasably attaching the cover 108 to the frame 104. The cover 108 also includes dimples 156 that contact the surface of the sidewalls 128 of the frame, thereby providing additional electrical contact and a more secure mechanical attachment of the cover 108 to the frame 104. Alternative embodiments may include other suitable devices or attachment mechanisms for releasably attaching the cover to the frame instead of or in addition to the dimples and holes.

[0034] The cover 108 can be manually removable, such as by using a tool (e.g., a plastic spacer, etc.), etc. Additionally or alternatively, the cover 108 can be configured to be removable via at least an automated process (e.g., without human intervention, etc.), such as by using a suitable pick-and-place device (e.g., a clamp, a pneumatic head, a vacuum pick-and-place head, a suction cup pick-and-place head, etc.).

[0035] The lower surface of the dimples 148, 156 of the cover may include or operate as a cam surface. When the cover 108 is slidably moved downward onto the frame 104 relative to the frame 104, the cam surface may contact the eaves 124 of the frame 104. This contact causes the side wall portions or tabs 120 of the cover, which may have slots, gaps or openings between them to increase flexibility, to flex outward or move inward. The outward movement of the side wall portions 120 of the cover allows the dimples 148 of the cover to slide along the side wall portions 128 of the frame until the dimples 148 are aligned with the holes 152 in the side wall portions 128 of the frame. The side wall portions 120 of the cover may then resiliently move, flex or rebound inward so that the dimples 148 of the cover are frictionally engaged within the holes 152 of the frame.

[0036] The BLS 100 may be compatible with surface mount technology (SMT). For example, the frame 104 may include one or more pick-up members 160 (and / or electrical contacts) that allow the frame 104 to be picked up and placed on the PCB pads 112 via a suitable pick-and-place device (e.g., a fixture, a pneumatic head, a vacuum pick-and-place head, a suction cup pick-and-place head, etc.).

[0037] The frame pick-up member 160 may extend inwardly from the eaves 124 of the frame 104. The frame pick-up member 160 may be configured to define a platform or other support surface for the absorber 114 ( Figure 3). The frame's pick-up member 160 can be configured (e.g., shaped, sized, positioned, etc.) to support the absorber 114 and / or electrically contact the inner surface or bottom surface of the cover 108 when the cover 108 is releasably attached to the frame 104. The bottom surface of the cover can contact the absorber 114, which in turn can compress the absorber 114 and / or cause the frame's pick-up member 160 to flex or be compressed downward. The frame's pick-up member 160 can be resiliently deflectable so that the resilient properties of the frame's pick-up member 160 bias the pick-up member 160 to return to its initial position. This in turn can help ensure that the pick-up member 160 maintains good contact with the absorber 114 and / or the bottom surface of the cover 108, and / or also helps maintain a good, continuous locking attachment between the cover 108 and the frame 104. For example, the downwardly flexed or compressed frame pick-up member 160 can apply upward pressure to the absorber 114 and / or the bottom surface of the cover 108, which can help to suppress rattling or vibration of the cover 108, and / or can help to provide a substantially continuous locking of the cover 108 to the frame 104 even if the cover 108 includes side wall portions 120 having gaps therebetween (e.g., individual fingers, etc.).

[0038] The frame 104 can be formed from a single piece of conductive material (e.g., a single piece of material blank, etc.) such that the frame 104 (e.g., the fingers or tabs 116, the sidewalls 120, the eaves 124, the pick-up members 160, etc.) have an integrated, unitary, one-piece structure. For example, the flat contour pattern of the frame 104 and portions thereof (e.g., the fingers or tabs 116, the sidewalls 120, the eaves 124, the pick-up members 160, etc.) can be stamped into a single piece of material. The sidewalls 128 of the frame can be formed, bent, stretched, shaped, folded, etc. The fingers or tabs 116 of the frame can be formed, bent, wiped, etc. Even though in this embodiment the frame 104 can be integrally formed (e.g., stamped and bent / folded / stretched, etc.) from the same piece of material substantially simultaneously, this is not required for all embodiments.

[0039] The cover 108 can be formed from a single piece of conductive material (e.g., a single piece of material blank, etc.) so that the cover 108 has an integrated, unitary, one-piece structure. For example, the flat contour pattern of the cover 108 and portions thereof (e.g., the sidewall 120, the dimples 148, 156, etc.) can be stamped into a single piece of material. The sidewall 120 of the cover can then be formed, bent, stretched, shaped, folded, etc. Even though in this embodiment the cover 108 can be substantially simultaneously and integrally formed from the same piece of material (e.g., stamped and bent / folded / stretched, etc.), this is not required for all embodiments.

[0040] Figure 3The absorber 114 shown in the figure may include an EMI absorber or microwave absorber from Laird, such as Eccosorb material (e.g., GDS / SS6M, BSR-SS6M, JCS9 / SS6M, etc.), etc. The absorber 114 may include a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape for adhering the absorber 114 along the inside of the cover 108.

[0041] The absorber 114 may include GDS high loss, thin elastic microwave absorber, which is a relatively thin, flexible, high loss, magnetically loaded, non-conductive silicone rubber sheet. The absorber 114 can be designed for frequency ranges of 6 GHz and above. The absorber 114 can be impermeable and able to withstand high altitudes with little or no significant side effects. The absorber 114 can be a silicone based absorber with low outgassing properties for space applications. However, alternative embodiments may include different materials for the absorber 114. Other embodiments may include board level shielding without any absorber 114.

[0042] Fig.10 An exemplary method 240 of making a frame 104 having fingers or tabs 116 (broadly, portions or contacts) configured to fill, cover or close gaps or voids 118 in the sidewalls 120 of the housing and / or for electrically contacting a portion (e.g., an interior surface, a bottom surface, etc.) of the housing 108 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. In step, operation or process 244, two slots 132 for the fingers or tabs 116 are cut or stamped into a block or blank of conductive material 134 from which the frame 104 is to be made.

[0043] In step, operation or process 248, the stamped material 134 is stretched or otherwise formed into the shape of the frame 104. In step, operation or process 252, the openings 136 are formed so that the ends 117 of the fingers or tabs 116 are cut or trimmed independently of the slots 132. The openings 136 extend between the slots 132 so that the ends 117 of the fingers or tabs 116 are cooperatively defined by the openings 136 and the slots 132.

[0044] In step, operation or process 256, the fingers or tabs 116 are moved (e.g., frictionally closed, folded, bent, etc.) relative to the slots 132 and the stretched eaves 124 of the frame 104. The fingers or tabs 116 may stand vertically and / or generally parallel to the side walls 128 of the frame. The fingers or tabs 116 may be generally perpendicular to the top surface of the stretched eaves 124 of the frame 104 and extend upward thereon.

[0045] In step, operation, or process 260, the end 117 of the finger or tab 116 may be configured, reshaped, reshaped, etc. to make better electrical contact with a portion (e.g., an inner surface, a bottom surface, etc.) of the cover 108 and / or to better guide coverage. For example, the end 117 of the finger or tab 116 may be bent or folded (e.g., generally vertically and / or horizontally, etc.) to make better electrical contact with the bottom surface or inner surface of the cover 108. Alternatively, for example, the end of the finger or tab 116 may be provided with a dimple or other feature defining a cam surface to better guide coverage.

[0046] Various conductive materials can be used to form the frames disclosed herein (e.g., frame 104, etc.). For example, the frame can be made of a weldable material (e.g., 1 / 2 hard 770 nickel silver, etc.), a nickel-plated aluminum alloy, a tin-plated aluminum alloy, cold-rolled steel, a nickel-silver alloy, a copper-nickel alloy, stainless steel, tin-plated cold-rolled steel, a tin-plated copper alloy, carbon steel, brass, copper, aluminum, copper-beryllium alloy, phosphor bronze, steel, alloys thereof, plastic materials coated with a conductive material, or any other suitable conductive and / or magnetic material. The materials disclosed in this application are provided for illustrative purposes only, as different materials can be used depending on, for example, the specific application.

[0047] A variety of conductive materials can be used to form the covers disclosed herein (e.g., cover 108, etc.), such as nickel-plated aluminum alloy, tin-plated aluminum alloy, cold-rolled steel, nickel-silver alloy, copper-nickel alloy, stainless steel, tin-plated cold-rolled steel, tin-plated copper alloy, carbon steel, brass, copper, aluminum, copper-beryllium alloy, phosphor bronze, steel, alloys thereof, plastic conductive materials coated with plastic, or any other suitable conductive and / or magnetic materials. The materials disclosed in this application are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the materials disclosed in this application are provided for illustrative purposes only, as different materials can be used depending on, for example, the specific application.

[0048] In exemplary embodiments, thermal interface materials can be applied and / or used with the board level shielding disclosed herein. Exemplary thermal interface materials include thermal gap fillers, thermal phase change materials, thermally conductive EMI absorbers or hybrid thermal / EMI absorbers, thermal grease, thermal paste, thermal putty, dispensable thermal interface materials, thermal pads, etc.

[0049] Providing example embodiments is intended to make the present disclosure thorough and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Many specific details (e.g., examples of specific components, devices, and methods) are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many different forms without adopting the specific details and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processing, device structures, and techniques are not described in detail. In addition, the advantages and improvements that can be achieved by one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are provided only for illustration and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure, because the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may provide all of the above advantages and improvements or not provide the above advantages and improvements, and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] The specific dimensions, specific materials and / or specific shapes disclosed herein are exemplary in nature and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure of the specific value and specific value range of a given parameter herein does not exclude other values ​​or value ranges that may be useful in one or more examples disclosed herein. Moreover, it is foreseeable that any two specific values ​​of the specific parameters described herein can limit the endpoints of the value range that can be suitable for the given parameter (that is, the disclosure of the first value and the second value of the given parameter can be interpreted as disclosing any value between the first value and the second value that can also be used for the given parameter). For example, if parameter X is exemplified as having value A herein, and is also exemplified as having value Z, it is foreseeable that parameter X can have a value range from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is foreseeable that the disclosure of two or more value ranges of a parameter (whether these ranges are nested, overlapped or distinct) includes all possible combinations of value ranges that can be claimed using the endpoints of the disclosed range. For example, if parameter X is exemplified herein as having a value in the range of 1-10 or 2-9 or 3-8, it is also contemplated that parameter X may have other value ranges including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, and 3-9.

[0051] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, descriptions in the singular may be intended to include plural forms. The terms "include," "comprise," and "have" refer only to containing, thereby indicating the presence of the described features, elements, steps, operations, elements, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein do not necessarily have to be performed in the specific order discussed or shown herein, unless the order of execution is specifically indicated. It will also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0052] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, or directly engaged with, connected to, or coupled to, the other element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should also be interpreted accordingly (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one or more related items and all combinations thereof.

[0053] The term "approximately" when applied to a value means that the calculation or measurement allows for some minor imprecision in the value (the value is close to exact; approximately approximate or reasonably close; nearly). If for some reason the imprecision provided by "approximately" is not otherwise understood in the art in an ordinary sense, then "approximately" as used herein means at least the variation that may result from ordinary measurement methods or using these parameters. For example, the terms "roughly," "approximately," and "substantially" may be used herein to mean within manufacturing tolerances. Whether or not modified by the term "approximately," the claims include equivalents of the quantity.

[0054] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another region, layer or part. Unless the context clearly indicates, the terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms used herein do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below may also be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part.

[0055] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "inside", "outside", "below", "beneath", "below", "above", "on", etc. may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figures to another element or feature. In addition to the orientations described in the figures, spatially relative terms may be intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, the elements described as being "below" or "below" other elements or features will be oriented to be "above" the other elements or features. Therefore, the example term "below" can cover both the above and below orientations. The device may also be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used herein should also be interpreted accordingly.

[0056] The embodiments described above are provided for illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limit the present disclosure. The individual elements, intended or described uses, or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to the particular embodiment, but can be interchanged where applicable, and can be used in selected embodiments (even if not specifically shown or described). These embodiments can also change in many ways. These changes should not be considered to be out of the present disclosure, and all these modifications are intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A frame for an electromagnetic interference shielding assembly, the frame comprising: one or more side walls configured to be mounted to a base plate to surround one or more components along the base plate; and One or more fingers or tabs extending upwardly on the one or more side walls and capable of aligning with and covering or closing corresponding one or more gaps defined between portions of the one or more side walls of a cover that is attachable to the frame so as to cover the corresponding one or more gaps when the cover is attached to the frame.

2. The frame according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more fingers or tabs are configured to be positioned below an interior defined by the cover along an inner surface of the portion of the one or more side walls of the cover that defines the corresponding one or more gaps when the cover is attached to the frame, so that the one or more fingers or tabs thereby cover the corresponding one or more gaps, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference leakage through the one or more gaps covered by the one or more fingers or tabs.

3. The frame according to claim 2, wherein: the frame comprising an eave extending inwardly from and along a perimeter defined by the one or more side walls of the frame; and The one or more fingers or tabs extend in an overlying direction of the frame.

4. A frame according to claim 3, wherein: the one or more fingers or tabs being integrally formed from respective portions of the material of the eave and respective one or more side walls of the frame; The one or more side walls include an upper surface, a lower surface, and an upwardly extending side wall portion between the upper surface and the lower surface; The lower surface of the one or more side walls of the frame is configured to be mounted to the base plate along the base plate around the one or more components; and The eaves extend inwardly from and along the periphery defined by the upper surfaces of the one or more side walls of the frame, whereby the eaves define an open top of the frame having a periphery of a closed shape and being covered by the cover when the cover is attached to the frame.

5. A frame according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The one or more fingers or tabs are integrally formed from respective portions of material cut from the eave and respective one or more side walls of the frame and are repositioned so that the one or more fingers or tabs extend upwardly over the eave of the frame.

6. A frame according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The one or more fingers or tabs have a sufficient length so that when the cover is attached to the frame, the free end portions or tips of the one or more fingers or tabs electrically contact the bottom surface or inner surface defined by the top of the cover, thereby sealing the corresponding one or more gaps to prevent electromagnetic interference leakage through the corresponding one or more gaps.

7. An electromagnetic interference shielding assembly, comprising a frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a cover capable of being attached to the frame, whereby the electromagnetic interference shielding assembly is operable to provide electromagnetic interference shielding for one or more components along the substrate when the cover is attached to the frame and the frame is mounted to a substrate around one or more components located in an interior cooperatively defined by the frame and the cover.

8. The electromagnetic interference shielding assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The cover includes one or more side walls and one or more gaps defined between portions of the one or more side walls of the cover; and When the cover is attached to the frame, the one or more fingers or tabs of the frame are capable of being aligned with the corresponding one or more gaps and are configured to be positioned below the cover along the inner surface of the portion of the one or more side walls of the cover that defines the one or more gaps, so that the one or more fingers or tabs thereby cover the corresponding one or more gaps, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference leakage through the one or more gaps covered by the one or more fingers or tabs.

9. The electromagnetic interference shielding assembly according to claim 8, wherein: the frame comprising an eave extending inwardly from and along a perimeter defined by the one or more side walls of the frame; and The one or more fingers or tabs extend in a direction above the inwardly extending eaves of the frame and have a sufficient length so that one or more free end portions of the one or more fingers or tabs are configured to electrically contact the inner surface defined by the top of the cover when the cover is attached to the frame.

10. The electromagnetic interference shielding assembly of claim 7, wherein: the frame comprising an eave extending inwardly from and along a perimeter defined by the one or more side walls of the frame; the frame including one or more pick-up members extending inwardly from the eaves and configured to allow the frame to be picked up via a pick-and-place device; The electromagnetic interference shielding assembly includes an electromagnetic interference absorber; and The one or more pickup members define a support surface on which the EMI absorber is positioned such that the EMI absorber is between a bottom surface of the cover and the one or more pickup members when the cover is attached to the frame.

11. The electromagnetic interference shielding assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The cover includes one or more side walls, the one or more side walls including one or more inwardly extending recesses or protrusions; the one or more side walls of the frame including one or more apertures configured for engagingly receiving a corresponding one of the one or more inwardly extending recesses or projections of the cover; Thereby, the cover is releasably attachable to the frame, detachable from the frame and reattachable to the frame.

12. A method of providing a frame for an electromagnetic interference shielding assembly, the method comprising providing the frame with at least one finger or tab extending upwardly over one or more side walls of the frame and being alignable with at least one gap defined between portions of one or more side walls of a cover attachable to the frame and configured to close the at least one gap, thereby inhibiting electromagnetic interference leakage through the at least one gap in, The method comprises: cutting a slot for the at least one finger or tab into a block of material from which the frame is to be made; forming the piece of material into the shape of the frame, the frame including an eave; forming an opening in said piece of material, said opening extending between said slots such that a free end portion of said at least one finger or tab is cooperatively defined by said opening and said slots; and The at least one finger or tab is moved relative to the slot and the eave such that the at least one finger or tab extends upwardly over a top surface of the eave.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: The end of the at least one finger or tab is configured for better electrical contact with a portion of the cover and / or for better guiding the covering.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The method further includes attaching the cover to the frame, attaching the cover to the frame comprising: aligning the at least one finger or tab of the frame with the at least one gap of the cover; and When the frame is mounted to the substrate to surround one or more components along the substrate, the at least one gap of the cover is closed by the at least one finger-like member or tab of the frame, thereby suppressing the leakage of electromagnetic interference through the at least one gap, whereby the frame and the cover are operable to provide electromagnetic interference shielding along the substrate for the one or more components located in the interior cooperatively defined by the frame and the cover.

15. A method of providing a frame for an electromagnetic interference shielding assembly, the method comprising providing the frame with at least one finger or tab extending upwardly over one or more side walls of the frame and being alignable with at least one gap defined between portions of one or more side walls of a cover attachable to the frame and configured to close the at least one gap, thereby inhibiting electromagnetic interference leakage through the at least one gap, wherein: The method comprises: stamping a slot for the at least one finger or tab into a block of material from which the frame is to be integrally formed; drawing the stamped piece of material into the shape of the frame, the frame including a drawn eave; forming an opening in the stamped material, the opening extending between the slots such that a free end portion of the at least one finger or tab is cooperatively defined by the opening and the slots; The at least one finger or tab is moved relative to the slot and the extended eave so that the at least one finger or tab extends upwardly over a top surface of the extended eave.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the at least one finger or tab relative to the slot and the extended eave comprises: rubbing, folding or bending the at least one finger or tab relative to the extended eaves so that: The at least one finger or tab stands vertically and / or parallel to one or more side walls of the frame; and / or The at least one finger or tab is perpendicular to the top surface of the extended eave.

17. A method of using a frame and a cover attachable to the frame for providing electromagnetic interference shielding for one or more components along a substrate, the method comprising: At least one finger-shaped member or tab of the frame extending upward on one or more side walls of the frame is used to cover the at least one gap along the inner side and length of at least one gap defined between portions of one or more side walls of the cover, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference leakage through the at least one gap covered by the at least one finger-shaped member or tab.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The method includes attaching the cover to the frame, attaching the cover to the frame includes: aligning the at least one finger or tab of the frame with the at least one gap and positioning the at least one finger or tab of the frame below an interior defined by the cover along an inner surface of the portion of the one or more side walls of the cover that defines the at least one gap; and The at least one gap is covered with the at least one finger or tab of the frame, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference leakage through the at least one gap covered by the at least one finger or tab.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, comprising: The frame is mounted to the substrate along the substrate around the one or more components, whereby the frame and cover are operable to provide electromagnetic interference shielding along the substrate for the one or more components located within an interior cooperatively defined by the frame and cover.

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