Conductive Gaskets with Internal Cavities for Reduced Biasing Forces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive foam gaskets in electronic devices face challenges with excessive restoring forces during assembly, leading to potential disassembly of parts and inadequate electrical conductivity due to the need for generous foam thicknesses, which complicates mechanical tolerances and compromises device construction.
Innovation Solution
The use of conductive gaskets with hollow or partially hollow designs and internal support structures such as undulating foam, fiber-based materials, or corrugated sheets minimizes outward biasing forces, ensuring stable electrical pathways without excessive restoring forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foam gaskets are compressed between conductive structures, then electrical conductivity is improved, but excessive outward biasing forces are generated that may disassemble parts
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is divided into an outer conductive layer and an inner non-conductive core, separating the electrical conductivity function from the mechanical biasing function. This segmentation allows the conductive layer to provide grounding paths while the softer core material provides gentle biasing forces that won't disassemble parts.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the gasket have different properties: the outer layer is conductive for electrical grounding, while the inner core is non-conductive and softer for mechanical biasing. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
2Reliability
If generously sized foam thicknesses are used to ensure adequate mechanical tolerances and conductivity, then electrical grounding is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of assembly increase due to strong biasing forces
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket design changes the material parameters by using a softer inner core material with lower modulus of elasticity compared to traditional foam gaskets. This parameter change reduces the biasing forces while maintaining adequate compression for electrical conductivity, simplifying assembly and reducing device complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional foam gaskets are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but mechanical stability is compromised due to excessive restoring forces during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket uses a composite structure with an outer conductive layer and an inner non-conductive core made of different materials. This composite design maintains manufacturing simplicity while improving mechanical stability by using the softer core material to reduce excessive restoring forces during assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for improved mechanical stability and consistent electrical conductivity between conductive structures, reducing electromagnetic interference and enhancing the reliability of electronic devices by maintaining effective grounding paths while accommodating manufacturing variations.
Implementation Method 1
The compressed conductive gasket may press outwards against the conductive structures, thereby forming an electrical pathway between the conductive structures
Implementation Method 2
By avoiding the use of internal support structure material in at least part of the interior of the gasket, outward biasing forces that are produced when the gasket is compressed may be minimized
Data Source
AI summary
Electronic devices may be provided with conductive structures such as displays and conductive housing walls. Conductive gaskets may be used to form electrical paths between opposing conductive structures in an electronic device. During device assembly, a conductive gasket may be compressed between opposing conductive structures. The conductive gasket may be formed from a conductive gasket wall structure. The conductive gasket wall structure may surround and at least partly enclose an air-filled cavity. Conductive gasket wall structures may be formed from conductive fabric, dielectric sheets coated with metal, or other conductive wall materials. The interior of a conductive gasket may be hollow and completely devoid of supporting structures or may contain internal structures for biasing the conductive gasket wall outwards. Planar gaskets and gaskets with other cross sections may be provided.