EMI Shield Spring Fingers for Bracket Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) poses a challenge in electronic equipment as existing shielding solutions are ineffective in preventing radiation leakage through contact surfaces between components, leading to performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
An electromagnetic shield with a conductive frame featuring spring fingers interconnected around a central opening, allowing for electrical contact between a chassis wall and an expansion card mounting bracket, which inclines to prevent jamming during installation, removal, or shifting, and includes retaining elements to prevent lateral shifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid conductive seal is used between chassis wall and mounting bracket, then electromagnetic shielding effectiveness is improved, but the mounting bracket cannot accommodate lateral shifting or misalignment without jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the rigid conductive seal with spring fingers that can flex and adapt to lateral shifting and misalignment. The spring fingers maintain continuous electrical contact between the mounting bracket and chassis wall while accommodating movement, thus preserving electromagnetic shielding effectiveness without causing jamming during installation or removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the conductive seal from rigid to elastic by using spring fingers. This parameter change allows the seal to dynamically adjust its shape and position, maintaining electrical contact for electromagnetic shielding while accommodating lateral shifting and misalignment that occur during installation and operation.
2Ease of operation
If spring fingers are used to allow lateral movement, then ease of operation is improved, but contact pressure and electrical conductivity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The spring fingers are designed to be elastic rather than rigid, allowing them to flex and accommodate lateral movement while maintaining continuous electrical contact. The elastic nature of the spring fingers ensures they can adapt to movement and misalignment without losing contact pressure, thus maintaining both ease of operation and electrical contact reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mounting bracket is designed to accommodate misalignment, then adaptability is improved, but the complexity of the shielding mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses spring fingers that inherently provide adaptability through their elastic deformation capability. This dynamic element allows the mounting bracket to accommodate lateral shifting and misalignment without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, thus improving adaptability while minimizing increases in device complexity.
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
The solution effectively reduces electromagnetic radiation leakage by establishing a conductive seal and allowing for smooth movement of components without jamming, enhancing electromagnetic compatibility and equipment performance.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of spring fingers are inclined to extend outwardly away from the chassis wall and each spring finger is resilient to flex toward and away from the chassis wall
Implementation Method 2
an electromagnetic shield comprising an electrically conductive frame for establishing electrical contact between a chassis wall and an expansion card mounting bracket
Data Source
AI summary
An electromagnetic shield comprising an electrically conductive frame for establishing electrical contact between a chassis wall and an expansion card mounting bracket. The frame has a plurality of spring fingers interconnected about a perimeter of a central opening in the frame, wherein each spring finger defines a central axis that extends outwardly away from the central opening. The frame may include a substantially planar portion adjacent the central opening in the frame, wherein the plurality of spring fingers incline along the central axis to extend out of the plane defined by the substantially planar portion. The incline of the spring fingers allows a mounting bracket to slide laterally without jamming against the side of a spring finger during installation, removal or side-to-side shifting of the mounting plate.