Shielding Cage Bottom Wall Tabs for Close Array Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shielding cages in arrays are unable to be closely spaced due to engagement elements on their sidewalls, which inhibit adjacent mounting and result in increased space usage on circuit boards, leading to costly ganged designs.
Innovation Solution
A shielding cage constructed from a single sheet of conductive material with engagement elements on the bottom wall, eliminating projections on the sidewalls and using compliant pins and gasket frames to maintain close spacing without sacrificing structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If engagement tabs are formed on the sidewalls of the cage body, then the cage structure is held together, but the tabs project outwardly and inhibit close spacing of adjacent cages in arrays
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement tabs are repositioned from the sidewalls to the bottom wall of the cage body, changing the spatial dimension where engagement occurs. This dimensional shift allows the tabs to engage with the top wall from below, eliminating protrusions on the sidewalls that prevented close spacing of adjacent cages in arrays.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having engagement tabs on the top wall projecting downward to engage the bottom wall, the design inverts this arrangement by placing tabs on the bottom wall that engage upward with the top wall. This inversion eliminates sidewall protrusions while maintaining structural integrity.
2Strength
If thick sheet metal is used to construct the cage, then structural integrity is maintained, but the thickness prevents close spacing of cages
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from thick sheet metal construction to thin blank conductive material. The single-piece formed structure compensates for the reduced material thickness by distributing structural loads across the formed geometry, allowing close spacing while maintaining EMI shielding effectiveness and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The design combines thin conductive material with strategic reinforcement features in the formed structure, creating a composite-like effect where the thin material achieves the structural performance previously requiring thicker material, enabling closer cage spacing.
3Ease of manufacture
If two separate metal sheets are used to form the cage, then the cage can be constructed, but engagement tabs project outwardly interfering with close spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The design merges the separate top wall and bottom wall constructions into a single integrated piece of thin blank conductive material. This single-piece construction is formed through folding and shaping operations, eliminating the need for separate components and their associated engagement tabs that projected outwardly.
Solution Approach 2:
While using a single piece of material, the design creates segmented functional areas through folding lines and formed features that define the cage walls, bottom wall, and engagement tabs in specific locations, achieving both integration and functional segmentation.
Data Source
AI summary
A shielding cage with an improved construction is disclosed that permits such cages to be more closely spaced together when a plurality of them are arranged in side-by-side arrays of cages. The cage is formed from a sheet metal blank that is stamped and formed to define sidewalls, top wall, bottom wall and a rear wall. In one embodiment, the ends of the blank are formed with interengaging elements in the form of tabs and slots that interfit within the plane of one of the cage walls, thereby eliminating the need for projections disposed on the sidewalls of the cage.