Electrically conductive gasket

• US 20060103081A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jemic Shielding Technology Co.
• Original Assignee: Jemic Shielding Technology Co.
• Inventors: Hammaker, Clark S., Dietrich, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,470,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/356
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0015 Gaskets or seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/92 Seal including electromagnetic shielding feature

Abstract

An electrically conductive gasket and methods of manufacturing electrically conductive gaskets. In one embodiment, the gasket includes a core that supports an electrically conductive cover thereon. The electrically conductive cover may be attached to the core or portions of the core by one or more adhesives used to also affix the gasket to an electrically conductive object. In other embodiments, a mechanical fastener may be affixed to the core by the one or more adhesives employed to affix the electrically conductive cover to the core.

Claims

1. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion; and

an electrically conductive cover having a first and second end flap and being attached to the core by a first adhesive such that the electrically conductive cover extends at least partially around the perimeter of the core and the first and second end flaps are oriented adjacent the attachment portion; and

a second adhesive on the attachment portion and affixing at least one of the first and second end flaps thereto such that a portion of the second adhesive remains exposed on the attachment portion to affix the gasket to the electrically conductive object such that at least one of the first and second end flaps are retained in contact with the electrically conductive object.

2. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the first adhesive is applied over at least a portion of the second adhesive.

3. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the first and second end flaps are each attached to the attachment portion by the first adhesive and the second adhesive.

4. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the first end flap is affixed to the attachment portion by the first adhesive and wherein the second end flap is affixed to the attachment portion by the first and second adhesives.

5. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the first end flap is affixed to the attachment portion of the core by the first adhesive and wherein the second end flap is affixed to the attachment portion of the core by the first and second adhesives and wherein a portion of the second adhesive covers a portion of the first end flap for adhering the first end flap to the electrically conductive object.

6. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the first adhesive covers the perimeter of the core.

7. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the core is hollow.

8. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the core is made from material selected from the group of materials consisting of closed cell foam, open cell foam, rubber, plastic and metal.

9. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the core is flexible.

10. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the core is fabricated from electrically conductive material.

11. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the first adhesive comprises a hot melt adhesive.

12. The gasket of claim 11 wherein the first adhesive is electrically conductive.

13. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the second adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

14. The gasket of claim 13 wherein the second adhesive is electrically conductive.

15. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the second adhesive comprises a hot melt adhesive.

16. The gasket of claim 15 wherein the second adhesive is electrically conductive.

17. The gasket of claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive cover is fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of plated fabric, plated woven fabric, plated non-woven fabric, plated knitted fabric, plated plastic, plated rubber, electrically conductive foil, electrically conductive woven wire and electrically conductive wire mesh.

18. The gasket of claim 1 wherein said core has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group of cross-sectional shapes consisting of:

square-shapes, rectangular-shapes, circular-shapes, L-shapes, O-shapes, P-shapes, D-shapes and U-shapes.

19. The gasket of claim 1 further comprising a removable liner material on said second adhesive to protect said second adhesive prior to adhering said gasket to the electrically conductive object.

20. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion; and

an electrically conductive sheet-like cover having a first and second end flap and being attached to the core by a first adhesive such that the electrically conductive cover extends at least partially around the perimeter of the core and the first and second end flaps are oriented adjacent the attachment portion; and

a second adhesive on the attachment portion between the end flaps for affixing the gasket to the electrically conductive object such that at least one of the first and second end flaps is retained in contact with the electrically conductive object.

21. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the core is hollow.

22. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the core is made from material selected from the group of materials consisting of closed cell foam, open cell foam, rubber, plastic and metal.

23. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the core is flexible.

24. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the core is fabricated from electrically conductive material.

25. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the first adhesive comprises a hot melt adhesive.

26. The gasket of claim 25 wherein the first adhesive is electrically conductive.

27. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the second adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

28. The gasket of claim 27 wherein the second adhesive is electrically conductive.

29. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the second adhesive comprises a hot melt adhesive.

30. The gasket of claim 20 wherein the second adhesive is electrically conductive.

31. The gasket of claim 20 wherein said electrically conductive sheet-like cover is fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of plated fabric, plated woven fabric, plated non-woven fabric, plated knitted fabric, plated plastic, plated rubber, electrically conductive foil, electrically conductive woven wire and electrically conductive wire mesh.

32. The gasket of claim 20 wherein said core has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group of cross-sectional shapes consisting of:

square-shapes, rectangular-shapes, circular-shapes, L-shapes, O-shapes, P-shapes, D-shapes and U-shapes.

33. The gasket of claim 20 further comprising a removable liner material on said second adhesive to protect said second adhesive prior to adhering said gasket to the electrically conductive object.

34. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion; and

an electrically conductive cover having a first and second end flap and being attached to the core by a first adhesive only on the attachment portion of the core such that the electrically conductive cover extends at least partially around the perimeter of the core and the first and second end flaps are oriented adjacent the attachment portion; and

a second adhesive on at least one of the first and second end flaps for affixing the gasket to the electrically conductive object such that at least one of the first and second end flaps is retained in contact with the electrically conductive object and wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first and second end flaps contacting the electrically conductive object does not have the second adhesive thereon.

35. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion; and

an electrically conductive cover having a first and second end flap and extending at least partially around the perimeter of the core;

a first adhesive only on the attachment portion of the core and affixing the first end flap to the attachment portion; and

a second adhesive on the attachment portion and affixing the second end flap thereto, a portion of the second adhesive being exposed between the first and second end flaps for affixing the gasket to the electrically conductive object such that at least one of the first and second end flaps is retained in contact with the electrically conductive object.

36. The gasket of claim 35 wherein a portion of the second adhesive covers at least a portion of the first end flap for affixing the first end flap to the electrically conductive object.

37. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion; and

an electrically conductive cover extending at least partially around the perimeter of the core having a first end flap and a second end flap;

a first adhesive on the attachment portion of the core and affixing the first and second end flaps thereto such that a portion of the first adhesive remains exposed to affix the gasket to the electrically conductive object and retain at least one of the first and second end flaps in contact with the electrically conductive object.

38. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion;

an electrically conductive cover wrapped around the perimeter of the core and having a first end flap and a second end flap wherein the second end flap covers at least a portion of the attachment portion of the core, the electrically conductive cover being in direct contact with the core;

a first adhesive only on the portion of the second end flap covering the attachment portion and attaching a portion of the first end flap thereto to retain the electrically conductive cover on the core, a portion of the first adhesive being exposed to affix the gasket to the electrically conductive object and retain at least one of the first and second end flaps in contact with the electrically conductive object.

39. A gasket for attachment to an electrically conductive object, the gasket comprising:

a core having a perimeter and an attachment portion; and

an electrically conductive cover having a first and second end flap and being attached to the core by at least one adhesive such that the electrically conductive cover extends at least partially around the perimeter of the core and the first end flap is attached to the attachment portion; and

a mechanical fastener for coupling the gasket to the electrically conductive object, the mechanical fastener having a fastener portion adjacent the attachment portion of the core, the fastener portion being affixed to the gasket by the second end tab and at least one of said at least one adhesives such that when the mechanical fastener is attached to the electrically conductive object, the second end flap is retained in contact with the electrically conductive object.

40. The gasket of claim 39 wherein the first adhesive substantially covers the entire perimeter of the core.

41. The gasket of claim 39 wherein each of said at least one adhesives is only applied to the attachment portion.

42. A method of establishing an electrically conductive seal between first and second electrically conductive objects, the method comprising:

applying a first adhesive to an attachment portion of a core;

applying a second adhesive to an electrically conductive cover having a first end flap and a second end flap;

wrapping the electrically conductive cover at least partially around the core such that the first and second end flaps are oriented adjacent the attachment portion of the core to form a gasket assembly wherein at least one of the first and second end flaps are affixed to the attachment portion by at least one of the first and second adhesives and wherein a portion of the second adhesive is exposed between the first and second end flaps; and

adhering the gasket assembly onto one of the electrically conductive objects by the exposed second adhesive such that at least one of the first and second end flaps are retained in contact with the one electrically conductive object and the second electrically conductive object may be selectively positioned to contact the electrically conductive cover on the gasket assembly.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the first end flap is affixed to the attachment portion by the first adhesive and wherein the second end flap is attached to the attachment portion by the first and second adhesives.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising applying at least some of the second adhesive to the first end flap for affixing the first end flap to the one of the electrically conductive objects.

45. A method of establishing an electrically conductive seal between first and second electrically conductive objects, the method comprising:

forming a gasket assembly comprising an electrically conductive cover attached to a core by a first adhesive applied to the core; and

adhering the gasket assembly to one of the electrically conductive objects with some of the first adhesive that is applied to the core.

46. A method of establishing an electrically conductive seal between first and second electrically conductive objects, the method comprising:

wrapping an electrically conductive cover having first and second end flaps around at least a portion of a core having an attachment portion;

affixing the first and second end flaps of the electrically conductive cover to the attachment portion with a first adhesive such that a portion of the attachment portion between the first and second end flaps is exposed;

applying a second adhesive directly onto the exposed portion of the attachment portion; and

adhering the gasket to one of the electrically conductive objects with the second adhesive that was applied directly onto the exposed portion of the attachment portion.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the first adhesive is applied between substantially an entire portion of the electrically conductive cover and the core.

48. A method of establishing an electrically conductive seal between first and second electrically conductive objects, the method comprising:

wrapping an electrically conductive cover having first and second end flaps around at least a portion of a core having an attachment portion to form a gasket assembly;

placing a portion of a mechanical fastener adjacent to the attachment portion of the core;

affixing the first end flap of the electrically conductive cover to the attachment portion with a first adhesive;

affixing the second end flap to the attachment portion and the mechanical fastener with the first adhesive; and

affixing the gasket assembly to one of the electrically conductive objects with the mechanical fastener such that at least one of the end flaps of the electrically conductive cover is retained in contact with the one of the electrically conductive objects.

49. A method of establishing an electrically conductive seal between first and second electrically conductive objects, the method comprising:

applying a first adhesive to an attachment portion of a core;

placing an electrically conductive cover having a first and a second end flap at least partially around the core to form a gasket assembly such that the first and second end flaps are oriented adjacent the attachment portion of the core;

affixing the first and second end flaps of the electrically conductive cover to the attachment portion with the first adhesive such that a portion of the attachment portion between the first and second end flaps is exposed; and

applying a second adhesive directly onto the exposed portion of the attachment portion; and

adhering the gasket to one of the electrically conductive objects with the second adhesive that was applied directly onto the exposed portion of the attachment portion.

50. A method of establishing an electrically conductive seal between first and second electrically conductive objects, the method comprising:

applying a first adhesive only on an attachment portion of a core;

wrapping an electrically conductive cover around at least a portion of a perimeter of the core to form a gasket assembly such that a first end flap of the electrically conductive cover is affixed to the attachment portion of the core by the first adhesive and the second end flap of the electrically conductive cover is affixed to the attachment portion of the core by the first adhesive such that the second end flap is spaced from the first end flap to expose some of the first adhesive one the attachment portion; and

adhering the gasket assembly to one of the electrically conductive components by the exposed first adhesive.

51. A method of fabricating an electrically conductive gasket, comprising:

wrapping an electrically conductive cover around at least a portion of a core having an attachment portion such that a first end flap is positioned substantially coextensive with the attachment portion and a second end flap overlaps a portion of the first end flap;

applying an adhesive to the first end flap such that a portion of the adhesive affixes the second end flap to the first end flap and a portion of the adhesive is exposed; and

covering the exposed portion of the adhesive with a releasable liner.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising attaching the electrically conductive gasket to an object.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein said attaching comprises:

removing the releasable liner from the exposed adhesive; and

adhering the gasket to the object with the exposed adhesive.