Electromagnetic Interference Shields for Electronic Devices

• US 20070199738A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: WaveZero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WaveZero, Inc.
• Inventors: Gabower, John
• Application Number:
  US11/741,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/350
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/001 Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/006 Using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/10 Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0005 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/20 on organic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0045 being rigid plastic containers having a coating of shielding material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0073 Shielding materials H05K9/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0084 comprising a single continuous metallic layer on an electrically insulating supporting structure, e.g. metal foil, film, plating coating, electro-deposition, vapour-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

An EMI shield for personal computers, cellular telephones, and other electronic devices is constructed from thermoformable polymeric material which is then metallized on all surfaces by vacuum metallization techniques to provide an inexpensive, lightweight, yet effective EMI shield.

Claims

1. An EMI/RFI shielding device comprising:

a shaped polymer substrate comprised of metallized polymer substrate, wherein the shaped polymer substrate is substantially conductive; and

a conductive material on at least one surface of the shaped polymer substrate.

2. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the recycled metallized polymer substrate comprises a reground and re-extruded metallized thermoform.

3. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the conductive material has a thickness between 1.0 micron and 50.0 microns.

4. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the conductive material comprises aluminum.

5. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the conductive material comprises a substantially uniform thickness over at least one surface of the shaped polymer substrate.

6. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the shaped polymer substrate has a thickness between 0.006 inches to 0.100 inches.

11. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 further comprising grinding and re-extruding a metal material along with the polymer substrate.

12. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the conductive material comprises copper.

13. The EMI/RFI shielding device of claim 1 wherein the conductive material comprises nickel.

7. An EMI/RFI shield comprising:

a thermoformed thin-walled shape formed of a recycled metallized polymeric material, wherein the thermoformed thin-walled shape comprises an inner surface, an outer surface and edges; and

a conductive material deposited on at least one of the inner surface and outer surface, wherein the conductive coating comprises a substantially even thickness between 1 micron to 50 microns.

8. The EMI/RFI shield of claim 7 wherein the conductive material comprises vacuum deposited aluminum.

9. The EMI/RFI shield of claim 7 wherein the recycled metallized polymeric material comprises a reground and re-extruded metal layer and a polymeric material.

10. The EMI/RFI shield of claim 7 wherein the thermoformed thin-walled shape has a thickness between 0.006 inches to 0.100 inches.

14. The EMI/RFI shield of claim 7 wherein the conductive material comprises vacuum deposited copper.

15. The EMI/RFI shield of claim 7 wherein the conductive material comprises vacuum deposited nickel.