Electronics case for reducing electromagnetic radiation

• US 5,808,237 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway 2000, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hancock, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Ledynh, Bot L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngo, Hung V.
• Application Number:
  US08/556,258
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 174/35 R, 361/683, 361/752, 361/753, 361/759, 361/796, 361/799, 361/800, 361/816, 361/818
• US Class Current: 174/378
• 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 9/0049 being metallic containers

Abstract

An electronic device housing is constructed of multiple connecting panels. The panels are provided with deformations where they contact other panels. The deformations are spaced a distance which is a function of the frequency of the primary electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electronic device to provide positive grounding at that frequency. The housing may be a personal computer housing.

Claims

1. A personal computer housing, comprising:

a chassis, formed of an electromagnetic conductive material, for holding personal computer electronic devices;

a cover, formed of an electromagnetic conductive material and shaped to conform to and couple to the chassis for enclosing the electronic devices; and

a plurality of deformations provided in at least one of the chassis and the cover where edges of the chassis and the cover are coupled together to provide a conductive path between the chassis and the cover to reduce the amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the housing, wherein the chassis has a first opening formed therein for attaching a power supply, and wherein the first opening is provided with further deformations which contact the power supply to provide a conductive path between the chassis and the power supply to reduce the amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the housing.

2. The personal computer housing of claim 1, and further comprising:

a second opening formed in the chassis;

a bracket formed to fit into the second opening for attaching external devices to the personal computer housing; and

a plurality of deformations formed on at least one of the bracket and the second opening for providing a conductive path between the chassis second opening and the bracket to reduce the amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the housing.

3. The personal computer housing of claim 1 and further comprising a clip, coupled to one of the cover and the chassis having a plurality of deformations formed therein, said clip being positioned to contact an edge of the other one of the cover and the chassis when the chassis and the cover are coupled.

4. The personal computer housing of claim 1 wherein at least one of the cover and the chassis is formed of electrogalvanized steel sheet metal coated with zinc.

5. The personal computer housing of claim 1 wherein the deformations comprise dimples formed to protrude into the edges of one of the cover and chassis when coupled together.

6. The personal computer housing of claim 5 wherein the dimples are spaced apart a distance which is approximately 1/4 of the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the electromagnetic radiation produced by the electronic devices contained in the chassis.

7. The personal computer housing of claim 5 wherein the dimples are spaced apart a distance of approximately 15 millimeters.

8. The personal computer housing of claim 5 wherein the dimples are approximately 0.2 millimeters in depth.

9. The personal computer housing of claim 1 wherein the deformations comprise tabs formed to protrude into adjacent surfaces of the cover and the chassis when coupled together.

10. The personal computer housing of claim 9 wherein a portion of the tabs attached to the cover and the chassis is positioned to come into contact with the mating adjacent surface first during assembly of the cover and the chassis.

11. The personal computer housing of claim 1 wherein the electronic devices comprise a personal computer having a power supply, disk drive, microprocessor and memory.