Universal EMC gasket

• US 7,473,139 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Toffler, Harold M., Rybak, Andrew, Linnell, David C., Barringer, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/939,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20080060842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 174/354, 174/35.R, 439/271, 439/939, 439/609
• US Class Current: 439/607.17
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/727 Coupling devices presenting arrays of contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6584 formed by conductive elastomeric members, e.g. flat gaskets or O-rings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/939 with grounding to metal mounting panel

Abstract

An electromagnetic gasket includes a conductive shell having a pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining at least one opening. The pair of side walls and the end walls have at least one outward bias and at least one inward bias positioned thereon for each opening. The outward bias is configured to electrically connect to an inner tailstock of an electrical enclosure. The at least one opening is configured to receive a connector port housing of a corresponding module therein. The at least one inward bias electrically connects the connector port housing to the inner tailstock of the electrical enclosure. Each module is an electrical module or an optical module, and the at least one inward bias and outward bias provide EMC sealing for multiple connector port housings of a plurality of modules having variable dimensions with respect to at least one of the X, Y and Z axis of the connector port housings.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic gasket comprising:

a conductive shell having a pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining at least one opening, the pair of side walls and the end walls having at least one outward bias and at least one inward bias positioned thereon for each of the at least one opening,

wherein said outward bias is configured to electrically connect to an inner tailstock of an electrical enclosure and includes a first plurality of conductive fingers configured in the pair of side walls and end walls, the first plurality of conductive fingers surrounding an entire perimeter defining the at least one opening and extending outside thereof, the at least one opening is configured to receive a connector port housing of a module therein, and the at least one inward bias electrically connects the connector port housing to the inner tailstock of the electrical enclosure and includes a second plurality of conductive fingers configured in the pair of side walls and end walls, the second plurality of conductive fingers surrounding an entire perimeter defining the at least one opening and extending inside thereof.

2. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the conductive shell is a single one piece electrically conductive material fully contained between the inner tailstock and connector port housing.

3. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of conductive fingers provide a continuous ground path between the inner tailstock and the connector port.

4. The gasket of claim 1 further comprising at least one bottom wall extending from corresponding portions of the pair of sidewalls, each bottom wall having a third plurality of conductive fingers extending from opposing edges defining each bottom wall and extending inside of an opening defined by each bottom wall.

5. The gasket of claim 4, wherein each bottom wall defines two contiguous openings for receiving a respective connector port housing therein.

6. The gasket of claim 4, wherein each of the second and third plurality of conductive fingers are configured as a tab extending at an angle from a respective sidewall or bottom wall away from a plane coplanar with the at least one bottom wall.

7. The gasket of claim 6, wherein an intermediate portion of each of the first plurality of conductive fingers is a bight portion configured to flex allowing differently configured connector ports to be used while still making a suitable ground contact.

8. The gasket of claim 6, wherein a terminal end of each of the first plurality of conductive fingers is rounded to facilitate compression of the first plurality of conductive fingers.

9. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the inner tailstock, the conductive shell, and the connector port housing are made from a metallic material.

10. The gasket of claim 9, wherein the metal conductive shell is one of BeCu and stainless steel.

11. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the conductive shell ensures electrical engagement between the inner tailstock and differently configured connector port housings of a module that is in electrical contact with a printed circuit card, the printed circuit card is in electrical contact with a housing base of a docking cassette, and the housing base is referenced to ground.

12. The gasket of claim 11, wherein the at least one inward bias and outward bias provide EMC sealing for multiple connector port housings having variable dimensions with respect to at least one of the X, Y and Z axis of the connector port housings.

13. The gasket of claim 11, wherein the conductive shell removably closes an electrical gap formed between differently configured connector port housings and the inner tailstock to form electrical continuity therebetween while being sandwiched between the inner tailstock and a shoulder defining each connector port housing.

14. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the electrical enclosure is a docking cassette for a computer.

15. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the module is one of an electrical module and an optical module.

16. An electromagnetic gasket comprising:

a conductive shell having a pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining at least one opening, the pair of side walls and the end walls having at least one outward bias and at least one inward bias positioned thereon for each of the at least one opening, the conductive shell ensuring electrical engagement between the inner tailstock and differently configured connector port housings of a module that is in electrical contact with a printed circuit card, the printed circuit card being in electrical contact with a housing base of a docking cassette, and the housing base being referenced to ground,

wherein said outward bias is configured to electrically connect to an inner tailstock of an electrical enclosure and the at least one opening is configured to receive a connector port housing of a module therein, the at least one inward bias electrically connecting the connector port housing to the inner tailstock of the electrical enclosure; and

wherein the at least one inward bias and outward bias provide EMC sealing for multiple connector port housings having variable dimensions with respect to at least one of the X, Y and Z axis of the connector port housings.

17. The gasket of claim 16, wherein the at least one outward bias includes a first plurality of conductive fingers configured in the pair of side walls and end walls, the first plurality of conductive fingers surrounding an entire perimeter defining the at least one opening and extending outside thereof, and the at least one inward bias includes a second plurality of conductive fingers configured in the pair of side walls and end walls, the second plurality of conductive fingers surrounding an entire perimeter defining the at least one opening and extending inside thereof.

18. The gasket of claim 17, wherein the first and second plurality of conductive fingers provide a continuous ground path between the inner tailstock and the connector port.

19. The gasket of claim 17 further comprising at least one bottom wall extending from corresponding portions of the pair of sidewalls, each bottom wall having a third plurality of conductive fingers extending from opposing edges defining each bottom wall and extending inside of an opening defined by each bottom wall.