Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-25
2001-05-08
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S814000, C361S816000, C174S034000, C174S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229714
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to electromagnetic shielding and, more particularly, to electromagnetic shielding of electronic equipment cabinets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical or electronic systems (for the sake of clarity, such systems will be referred to hereinafter as electronic systems), including computers, telephone network switching equipment, and network routers are typically housed in cabinets. The electronic equipment is generally accessible for servicing and upgrading through doors attached to the cabinet body. The electronics contained within the cabinet may emit signals that could interfere with other electronic equipment, including nearby computers and communications devices. Consequently, the level of such emissions are typically regulated by government entities and, even if the emission levels weren't regulated, their potential for adversely affecting other equipment would dictate that their levels be kept to a minimum. In order to suppress such emissions, both from escaping from such enclosures and from entering the enclosures, the basic material of the cabinets is typically a conductive material such as a metal which, in effect, forms a “Faraday Cage” around the enclosed electronics. Such electronic equipment typically includes a gasket, or seal, made of a resilient conductive material affixed to either the cabinet door or the cabinet body to provide a substantially continuous conductive surface surrounding the cabinet's electronics when the cabinet door is closed. Unfortunately, electrical contact between the door and the gasket and/or between the gasket and the cabinet is not always assured. As a result, the electronic equipment within the cabinet may be susceptible to electromagnetic emissions from other devices outside the cabinet, may disrupt electronic devices outside the cabinet, and may prevent the cabinet and electronic equipment within from meeting government emissions requirements.
An apparatus that ensures conductive contact between a cabinet door and a cabinet would therefor be highly desirable.
SUMMARY
An electrical enclosure that includes an electrically conductive cabinet and cabinet door, in accordance with the principles of the invention, includes a conductive strap that makes conductive contact between the cabinet door and cabinet.
In an illustrative embodiment, the strap may include a detachable connection at one or more ends. The body of the conductive strap may be composed of solid or braided conductor material, such as a solid metal wire or braided metal wire. The strap may be employed in conjunction with a conventional conductive gasket and is connected to the gasket, the cabinet door, and the cabinet body in a manner that ensures that all three components are held at substantially the same electrical potential.
A plurality of straps may be employed to insure that discontinuous conductive gaskets form, in conjunction with a cabinet door and cabinet body, a substantially continuous conductive shield around a cabinet's enclosed electronics.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3277230 (1966-10-01), Stickney et al.
patent: 5134547 (1992-07-01), Takamizawa
patent: 5194691 (1993-03-01), McIlwraith
patent: 5204496 (1993-04-01), Boulay et al.
patent: 5402323 (1995-03-01), Schwenk et al.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Lucent Technologies Inc
Vu Phuong T.
Wiegand James W
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