Electricity: conductors and insulators – Anti-inductive structures – Conductor transposition
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-25
2001-03-13
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Anti-inductive structures
Conductor transposition
C361S816000, C361S818000, C277S653000, C277S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06201182
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting track and, more particularly, to a mounting track having barbs for attachment to an object, a mounting system, and a method for attachment of a mounting track.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As is well known, selected electric or electronic parts radiate electromagnetic waves which can cause noise or unwanted signals to appear in electric or electronic parts and devices existing in the vicinity of the radiating parts. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to provide shielding and/or grounding for electronic components that use circuitry that emits or is susceptible to electromagnetic radiation. It is known that these components can be shielded to reduce undesirable electromagnetic interference and/or susceptibility effects with the use of a conductive shield that reflects or dissipates the electromagnetic charges and fields. Such shielding may be grounded to allow the offending electrical charges and fields to be dissipated without disrupting the operation of the electronic components enclosed within the shield.
Various types of EMI/RFI shielding devices are known for reducing the transmission of EMI and RFI. Among the known devices are gaskets or strips of a resiliently deformable material which are secured to an openable access panel, door, drawer, or the like (hereinafter “door”), to block the transmission of EMI/RFI through the small clearance between the door and the adjacent structure which forms the opening into and out of which the door is movable. Such strips are useful for shielding openings of housings for electronic components which are highly sensitive to the adverse effects of EMI/RFI.
Such known devices are typically made of one of several materials which have the combined functions of acting as an EMI/RFI shield, and which are resiliently deformable so that they can be compressed between the door when closed, and will spring back to an uncompressed configuration when the door is moved out of the opening. The applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,229, issued on Mar. 30, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference, provides examples of such gaskets.
Prior shielding strips, although providing an adequate level of shielding for the electronic devices, are often difficult to install on an electronics housing and are often not secured to a mounting surface to withstand the forces generated in use without detaching from the surface. For example, one prior strip utilizes a track which is riveted to the mounting surface of the housing, the shielding strip then being slid onto the riveted track to hold the strip in place. Although providing a secure mount for the shielding strip, the riveted track involves a relatively complicated installation procedure, involving several steps, and is therefore labor intensive. Furthermore, a shielding strip which requires a riveted track is relatively expensive, because it requires extra parts (a track and rivets), and added labor to install. The riveted track is also somewhat prone to misinstallation, because installation requires alignment of a rivet with holes in the track.
It is desirable to provide a mounting system and method for mounting shielding strips that is inexpensive and simple to install.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mounting system includes a wall having at least one hole formed therein, and a track having at least one barb extending from a first surface of the track, the track having a second surface on an opposite side of the track from the first surface. The at least one barb is wider than the at least one hole and is sufficiently resiliently compressible to be passed through the at least one hole in one direction and expand to prevent removal of the barb in a second direction, thereby securing the track relative to the wall.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a mounting track is provided. The mounting track includes a first surface, at least one barb extending from the first surface of the track, the at least one barb having a first end distal from the first surface of the track, the first end being, in an expanded state, wider than at a second end of the barb at the first surface of the track, the first end of the barb being resiliently compressible to a width narrower than the expanded state, and a second surface on an opposite side of the track from the first surface.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for mounting a mounting track to a wall, the track having at least one barb extending from a first surface of the track, the at least one barb having a first end distal from the first surface of the track, the first end being, in an expanded state, wider than at a second end of the at least one barb at the first surface of the track, the first end of the at least one barb being resiliently compressible to a width narrower than the expanded state, the wall having a hole narrower than the expanded state of the at least one barb formed therein and at least as large as a compressed width of the at least one barb. According to the method, the first end of the at least one barb is compressed. The first end of the at least one barb is extended through the hole in the wall. The track is secured to the wall by permitting the first end of the at least one barb to expand to its expanded state.
It will be appreciated that, although a preferred embodiment of the present invention is as a mounting system and method for mounting shielding strips, the present invention has numerous applications in other fields where it is desirable to mount items relative to one another.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3140342 (1964-07-01), Ehrreich et al.
patent: 3752899 (1973-08-01), Bakker
patent: 4594472 (1986-06-01), Brettle et al.
patent: 4822060 (1989-04-01), Moyer et al.
patent: 5231246 (1993-07-01), Benson et al.
patent: 5386345 (1995-01-01), Matsuzaki et al.
patent: 5488766 (1996-02-01), Gerry et al.
patent: 5603514 (1997-02-01), Jencks et al.
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Instrument Specialties Company
Kincaid Kristine
Walkenhorst W. David
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