Patent Application
20120325547
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a shielding member. More particularly, the invention relates to an easy to assemble radio frequency and electromagnetic interference shielding member for a Hi-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector.
2. Background Art
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielded cables and connector assemblies are frequently used for the transmission of data signals between programmable instruments, such as computers and the like, as well as in other environments wherein electrical and electromagnetic radiation can be expected to interfere with the electrical signal carried by the interconnecting cables and connector assemblies. Shielding has been used for years in electrical connectors to keep unwanted radio frequency and electromagnetic signals (RFI/EMI) and electromagnetic pulses (EMP) from interfering with signals being carried by contacts in connectors. Such cables typically use a flexible plastic film that can be trimmed to any desired shape or size as shielding material. A clear liner can be removed to expose adhesive for attachment to a cable connector, such as a Hi-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector.
HDMI is a transmission interface developed for next generation multimedia audio/video systems including DVD players, game box converters, TV boxes, etc. The maximum transmission speed of an HDMI interface can be as high as 5 Gb/s. In addition to a video signal, an HDMI interface can simultaneously transmit an 8-channel audio signal. Because HDMI is practical for transmitting digital data without compression, it effectively reduces signal interference and attenuation due to conversion between digital signal and analog signal. An HDMI connector is a small-size connector developed following the step of SATA (Serial AT attachment) interface connector.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an RFI, EMI and/or EMP shield for an HDMI connector.
It is to be understood that both the general and detailed descriptions that follow are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention.
Principles of the invention provide an RFI, EMI and/or EMP shield for an HDMI connector. For example, in a first aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic shield for use on an HDMI connector comprises a single sheet of metal having outer and inner peripheries. The outer periphery forms a plurality of outer deflectable fingers extending outwardly from a bent edge of the outer periphery for contacting a surface of a faceplate. The plurality of outer deflectable fingers is deflectable to allow for installation and removal of the faceplate. The inner periphery has an opening for receiving an HDMI connector and forming a plurality of inner deflectable fingers extending inwardly from a bent edge of the inner periphery. The inner plurality of deflectable fingers is deflectable to allow for insertion and removal of the HDMI connector.
In a second aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic shield for use on an HDMI connector comprises a single sheet of metal having outer and inner peripheries. The outer periphery forms a plurality of outer deflectable fingers extending outwardly from a bent edge of the outer periphery for contacting a surface of a faceplate. The plurality of outer deflectable fingers is deflectable to allow for installation and removal of the faceplate. The inner periphery has an opening for receiving an HDMI connector and forming a plurality of inner deflectable fingers extending inwardly from a bent edge of the inner periphery. The plurality of inner deflectable fingers is deflectable to allow for insertion and removal of the HDMI connector. The outer plurality of deflectable fingers being four outer fingers of the single sheet. The four outer fingers form from top and bottom outer horizontal edges and left and right outer vertical edges. Each of the outer horizontal edges forms at least four fingers of the plurality of outer finger protruding outwardly and each of the outer vertical edge forms at least one finger of the outer plurality of fingers protruding outwardly. The inner plurality of deflectable fingers being four inner fingers of the single sheet, the four inner fingers being formed from top and bottom inner horizontal edges and left and right inner vertical edges. Each of the inner horizontal edges forms at least two fingers of the plurality of inner finger protruding inwardly and each of the inner vertical edge forms at least one finger of the inner plurality of fingers protruding inwardly.
The present invention seeks to overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of several problems, including but not limited to: prevent EMI from interfering with signal being carried by contacts in an HDMI connector.
The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention.
The following is a list of the major elements in the drawings in numerical order.
The present invention relates to a radio frequency and electromagnetic interference shield for a Hi-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector.
Referring to
The single sheet 110 of metal is sized and dimensioned to receive the HDMI connector 105 in between the first and second side walls 135, 140 and top planar surface 130. Each of the side walls 135, 140 includes an elongated leg 165, 170 that extends beyond a bottom edge 180 of each of the side walls 135, 140. The shield 100 is operatively coupled to the circuit board 175 to provide an interconnection between the shield 100 and the circuit board 175 such as a ground plane on the board 175. The side walls 135, 140 with the legs 165, 170 are coupled to the circuit board 175 using any suitable approach. For example, the legs 165, 170 may be inserted into holes located on the circuit board 175 and soldered into the circuit board 175, snapped, clipped or mechanically fastened into a structural element of the circuit board 175, or attached using any other suitable approach. In some embodiments, the side walls 135, 140 and top planar surface frame 130 may be separate metal components that are combined into a single piece of shield 100.
Shield 100 may be placed on any suitable portion of the circuit board 175 to surround the HDMI connector 105, which emits electromagnetic radiation or is susceptible to electromagnetic radiation. Once the shield 100 is placed over the HDMI connector 105, the HDMI connector 105 is enclosed by the side walls 135, 140 and top planar cover 130, thus preventing interfering radiation from escaping and damaging the HDMI connector 105 and/or other components. The shield 100 can be installed or removed individually onto/from the circuit board 175 for easy access to the HDMI connector 105 (e.g., for repair) without disturbing the HDMI connector 105 and/or other components that may be sensitive to interferences. The HDMI connector 105 may have four legs 195 that are inserted into holes created on the circuit board to provide a ground terminal connection.
Once the HDMI connector 105 is installed onto the circuit board 175 with the faceplate 160 (
The shield 100 may be coupled to the HDMI connector 105 and circuit board 175 using any suitable approach. In one embodiment, the legs 165, 170 may be soldered to the circuit board 175. In other embodiments, once the connector 105 is soldered onto the circuit board 175, the shield 100 may include snaps (not shown) to engage a portion of the side walls of the connector 105. Snaps may include one or more mechanisms for engaging the side walls of the connector. For example, snaps may be elastically biased towards the side walls of the connector 105 such that the snaps may deflect when they are placed over the connector 105, thus creating an interference or frictional fit. As another example, snaps may include a tab or protrusion, operative to engage a corresponding indentation or tab, respectively, in the side walls of the connector 105. As still another example, a tape, adhesive or mechanical fastener (e.g., a screw may pass through the snaps and engage the side walls of the connector 105 and/or circuit board 175.
Each shield 100 may include any suitable number of fingers 125 with slots 115 equally spaced in-between each finger 125. Referring to
Each of the plurality of resilient fingers 125 is independently flexible, and thus can accommodate non-uniform thicknesses of the surface 185 of the faceplate 160. Some faceplates may have uneven surfaces and therefore the shield 100 can accommodate such uneven surfaces. Each of the plurality of resilient fingers 125 is able to transition between a non-flexed state and a flexed state. The flexed state is when the finger 125 biases the surface 185 of the faceplate 160 and the non-flexed state is when the finger 125 does not apply a force onto the surface 185.
Before fixedly coupling the shield 100 over the connector to the circuit board 175, the connector 105 with the fingers 125 slides away or towards the surface 185 of the faceplate 160 so as to vary the amount of force the fingers apply to the surface 185. This enables the shield 100 to accommodate varying faceplate 160 thicknesses while the fingers 125 maintain contact with the surface 185 of the faceplate 160.
The shield 100 may be manufactured from any suitable material operative to shield the connector 105 and/or other components from electromagnetic interference (e.g., from other components of the electronic device). In one embodiment, shield 100 may be constructed from Beryllium Copper alloy and plated with tin. In other embodiments, the shield 100 may be constructed from an electrically conductive material such as, for example, metal (e.g., Copper, Silver, Aluminum, Steel), graphite, plasma, or any other conductive material.
The dimensions of the metal sheet 110 varies depending on the application; however, in one embodiment, the sheet 110 is sized and dimensioned to receive the HDMI connector 105 in between the first and second side walls 135, 140 and top planar surface 130. The sheet 110 has approximately a uniform thickness of 0.005 inches. The length (shown as “L1” in
Referring to
The single sheet 210 includes an opening 230 that is sized and dimensioned for receiving the HDMI connector 205. In operation, an assembler may insert the shield 200 onto the HDMI connector 205 via the opening 230. The assembler also may easily remove the shield 200 from the HDMI connector 205 by pulling the shield 200 away from the HDMI connector 205. It is advantageous that the shield 200 may be inserted on or removed from the HDMI connector 205 because this means that the HDMI connector 205 does not have to be purchased from a supplier that integrates the shield 200 onto the HDMI connector 205. Further, if the HDMI connector 205 is damaged, the reusable shield 200 can be reinstalled onto another HDMI connector without having to throw away a shield that is integrated with an HDMI connector. This saves raw material cost by not wasting an otherwise functional shield just because of a bad connector.
Continuing on to
The inner periphery 220 includes the opening 230 for receiving the HDMI connector 205 and forming a plurality of inner deflectable fingers 235 extending inward from a bent edge of the inner periphery 220. The plurality of inner deflectable fingers 225 are deflectable to allow for insertion and removal of the HDMI connector 205. As the connector 205 pushes through the opening/cutout 230 in the faceplate 160, the plurality of outer fingers 225 compress against the surface 185. Upon installation of the shield 200 onto the HDMI connector 205, the outer and inner plurality of resilient fingers 225, 235 make contact with the surface 185 of the faceplate 160 and the HDMI shield 205, respectively, to provide ground contacts. In one embodiment, the outer and inner plurality of fingers 225, 235 have greater deflectability than the surface 185 of the faceplate 160 and the walls of the HDMI connector 205, respectively. Further, each of the outer and inner plurality of fingers 225, 235 is deflectable independently. Each of the outer and inner plurality of fingers 225, 235 is able to transition between a non-flexed state and a flexed state. The flexed state is when the finger 225, 235 biases the surfaces of the faceplate 160 or the HDMI connector 205 and the non-flexed state is when the finger 225, 235 has no force being applied to the finger 225, 235.
Referring to
The inner plurality of deflectable fingers 235 forms two inner fingers 235 protruding inwardly from each of the top and bottom inner horizontal edges 270, 275 and one inner finger protruding inwardly from the left and right inner vertical edges 280, 285. In-between each finger 225, 235 is a gap 240 of approximately 0.035 inch wide, 0.080 inch in length, and 0.165 apart on centers. The gaps 240 may be regularly spaced between each of the outer and inner plurality of fingers 225, 235 for increasing the deflectability of the outer and inner plurality of fingers 225, 235. The spacing, width, and length of the gap determine the dimensions of the fingers 225, 235, which affects the deflectability of the fingers 225, 235 to work independently of each other to provide individual and continuous contact with the surface of the faceplate 160, even if the surface is irregular and not smooth. It is preferably for the fingers 225, 235 to have a higher deflectability than the surface of the faceplate 160 and the walls of the HDMI connector 205, respectively because this allows the fingers 225, 235 to maintain good electrical and physical contact with the surface of the faceplate 160 and the walls of the HDMI connector 205.
To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention is a unique device for shielding radio frequency and EMI on an electronic device.
The following is a list of the acronyms used in the specification in alphabetical order.
Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be made therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61501421 | Jun 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13195196 | Aug 2011 | US |
| Child | 13287202 | US |
