Patent Application
20070125972
The present invention relates to shield devices, and particularly to a shield device with a receiving cage for receiving cables.
With the rapid development of electronic technology, electronic products, such as, mobile phones, wireless access points, circuit boards, and so on, include more and more functions. During a production process, the electronic products are generally undergone different tests in order to ensure quality of the electronic products. Often, the electronic product is mounted in a shield cage to test whether various functions of the electronic product meet standard requirements.
Referring to
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
In an exemplary embodiment, a shield device for blocking ambient electromagnetic waves from interfering with testing of an electronic product connected with a cable, includes a shield cage and a receiving cage for receiving the cable. The shield cage includes a base defining a receiving space for receiving the electronic product, and an opening in communication with the receiving space. The receiving cage received in the opening, includes an upper cover and a lower cover. The upper cover defines a recessed portion, and the lower cover includes a protrusion received in the recessed portion. When the upper cover is mounted on the lower cover, at least one transition portion is formed in the receiving cage.
Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The shield cage 10 comprises a lid 20 and a base 30. The lid 20 and the base 30 contain electromagnetic wave absorbing materials (not shown) to minimize internal electromagnetic wave reflections in the shield cage 10 during a test.
The lid 20 is generally rectangular in shape, and is movable between a sealed position and an open position relative to the base 30.
The base 30 is generally rectangular in shape, and comprises a pair of opposite sidewalls 32, a back wall 34, a front wall 36 opposite to the back wall 34, and a receiving space 38. The receiving space 38 is bounded by the sidewalls 32, the back wall 34, and the front wall 36, for receiving the electronic product 50 during the test. The back wall 34 defines an opening shielded by the receiving cage 40. The opening communicates with the receiving space 38 and an exterior. As an alternative embodiment, there may be two or more openings. Meanwhile, the opening may be defined in the sidewalls 32 or the front wall 36. The base 30 further comprises a compressible electromagnetic interference (EMI) gasket (not labeled) disposed around an inside perimeter thereof for sealing the base 30 when the lid 20 is in the sealed position.
Referring also to
The lower cover 44 is generally rectangular in shape, and contains RF absorbing materials (not shown). The lower cover 44 comprises a pair of opposite second end portions 440 each corresponding to one of the first end portions 420, a protrusion 442 corresponding to the recessed portion 422, and a pair of opposite second side portions 444 each corresponding to one of the first side portions 424. A height of each second end portion 440 is greater than that of each second side portion 444, and is less than that of the protrusion 442. The protrusion 442 projects from a middle of the lower cover 44, and a cross-section of the protrusion 442 is generally trapeziform in shape.
In assembly, the electronic product 50 is received in the receiving space 38 of the base 30. The flexible cable 60 is mounted in the receiving cage 40. The receiving cage 40 is received in the opening of the base 30 with one end of the flexible cable 60 being connected to the electronic product 50, and the other end of the flexible cable 60 extending out of the base 30. Thus, the flexible cable 60, the electronic product 50, the receiving cage 40, and the shield cage 10 are assembled. In this assembled state, the opening of the base 30 is sealed. The protrusion 442 is received in the recessed portion 422 with the flexible cable 60 being firmly retained between the protrusion 442 and the recessed portion 422.
In use, the other end of the flexible cable 60 is connected to a computer for testing the electronic product 50 (not shown), and the lid 20 is in the sealed position. Thus, various functions of the electronic product 50 can be tested. After the test, the lid 20 is placed in the open position. The electronic product 50 is then taken out of the base 30.
Because the opening of the base 30 is sealed during the test, ambient electromagnetic waves do not penetrate the shield cage 10, and electromagnetic waves generated by the electronic product 50 do not escape the shield cage 10. Accordingly, the shield cage 10 protects electronic product 50 from EMI during testing, and success of the testing of the electronic product 50 is ensured.
Because the cross-sections of the protrusion 442 and the recessed portion 422 of the receiving cage 40 are trapeziform in shape, a pair of transition portions 46 is formed in the receiving cage 40 thus eliminating or reducing any chance gaps between the upper cover 40 and the lower cover 44. Meanwhile, the absorbing material effectively absorbs electromagnetic waves penetrating the receiving cage 40 via any other chance gaps. Accordingly, accurate testing of the electronic product 50 is ensured, and quality of the electronic product 50 can be determined.
As an alternative embodiment, the flexible cable 60 may be a plurality of cables.
While the exemplary embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94220516 | Nov 2005 | TW | national |
