JP2012212677A - Shielding in region of electrical connection device attached to opening of housing wall - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance shielding effect of a conductive housing equipped with at least one connection device.SOLUTION: In the housing structure of an electrical apparatus where an electrical connection device (12a), such as an electrical plug connector, is placed in a region of a conductive housing wall (16a), the shielding member (10a) of the electrical connection device is provided, at the opening (14a) of the housing wall, to engage with or penetrate the opening (14a). The shielding member has a shielding material (18a) provided, on one surface of the housing wall, to surround the opening and having an edge (22a) that projects into a cavity between the edge of the opening and the electrical connection device.

Description

The present invention relates to a housing structure for an electrical device in which at least one electrical connection device such as an electrical plug connector is arranged in the region of the housing wall.
In particular, the present invention relates to a shielding member for such an electrical connection device and a method for attaching the electrical connection device to a housing wall.

  It is known that conductive housing structures such as metal housing structures greatly improve the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the equipment. In both cases of interference radiation from external sources outside the housing or in the housing (jamming radiation generated by the device), the structure shields unwanted disturbing radiation.

  The device provides advanced data processing capabilities (eg, if the device is a computer device) and / or operates in an installation environment where many other electronic devices are located, such as in the field of automotive electronics In some cases, the EMC problem is particularly acute.

  In order to be able to use electrical signals such as supplying electrical energy to equipment and / or exchanging data with external devices, an electrical connection device such as a plug connector (eg a connection socket) is usually provided in each opening in the housing wall. It arrange | positions so that it may engage with an opening part or may penetrate an opening part. With respect to manufacturing tolerances, each opening in the housing wall needs to be somewhat larger than is actually required. Therefore, in the known housing structure, a somewhat large inter-edge gap always remains between the edge of the opening and the connecting device arranged in the region of the opening. Depending on the type of interfering radiation that occurs in actual use, the shielding quality may be significantly impaired by such an inter-edge gap. In particular, EMC is deteriorated by high frequency electromagnetic radiation.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-074035

  An object of the present invention is to improve the shielding effect of a conductive housing provided with at least one connecting device.

  The above object is achieved by a shielding member having the features of claim 1 and an electrical connecting device attachment method having the features of claim 10. The dependent claims relate to advantageous further improvements of the invention.

  According to the present invention, the above-mentioned gap between the edges can be reduced or completely eliminated by a simple method, and the shielding effect of the housing can be greatly improved. Such an improvement effect can be brought to one or more connecting devices of the housing wall.

The connection device may be a known plug connector that can connect the device to an external device for power supply or data exchange. Such plug connectors, including connection sockets and the like, are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail.

  In particular, a conductive case or enclosure against which a shielding material abuts if the signal supplied via the electrical connection device during operation is a source of jamming radiation or the signal may be affected by the jamming radiation. Advantageously, the electrical connection device comprises a metal plug connector housing (for example a metal plug connector housing). In this case, the shielding material is preferably arranged over most of the periphery of the case or enclosure, in particular over the entire periphery.

  As the shielding material, a known plastic conductive material can be used. Examples of shielding materials for this purpose include open-cell foamed urethane, metal yarn with polyester mesh electrotreated with Ni / Cu core material consisting of soft elastic foamed PE or foamed PU with Ni / Cu fabric surrounding Examples thereof include silicon materials (in particular, silicon fluoride) in which (for example, monel (Ni / Cu alloy)) is embedded, and metal polyester nonwoven fabrics.

The shielding material used is preferably electrically conductive as in the example described above, and in particular in three dimensions. It is also advantageous that the material has a high compressibility and does not lose electrical conductivity even in a compressed state. These characteristics ensure a good conductive connection between the housing wall and the material (and, if necessary, the conductive housing of the connecting device) when installed (eg, with more than 100 contact points per cm ₂ ). For example, it can be achieved by corrugated metal wires embedded in a plastic material that is highly elastic due to its corrugated shape and can provide many contact points on the surface of the material.

  Suitable shielding materials are commercially available as shielding mats or films and can be appropriately adjusted according to the use according to the present invention. In preferred embodiments, the shielding material is opened or cut into the desired shape.

  For the formation of the shielding member, it may be sufficient to fix the appropriately adjusted shielding material to the housing wall (or connecting device), but between the one or more connecting devices and the housing wall when the device is installed. In order to secure the shielding material, other embodiments contemplate attaching the shielding material directly to the housing wall. The shielding material can be attached to the housing wall in a simple manner such as using an adhesive. In this case, an adhesive shielding material is advantageous. However, a suitable adhesive, particularly a conductive adhesive, can also be used.

  In one embodiment, the protruding edge of the shielding material has one or more notches extending from the inner edge of the shielding material toward the edge of the opening. For example, as described above, an opening formed in the material or advantageously formed when cutting is formed has the advantage that the material is well fixed in the gap between the edges. Here, the shielding material provided flat (two-dimensionally) on the (usually flat) housing wall must be provided inside the gap at an angle in the region of the gap between the edges. In particular, in the closed annular inter-edge gap or the sharply curved part and / or the angle part of the inter-edge gap, the installation can be simplified and the shielding effect can be improved by cutting.

  The opening of the housing wall preferably has the same shape as the electrical connection device accommodated in the opening, and an inter-edge gap having a gap of substantially the same size is obtained.

  In many conventional designs of electrical connection devices, substantially annular or substantially rectangular openings are particularly suitable.

  In the case of a rectangular (or polygonal) opening, the above-described cuts of the shielding material can be formed at the corners of the rectangular shape.

  Particularly in the case of a circular opening, it is preferable to arrange the plurality of cuts equally over the circumference, particularly at equal distances in the circumferential direction.

  In order to make a good and permanent connection of the shielding material to the opening of the housing wall, it is beneficial for the shielding material to extend from the edge located in the gap between the edges along the housing wall with a minimum distance in plan view. It is. The minimum distance is at least equal to the thickness of the housing wall at that point and is preferably greater than the thickness of the housing wall. When the shielding material is attached to the housing wall so as to encircle the opening, each point around the shielding material is at least twice, preferably at least three times the thickness of the housing wall in the region of the edge of the opening. It can have a distance from the edge of the opening.

  In a preferred embodiment, the inter-edge gap is dimensioned such that the edge of the shielding material that extends into the inter-edge gap is compressed in the inter-edge gap. For example, the dimension of the gap between edges may be 80% or less of the thickness of the shielding material.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the edge part extended to the space | gap between edges of shielding material has penetrated the space | gap between edges completely, or protrudes further (on the other side of a housing wall).

  When a plurality of electrical connection devices are provided on the housing wall, a continuous portion (for example, a cut and formed portion) of the shielding material can be shared by the plurality of connection devices. This method is particularly advantageous when the connection device and / or the opening in the housing wall are directly adjacent.

  A particularly advantageous method for attaching the electrical connection device to the opening of the conductive housing wall is a flat and flexible shielding material, the material surrounding the opening and the edge protruding into the region of the opening. Mounting on one side of the housing wall in such a way that the electrical connection device engages or penetrates the opening and the protruding edge of the shielding material is the edge between the edge of the opening and the electrical connection device Inserting an electrical connection device into the opening so as to bend into the interstitial space.

  Thereby, while being able to implement | achieve the shielding member mentioned above easily, the specific embodiment mentioned above can also be implement | achieved in this way.

  The shielding member and the mounting method described above first attach the electrical connection device to the edge of the circuit board and the formed electrical contact, and incorporate the circuit board into a housing having an opening provided corresponding to the connection device. Compatible with a very wide range of manufacturing methods in the electronics field. The electrical connection device can be inserted into the opening at the time of attachment by attaching a circuit board having the connection device already arranged.

  In a preferred embodiment, the device is applied to the housing wall of the housing that houses the circuit board, and the electrical connection device is attached to the circuit board and is pushed into the opening by moving the circuit board toward the housing wall during installation. It is.

  Here, a means for mounting the circuit board in the housing, which provides the circuit board relocatability just before the mounting, is particularly advantageous. For example, a “pin-elegated hole arrangement” can be provided for this purpose.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by embodiments with reference to the drawings.

It is a perspective view of the housing wall which concerns on 1st Embodiment seen from the inner surface of the housing. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing wall of FIG. 1 viewed from the outer surface of the housing. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line of FIG. It is a perspective view of the component of the electronic device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment seen from the inner side of the housing. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the structure of FIG. 4 as viewed from the outer surface of the housing. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5.

  1 to 3 show a form of the shielding member 10 of the electric plug connector 12 disposed in the opening 14 of the housing wall 16 formed of a metal plate.

  In the example shown, the opening 14 in the housing wall 16 is substantially rectangular.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a cut-to-shape part of a conductive plastic mat 18 (“HF gasket”) cut into a substantially rectangular frame shape is bonded to the inner surface of the housing wall 16 by an adhesive. Attached to the plane. When the frame is cut and molded, the outer portion 20 of the plastic mat 18 surrounds the opening 14 on the housing wall 16 in a plan view, and the inner edge 22 of the plastic mat 18 protrudes into the region of the opening 14. To be done.

  The protrusion 22 of the plastic mat 18 is clearly shown in FIG. 2 and has a width that is smaller than the width of the portion 20 that directly contacts the housing material in the illustrated example. Further, the width of the protrusion 22 is larger than the thickness of the housing wall.

  After the housing wall 16 is thus prepared, the plug connector 12 is pushed into the opening 14 from the inner surface of the housing (see arrow 24), as shown in FIG. In the insertion position (not shown), the plug connector 12 passes through the opening 14 and slightly protrudes from the outer surface of the housing (upper side in FIG. 3).

  The plug connector housing of the plug connector 12 has a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the opening 14, and has a slightly smaller dimension than the opening 14. Since the plug connector housing has such a shape, when the plug connector 12 is inserted, the edge portions 22 of the plastic mat 18 projecting to the four sides of the opening shape bend 90 °, and the plug connector 12 and the housing wall are bent. 16 is fixed.

  The plug connector 12 can be inserted into the opening 14 without causing any problems, and the edge portion 22 of the plastic mat 18 can be easily bent into the gap between the edges, particularly inside the cut and molded portion of the plastic mat 18. A notch 26 indicated by a broken line in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be provided at the corner portion.

  In the finished state, the above-described arrangement of the conductive plastic mat 18 provides an advantageous shielding effect against the disturbing radiation that occurs in the installation environment of the device and / or the device generates. In particular, the EMC of the device is greatly improved by the shielding member 10 described above.

The plug connector 12 may be a known plug connector, for example, a connection socket for connecting a corresponding plug connector of a connection cable or a cable room. If the device is a computer device, the computer device can connect to an external device (and / or
Alternatively, the shielding method described above can be used particularly advantageously for a connection device that transfers data signals from an external device to a computer device).

  Each plug contact of the plug connector 12 is indicated by reference numeral 28 in FIG. 3 and can contact the contact of the mating plug connector connected from the outer surface of the housing wall 16. The plug connector 12 can be one or more of standards such as USB, FireWire, power supply standard, CAN-Bus, audio / video standard (VGA, RGB, SCART, DVI, HDMI, SVHS, etc.), speaker connection, Cinch connector, SPDIF, etc. It may be compliant. If a desired connection cannot be realized in the housing due to space reasons, these connections can be connected to a plug connector arranged in the housing via an electric circuit device (cable etc.), for example. (Other) plug connectors that can be formed.

  In particular, if the data signal is transferred at high speed through the plug connector 12 and the data signal is relatively vulnerable to possible jamming radiation, the plug connector 12 may be a conductive enclosure having conductivity at least on the surface or A plug connector housing can be included. In this embodiment, an additional advantage is obtained that an electrical connection can be made from the housing to the conductive enclosure of the plug connector 12 or the plug connector housing via the shielding material 18.

  Next, another embodiment will be described. In the description of other embodiments below, the same reference numerals are used for components that function in the same manner, and a lowercase “a” is added to differentiate the embodiments. Here, only the difference from the above-described embodiment will be described, and the description of the above-described embodiment will be referred to otherwise.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a shielding member 10a of two adjacently disposed plug connectors 12a, 12a 'that engage with corresponding adjacent openings 14a, 14a' of a common housing wall 16a.

  The housing wall 16a is mounted in an automobile together with another housing wall connected by screw connection or plug connection, for example, a mobile computer device ("vehicle PC") that provides vehicle vehicle computer functions, multimedia functions, and communication functions. ) Of a substantially rectangular housing.

  Of the other substantially rectangular housing walls, FIG. 4 shows only one housing wall 17a adjacent to the housing wall 16a at a right angle.

  The rectangular housing can have external dimensions that can be installed, for example, in a standardized mounting tray of the vehicle. In such an installation environment, excellent EMC is often an essential requirement, and this requirement can be satisfied by the shielding member described below.

  In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, a common shielding mat 18 a is used for a plurality of (here, two) connecting devices 12 a and 12 a ′, but the shielding member has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. It can also be configured.

  However, unlike the above-described example, it is conceivable that the plug connectors 12a and 12a 'are merely engaged with the openings 14a and 14a' without completely passing through the openings 14a and 14a '. This is shown, for example, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 in the example of the plug connector 12a.

A feature of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is that the plug connectors 12a and 12a ′ are provided with corresponding openings 14.
a, 14a ′. This method will be described in detail below.

  The plug connectors 12a and 12a 'are attached as electrical components by a known method when electrical components are mounted on the edge of the circuit board 30a, and are soldered to a flat surface of the circuit board 30a, for example. In this mounting process, some of the other components of the computer device shown in FIG. 4 by way of example and denoted by reference numeral 32a are also attached.

  FIG. 4 shows two of the plurality of pin protruding hole members 34a, which function as mounting portions for the circuit board 30a in the housing as will be described below.

  The member 34a is fixed to the housing. Specifically, the member 34a includes a cylindrical pin that passes through an extension hole formed in the circuit board 30a. In the illustrated example, the cylindrical mounting pin is formed of metal and protrudes upward. Are welded to the bottom of the housing (not shown). Therefore, the member 34a can move the circuit board 30a in a necessary direction in order to insert the plug connectors 12a and 12a 'into the corresponding openings of the housing wall 16a in the illustrated state.

  When the computer device is installed, the circuit board 30a fully mounted with electrical components is advantageously inserted so that the pins attached to the floor of the housing pass through the extension holes arranged corresponding to the circuit board 30a. Can do.

  Next, while forming the shielding member 10a, the circuit board 30a is moved in the direction toward the housing wall 16a so that the plug connectors 12a and 12a ′ are inserted into the corresponding openings 14a and 14a ′ by a desired method. be able to.

  In this state, the actual mounting of the circuit board 30a in the housing can be performed. In the example shown, the elastic plastic sleeve (not shown) can be pushed down toward the pin of the member 34a and mounted on the upper end surface of the pin downward by a screw connection, so that the mounting can be advantageously performed. The circuit board 30a can be suitably attached to the body by static friction. Alternatively or in addition, the actual mounting of the circuit board 30a in the moved state may be, for example, a hole in the circuit board 30a that aligns with a corresponding screw hole in the housing (eg, the housing floor) in the moved state. This can be done by screw connection at another point.

  Also, a plurality of circuit boards can be stacked by the above method or a similar method, and can be arranged in the housing in a direction in which the circuit boards can be moved. Here, in order to provide the above-described shielding member by pressing the plug connector of each circuit board against the housing wall of a different housing when the device is mounted, the moving directions of the circuit boards should be different from each other. Can be considered. For this purpose, for example, it is conceivable that the pin of the member 34a has a length for laminating circuits, and a circuit board is alternately laminated with a plastic sleeve having elasticity to form a laminate. Next, a fixed load can be applied to the entire laminate by screw connection at the upper end of the laminate. This type of threaded connection can be made by an automatic machine (robot) at the upper end of the pin as required, and a thread (female thread or male thread) can be provided on the end face of the pin.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and more clearly in FIG. 6, the inter-edge gap between the openings 14a, 14a ′ and the outer periphery of the plug connector 12a or 12a ′ in the mounted state is a shielding material 18a extending into the inter-edge gap. The edge portion 22a is compressed in the gap between the edges. As a result, no gap is left between the plug connectors 12a, 12a 'and the housing structure after mounting.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Shielding member, 12 Electrical connection apparatus (electric plug connector), 14 Opening part, 16 Housing wall, 18 Shielding material (plastic mat), 22 Edge part, 26 Cut, 30 Circuit board

Claims (10)

A shielding member (10) of an electrical connection device (12) provided in an opening (14) of a housing wall so as to engage with or penetrate the opening;
Having a flexible shielding material (18);
Provided on one side of the housing wall (16) so as to surround the opening (14);
A shielding member in which an edge portion (22) of the shielding member (10) projects into an inter-edge gap between the edge of the opening and the electrical connection device (12). In claim 1,
The said electrical connection apparatus (12) is a shielding member which is a plug connector. In claim 1 or 2,
The electrical connection device (12) is a shielding member having a conductive enclosure with which the shielding material (18) abuts. In any of claims 1 to 3,
The shielding material (18) is an opening and / or a cutting member that is cut and formed. In any of claims 1 to 4,
The shielding member (18) is attached to the housing wall (16) using an adhesive. In any of claims 1 to 5,
The edge (22) of the shielding material (18) has one or more cuts extending from an inner edge of the shielding material (18) toward the edge of the opening. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 6.
A shielding member wherein the inter-edge gap has a dimension such that the edge portion (22) of the shielding material (18) extending into the inter-edge gap is compressed in the inter-edge gap. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7,
A shielding member in which the edge portion (22) of the shielding material (18) extending into the gap between edges completely penetrates the gap between edges. In any of claims 1 to 8,
The shielding member is used for the housing wall (16) of the housing that houses the circuit board (30).
The electrical connection device (12) is attached to the circuit board (30), and the circuit board (30) is moved toward the housing wall (16) when being attached, thereby being pushed into the opening (14). A shielding member. A method for attaching an electrical connection device (12) to an opening (14) in a conductive housing wall (16) comprising:
One side of the housing wall (16) with a flat and flexible shielding material (18) surrounding the opening (14) and an edge (22) protruding into the region of the opening (14) Attaching to the
The electrical connection device (12) engages with or penetrates the opening (14), and the edge (22) from which the shielding material (18) protrudes is the opening (14). ) Inserting the electrical connection device (12) into the opening (14) so as to bend into an inter-edge gap between the edge of the electrical connection device (12);
Including methods.

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