Solderable EMI Gasket and Grounding Pad
Apparatus, which is useful as both a conductive gasket and a grounding pad, which has a compressible elastomeric substrate having at least one side surface and two ends, a conductive elastomeric layer adjacent to all of the side surfaces of the compressible substrate, and a metal layer adjacent to the conductive layer.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a. a compressible substrate having at least one side surface and two ends,
b. a conductive layer adjacent to all of said side surfaces of said compressible substrate, and
c. a metal layer adjacent to said conductive layer.
2 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus is solderable.
3 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said compressible substrate comprises an elastomer.
4 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said conductive layer comprises a conductive elastomer comprised of an elastomer having conductive particles impregnated therein.
5 . An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said conductive particles are selected from the group consisting of silver, nickel, carbon, copper, aluminium, gold, tin, platinum, palladium, and combinations and alloys thereof.
6 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said compressible substrate and said conductive layer is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of silicone, silicone gum, rubber, fluorocarbon, fluorosilicon, EPDM, PTFE, ePTFE, and combinations thereof.
7 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal is a metal plating or coating.
8 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, silver, gold, tin, chromium, and combinations and alloys thereof.
9 . An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said metal is an electrolytically plated metal.
10 . An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said metal is an electrolessly plated metal.
11 . An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said metal is vapor deposited metal.
12 . An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said metal is a combination of one or more of an electrolytically plated metal, an electrolessly plated metal, a vapor deposited metal.
13 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus has a substantially round cross-section.
14 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said compressible elastomer substrate comprises a plurality of side surfaces.
15 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus has a quadrilateral cross-section.
16 . An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said apparatus has a rectangular cross-section.
17 . An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said apparatus has a substantially square cross-section.
18 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus has an irregular cross-section.
19 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus is hollow.
20 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus is compressible to 75% of its height with an applied load less than 500 pounds per square inch.
21 . An apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said apparatus has a DC resistance less than 50 mOhms when compressed to 75% of its height.
22 . An apparatus comprising:
a. a compressible electrically conductive substrate having side surfaces, and
b. a metal layer adjacent to said side surfaces.
23 . An apparatus comprising:
a. a compressible elastomeric substrate with a quadrilateral cross-section having a plurality of side surfaces and two ends,
b. a conductive elastomeric layer adjacent to all of said side surfaces of said compressible elastomeric substrate, and
c. a metal layer adjacent to said conductive layer,
d. wherein said apparatus is solderable.
24 . A method of making a conductive gasket or grounding pad comprising the steps of
a. providing a continuous base material having a compressible elastomeric substrate and a conductive elastomeric outer layer adjacent said compressible elastomeric substrate;
b. metalizing said continuous base material to form a continuous conductive gasket or grounding pad, and
c. cutting said continuous conductive gasket or grounding pad into a plurality of discrete conductive gaskets or grounding pads.
25 . A method of forming an EMI shielding gasket comprising soldering a plurality of apparatus as defined in claim 1 onto a support.
26 . A method as defined in claim 25 wherein said support is a printed circuit board.
27 . A method as defined in claim 25 further comprising using surface mount technology equipment to deposit said apparatus.
28 . A method of forming grounding pads comprising soldering at least one apparatus as defined in claim 1 onto a support.
29 . A method of forming grounding pads as defined in claim 28 wherein said support is a printed circuit board.
30 . A method of forming a conductive path comprising soldering at least one of the apparatus as defined in claim 1 onto a support.
31 . A method as defined in claim 30 wherein said at least one apparatus is soldered onto a printed circuit board.