Electromagnetic radiation shielding enhancement for expansion card enclosures
Described is a planar spring contact component coupled to a computer housing card enclosure that makes electrical contact with an inserted expansion card, to help form an electromagnetic shield around an opening in the card enclosure provided for external access to the expansion card. A planar spring contact component is electrically coupled to a conductive column that forms a first longitudinal side of an opening in a computer housing card enclosure. The planar spring contact component contacts a longitudinal side edge of a backplate surface panel of an expansion card when the expansion card is inserted into the card enclosure. The planar spring contact component deforms to force the opposite side edge of the backplate surface panel in a first planar direction, relative to a plane of the surface panel of the backplate, into an opposing shielding conductor, which may be a planar spring contact component of another conductive column.
1. A system, comprising:
a conductive column that forms a first longitudinal side of an opening in a device housing card enclosure; and
a planar spring contact electrically coupled to the conductive column and that facilitates electrical contact between the conductive column and a first longitudinal side edge of a backplate surface panel of a backplate of an expansion card when the expansion card is inserted in the device housing card enclosure, wherein the planar spring contact deforms to force a second longitudinal side edge of the backplate surface panel in a first planar direction, relative to a plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, into an opposing shielding conductor that opposes the second longitudinal side edge of the backplate surface panel.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conductive column comprises a first conductive column, and wherein the opposing shielding conductor comprises a second planar spring contact component electrically coupled to a second conductive column of the device housing card enclosure.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an orthogonal spring contact electrically coupled to the conductive column, the orthogonal spring contact configured to facilitate electrical contact with a part of the backplate surface panel of the backplate of the expansion card when the expansion card is inserted in the card enclosure.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises spring devices spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive column.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises at least one deformable protrusions longitudinally positioned along the conductive column and protruding towards the expansion card.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises at least one spring device substantially centered on the conductive column and extending towards the expansion card.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises at least one spring device comprising a contact portion and an angled guide portion that is angled at an angle relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, and wherein the contact portion has a more orthogonal angle, relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, than the angle of the angled guide portion, relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the device housing card enclosure and the expansion card comply with at least one of a peripheral component interface standard or a peripheral component interface Express® standard.
9. A system, comprising:
a card enclosure of a computer housing that houses one or more expansion cards, the card enclosure comprising:
at least one pair of spaced-apart conductive columns that make electrical contact with the card enclosure, and that form longitudinal sides of one or more enclosure openings in the card enclosure corresponding to the one or more expansion cards,
a first conductive column that forms a first longitudinal side, of the longitudinal sides, of an opening of the one or more enclosure openings in the card enclosure, and
a second conductive column that forms a second longitudinal side of the opening of the one or more enclosure openings in the card enclosure, wherein the second longitudinal side of the opening is opposite the first longitudinal side of the opening,
wherein the first conductive column comprises a first planar spring contact component that facilitates electrical contact between the first conductive column and a first longitudinal side edge of a backplate surface panel of a backplate of an expansion card of the one or more expansion cards when inserted into the card enclosure, and forces a second, opposite longitudinal edge of the backplate surface panel into electrical contact with a second planar spring contact component of the second conductive column, and wherein the second planar spring contact component is configured to urge the first longitudinal edge of the backplate surface panel into electrical contact with the first planar spring contact component of the first conductive column.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising an orthogonal spring contact component electrically coupled to the first conductive column, the orthogonal spring contact component configured to facilitate electrical contact with an overlapping part of the backplate surface panel of the backplate of the expansion card when inserted into the card enclosure.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first planar spring contact component comprises a group of spring devices substantially centered on the first conductive column and spaced apart longitudinally along the first conductive column.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first planar spring contact component comprises deformable protrusions longitudinally positioned along the first conductive column.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first planar spring contact component comprises a spring device comprising a first contact portion and a first angled guide portion positioned at a first angle with respect to a plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, wherein the first contact portion has a more orthogonal angle, relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, than the first angle of the first angled guide portion, relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, wherein the spring device further comprises a second contact portion and a second angled guide portion positioned at a second angle with respect to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, and wherein the second contact portion has a more orthogonal angle, relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, than the second angle of the second angled guide portion, relative to the plane of the backplate surface panel of the backplate, and wherein the second angled guide portion is coupled to the first angled guide portion.
14. A system, comprising:
a planar spring contact electrically coupled to a conductive column of a card enclosure of a device housing, wherein the conductive column forms a first longitudinal side of an opening in the card enclosure, the planar spring contact configured to:
facilitate electrical contact with a first longitudinal conductive side edge of a conductive backplate of an inserted expansion card that has been inserted in the opening; and
press the first longitudinal conductive side edge in a first planar direction, relative to a plane of a surface panel of the conductive backplate, to have a second, opposite longitudinal conductive side edge of the surface panel of the conductive backplate press against a shielding conductor that is proximate a second, opposite longitudinal side of the opening in the card enclosure.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the conductive column comprises a first conductive column, and wherein the shielding conductor comprises a second planar spring contact electrically coupled to a second conductive column of the card enclosure of the device housing.
16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising an orthogonal spring contact electrically coupled to the conductive column, the orthogonal spring contact configured to facilitate electrical contact with at least part of the surface panel of the conductive backplate of the inserted expansion card when the inserted expansion card is inserted in the opening of the card enclosure.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises a plurality of spring devices spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive column.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises one or more deformable protrusions longitudinally positioned along the conductive column and protruding towards the inserted expansion card.
19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises a spring device substantially centered on the conductive column and extending towards the inserted expansion card.
20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the planar spring contact comprises a spring device comprising a contact portion and an angled portion set at an angle relative to the plane of the surface panel of the conductive backplate, wherein the contact portion has a more orthogonal angle, relative to the plane of the surface panel of the conductive backplate, than the angle of the angled portion, relative to the plane of the surface panel of the conductive backplate.