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US5917147A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Clip-on non-snag grounding finger array

Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
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Filing: 1996-01-30
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Granted: 1999-06-29
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Expires: 2016-01-30
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Abstract

Abstract A contact device includes a plurality of spring fingers on a conductive strip, each of the plurality of spring fingers having a cantilever spring portion, a locking tab, and a lead-in flange. The plurality of cantilever springs provide grounding contact to a removable cover when the plurality of locking tabs clip into a plurality of locking tab slots on the removable cover. Each lead-in flange has a lance-out tab. Every other of the plurality of lanced-out flanges clip into each of a plurality of lanced-out tab slots on the removable cover. Thus, after installation, the locking tab and the lead-in flange on each spring finger of the conductive strip provide for a clip-on, one-way positive-locking, non-snag, grounding contact with the cover of a base enclosure, furnishing an electromagnetic shield of electronic equipment within the base enclosure.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jeffrey Michael Lewis

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 22:01
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K9/00; H05K9/0007; H05K9/0015; H05K9/0016

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 126 words
A contact device comprising: a longitudinal member; a plurality of spring fingers on said longitudinal member, each of said plurality of spring fingers including a cantilever spring portion and a locking tab portion, wherein each of said plurality of locking tab portions nests behind a corresponding one of a plurality of locking tab slots on a removable cover; and wherein said longitudinal member further comprises a plurality of lead-in flanges and a plurality of lanced-out tabs coupled to said plurality of lead-in flanges, with alternating ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs clipping into corresponding ones of a plurality of lanced-out tab slots on said removable cover, and with remaining ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs bearing against a back side of said removable cover.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 126 words
A contact device comprising: a longitudinal member; a plurality of spring fingers on said longitudinal member, each of said plurality of spring fingers including a cantilever spring portion and a locking tab portion, wherein each of said plurality of locking tab portions nests behind a corresponding one of a plurality of locking tab slots on a removable cover; and wherein said longitudinal member further comprises a plurality of lead-in flanges and a plurality of lanced-out tabs coupled to said plurality of lead-in flanges, with alternating ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs clipping into corresponding ones of a plurality of lanced-out tab slots on said removable cover, and with remaining ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs bearing against a back side of said removable cover.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The contact device of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal member is made of a thin metal material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The contact device of claim 1 wherein said removable cover covers electronic equipment in a base enclosure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 131 words
A contact device comprising: a removable cover coupled to a cover flange having a plurality of lanced-out tab slots and a plurality of locking tab slots; and a plurality of spring fingers on a conductive strip, each of said plurality of spring fingers including a cantilever spring portion with a locking tab, each of said plurality of locking tabs securing into said plurality of locking tab slots on said cover flange; a plurality of lead-in flanges on said conductive strip; a plurality of lanced-out tabs coupled to said plurality of lead-in flanges, with alternating ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs clipping into corresponding ones of said plurality of lanced-out tab slots, and with remaining ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs bearing against a back side of said cover flange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 131 words
A contact device comprising: a removable cover coupled to a cover flange having a plurality of lanced-out tab slots and a plurality of locking tab slots; and a plurality of spring fingers on a conductive strip, each of said plurality of spring fingers including a cantilever spring portion with a locking tab, each of said plurality of locking tabs securing into said plurality of locking tab slots on said cover flange; a plurality of lead-in flanges on said conductive strip; a plurality of lanced-out tabs coupled to said plurality of lead-in flanges, with alternating ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs clipping into corresponding ones of said plurality of lanced-out tab slots, and with remaining ones of said plurality of lanced-out tabs bearing against a back side of said cover flange.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The contact device of claim 4 wherein said conductive strip is made of a thin metal material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The contact device of claim 4 wherein said plurality of cantilever spring portions provide grounding contact on a base enclosure.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-06-28 2002-12-28 2003-06-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-06-28 2006-12-28 2007-06-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-06-28 2010-12-28 2011-06-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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