US 4,399,317 AGranted

Sealing apparatus for radio frequency shielding enclosure

AssigneeKeene Corporation

InventorGarritt C. Van Dyk, Jr.

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Abstract

An electrically conductive rectangular housing contains a conductive elastomeric tube with a resilient core material. The housing also contains an inflatable seal which is preferably a flattened inflatable elastomeric member. Inflation of the elastomeric member causes the minor axis of the seal to become elongate, compressing the tube into conductive contact with sections of the enclosure and forcing a part of the tube from a slot in the housing and into contact with the surface of a conductive section of the enclosure disposed opposite the slot. Upon deflation, the seal returns to its uninflated shape due to its "memory" characteristic, thus permitting the conductive tube to withdraw from contact with the conductive section opposite the slot and assume its unextruded shape.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus for providing an electrically conductive seal between a first conductive section and a second conductive section of a shielding enclosure comprising:

(a) a conductive housing of rectangular cross section aligned and secured in close proximity to or upon the periphery of the first of said sections;
(b) a conductive elastomeric tube of generally circular cross section with a diameter approximately equal to the length of a shorter side of said rectangular cross section disposed within said housing along the length of said housing;
(c) a highly resilient elastomeric core disposed within said tube;
(d) a longer side of said rectangular housing in facing relationship to a surface of said second conductive section having a slot aligned with said conductive elastomeric tube of a width approximately equal to but smaller than a diameter of said tube;
(e) an inflatable elastomeric seal disposed in said housing parallel to said conductive elastomeric tube;
and
(f) means through which said seal is inflated and deflated whereby said conductive elastomeric tube is contacted by said seal and a portion of said tube is forced through said slot into contact with said second enclosure section when compressed by expansion of said inflatable seal and returns to a position substantially within said housing when said inflatable seal is deflated.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.