Electrical circuit card with reduced EMI emission

An electrical circuit card adapted to be removably received in a grounded, electrically conductive housing with reduced emission of electromagnetic interference, comprising:

• an insulative circuit board having front, rear and side edges and having electrical circuitry thereon;
• an insulative faceplate coupled to said circuit board along the front edge thereof, said faceplate having a rear surface facing said circuit board;
• and
• an electrically conductive strip carried by at least one of said circuit board and said faceplate, said electrically conductive strip comprising an intermediate portion extending generally vertically along the rear surface of said faceplate, resilient upper and lower spring arms each extending rearwardly from said intermediate portion at an angle relative to said intermediate portion, and upper and lower contact pads at the ends of said respective upper and lower spring arms, said upper and lower contact pads forming planar contact areas which are each disposed at an angle relative to said respective upper and lower spring arms.

An electrically conductive shielding strip for reducing the emission of electromagnetic interference from a circuit card adapted to be removably received in a grounded, electrically conductive housing, said circuit card being of the type comprising an insulative circuit board and an insulative faceplate coupled to said circuit board along one edge thereof such that a rear surface of said faceplate faces said circuit board, said shielding strip comprising:

• an intermediate portion adapted to extend generally vertically along the rear surface of said faceplate;
• resilient upper and lower spring arms each extending rearwardly from said intermediate portion at an angle relative to said intermediate portion;
• and
• upper and lower contact pads at the ends of said respective upper and lower spring arms, said upper and lower contact pads forming planar contact areas which are each disposed at an angle relative to said respective upper and lower spring arms.

A method for reducing the emission of electromagnetic interference from an electrical circuit card which is adapted to be removably received in a grounded, electrically conductive housing affording an electrical contact surface adjacent to said circuit card, said circuit card being of the type comprising an insulative circuit board and an insulative faceplate coupled to said circuit board along one edge thereof such that a rear surface of said faceplate faces said circuit board, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing said circuit card with a shielding strip extending generally vertically along the rear surface of said faceplate;
• providing said shielding strip with at least one planar electrical contact area spaced rearwardly from the rear surface of said faceplate, said planar electrical contact area being oriented in alignment with and parallel to said electrical contact surface of said housing during insertion of said circuit card into said housing and prior to contact with said electrical contact surface of said housing, said planar electrical contact area of said shielding strip being resiliently displaceable toward and away from said rear surface of said faceplate;
• and
• inserting said circuit card into said housing by a distance sufficient to bring said planar electrical contact area of said shielding strip into contact with said electrical contact area of said housing and to resiliently displace said planar electrical contact surface of said shielding strip in the direction toward the rear surface of said faceplate.