# US 6,723,916 B2 · Combination EMI shielding and environmental seal gasket construction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,723,916 B2 - Document ID: US6723916B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/368,828 - Filed: 2003-02-18 - Published: 2003-09-18 - Granted: 2004-04-20 - Earliest claimed: 2002-03-15 - Assignees: Parker-Hannifin Corporation - Inventors: Brian F. Flaherty; Jonathan E. Mitchel; John M. Perkins; Ronald P. Romano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6723916B2 ## CPC - H05K 5/061: {sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing} - H05K 9/0015: {Gaskets or seals} - Y10S 277/92: Seal including electromagnetic shielding feature - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A combination EMI shielding and environmental sealing gasket construction and method for its manufacture. The gasket includes at least one electrically-conductive EMI shielding gasket member, and at least one environmental sealing gasket member. The shielding gasket member, which may be in the form of a strip, has a lengthwise extent and an outer periphery having interstitial spaces, such as between the fibers of a metal wire or other fiber mesh or fabric, through a widthwise extent thereof. The sealing gasket member extends along the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member and is formed, such as by being dispensed to foam or otherwise formed-in-place along an adjacent side of the strip, of an elastomeric foam or other material which penetrates into at least a portion of the interstitial spaces of the shielding gasket member to bond the shielding gasket member and the sealing gasket member into an integral structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A combination gasket comprising: at least one electrically-conductive EMI shielding gasket member having a lengthwise extent and widthwise extent defined by an outer periphery, the outer periphery having interstitial spaces therethrough; and at least one environmental sealing gasket member integral with the shielding gasket member, the sealing gasket member extending along at least a portion of the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member and being formed of a material which penetrates through the outer periphery of the shielding gasket member into at least a portion of the interstitial spaces thereof to bond the shielding gasket member to the sealing gasket member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combination gasket of claim 1 wherein said shielding gasket member comprises one or more electrically-conductive fibers, the interstitial spaces being formed between the fibers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The combination gasket of claim 2 wherein the electrically-conductive fibers are non-conductive fibers having an electrically-conductive coating, metal wires, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, inherently-conductive polymer fibers, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The combination gasket of claim 2 wherein: the non-conductive fibers are cotton, wool, silk, cellulose, polyester, polyamide, nylon, polyimide, or a combination thereof, and the electrically-conductive coating is copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin, carbon, graphite, or an alloy or combination thereof; and the metal wires are copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, bronze, steel, tin, or an alloy or combination thereof, or one or more of copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, bronze, steel, tin, or an alloy or combination thereof coated with one or more of copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, bronze, steel, tin, or an alloy or combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The combination gasket of claim 2 wherein the shielding gasket member is formed as a strip which comprises a fabric or mesh of the electrically-conductive fibers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The combination gasket of claim 5 wherein: the strip is formed as having a side disposed adjacent the sealing gasket member; and the material forming the sealing gasket member penetrates into the interstitial spaces of the shielding gasket member though the adjacent side of the strip. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The combination gasket of claim 5 wherein the shielding gasket member further comprises a resilient core, the mesh or fabric being provided in one or more layers surrounding the core. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The combination gasket of claim 7 wherein the core is formed of an elastomeric material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The combination gasket of claim 1 wherein the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member defines an closed geometric area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The combination gasket of claim 9 wherein the sealing gasket member extends along substantially the entirety of the lengthwise extent to the shielding gasket member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The combination gasket of claim 9 wherein the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member is generally continuous. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The combination gasket of claim 1 wherein the material forming the sealing gasket member is a polymeric material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The combination gasket of claim 12 wherein the polymeric material is foamed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The combination gasket of claim 13 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polypropylene-EPDM blends, butadienes, styrene-butadienes, nitrites, chlorosulfonates, neoprenes, polyurethanes, urethanes, silicones, copolymer blends, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The combination gasket of claim 12 wherein the polymeric material is elastomeric. ### Claim 16 A method of making a combination gasket comprising the steps of: (a) providing a surface; (b) disposing at least one electrically-conductive EMI shielding gasket member on the surface, the shielding gasket member having a lengthwise extent supported on the surface and a widthwise extent defined by an outer periphery, the outer periphery having interstitial spaces therethrough; (c) applying a curable material on the surface and adjacent the shielding gasket member outer periphery, at least a portion of the material penetrating through the outer periphery and into at least a portion of the interstitial spaces of the shielding gasket member; and (d) curing the material to form an environmental sealing gasket member, whereby the portion of the material penetrating into the interstitial spaces of the shielding gasket member bonds the sealing gasket member thereto to form an integral combination gasket structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising the additional step prior to step (c) of providing a nozzle having an orifice, the curable material being applied in step (c) as dispensed from the orifice of the nozzle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the nozzle is provided to be movable relative to the surface and is moved in step (c) along at least a portion of the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member, and whereby the sealing gasket member is formed in step (d) along said portion of the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein: the surface is provided in step (a) as having a groove which extends along a lengthwise extent defining a path, the groove having a bottom wall and a pair of sidewalls adjoining the bottom wall, the sidewalls and being spaced-apart to define a widthwise extent of the groove therebetween; the shielding gasket member is disposed in step (b) on the bottom wall of the groove, the widthwise extent of the shielding gasket member being received intermediate the groove sidewalls and the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member extending along at least a portion of the path defined by the lengthwise extent of the groove, the outer periphery of the shielding gasket member having at least one side which is spaced-apart from an adjacent one of the groove side walls; the curable material is applied in step (c) by being introduced between at least the one side of the shielding gasket member outer periphery and the adjacent one of the groove side walls. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein: the one side of the shielding gasket member is spaced-apart in step (b) from the adjacent one of the groove side walls to define a predetermined clearance therebetween; and the material applied in step (c) substantially fills said clearance. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising the additional step of containing the material being applied in step (c) within a cavity having a shape, the sealing gasket member formed in step (d) having substantially the shape of the cavity. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the sealing gasket member formed in step (d) has a generally D-shaped cross-sectional profile. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein said shielding gasket member comprises one or more electrically-conductive fibers, the interstitial spaces being formed between the fibers. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the electrically-conductive fibers are non-conductive fibers having an electrically-conductive coating, metal wires, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, inherently-conductive polymer fibers, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein: the non-conductive fibers are cotton, wool, silk, cellulose, polyester, polyamide, nylon, polyimide, or a combination thereof, and the electrically-conductive coating is copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin, carbon, graphite, or an alloy or combination thereof; and the metal wires are copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, bronze, steel, tin, or an alloy or combination thereof, or one or more of copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, bronze, steel, tin, or an alloy or combination thereof coated with one or more of copper, nickel, silver, aluminum, bronze, steel, tin, or an alloy or combination thereof. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the shielding gasket member is formed as a strip which comprises a fabric or mesh of the electrically-conductive fibers. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein: the strip is formed as having a side disposed adjacent the sealing gasket member; and the material forming the sealing gasket member penetrates into the interstitial spaces of the shielding gasket member though the adjacent side of the strip. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein the shielding gasket member further comprises a resilient core, the mesh or fabric being provided in one or more layers surrounding the core. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein the core is formed of an elastomeric material. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the material forming the sealing gasket member is a polymeric material. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30 wherein the polymeric material is foamed-in-place on the surface prior to step (d). ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polypropylene-EPDM blends, butadienes, styrene-butadienes, nitrites, chlorosulfonates, neoprenes, polyurethanes, urethanes, silicones, copolymer blends, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30 wherein the polymeric material is elastomeric. ### Claim 34 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member defines an closed geometric area. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 wherein the sealing gasket member extends along substantially the entirety of the lengthwise extent to the shielding gasket member. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 wherein the lengthwise extent of the shielding gasket member is generally continuous.