Equipment and methods for producing continuous metallized thermoformable EMI shielding material

Abstract

The present invention provides in-line equipment and methods for manufacturing an EMI/RFI shield that is integrated formed in a formable sheet. The EMI/RFI shield may comprise a shaped thermoform shell that has one or more conductive layers applied to one or more surfaces. The EMI/RFI shield may be integrally formed with the formable sheet via attachment tabs that are positioned along one or more edges of the EMI/RFI shield.

1 . An EMI/RFI shield integrally formed in a thermoformable sheet, wherein portions of the thermoformable sheet are removed around a periphery of the EMI/RFI shield, wherein the portions of the thermoformable sheet that are not removed integrally connect the EMI/RFI shield to a remainder of the thermoformable sheet.  
   
   
       2 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 1  wherein the EMI/RFI shield comprises at least one layer of a conductive material.  
   
   
       3 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 2  wherein the EMI/RFI shield is multi-compartmentalized.  
   
   
       4 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 2  wherein the EMI/RFI shield defines a single compartment.  
   
   
       5 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 2  wherein the layer of conductive material comprises at least one layer of tin, aluminum, copper, and nickel.  
   
   
       6 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 5  wherein the conductive material comprises a vacuum metallized first layer of tin and an electroplated second layer of tin.  
   
   
       7 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 1  wherein the formable polymer sheet comprises a recycled, conductively coated polymer EMI/RFI shield that has been mechanically disintegrated and then recombined back into the formable polymer sheet.  
   
   
       8 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 7  where the mechanically disintegrated EMI/RFI shields comprise a metallized film comprising one of a painted film, a vacuum metallized film, and an electroless plated film.  
   
   
       9 . The EMI/RFI shield of  1  wherein the EMI/RFI shield comprises a top surface, a plurality of sidewalls extending at an angle from the top surface and a flange around a periphery of the side walls, wherein the flange and the top surface define substantially parallel planes.  
   
   
       10 . A reel of material for in-line processing equipment, the reel comprising: 
 a sheet of material;    a spool that receives the sheet of material; and    a plurality of EMI/RFI shields attached to the sheet of material that is rolled on the spool.    
   
   
       11 . The reel of material of  claim 10  wherein the EMI/RFI shields are integrally attached to the sheet of material.  
   
   
       12 . The reel of material of  claim 11  wherein the EMI/RFI shields are attached to the sheet of material with tabs of material.  
   
   
       13 . The reel of material of  claim 10  wherein the EMI/RFI shields comprise at least one layer of conductive material.  
   
   
       14 . The reel of material of  claim 10  wherein the EMI/RFI shields and sheet of material comprise recycled material.  
   
   
       15 . An EMI/RFI shield integrally attached to a formable polymer sheet formed by a method comprising: 
 shaping the formable polymer sheet to create at least one EMI/RFI shield;    applying a conductive layer to the formable polymer sheet; and    removing a portion of the material around a periphery of the conductive EMI/RFI shield so as to leave the EMI/RFI shield integrally attached to a remainder of the formable polymer sheet.    
   
   
       16 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 15  wherein the shaping is carried out before the applying the conductive layer.  
   
   
       17 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 15  wherein the shaping is carried out after applying the conductive layer.  
   
   
       18 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 15  further comprising applying a gasket to the EMI/RFI shield.  
   
   
       19 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 15  comprising forming the polymer sheet from recycled material that comprises conductive material.  
   
   
       20 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 15  wherein removing a portion comprises leaving tabs of material that integrally connect the EMI/RFI shield to the formable polymer sheet.  
   
   
       21 . The EMI/RFI shield of  claim 5  wherein the conductive material comprises a vacuum metallized first layer of tin and an electroplated second layer of nickel.  
   
   
       22 . The reel of material of  claim 12  wherein the tabs of material are perforated.