Assembly and electronic device with conductive mesh

An assembly includes a carrier and an electrically conductive mesh, wherein the carrier includes a side surface with an edge, the electrically conductive mesh is attached to the side surface and extends over the edge of the side surface, and the edge has a radius at least as big as a minimal bending radius of electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to an assembly with a carrier and an electrically conductive mesh as well as an electrical device with an assembly.

BACKGROUND

To deny access to security-relevant components to a potential attacker, security-relevant components can be protected by an electrically conductive mesh by which an access attempt can be detected. In that case, the assembly of the electrically-conductive mesh around the security-relevant components is decisive. If one tries to introduce an electrically conductive mesh into a housing of an electric device, it may easily happen that electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh are damaged. In particular, it may happen that electric lines break or are damaged at kinks in the lines.

Thus, it could be helpful to provide suitable means to prevent damaging of an electrically conductive mesh.

SUMMARY

An assembly includes a carrier and an electrically conductive mesh, where-in the carrier includes a side surface with an edge, the electrically conductive mesh is attached to the side surface and extends over the edge of the side surface, and the edge has a radius at least as big as a minimal bending radius of electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh.

An electronic device includes the assembly including a carrier and an electrically conductive mesh, wherein the carrier includes a side surface with an edge, the electrically conductive mesh is attached to the side surface and extends over the edge of the side surface, and the edge has a radius at least as big as a minimal bending radius of electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh, and a circuit board, on which security-relevant electronics are arranged, wherein the circuit board is arranged on the carrier such that the electrically conductive mesh at least partially surrounds the circuit board.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An assembly includes a carrier and an electrically conductive mesh. The carrier comprises a side surface with an edge. The electrically conductive mesh is attached to the side surface and extends over the edge of the side surface. The edge has a radius at least as big as a minimal bending radius of electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh.

Such a carrier with one or multiple edges having a radius at least as big as a minimal bending radius of the electric lines effectively protects the electrically conductive mesh from damage or a break of the electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh. The minimal bending radius depends on the material used and refers to the smallest radius around which the electrically conductive mesh can be bent without damage. The electrically conductive mesh can be cambered over the edges of the carrier, for example. The predetermined radius of the edges prevents the electrically conductive mesh from bending too strongly so that it is protected.

A carrier of the described type thus describes a technical tool for an improved and safe mounting of an electrically conductive mesh, respectively, in a housing of an electric device.

The carrier may comprise centering means. The electrically conductive mesh is advantageously arranged centrally on the carrier by the centering means. In this way, a predetermined position of the mesh can be set in relation to the carrier and/or a receiving housing.

To secure electronic components in a device to be protected, it is important that the electrically conductive mesh can be arranged very precisely on the carrier so that no gaps develop in the protection offered by the electrically conductive mesh. By the centering means, it is ensured that the electrically conductive mesh can be arranged in the predetermined position of the carrier. In particular, the centering means are centering pins that engage in the centering holes of the electrically conductive mesh.

The electrically conductive mesh may connect to the carrier via an adhesive joint.

An adhesive joint produces a material-fit connection between the electrically conductive mesh and the carrier. A reliable connection between the mesh and the carrier can be ensured by the adhesive.

The carrier may comprise multiple side surfaces. The side surfaces of the carrier advantageously form a circumferential frame.

A frame is particularly suitable for carrying an electrically conductive mesh due to its stable construction.

The carrier may have a base with which the multiple side surfaces are connected.

By the base, in particular a rectangular base with which the multiple side surfaces connect, a tray-shaped reception is formed on the external surface of which can be attached the electrically conductive mesh. This way, electronics to be protected can be positioned within the tray-shaped reception in a simple manner.

Each of the side surfaces may comprise one edge. The edges of the side surfaces each have a radius at least as big as a minimal bending radius of electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh. Advantageously, the side surfaces connect to the base in each case via such edges.

The edges of the carrier that adjoin the base and over which the electrically conductive mesh is cambered, all comprise a radius big enough that the mesh cambered over a respective edge will not suffer from damage. The radii of the individual edges may comprise different radii. Preferably, the individual edges of the side surfaces have the same radius.

The carrier may be made from a plastic material. A plastic material is characterized by good insulation capabilities and low weight. Furthermore, a plastic material can be formed in a simple and cost-efficient manner.

The electrically conductive mesh may have a rectangular base to which one or multiple lugs are adjoined, wherein the mesh is arranged with the one or multiple lugs at the side surface. Arranging the electrically conductive mesh on the side surface allows centering the electrically conductive mesh independently from a base of the carrier.

An electronic device has an assembly of the above described type and a circuit board. Security-relevant electronics are arranged on the circuit board. The circuit board is arranged on the carrier such that the electrically conductive mesh at least partially surrounds the circuit board.

The electrically conductive mesh is arranged on the carrier. The circuit board with the security-relevant electronics is arranged in or on the carrier such that the electrically conductive mesh at least partially surrounds the circuit board, in particular from four sides or from five sides. Thus, protection for the circuit board is ensured at the regions of the circuit board surrounded by the mesh since an unauthorized access attempt to the security-relevant electronics is detectable via the electrically conductive mesh.

The electronic device may comprise a housing, wherein the assembly is arranged in the housing such that the electrically conductive mesh is arranged between the circuit board and the housing.

The carrier is arranged in the housing. The security-relevant electronics is arranged in the region surrounded by the electrically conductive mesh. The electronic device is thereby protected against unauthorized external access attempts to the security-relevant electronics.

Hereinafter, my assemblies and devices will be described in greater detail by Figures and examples.

It will be appreciated that the following description is intended to refer to specific examples of structure selected for illustration in the drawings and is not intended to define or limit the disclosure, other than in the appended claims.

FIG. 1shows a carrier101and an electrically conductive mesh102. The carrier101carries the electrically conductive mesh102and to ensure that the electrically conductive mesh102maintains a predetermined shape without damage.

The electrically conductive mesh102is a braid or knitted fabric of electric lines arranged or attached to a carrier material, e.g., a foil, in a loose manner. The electric lines can be wires or electrically conductive paints or a combination thereof. The electrically conductive mesh102comprises a foil to which electric lines are attached. The electrically conductive mesh102is cut stencil-like into a certain shape. The electrically conductive mesh102comprises a base103. The base103has a rectangular design, but may comprise any other application-specific shapes. At side edges of the base103, the electrically conductive mesh102merges into lugs104. The stencil-like design of the electrically conductive mesh102is adapted to a surface of the carrier101.

The electrically conductive mesh102comprises centering holes105. The centering holes105cooperate with the centering pins106of the carrier101to secure a position of the electrically conductive mesh102on the carrier101.

The electrically conductive mesh102comprises recessess106which are part of the stencil-like example of the electrically conductive mesh102and adapted to the shape of the carrier101, in particular spacers112of the carrier101.

The carrier101has a base108. Furthermore, the carrier101has four side surfaces109. Due to the perspective illustration inFIGS. 1 to 5, merely up to two side surfaces109are illustrated, respectively. The four side surfaces109form a circumferential frame which is separate from the base108of the carrier101.

The base108of the carrier101connects to the side surfaces109via edges110. The base108as well as the side surfaces109each form a flat surface. The edges110are curved and comprise a predefined radius (see in particularFIG. 2). The radius is adapted to material properties of the electrically conductive mesh102.

The radius of the edges110is selected such that the electric lines of the electrically conductive mesh102can be bent over the edges110without damage and the electrically conductive mesh102is not damaged. In particular, the radius of the edges110is selected to be bigger than a minimal bending radius of the electrically conductive mesh102.

The carrier101comprises centering pins107. In the example shown inFIGS. 1 to 5, the centering pins107are arranged on the base108. In this example, three centering pins107are arranged on the base108, two of which centering pins107are merely shown inFIG. 1due to the perspective illustration.

Furthermore, the carrier101comprises a guidance111provided for an electrically conductive elastomeric material that contacts the electrically conductive mesh102with one contact point or multiple contact points of a circuit board (not shown) located in or underneath the carrier101.

Furthermore, the carrier comprises the spacers112that keep the carrier101spaced apart from housing walls during and after insertion into a housing and/or define a certain mounting position.

FIG. 2shows a detail ofFIG. 1. The illustrated centering hole105is arranged to be flush above the illustrated centering pin107.

FIG. 3shows the electrically conductive mesh102during the mounting process. The base103of the electrically conductive mesh102rests on the base108of the carrier101. The base103of the electrically conductive mesh102and the base108of the carrier101have the same size. The centering pins107engage in the centering holes105and thus position the electrically conductive mesh102precisely over the carrier101such that the base103of the mesh102rests on the base108of the carrier101in an accurately fitting manner.

Arrows113show the directions in which the lugs104of the electrically conductive mesh102are cambered over the edges110of the carrier101to butt against the side surfaces109of the carrier101.

FIG. 4shows an assembly100. In the assembly100, the electrically conductive mesh102is attached to the carrier101. In this case, the base103of the electrically conductive mesh102covers the base108of the carrier101. The centering pins107protrude through the centering holes105. The lugs104of the electrically conductive mesh102are attached to the side surfaces109of the carrier101and cover these. The spacers112of the carrier101protrude through the recesses106. The spacers112ensure a distance of a housing to the carrier101and the electrically conductive mesh102when the carrier101is inserted into an electronic device.

FIG. 5shows the assembly100together with a housing114. The housing114can be lowered over the assembly100to position the carrier101in the housing114. In other words, the carrier101is inserted in the housing114together with the electrically conductive mesh102attached to the carrier101. Security-relevant electronics (not shown) is placed below the electrically conductive mesh102within the carrier101and is protected. The electrically conductive mesh102surrounds the security-relevant electronics with the base103of the electrically conductive mesh102and the lugs104from five sides.

FIG. 6shows an alternative example of the carrier101. The carrier101according to the example ofFIG. 6comprises a rectangular base108merely connected to 3 side surfaces109via edges110. Alternatively, the base108can be omitted. In further examples, the carrier101may consist of less than four side surfaces109or of more than four side surfaces109. In these examples, the carrier101is not circumferentially closed then or has a base different from a rectangular base.

The carrier101according to the example inFIG. 6comprises four side surfaces109with edges110that adjoin the side surfaces109. The carrier101comprises centering pins107on one of the side surfaces109. The electrically conductive mesh102comprises corresponding centering holes105on one of the lugs104.

In this example, the electrically conductive mesh102has a shortened base103of the electrically conductive mesh102that adjoins three of the four circumferential lugs104and has the full length of one of the three adjoining lugs104. The base103adjoins the lug104, in which the centering holes105are arranged, and is bent over the edge110of the carrier101, which connects the side surfaces109to the centering pins107and the base108of the carrier101.

Two further lugs104protrude from two further side surfaces109of the carrier101and thus protect components protruding from the carrier101and components constructions such as a display (not shown) attached to the electronic device, in particular a transition between the attached display and the electronic device. The edges110over which the electrically conductive mesh102is not cambered do not have a predefined radius in this example.

At a fourth (illustrated to the right) side of the carrier101, a lug104of the electrically conductive mesh102is kinked to enable insertion of the display into the assembly100after positioning the electrically conductive mesh102on the carrier101.

Fixing the electrically conductive mesh102on the carrier101is effected by an adhesive (joint) in the described examples ofFIGS. 1 to 6. An adhesive layer is applied in some places or over the entire surface of the base108(if present) of the carrier101as well as the side surfaces109.

Just as well, it is possible to apply the adhesive layer on the electrically conductive mesh102(in addition or as an alternative). In further examples, the electrically conductive mesh can be fixed without adhesive layer by plugging it to or on the carrier101.

Although my assemblies and devices have been described in connection with specific forms thereof, it will be appreciated that a wide variety of equivalents may be substituted for the specified elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as described in the appended claims.