KR20180102575A - Aluminum EMI / RF shield with pin - Google Patents

Abstract

Shields made of aluminum-based alloys coated with a solderable coating such as aluminum (AL) or nickel or tin provide a thermal improvement over prior art materials. A bottom portion having a top surface and one or more sidewalls extending from a periphery of the top surface, the sidewall configured to engage a fence of the circuit board, the top portion of the bottom portion Wherein the pin arrangement comprises a plurality of stackable pins, each stackable pin having at least one connection tab extending from the wall and one or more sides of the wall, The coupling tabs constrain the plurality of stackable pins to each other.

Description

Aluminum EMI / RF with Pin

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic interference / radio frequency shield (EMI / RF shield) for circuitry of a circuit board, in particular comprising an aluminum or aluminum based alloy, plated with a soldable material, / RTI > electromagnetic interference / radio frequency shield.

Conventional EMI / RF shielding materials include nickel, silver, tin-plated cold rolled steel or SPTE, which is excellent for formability and EMI / RF shielding but poor in thermal performance or expensive for shielding applications, stainless steel Steel, brass or phosphor bronze materials.

One piece shields are typically used in thin devices where height is critical, and due to height restrictions, replaceable covers are not available. An integral shield is also used as a cost-saving solution compared to a two-part shield. The two-part shielding method is generally used for reworkability and is generally more expensive.

summary

Shields made of aluminum-based alloys coated with a solderable coating such as aluminum (AL) or nickel or tin provide a thermal improvement over prior art materials. Plated aluminum provides improved thermal performance and also provides significant weight reduction over commonly used shielding materials. Due to the relatively high thermal conductivity of aluminum and the ability to solder the shield directly to the substrate, the shield transfers heat from the top surface to below the shield sidewall and "throws" the heat into the circuit board. The heat transfer is improved using the pins attached to the surface of the shield, which transfers heat away from the device, provides a relatively low operating temperature, and improves device life and reliability.

The above features are understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side view of an EMI / RF shield formed of two parts, consisting of a fence and a lid.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an EMI / RF shield formed in two parts with a fence and an attached lid around the circuit on the substrate.
3 is a perspective view showing a shield formed in one piece that can be attached directly to a circuit board;
Figure 4 is a side view showing another EMI / RF shield with dissipating fins attached to the shield.
5 is a perspective view showing the shield shown in Fig. 4; Fig.
6 is a perspective view illustrating an EMI / RF shield with a dissipation pin;
7 is a perspective view illustrating an EMI / RF shield with dissipating fins;
8 is a top perspective view of an EMI / RF shield.
9 is a bottom perspective view of an EMI / RF shield.
10 is a right side view of an EMI / RF shield.
11 is a rear view of an EMI / RF shield.
12 is a top view of an EMI / RF shield.
13 is a perspective view showing stackable pins of an EMI / RF shield;
14 is a perspective view showing an end pin of an EMI / RF shield;
15 is a perspective view illustrating an assembly of one or more stackable pins forming a pin array of EMI / RF shields.
16 is a detailed view showing stackable pins of the pin arrangement shown in Fig.
17 is a perspective view showing an assembly of end fins with respect to a pin arrangement;
18 is an assembly drawing showing a pin arrangement of an EMI / RF shield.

EMI / RF shields are made of aluminum or aluminum-based alloys to take advantage of the thermal performance of aluminum. To allow soldering, the aluminum material is plated with a solderable material such as nickel or tin.

1 is a side view of a heat shield made of an aluminum or aluminum based alloy generally designated 10; A shield 10 is attached to a fence 9 attached to and surrounding the circuit board. Other methods of attaching the shield 10 to circuit circuitry are contemplated as being within the scope of this disclosure. The shield 10 may include one or more side walls 30 that include a top surface 20 and form a lid that may be disposed on the circuit to provide electromagnetic interference and radio frequency shielding. For example, a shield may have four walls and a top wall to form a cover with five sides. The use of aluminum or an aluminum based alloy provides improved thermal performance and weight reduction compared to other shielding materials. Due to the thermal conductivity of aluminum, the shield can transfer heat from the upper surface of the shield to the sidewall beneath and release heat to the circuit board where the heat dissipates.

2 is a perspective view showing two fences 9 on a circuit board 8 having a shield lid 10 attached to the fence 9. Fig. All of the shields described herein may be integral or two piece shields that may be attached to a fence or otherwise attached to a circuit board by other methods known in the art. The shield may be attached to the fence by any method known in the art, such as soldering. The attachment may be snap-down or otherwise known in the art. The shield (10) includes a top wall (20) and a side wall (30). The shield lid 10 is made of aluminum or an aluminum based alloy plated with a solderable material such as nickel or tin. The fence 9 may be made of aluminum or aluminum or alloy plated with a solderable material such as nickel or tin to solder the shield. The aluminum containing shields disclosed herein can be manufactured according to what is known in the art in connection with making shields from shield materials of the prior art. The aluminum material may be plated with nickel, tin or other solderable material before or after being molded into the lid structure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an integral shield 10A that may be made of aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy that may be directly attached to a circuit board. The shield 10A includes a top wall 20A and a side wall 30A. The shield 10A is made of aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy plated with a solderable material such as nickel or tin, so that the shield can be soldered directly to the circuit board. The fence 9 is made of aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy plated with a solderable material such as nickel or tin to allow soldering of the shield. The aluminum containing shields disclosed herein can be manufactured according to what is known in the art in connection with making shields from shield materials of the prior art. The aluminum material may be plated with nickel, tin or other solderable material before or after being molded into a structure having sidewalls. The shield may not be peeled off or peeled off. If the shield is a peel shield and the shield is reworked again and the cover is removed, the fence is left attached to the substrate and requires a replacement cover that snaps into the existing fence.

Figure 4 shows a shield attached to the fence 9 and shown generally at 110. The shield has a top wall 120 and may have one or more side walls 130. The shield includes a heat dissipation pin attached to the top wall and designated 140. The fin 140 may be soldered to the top wall 120 of the shield 110. The fin is made of an aluminum or aluminum based alloy that can be plated with the same material as the shield, for example nickel, tin or other solderable material. Of course, the pin can be made of a completely different material than the shield, such as a non-aluminum material of the prior art, if desired. The pins may have any desired shape as known in the art. The fins may be plated with a solderable material before or after the pins are molded into the final shape. 4, pin 140 may contact a top wall 120 of shield 110 and have a series of valleys 142 for a solderable connection. The fin 140 has a plurality of upstanding walls 144 and a top surface 146 connected between the upstanding walls. Upstanding walls 144 may have additional heat dissipation characteristics such as additional fin 148 to provide a greater surface area for increased heat dissipation.

5 is a perspective view of a shield having the pin shown in Fig. 3, the shield 110 may include a top wall 120 and may include a side wall 130. As shown in FIG. A shield 110 is attached to the fence 9 on the circuit board. The pin 140 includes a series of valleys 142 that may be soldered to the top wall 120 and may be soldered to a plurality of upstanding walls 144 and adjacent upstanding walls 144 And includes a plurality of upper surfaces 146. In addition, upstanding walls 144 include heat dissipation features such as additional fin 148.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another aluminum or aluminum foundation shield with a fin. The shield 210 may include a top wall 220 and may include a side wall 230. The shield 210 is attached to the fence 9 on the circuit board 8. The fin 240 includes a plurality of upper surfaces 246 interconnecting a series of valleys 242 that can be soldered to the top wall 220, a plurality of upstanding walls 220, and adjacent upstanding walls 244 . As shown, the upstanding wall 244 may be configured to extend at a right angle to the top wall 220. [

7 is a perspective view of another aluminum or aluminum foundation shield having a fin. The shield 310 may include a top wall 320 and may include a side wall 330. The shield 310 is attached to the fence 9 on the circuit board. The pin 340 includes a series of valleys 342 that may be soldered to the top wall 320 and may be soldered to a plurality of upstanding walls 344 and a plurality of adjacent upstanding walls 344 As shown in FIG. As shown, the upstanding wall 344 of the pin 340 may be configured to extend from the top wall at an angle without extending perpendicularly from the top wall 320. In addition, upstanding wall 344 may include additional heat dissipating features, such as additional pins 348.

The shield disclosed herein includes an integral shield that can not be peeled off or reworked; An integral shield that can be stripped / reworked; A two part shield including a fence and lid made using plated aluminum; One part of the fence and cover, including the fence and cover, is a plated aluminum (typically cover) (the fence can be nickel silver, cold rolled steel or plated stainless steel), two part shield; And a two part shield with a fin stock of aluminum or copper (not limited to a choice of materials) soldered to the plated cover surface and pre-plated or later plated.

Low profile / low power devices such as mobile handsets, tablets, and thin laptops are commonly used with one or two part shield solutions without soldering the pin stock to the cover Nickel silver and cold rolled shield.

Processor modules (e.g., server chassis, wireless modem, set-top box, or cable box) that are typically present in relatively large case structures in high power applications, such as RF modules, are typically convectively cooled. The devices provide additional thermal improvements when used with base plated aluminum fences and lids using plated pin stock. Fin stocks (processed by molding, folding, stamping, etc.) And is soldered to the upper surface of the cover to improve the thermal performance.

8 to 12 are views of a shield having a fin arrangement. More specifically, Fig. 8 is an upper perspective view, Fig. 9 is a lower perspective view, Fig. 10 is a right side view, Fig. 11 is a rear view, and Fig. 12 is a plan view of the shield. The shield 410 includes a top surface 420 and a pin arrangement 438. The top surface 420 may include one or more sidewalls 430 suspended from the periphery of the top surface 420. The sidewalls 430 may be continuous or have a gap to facilitate mounting. The sidewalls 430 also include one or more dimples 432 that can be connected to the outer surface of the fence and protrude inwardly so that the shield 410 is secured to the fence and arranged on the circuit to provide electromagnetic interference And radio frequency shielding. The inner surface of the sidewalls 430 of the shield 410 has a size that fits (e.g., engages) on the outer surface of the fence such that the protrusions 432 can engage the outer surface of the fence . Optionally, the shield 410 can engage the fence without protrusions 432. Attachment of the shield 410 to the fence may be accomplished by friction fit or welding or other attachment.

The pin arrangement 438 may be attached to the upper surface 420 of the shield 410. The pin arrangement 438 may include one or more stackable pins 440 and may include an end pin 470. The pin arrangement 438 may comprise any number of stackable pins 440 in accordance with thermal shielding requirements. The stackable pin 440 and the end fins 470 are spaced apart and spaced such that they can vary with thermal shielding requirements. The stackable pins 440 each include nestable alignment tabs with portions that can be bent to engage the stackable pins with one another. The stackable pins 440 may also include non-engagement tabs 440 that can facilitate interlocking of the stackable pins and / or provide structural support between the stackable pins 440. [ ).

13 is a perspective view of a laminate pin 440. Fig. The stackable fins 440 generally include a flat surface or wall 446 that extends between an upper side 446a (e.g., a first side) and a lower side 446b (e.g., And a lower end tab 442b at a first end and a second end of the lower side with an upper end tab 442a at a first end and a second end of the upper side, 444a and 444b and has an upper stackable engaging tab 448a at the upper side of the wall 446 and a lower engageable engaging tab 448b at the lower side of the wall 446. [ Thus, the components of the upper side 446a may have a mirror symmetrical structure with the components of the lower side 446b. The upper and lower end tabs 442a, 442b may have a rectangular shape and extend vertically from the wall 446 or at any other angle. The upper and lower end tabs 442a and 442b and the upper and lower intermediate tabs 444a and 444b extend in the same direction. The upper and lower middle tabs 444a, 444b may have a rectangular shape and may extend vertically from the wall 446 or at any other angle. The upper and lower middle tabs 444a, 444b may be longer than the upper and lower end tabs 442a, 442b. However, the upper and lower middle tabs 444a, 444b may extend from the wall 446 with the same distance as the upper and lower end tabs 442a, 442b.

Each of the two top stackable engaging tabs 448a includes a body 450a that may have a trapezoidal shape and the first and second arms 452a and 456a extend outwardly to define an acute angle &thetas; ). The first arm 452a includes a finger 454a that protrudes outwardly from the first arm 452a and can be bent. The second arm 456a includes a finger 458a that extends outwardly from the second arm 456a and can be bent. The fingers 454a and 458a extend in opposite directions to each other. Similarly, each of the two bottom-loadable engagement tabs 448b includes a body 450b that may have a trapezoidal shape, and includes first and second outwardly extending walls 446, Arms 452b and 456b. The first arm 452b includes a finger 454b that extends outwardly from the first arm 452b and can be bent, as described in connection with the top loadable engagement tab 448a. The second arm 456b includes a finger 458b that extends outwardly from the second arm 456b and can be bent. The fingers 454b and 458b extend in opposite directions to each other. Each of the upper stackable engaging tabs 448a is located between the upper end tab 442a and the upper middle tab 444a. Similarly, each bottom stackable engaging tab 448b is positioned between the lower end tab 442b and the lower intermediate tab 444b. The body 450a and the body 450b have a shape that accommodates the trapezoidal end tabs 472a or 472b of the end fins 470 (see FIG. 14).

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the end pin 470. Fig. The end pin 470 has a wall 476 and the wall has an upper side 476a and a lower side 476b and an upper end tab 472a at the first and second ends of the upper side, Having upper and lower intermediate tabs 474a and 474b with lower end tabs 427b at the first and second ends of the side and upper stackable end tabs 478a at the upper side of the wall 476, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 478b < / RTI > Thus, the parts of the upper side can be formed in a mirror symmetrical structure with the parts of the lower side.

The upper and lower end tabs 472a, 472b may have a rectangular shape and extend vertically from the wall 476 or at any other angle. The upper and lower end tabs 472a and 472b and the upper and lower middle tabs 474a and 474b may have a rectangular shape and extend vertically from the wall 476 or may extend at any other angle. The upper and lower middle tabs 474a and 474b may extend longer than the upper and lower end tabs 472a and 472b (e.g., along the length of the wall). However, the upper and lower middle tabs 474a, 474b may extend from the wall 476 with the same distance as the upper and lower end tabs 472a, 472b. The top and bottom stackable end tabs 478a and 478b can have a trapezoidal shape and extend vertically from the wall 476 such that the short side of the trapezoidal parallel sides is attached to the wall 476. [ The angled sides of the top and bottom stackable end tabs 478a and 478b form an acute angle [theta] 2 with the surface of the wall 476. [ Each top stackable end tab 478a is positioned between an upper end tab 472a and an upper middle tab 474a. Similarly, each bottom stackable end tab 478b is positioned between a lower end tab 472b and a lower middle tab 474b.

15 is a perspective view showing an assembly of one or more stackable fins 440 of the pin arrangement 438. As shown in FIG. The pins 440 are stamped from a sheet of metal (e.g., aluminum) to form tabs 442, 444, 448 that are planar with walls 446 and wall 446 and then the tabs 442, 444, 448 are bent to form walls 446 ). The fins 440 may be attached to the upper surface of the shield (not shown) and connected to each other by bending. A first stackable pin 440a having fingers 454'a, 458'a that can be bent and have a planar orientation is formed by fingers 454'b, 458'a that are bendable and planar, b. < / RTI > The body 450'a of the upper stackable engaging tab 448'a of the first stackable pin 440a is coupled to the first arm 450b of the upper stackable engaging tab 448'b of the second stackable pin 440b, 452'b and second arm 456'b (and the first and second fingers 454'b, 458'b that can be bent) and passes through the second fingers 454'b, 458'b of the first stackable pin 440a The lower side of the body 450'a of the upper stackable engaging tab 448'a is located on the upper side of the body 450'b of the upper engageable tab 448'b of the second stackable pin 440b The upper side of each stackable engaging tab 448 is shaped to coincide with the lower side of each stackable engaging tab 448 so that stackable fins 440 are stacked, The stackable bond tabs 448 when nested are nested together.

16 is an enlarged view showing stackable pins 440 of the pin arrangement 438 of FIG. The sides of the upper stackable engaging tab 448'a of the first stackable pin 440a have a body 450'a, a first arm 452'a and a second arm 452'a of the upper stackable engaging tab 448'a, Is nested within the region formed by the second arm 456'a. When the first stackable pin 440a is nested on the second stackable pin 440b, the bendable fingers 454'a, 458'a of the first stackable pin 440a, 2 The bendable fingers 454'b, 458'b of the stackable pin 440b all have a planar orientation. Once stacked, the bendable fingers 454'b, 458'b of the second stackable pin 440b are bent as indicated by arrow A to engage the wall 446a of the first stackable pin 440a, Lt; / RTI > The wall 446a of the first stackable pin 440a is connected to the fingers 454'b and 458'b of the second stackable pin 440b and the end of the second stackable pin 440b The first stackable pin 440a is interlocked with the second stackable pin 440b as it is inserted between the tabs and the middle tabs (e.g., the end tabs 442a). [ (454'b, 458'b) may vary.

17 is a perspective view illustrating an assembly of end fins 470 with respect to the pin arrangement 438. FIG. Each of the stackable fins 440 includes a wall 446, an upper end tab 442a, a lower end tab 442b, upper and lower intermediate tabs 444a and 444b, an upper stackable pin 448a, And a coupling tab 448b. The end fins 470 may include a wall 476, upper and lower end tabs 472 (e.g., 472a and 472b), upper and lower middle tabs 474 (e.g., 474a and 474b , And upper and lower stackable end tabs 478 (e.g., 478a, 478b). Tabs 472, 474, 478 extend in the same direction from one or more sides of wall 476. The top and bottom stackable end tabs 478 have a trapezoidal shape and engage with the bendable fingers 454 'a, 458'a of the first and second arms of the first stackable pin 440a. The bendable fingers 454'a and 458'a of the first stackable pin 440a have a planar orientation. Once bent, the bendable fingers 454'a, 458'a are positioned in the bending direction (e.g., bent) to engage the wall 476 of the end fin 470 and to engage the end fins 470 And are constrained to the stackable pins 440. The stackable end tabs 478 prevent movement (e.g., sliding) between the end fins 470 and the first stackable fins 440a so that the end fins 470 can be moved to a plurality of stackable pins 440). The lower side of each stackable end tab 478 has a shape that coincides with the upper side of each stackable engagement tab 448 of the stackable pin 440 so that when stacked together, 478 and the stackable engaging tabs 448 are nested.

18 shows an assembly view of the pin arrangement 438. FIG. The pin arrangement 438 includes a plurality of stackable fins 440 and end fins 470. The plurality of stackable fins 440 are stacked and operated as described in Figures 15-16. The end fins 470 may include a wall 476, upper and lower end tabs 472 (e.g., 472a, 472b), upper and lower middle tabs 474 (e.g., 474a, 474b, upper and lower stackable end tabs 478 (e.g., 478a and 478b). The bendable fingers 454a and 458a have a direction of bending to secure the end fins 470 to the pin arrangement 438 and thus prevent movement of the plurality of stackable fins 440. The upper edges of the stackable end tabs 478 are flush with the upper edges of the first and second fins 454 and 458 of the first stackable pin 440 once they are assembled, joined and secured.

The sides of the top stackable end tabs 478a that are connected to the wall 476 include a body 450a (not shown) of the top stackable engaging tab 448a (not shown) Is nested within the region formed by the first arm 452a and the second arm 456a.

When the end pin 470 is laminated on the first laminate pin 440, the bendable fingers 454,458 of the first laminate pin 440 all have a planar orientation. Once stacked, the bendable fingers 454,458 of the first stackable pin 440 are bent to engage the stackable end tabs 478 of the end fins 470, thereby preventing movement of the end fins 470 do. The angles at which the bendable fingers 454 and 458 bend vary.

The pin arrangement 438 may be attached to the top surface 420 of the shield on a fin by fin basis as the pin arrangement 438 is formed or the pin arrangement 438 is formed and then attached. The attachment can be performed by soldering or other attachment methods known or developed.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, the above description should not limit the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is to be understood that the embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein are illustrative only and that those skilled in the art will be able to make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All variations and modifications, including the above description, are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Protected objects are described in the following claims.

10, 110 ... shield,
9 ........ Fence,
20,146 ... upper surface,
120 ......... upper wall,
130 ....... side wall,
140 ....... pin,
144 ....... wall upright.

Claims (18)

A shield for electronic components arranged on a circuit board, comprising:
And a bottom portion having one or more sidewalls extending from a periphery of the top surface and the top surface, the sidewall configured to engage a fence of the circuit board,
The pin arrangement comprising a plurality of stackable pins, each stackable pin comprising a wall and one or more coupling tabs extending from one or more sides of the wall, Wherein the coupling tabs constrain the plurality of stackable pins to one another.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein each laminate pin further comprises non-engagement tabs for easy cross-linking, said non-engagement tabs extending from one or more of the sides of the wall along the same direction as the engagement tabs Shield.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the non-engagement tab comprises an upper tab, an upper middle tab extending from an upper edge of the wall, a lower end tab, and a lower intermediate tab extending from a lower edge of the wall, And an intermediate tab.
2. The connector according to claim 1,
Body,
And a first arm extending outwardly from the body along a first direction, the first bendable finger extending outwardly from the end of the first arm in opposition to the body,
And a second arm extending outwardly from the body along a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second bendable fingers extending outwardly from an end of the second arm in opposition to the body, Wherein the bendable fingers restrains the stackable pins from each other when the bendable fingers are stacked, and the bendable fingers have a bending direction.
The shield according to claim 1, wherein the upper side of the coupling tab has a shape corresponding to a lower side edge of the coupling tab, and the coupling tabs are nested with respect to each other when the laminate pins are stacked and mutually constrained.
2. The shield of claim 1, wherein the fin arrangement further comprises an end fin and has laminate end taps to confine the plurality of laminate pins and the end fin.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the end fins include non-engagement tabs for easy cross-linking, the non-engagement tabs extending from one or more sides of the wall along the same direction as the stackable end tabs Shield.
The shield according to claim 7, characterized in that the lower side of the laminate end tab has a shape corresponding to the upper side of the coupling tab of the laminate pin and nesting the laminate end tabs and the coupling tab when they are constrained to each other .
2. The shield of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of the base include one or more protrusions projecting inwardly to engage the surface of the fence to secure the shield to the fence.
A method for manufacturing a shield for electronic components arranged on a circuit board, comprising:
Forming a first laminate pin by stamping and bending, the first laminate pin comprising a wall and one or more engagement tabs extending from one or more sides of the wall,
Forming a second stackable fin by stamping and bending, wherein the second stackable pin comprises at least one engagement tab extending from the wall and one or more sides of the wall;
Loading the first and second stackable pins,
Bending a portion of the engagement tabs of the first laminate pin to constrain the first and second laminate pins to one another and form a pin arrangement, and
And attaching the pin arrangement to the base to form a shield, the base having at least one sidewall extending from a periphery of the top surface and the top surface, the sidewalls configured to engage a fence of the circuit board Lt; / RTI >
11. The method of claim 10, wherein each laminate pin comprises non-engagement tabs for easy cross-linking, the non-engagement tabs extending from one or more sides of the wall along the same direction as the engagement tab How to.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the non-engagement tabs comprise an upper end tab, an upper middle tab extending from an upper edge of the wall, a lower end tab, and a lower intermediate tab extending from a lower edge of the wall, And intermediate tabs.
11. The device of claim 10,
Body,
And a first arm extending outwardly from the body along a first direction, the first bendable finger facing the body and extending outwardly from an end of the first arm,
And a second arm extending outward along a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second bendable finger extending outwardly from an end of the second arm facing the body, Wherein the second bendable finger extends in an opposite direction from the first bendable finger and at least a portion of the engagement tab comprises the first and second bendable fingers.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein an upper edge of the engagement tab has a shape corresponding to a lower edge of the engagement tab such that when the stackable pins are loaded and constrained to each other, the engagement tabs are nested with respect to each other.
11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising
Stamping and bending the end fins and the end fins comprising laminate end tabs,
The method comprising the steps of: loading an end pin having a plurality of stackable pins and bending at least a portion of the engagement tabs of the second stackable pin to constrain the end pin with a plurality of laminate pins to form a pin arrangement; How to.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the end fins further comprise a non-engagement tab for easy cross-linking, the non-engagement tab extending from one or more sides of the wall along the same direction as the stackable end tabs Lt; / RTI >
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the bottom edge of the laminate end tab has a shape that matches the top edge of the tab of the stackable pin and is nested and aligned when stacked and interlocked. How to.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the sidewalls of the base portion includes one or more protrusions projecting inwardly to engage an outer surface of the fence to secure the shield to the fence.

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