Apparatus for compliantly retaining a circuit board in a housing

• US 5,258,889 A
• Filed: 09/28/1992
• Issued: 11/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Belanger, Thomas D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whang, Young
• Application Number:
  US07/952,101
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 361/380, 361/391, 361/392, 361/394, 361/395, 361/397, 361/398, 361/399, 361/400, 361/412, 361/415, 174/250, 174/255, 257/678, 211/41, 248/674, 248/678, 248/220.2, 248/200, 248/221.3, 248/227
• US Class Current: 361/740
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0013 assembled by resilient members
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1417 having securing means for mounting boards, plates or wiring boards H05K7/1461 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus compliantly retains a circuit board including a housing comprising two portions. Within the housing is a seat for supporting the printed circuit board. When the two housing portions are brought together a snap retainer engages. A flexible tang urges the circuit board between it and the seat holding the circuit board in place.

Claims

1. An apparatus for retaining a printed circuit board comprising:

a housing having a first and second portion, said first portion having a flexible tabular portion, said second portion having a seat for supporting the printed circuit board; and

means for engaging said first housing portion to said second housing portion in a fixed relationship such that when said first housing portion is secured to said second housing portion, the flexible tabular portion urges the printed circuit board against the housing seat with a sufficient force to hold the printed circuit board in a fixed relationship within said housing.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, having an engaging means for holding said first housing portion in a fixed relationship to said second housing portion comprising a snap tang integrally formed on said first housing portion and a means for receiving said snap tang integrally formed on said second housing portion such that when the first housing portion is placed in said second housing portion, the snap tang engages the means for receiving the snap tang.

3. An apparatus for retaining a printed circuit board comprising:

a housing having a first and second portion, said first portion having a flexible snap tang, said second portion having a seat for supporting the printed circuit board;

a means for receiving said flexible snap tang integrally formed on said second housing portion such that when the first housing portion is placed in said second housing portion, the flexible snap tang engages the means for receiving the flexible snap tang, and

means for holding the printed circuit board in a fixed relationship within said housing when the flexible snap tang holds the first housing portion to the second housing portion.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, having a holding means for the printed circuit board comprising an L-tab integrally formed on said first housing portion.

5. An apparatus for retaining a printed circuit board comprising:

a housing having a first and second portion, said first portion having a flexible L-tab and flexible snap tang, said second portion having a seat for supporting the printed circuit board; and

a means for receiving said flexible snap tang integrally formed on said second housing portion such that when the first housing portion is placed in said second housing portion, the flexible snap tang engages the means for receiving the flexible snap tang and the flexible L-tab portion holds the printed circuit board in a fixed relationship to the seat of the housing.