Shield case for electronic equipment

• US 6,557,957 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Otani, Koji, Nagata, Futoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fisher, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/817,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20010026116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 220/76, 220/83, 361/683, 361/684, 361/735, 361/832, 361/829, 361/685, 312/257.1, 312/263, 312/265.5, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/330
• US Class Current: 312/223.1
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0013 assembled by resilient members
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/04 Metal casings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0073 Shielding materials H05K9/0003 takes precedence

Abstract

In a shield case for housing an electronic equipment therein, a plurality of metal plates include a top plate, a bottom plate, a front plate, a rear plate, a pair of side plates, which are assembled to one another in a box-like shape. A projection is formed on an outer face of the rear plate. A stopper projection is formed on an outer face of each side plate. A rear face holding piece extends downwardly from a rear edge of the top plate. The rear face holding piece is formed with a holding member at a lower end portion thereof. The holding member elastically abuts on the outer face of the rear plate, after climbing over the projection. Side face holding pieces extend downwardly from side edges of the top plate. Each side face holding piece is formed with a notched portion at a lower end portion thereof. The notched portion includes a guide groove for receiving the stopper projection in accordance with the rearward movement of the top plate when the holding member climbs over the projection, and an engagement groove extending forward from an upper end of the guide groove, for engaging with the stopper projection in accordance with the forward movement of the top plate when the holding member abuts on the outer face of the rear plate after climbing over the projection.

Claims

1. A shield case for housing an electronic equipment therein, comprising:

a plurality of metal plates including a top plate, a bottom plate, a front plate, a rear plate, a pair of side plates, which are assembled to one another in a box-like shape;

a projection, formed on an outer face of the rear plate;

a stopper projection, formed on an outer face of each side plate;

a rear face holding piece, downwardly extending from a rear edge of the top plate, the rear face holding piece formed with a holding member at a lower end portion thereof, the holding member elastically abutting on the outer face of the rear plate, after climbing over the projection; and

side face holding pieces, downwardly extending from side edges of the top plate, at least one side face holding piece formed with a notched portion at a lower end portion thereof, the notched portion including;

guide groove for receiving the stopper projection having a slanted edge which defines a width thereof increasing toward a forward side, and

an engagement groove extending forward from an upper end of at least one guide groove, for engaging with the stopper projection,

wherein at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate is moved forward by a pushing force of the stopper projection with respect to the slanted edge when the stopper projection is guided in the guide groove along the slanted edge;

wherein the rear face holding piece is elastically deformed outward in accordance with the forward movement of at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate; and

wherein a reaction plate of the rear face holding piece deformed by the forward movement of at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate is released when the stopper projection is engaged with the engagement groove.

2. The shield case as set forth in claim 1, wherein a width of the engagement groove is wider than a vertical width of the stopper projection, and a length of the engagement groove is shorter than a horizontal width of the stopper projection;

and

wherein a distance between a front end of the engagement groove and the rear face holding piece is longer than or equal to a distance between a rear edge of the side plate and a front end of the stopper projection when the stopper projection is engaged with the engagement groove.

3. The shield case of claim 1 wherein said side face holding pieces are bent inwardly and form a holding projection on said lower end portion, wherein a distance between opposed holding projections on side face holding pieces located on a left and a right side of said top plate is narrower than a distance between said pair of side plates.

4. The shield case of claim 3 further comprising additional side face holding piece members extending downwardly from said top plate that are formed as strips where each strip is bent inwardly and form a holding projection on a lower end portion, wherein a distance between opposed holding projections on said additional side face holding pieces located on a left and a right side of said top plate is narrower than a distance between said pair of side plates.

5. The shield case of claim 1 wherein said side face holding pieces are elastically deformable in a direction of their thickness.

6. The shield case of claim 1 wherein said projection is hemispherical in shape.

7. The shield case as set forth in claim 1 wherein a width of the engagement groove is wider than a vertical width of the stopper projection and a length of the engagement groove is shorter than a horizontal width of the stopper projection, and wherein a distance between a front end of the engagement groove and the rear face holding piece is longer than or equal to a distance between a rear edge of a side plate and a front end of the stopper projection when the stopper projection is engaged with the engagement groove.

8. The shield case as set forth in claim 1, wherein a width of the engagement groove is wider than a vertical width of the stopper projection, and a length of the engagement groove is shorter than a horizontal width of the stopper projection;

and

wherein a distance between a front end of the engagement groove and the rear face holding piece is smaller than a distance between a rear edge of the side plate and a front end of the stopper projection when the stopper projection is not engaged with the engagement groove.

9. The shield case as set forth in claim 1, wherein a front end of the engagement groove and the rear face holding piece are elastically brought into contact with a rear edge of the side plate and a front end of the stopper projection, respectively.

10. A shield case for housing an electronic component therein, comprising:

a plurality of plates including a top plate, a bottom plate, a front plate, a rear plate, and a pair of side plates which are assembled to one another in a box-like shape;

at least one projection formed on an outer face of said rear plate;

at least one stopper projection formed on an outer face of each side plate;

a rear face holding piece extending from a rear edge of at least one of said top plate and said bottom plate along said rear plate, the rear face holding piece being formed with a holding member at a lower end portion thereof, the holding member elastically abutting on the outer face of the rear plate after climbing over said projection; and

side face holding pieces extending from side edges of at least one of said top plate and said bottom plate along each of said pair of side plates, at least one side face holding piece formed with a notched portion at a lower end portion thereof, the notched portion including;

a guide groove for receiving the stopper projection having a slanted edge which defines a width thereof increasing toward a forward side, and

an engagement groove extending forward from an end of at least one guide groove for engaging with the stopper projection,

wherein at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate is moved forward by a pushing force of the stopper projection with respect to the slanted edge when the stopper projection is guided in the guide groove along the slanted edge;

wherein the rear face holding piece is elastically deformed outward in accordance with the forward movement of at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate; and

wherein a reaction plate of the rear face holding piece deformed by the forward movement of at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate is released when the stopper projection is engaged with the engagement groove.

11. The shield case of claim 10 wherein said side face holding pieces are bent inwardly and form a holding projection on said lower end portion, wherein a distance between opposed holding projections on side face holding pieces located on a left and a right side of said top plate is narrower than a distance between said pair of side plates.

12. The shield case of claim 11 further comprising additional side face holding piece members extending downwardly from said top plate that are formed as strips where each strip is bent inwardly and form a holding projection on a lower end portion, wherein a distance between opposed holding projections on said additional side face holding pieces located on a left and a right side of said top plate is narrower than a distance between said pair of side plates.

13. The shield case of claim 10 wherein said side face holding pieces are elastically deformable in a direction of their thickness.

14. The shield case of claim 10 wherein said projection is hemispherical in shape.

15. The shield case as set forth in claim 10, wherein a width of the engagement groove is wider than a vertical width of the stopper projection, and a length of the engagement groove is shorter than a horizontal width of the stopper projection;

and

wherein a distance between a front end of the engagement groove and the rear face holding piece is smaller than a distance between a rear edge of the side plate and a front end of the stopper projection when the stopper projection is not engaged with the engagement groove.

16. The shield case as set forth in claim 10, wherein a front end of the engagement groove and the rear face holding piece are elastically brought into contact with a rear edge of the side plate and a front end of the stopper projection, respectively.