Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield for circuit card assembly (CCA)

An apparatus including an electromagneticinterference (EMI) shield for removable engagement with a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:

• a shaped EMI shielding means having a substantially planar member portion with a plurality of lateral member edges for attenuating incident electromagnetic signals;
• and
• sidewall means disposed at respective ones of the plurality of lateral member edges and substantially orthogonal to the substantially planar member portion for attenuating incident electromagnetic signals;
• wherein the PCB includes at least an upper layer and a lower layer, with the lower layer having edges that are recessed from edges of the upper layer such that the edges of the upper layer respectively protrude and overhang the edges of the lower layer;
• wherein the shaped electrically conductive member and the sidewall means of the apparatus completely enclose at least a top surface of the upper layer and sidewalls disposed at edges of the upper and lower layers of the PCB;
• wherein at least a portion of the sidewall means includes at least one of a plurality of first snap-fit latching means for engaging a respective one of a plurality of complementary second snap-fit latching means disposed at one or more of the plurality of edges of the upper and lower layers of the PCB, wherein the plurality of complementary second snap-fit latching means are the protruding edges of the upper layer and the sidewalls of the edges of the lower layer of the PCB;
• wherein the plurality of first snap-fit latching features are to engage the respective sidewalls of the edges of the lower layer of the PCB underneath the overhang edges of the upper layer of the PCB.

A method for providing an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield for removable engagement with a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:

• forming a shaped electrically conductive member having a substantially planar member portion with a plurality of lateral member edges;
• forming a plurality of sidewalls disposed at respective ones of the plurality of lateral member edges and substantially orthogonal to the substantially planar member portion;
• and
• forming, within each of at least a portion of the plurality of sidewalls, at least one of a plurality of first snap-fit latching features to engage a respective one of a plurality of complementary second snap-fit latching features disposed at one or more of a plurality of edges of an upper layer and a lower layer of the PCB;
• wherein the PCB includes at least the upper layer and the lower layer, with the lower layer having its edges recessed from the edges of the upper layer such that the edges of the upper layer respectively protrude and overhang the edges of the lower layer;
• wherein the shaped electrically conductive member and the plurality of sidewalls of the EMI shield completely enclose at least a top surface of the upper layer and sidewalls disposed at the edges of the upper and lower layers of the PCB;
• wherein the plurality of complementary second snap-fit latching features are the protruding edges of the upper layer of the PCB and the sidewalls of the edges of the lower layer of the PCB, the upper layer having a thickness that is less than a thickness of the lower layer;
• wherein the plurality of first snap-fit latching features are to engage the respective sidewalls of the edges of the lower layer of the PCB underneath the overhang edges of the upper layer of the PCB.