Vehicle electronic module with integral mounting and grounding means

Grounding apparatus for electrically grounding an electronic module in a motor vehicle comprising:

• a circuit board comprising a mounting hole and a plurality of electronic circuit elements and a plurality of circuit traces printed onto said circuit board, one of said circuit traces being a ground trace which provides a ground path electrically connected to an opening in said circuit board;
• a connector electrically connected by a plurality of pins to said circuit board, one of said pins being a ground pin which is electrically connected to said ground trace;
• a nut mounted in a metal portion of said vehicle;
• electrically conductive housing means for enclosing said circuit board;
• electrically conductive spacer means extending through said mounting hole and contacting said housing means;
• and
• a bolt extending through and contacting said housing means and extending through said mounting hole and being fitted into said nut.

Apparatus for grounding an electronic module in a vehicle comprising:

• a circuit board comprising,
• a plurality of circuit elements mounted thereon;
• a plurality of electrically conductive traces printed thereon;
• a ground plane for providing an electrical path to ground for said circuit elements, said ground plane comprising a layer in said circuit board and extending to an opening in said circuit board;
• a housing, for enclosing said circuit board, comprising an electrically conductive box positioned beneath said circuit board and an electrically conductive cover for sealing said box, said cover and said box each having a mounting hole formed therein;
• an electrically conductive spacer disposed within said opening in said circuit board and contacting said cover at a first end and said box at a second end;
• a nut mounted to a metal portion of said vehicle;
• and
• a bolt extending through said mounting hole in said cover, through said spacer, and said mounting hole in said box, and being threaded in said nut, to provide an electrical connection from said ground plane to said metal portion.