Brace apparatus and method for printed wiring board assembly

Abstract

A combined EMI shield and brace assembly has at least two frames for placing side-by-side on a printed wiring board to surround predetermined adjacent areas on the board containing components to be shielded from one another, and a brace member securing the two frames together during reflow. Each frame has a peripheral side wall forming an enclosed area of predetermined shape and dimensions and a portion of the side wall of one frame is placed against a portion of the side wall of the other frame so that the two frames together form an enlarged enclosed area divided into two sub-areas by the adjacent side wall portions extending across the enlarged area. The brace member extends over the frames and is secured to their side walls, and may secure two or more frames together.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.