Apparatus for retaining a printed circuit board

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for retaining a printed circuit board includes a hollow shell structure having an aperture and an inner slot for receiving the printed circuit board and a mounting bracket including a frame portion for receiving the shell structure. A rim extends around the perimeter of the aperture and flexible flanges extend from at least a portion of the rim. The flexible flanges include a neck portion and a lower tab that provide means to retain the shell structure in the mounting bracket. The inner slot is sized to fit snugly around the perimeter of the printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is inserted in the shell structure. The shell structure is constructed of a dielectric material that substantially insulates the printed circuit board from electro-static discharge and/or other types of electrical damage or interference, as well as shock and vibrations. The present mounting bracket optionally includes support structure for mounting additional hardware components within a device and a mounting tab for attaching the mounting bracket within a device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.