Captive low-profile EMI grounding clip

An EMI clip retaining system comprising:

• a flexible EMI clip with a center portion that bows upwards and inwards from acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip and also comprising enlarged end portions that extend flatly inwards from the acute bends;
• and
• a planar mounting surface with mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted during installation of the EMI clip onto the mounting surface, such that once the EMI clip is installed, the enlarged ends of the EMI clip reside on a bottom side of the mounting surface while the center portion bows upward from the opposite, top side of the mounting surface;
• wherein once the EMI clip is installed onto the mounting surface, the EMI clip is captively retained by the shape of the mounting holes and also by the elastic forces within the EMI clip;
• and
• wherein if the center portion is compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface.

An EMI clip retaining system comprising:

• a flexible EMI clip with a center portion that bows upwards and inwards from acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip and also comprising enlarged end portions that extend flatly inwards from the acute bends;
• and
• a planar mounting surface with mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted during installation of the EMI clip onto the mounting surface, such that once the EMI clip is installed, the enlarged ends of the EMI clip reside on a bottom side of the mounting surface while the center portion bows upward from the opposite, top side of the mounting surface,
• wherein once the EMI clip is installed onto the mounting surface, the EMI clip is captively retained by the shape of the mounting holes and also by the elastic forces within the EMI clip,
• wherein if the center portion is compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface, and
• wherein the mounting surface holes further comprise:
• a single aperture corresponding to each enlarged end of the EMI clip,
• wherein the aperture shapes are mirrored about an axis centered between the apertures, and
• wherein the mounting hole apertures further comprise:
• a narrow inner width that is wider than the width of the center portion of the EMI clip but narrower than the width of the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip;
• a wider outer width that is wider than the width of the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip;
• and
• contoured sides that transition from the narrow inner width to the wider outer width,
• wherein when the EMI clip is installed onto the mounting surface, the EMI clip is elastically stretched to insert the enlarged ends of the EMI clip through the wider outer width of the corresponding mounting hole apertures, and
• wherein once the EMI clip is installed onto the mounting surface, the enlarged portions of the EMI clip contract to reside under the narrow inner width of the corresponding mounting hole apertures thereby captively retaining the EMI clip.

An EMI clip retaining system comprising:

• a flexible EMI clip with a narrow center portion and enlarged end portions;
• and
• a planar mounting surface with mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted such that the narrow center portion of the EMI clip reside on a top side of the mounting surface and the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip reside on the opposite, bottom side of the mounting surface;
• wherein once the EMI clip is inserted onto the mounting surface, the EMI clip is captively retained by the shape of the mounting holes and also by the elastic forces within the EMI clip;
• and
• wherein if the center portion is of the EMI clip compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface.

An EMI clip retaining system comprising:

• a flexible EMI clip with a narrow center portion and enlarged end portions;
• and
• a planar mounting surface with mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted such that the narrow center portion of the EMI clip reside on a top side of the mounting surface and the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip reside on the opposite, bottom side of the mounting surface,
• wherein once the EMI clip is inserted onto the mounting surface, the EMI clip is captively retained by the shape of the mounting holes and also by the elastic forces within the EMI clip,
• wherein if the center portion is of the EMI clip compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface, and
• wherein the narrow center portion of the flexible EMI clip further comprises:
• acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip;
• and
• a contact portion that bows upwards and inwards from the acute bends,
• wherein the enlarged end portions extend flatly inwards from the acute bends, and
• wherein the mounting surface holes further comprise:
• a single aperture corresponding to each enlarged end of the EMI clip;
• wherein the aperture shapes are mirrored about an axis centered between the apertures, and
• wherein the mounting hole apertures further comprise:
• a narrow inner width that is wider than the width of the narrow center portion of the EMI clip but narrower than the width of the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip;
• a wider outer width that is wider than the width of the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip;
• and
• tapered sides that transition from the narrow inner width to the wider outer width,
• wherein when the EMI clip is installed onto the mounting surface, the EMI clip is elastically stretched to insert the enlarged ends of the EMI clip through the wider outer width of the corresponding mounting hole apertures, and
• wherein once the EMI clip is installed onto the mounting surface, the enlarged portions of the EMI clip contract to a position under the narrow inner width of the corresponding mounting hole apertures thereby captively retaining the EMI clip.

An EMI shielding device comprising:

• an elastically deformable body portion capable of applying a contact force between a top compressing surface and a planar bottom mounting surface;
• said body portion comprising an innermost portion having a first associated width and at least one enlarged outermost end portion having a second associated width, said end portion width being larger than said innermost portion width;
• wherein one or more end portions are installable in separate apertures in the mounting surface to captively retain the EMI shielding device on the mounting surface;
• wherein when an installed EMI shielding device is compressed between the compressing and mounting surfaces, the deformable body portion of the EMI shielding device lies flat between the compressing and mounting surfaces and the enlarged end portions lie substantially flat on the side of the mounting surface opposite the side facing the compressing surface.