Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
An EMI/RFI shielded housing of compact design for protectively enclosing a printed circuit board, said housing being of a design suitable for computer system products, said housing permitting said products to be used alternately both on an office work surface and in a wall-mounted, high-density storage system within an office environment, said housing comprising: A) a five-sided pc board container defining an interior space for receiving a printed circuit board, said container having a back wall defining at least one window for exposing an electrical connector that requires access from the exterior of said container, B) a removable front cover for closing said container, and C) a removable rear cover for covering said container back wall and protecting said exposed connector located thereat, D) support means for permitting said housing to be supported in the high density storage system during use, said support means being located on said back wall and being exposed when said rear cover is removed, and E) wherein said container and front cover have a plurality of interior surfaces coated with an EMI/RFI shielding material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
The housing in accordance with claim 1, further comprising printed-circuit-board-support means for precisely positioning and supporting the printed-circuit-board within the housing in such a way as to avoid contact between the pc board circuitry and the EMI/RFI-shielding material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The housing in accordance with claim 2, wherein the clearance between the pc-board and the coated interior surfaces is minimized so as to minimize the size of the housing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The housing in accordance with claim 2, wherein said pc-board-support means includes a plurality of retainers disposed on said container and front cover that mate with a plurality of grooves in the periphery of the pc board, and hold the pc board at a selected vertical and horizontal position within said housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The housing in accordance with claim 4 in combination with said printer circuit board.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The housing in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least one of said retainers has a generally "H"-shaped cross-section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The housing in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least two of said retainers include ramp sections for guiding said printed circuit board into position during assembly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
The housing in accordance with claim 1, wherein, while said front cover is attached to said container, said front cover and container define a marginal gap therebetween, and wherein said front cover further includes first and second rows of shielding tabs along the periphery of the front cover, said shielding tabs projecting a substantial distance into said container after the front cover is attached thereto to provide a continuation of EMI/RFI shielding across the marginal gap.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
The housing in accordance with claim 1, wherein said container further includes a top wall having a hole, and said housing further comprising a connector-access button defining an interior volume and having a central hole, said button being disposable within said top wall hole, and projects downwardly into the interior space of said container, said connector-access button permitting a male electrical connector on the pc board to protrude into the interior volume of the button so as to be accessible from the exterior of the container for manual connection thereto of a female connector.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The housing in accordance with claim 9 in combination with a printed circuit board having said male electrical connector, and wherein said male electrical connector has a free end that extends into said interior volume to a height less than that of the top wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The housing in accordance with claim 9, wherein said connector-access button is shaped substantially as a spherical segment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The housing in accordance with claim 9, wherein said connector-access button includes means for maintaining said button within said container hole with an interference fit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
The housing in accordance with claim 9, wherein said container and connector-access button comprise an exposed top surface having an ornamental design thereon, and means for maintaining the angular orientation of the top surface of said button with respect to the top wall of the container so as to preserve the integrity of the design.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The housing in accordance with claim 13, wherein said orientation-maintaining means comprises a detent on the outer circumference of said button that mates with a detent-receiving groove on said container.