Antenna housing

• US 10,374,298 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Be, Tuan Anh, Murray, Allen R., Orris, David Joseph, Lei, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Trinh V
• Application Number:
  US15/237,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20180048060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/566 including wiping devices B60S1/563, B60S1/583 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises

Abstract

An antenna housing assembly includes: a first housing enclosing an antenna assembly and a grounding plate; a second housing enclosing the first housing and a heating ring defining apertures and comprising resistive heating elements; a wiper blade driven by a motor and rotatable about the second housing to clear snow from an exterior of the second housing. The antenna assembly and the grounding plate are located vertically above a top-most surface of the heating ring.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an antenna housing assembly including;

a first housing enclosing an antenna assembly and a grounding plate;

a second housing enclosing the first housing and a heating ring defining apertures and including resistive heating elements, wherein the antenna assembly and the grounding plate are located vertically above a top-most surface of the heating ring; and

a wiper blade driven by a motor and rotatable about the second housing to clear snow from an exterior of the second housing; and

processor(s) configured to transmit wireless signals via the antenna assembly.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the antenna housing assembly includes spacer(s) that raise the antenna assembly and the grounding plate vertically above the heating ring.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the second housing includes a lower inner surface and the spacer(s) and the heating ring sit on the lower inner surface.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the resistive heating elements are circumferentially spaced from the apertures such that none of the resistive heating elements is located directly above or below one of the apertures.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein none of the resistive heating elements are collinear with any of the apertures.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the grounding plate occupies an entire lower surface area of the first housing.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first housing is shark-fin shaped and the second housing is cone shaped.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor(s) are configured to activate the motor based on received weather information.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein weather information is received via a moisture sensor.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the weather information is received via the Internet.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first housing encloses a first temperature sensor and defines an aperture selectively covered by a moveable door.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor(s) are configured to move the door based on a temperature detected by the first temperature sensor.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the second housing encloses a second temperature sensor and the processor(s) are configured to move the door based on temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors, wherein the first and second temperature sensors of the antenna housing assembly are located vertically below the grounding plate.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor(s) are configured to determine torque supplied to the motor and a rotational speed of the wiper blade.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the processor(s) are configured to activate the resistive heating elements based on the torque and the rotational speed.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly includes an antenna housing that encloses an antenna.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein none of the resistive heating elements are collinear with any of the apertures and wherein the grounding plate occupies an entire lower surface area of the first housing.

18. A vehicle comprising:

an antenna housing assembly including;

a first housing enclosing an antenna assembly and a grounding plate; and

a second housing enclosing the first housing and a heating ring defining apertures and including resistive heating elements;

a wiper blade driven by a motor and rotatable about the second housing to clear snow from an exterior of the second housing; and

processor(s) configured to transmit wireless signals via the antenna assembly.