Device for fixing a vehicle antenna

• US 20030089834A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blaupunkt Antenna Systems GmbH & Co. KG (Kathrein SE)
• Original Assignee: Aurelius AG, Aurelius Enterprises AG
• Inventors: Hough, Stephen John
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/539
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1214 through a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Abstract

A device for securing a vehicle antenna to a vehicle body is described, to prevent the vehicle antenna from tilting out of the vehicle body in the mounting operation. The device includes projections which engage behind an orifice in the vehicle body for introducing the device on the side of the vehicle body facing away from the vehicle antenna.

Claims

1. A device (1) for securing a vehicle antenna (5) to a vehicle body (10),

wherein the device (1) has projections (15, 20;

25, 26, 30, 31;

35, 40) which engage behind an orifice (45) in the vehicle body (10) for introducing the device (1) on the side of the vehicle body (10) facing away from the vehicle antenna (5).

2. The device (1) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the projections (15, 20) are situated in such a way that the device (1) together with the projections (15, 20) is introducible into the orifice (45) in a predetermined position with respect to the orifice (45), and the projections (15, 20) engage behind the orifice (45) by rotation of the device (1) after introduction into the orifice (45).

3. The device as recited in claim 1 or 2,

wherein the device (1) includes a first cross-sectional area (50) in the form of a polygonal figure outside the area of projections (15, 20), this polygonal figure corresponding to a cross-sectional area (55) of the orifice (45) such that the device (1) is introducible into the orifice (45) outside the area of the projections (15, 20), and the device (1) includes a second cross-sectional area (60) in the area of the projections (15, 20), which also corresponds to the cross-sectional area (55) of the orifice (45), in a way such that the device (1) is also introducible into the orifice (45) in the area of the projections (15, 20), and it is not identical to the first cross-sectional area (50).

4. The device (1) as recited in claim 3,

wherein the device (1) is designed as a square whose first cross-sectional area (50) is approximately square and whose second cross-sectional area (60) is approximately hexagonal.

5. The device (1) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the projections (25, 26, 30, 31;

35, 40) are designed as two-legged spring elements, whose legs (90, 95;

100, 105) are brought together in the direction of introduction of the device (1) into the orifice (45) and project beyond the first cross-sectional area (50) of the device, in a way such that they are pressed together by a bordering wall (65) of the orifice (45) on introduction into the orifice (45) and thus pass through the orifice (45) and spring back on the side of the orifice (45) facing away from the vehicle antenna (5) to engage behind the orifice (45).

6. The device (1) as recited in claim 5,

wherein the spring elements (25, 26, 30, 31;

35, 40) are situated on a clamp (70) surrounding the device (1) in the area of its first cross-sectional area (50).

7. The device as recited in claim 6,

wherein at least one spring element includes a first leg (90) connected to the clamp (70) and a second leg (95) which is bent away from the first leg (90).

8. The device as recited in claim 6 or 7,

wherein at least one spring element has a third leg (100) connected to the clamp (70) and a fourth leg (105) which is cut in from the third leg (100).

9. The device (1) as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the device (1) includes a mounting plate (75) having a cross-sectional area (80) which extends beyond the cross-sectional area (55) of the orifice on the side of the vehicle body (10) facing the vehicle antenna (5) and an elastic material (85) is introduced between the mounting plate (75) and the vehicle body (10).

10. The device (1) as recited in claim 9,

wherein the elastic material (85) is formed by an elastomer material.