Card type wireless device, antenna coil, and method for manufacturing communication module

• US 20060267854A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Naito, Hiromichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,365,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/788
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core

Abstract

An antenna coil includes: an air-core type flat coil body; a coil case; and a reinforce frame. The coil case has a ring shape, which corresponds to the coil body. The coil case includes a coil accommodation space. The coil case further includes a coil side terminal. The reinforce frame is integrated with the coil case along with the circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case. The reinforce frame is made of a material having a Young'"'"' modulus higher than that of the resin of the coil case.

Claims

1. An antenna coil comprising:

an air-core type flat coil body having a thickness in an axial direction of the coil body;

a coil case made of resin; and

a reinforce frame, wherein

the thickness of the coil body is smaller than a radius of a circle, an area of which is equal to an area of a region surrounded with an outline of a projected coil body, the projected coil body provided by projecting the coil body on a projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the coil body,

the coil case has a ring shape, which corresponds to the coil body,

the coil case includes a coil accommodation space for accommodating the coil body,

the coil accommodation space is disposed in a circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case,

the coil case further includes a coil side terminal for mounting the coil body on a substrate with a solder member,

the reinforce frame is integrated with the coil case along with the circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case, and

the reinforce frame is made of a material having a Young'"'"' modulus higher than that of the resin of the coil case.

2. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein

the coil accommodation space is a groove with an opening, which is disposed on one side of the coil case in the axial direction,

the coil case further includes a bottom and a pair of sidewalls so that the bottom and the sidewalls provide the coil accommodation space, and

the reinforce frame is embedded in at least one of the bottom and the sidewalls.

3. The antenna coil according to claim 2, wherein

the reinforce frame includes an outside surface, which coincides with an outside surface of the bottom or the sidewalls, and

the reinforce frame is insert-molded in at least one of the bottom and the sidewalls.

4. The antenna coil according to claim 3, wherein

the reinforce frame is embedded in the bottom and the sidewalls.

5. The antenna coil according to claim 2, wherein

the coil side terminal of the coil case is a terminal pad for surface mounting the coil case on the substrate, and

the bottom of the coil case is mounted on the substrate.

6. The antenna coil according to claim 5, wherein

the coil body has an outline, which has a rectangular shape,

the coil case has an outline, which has a rectangular shape, and

the terminal pad is disposed on one of short sides of the rectangular shape of the coil case.

7. The antenna coil according to claim 6, wherein

the coil case further includes a pin embedded portion and a connection pin,

the pin embedded portion protrudes from an outer circumference of the coil case,

the connection pin is embedded in the pin embedded portion along with the axial direction of the coil case,

the connection pin includes a top and a bottom, which are exposed from the pin embedded portion,

the top of the connection pin is exposed on a top surface of the pin embedded portion in the axial direction of the coil case,

the bottom of the connection pin is exposed on a bottom surface of the pin embedded portion in the axial direction of the coil case,

the top of the connection pin is electrically connected to a lead terminal of the coil body, and

the terminal pad is disposed on the bottom surface of the pin embedded portion so that the bottom of the connection pin is electrically connected to the terminal pad.

8. The antenna coil according to claim 2, wherein

the reinforce frame is made of metal,

the reinforce frame includes an insulation portion for dividing a current path of the reinforce frame, which surrounds around an axis of the coil body, and

the insulation portion of the reinforce frame is disposed at an intermediate part of the reinforce frame in a circumferential direction of the reinforce frame.

9. The antenna coil according to claim 8, wherein

the reinforce frame is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

10. The antenna coil according to claim 8, wherein

the reinforce frame is made of iron soft magnetic material.

11. The antenna coil according to claim 8, wherein

the reinforce frame is disposed along with the ring shape of the coil case so that the reinforce frame has a ring shape,

the insulation portion of the reinforce frame is provided by a notch of the reinforce frame, and

the notch of the reinforce frame is disposed in a part of the ring shape of the reinforce frame.

12. The antenna coil according to claim 11, wherein

the coil body has an outline, which has a rectangular shape,

the coil case has an outline, which has a rectangular shape,

the reinforce frame has a C-shape so that the C-shape of the reinforce frame is provided by one of short sides and two long sides of the rectangular shape of the coil case, and

the notch of the reinforce frame is disposed on a part of or whole of the other one of the short sides of the rectangular shape of the coil case.

13. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein

the reinforce frame includes a main part having a C-shape and a rib,

the main part of the reinforce frame is disposed on the bottom of the coil case,

the reinforce frame has a L-shaped cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case,

the rib is disposed on an outer circumferential surface or an inner circumferential surface of the coil case so that the rib and the main part of the reinforce frame provide the L-shaped cross section, and

the rib is disposed on at least two long sides of the rectangular shape of the coil case.

14. The antenna coil according to claim 13, wherein

the rib is only disposed on two long sides of the rectangular shape of the coil case.

15. The antenna coil according to claim 13, wherein

the rib is disposed on two long sides and one short side of the rectangular shape of the coil case so that the rib provides a C-shape.

16. The antenna coil according to claim 13, wherein

the rib and the main part of the reinforce frame are disposed on two long sides, one short side and a part of the other one short side of the rectangular shape of the coil case.

17. The antenna coil according to claim 2, wherein

the reinforce frame includes four parts,

each part of the reinforce frame includes a main part and a rib, which are integrated each other,

the main part of each part of the reinforce frame is disposed on the bottom of the coil case,

each part of the reinforce frame has a L-shaped cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case,

the rib of each part of the reinforce frame is disposed on an outer circumferential surface or an inner circumferential surface of the coil case so that the rib and the main part in each part of the reinforce frame provide the L-shaped cross section,

the reinforce frame is divided into four parts by four notches so that four parts of the reinforce frame are disposed on two long sides and two short sides of the rectangular shape of the coil case, respectively, and

each notch is disposed at a corner of the rectangular shape of the coil case.

18. A method for manufacturing a communication module having an antenna coil and a transmitting/receiving circuit, which are mounted on a substrate, wherein the antenna coil is connected to the transmitting/receiving circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a coil side terminal of the antenna coil together with a solder member for connecting between a substrate side terminal of the substrate and the coil side terminal of the antenna coil; and

heating the substrate together with the antenna coil in a solder reflow furnace so that the solder member is melted and soldered between the coil side terminal and the substrate side terminal, wherein

the antenna coil further includes;

an air-core type flat coil body having a thickness in an axial direction of the coil body;

a coil case made of resin; and

a reinforce frame,

the thickness of the coil body is smaller than a radius of a circle, an area of which is equal to an area of a region surrounded with an outline of a projected coil body, the projected coil body provided by projecting the coil body on a projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the coil body,

the coil case has a ring shape, which corresponds to the coil body,

the coil case includes a coil accommodation space for accommodating the coil body,

the coil accommodation space is disposed in a circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case,

the coil case further includes a coil side terminal for mounting the coil body on a substrate with a solder member,

the reinforce frame is integrated with the coil case along with the circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case, and

the reinforce frame is made of a material having a Young'"'"' modulus higher than that of the resin of the coil case.

19. A card type wireless device comprising:

a communication module having an antenna coil, a transmitting/receiving circuit connecting to the antenna coil, and a substrate; and

a card type casing, wherein

the antenna coil includes;

an air-core type flat coil body having a thickness in an axial direction of the coil body;

a coil case made of resin; and

a reinforce frame,

the thickness of the coil body is smaller than a radius of a circle, an area of which is equal to an area of a region surrounded with an outline of a projected coil body, the projected coil body provided by projecting the coil body on a projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the coil body,

the coil case has a ring shape, which corresponds to the coil body,

the coil case includes a coil accommodation space for accommodating the coil body,

the coil accommodation space is disposed in a circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case,

the coil case further includes a coil side terminal for mounting the coil body on a substrate with a solder member,

the reinforce frame is integrated with the coil case along with the circumferential direction of the ring shape of the coil case,

the reinforce frame is made of a material having a Young'"'"' modulus higher than that of the resin of the coil case,

the antenna coil and the transmitting/receiving circuit are mounted on the substrate,

the coil body includes an axis, which coincides with a normal line of the substrate, and

the card type casing accommodates the communication module in such a manner that a thickness direction of the substrate coincides with a thickness direction of the card type casing.