ANTENNA DEVICE HAVING A NON-ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT DURING PRE-LOCK

• US 20080272969A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Li, Qing, Tengler, David Richard, Manduzzi, Kendra Diane, Huling, Jack Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,564,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6215 using one or more bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/02 for antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

An antenna device has an antenna main body, a fixing member and a bolt. The antenna main body comprises an antenna element, female connectors provided at a first connector, a female screw section, and an engagement claw inserted into an antenna mount hole to make engagement with a lower side face of a roof panel. A fixing member comprises cables, male connectors provided at a second connector, the male connectors being provided to make mechanical engagement with female connectors without an electrical connection, and being connected to the cable, and a male screw section helically fitted to a female screw section, thereby tightening the female connectors, the male connectors, and a roof panel with one another. A bolt may be mounted between the male and female connectors to allow electrical connection therebetween.

Claims

1. An antenna device comprising:

an antenna main body connectable to a first face side of a plate having a mount hole provided therein, the antenna main body including an antenna element, a first connector electrically connected to the antenna element, a first screw section passing through the mount hole, and an engagement section inserted into the mount hole;

a fixing member disposed on a second face side of the plate configurable to removable secured the antenna main body to the plate having a feeder line provided to make connection with the antenna element, a second connector having a male connector removably received by a female connector of the first connector and a second screw section securable to the first screw section to join the antenna main body, the fixing member, and the plate adjacent each other; and

a bolt received within a cylinder body for assembling the antenna main body and fixing member;

wherein a mechanical engagement and a temporary lock are achieved when the male connector has been inserted a predetermined distance in the female connector and electrical connection between the male and female connectors is not achieved, and fastening of the bolt joins the first and second screw sections to allow an electrical connection between the male and female connectors.

2. The antenna device of claim 1 wherein mounting the bolt engages the male and female connectors to initiate the electrical connection between the male and female connectors while compressing the antenna base to the fixing member.

3. The antenna device of claim 1 wherein mounting the bolt engages the male and female connectors to initiate the electrical connection between the male and female connectors and creates a seal around the antenna mount hole.

4. The antenna device of claim 1 wherein mounting the bolt engages the male and female connectors to initiate the electrical connection between the male and female connectors and creates a solid ground path for the antenna base to the fixing member.

5. The antenna device of claim 1 wherein the tightening of the bolt is stopped when a washer is compressed against the body such that a protrusion section of the cover body cuts into the roof panel to ground the device.

6. An antenna device of claim 1 wherein the fixing member comprises a grounding member made of an electrically conductive material which abuts against the roof of the vehicle due to tightening of the second screw section.

7. An antenna device adapted to be mounted on a roof of a vehicle comprising:

an antenna main body connectable to a first face side of a plate having a mount hole provided therein, the antenna main body including an antenna element, a first connector electrically connected to the antenna element, a first screw section passing through the mount hole, and an engagement section inserted into the mount hole;

a fixing member disposed on a second face side of the plate configurable to removable secured the antenna main body to the plate having a feeder line provided to make connection with the antenna element, a second connector having a male connector removably received by a female connector of the first connector and a second screw section securable to the first screw section to join the antenna main body, the fixing member, and the plate adjacent each other; and

a bolt received within a cylinder body and mounting hole in the vehicle roof for securing the antenna device to the vehicle roof

wherein a mechanical engagement and a temporary lock are achieved when the male connector has been inserted a predetermined distance in the female connector and electrical connection between the male and female connectors is not achieved, and fastening of the bolt joins the first and second screw sections to allow an electrical connection between the male and female connectors.

8. The antenna device of claim 7 wherein mounting the bolt engages the male and female connectors to initiate the electrical connection between the male and female connectors while compressing the antenna base to the fixing member.

9. The antenna device of claim 7 wherein mounting the bolt engages the male and female connectors to initiate the electrical connection between the male and female connectors and creates a seal around the antenna mount hole.

10. The antenna device of claim 7 wherein mounting the bolt engages the male and female connectors to initiate the electrical connection between the male and female connectors and creates a solid ground path for the antenna base to the fixing member.

11. An antenna device according to claim 7 wherein the fixing member comprises a grounding member made of an electrically conductive material which abuts against the roof of the vehicle due to tightening of the second screw section.

12. An antenna device according to claim 11 wherein the fixing member further comprises an elastic body provided between the second connector and the grounding member.

13. An antenna device according to claim 11 wherein the fixing member comprises a restricting section which restricts a movement quantity in the tightening direction of the grounding member of the second connector in a predetermined range.

14. An antenna device comprising:

an antenna main body disposed on one face side of a plate material having a mount hole provided therein; and

a fixing member disposed on the other face side of the plate material, the fixing member fixing the antenna main body to the plate material,

wherein the antenna main body comprises;

an antenna element;

a first connector electrically connected to the antenna element;

a first screw section provided in a tightening direction in which an axial center line thereof passes through the mount hole; and

an engagement section inserted into the mount hole from the one face side, thereby making engagement with the other face side, and

the fixing member comprises;

a feeder line provided to make connection with the antenna element;

a second connector connected to the feeder line and provided to make mechanical engagement with, and electrical connection to, the first connector; and

a second screw section helically fitted to the first screw section, thereby tightening the antenna main body, the fixing member, and the plate material with one another.

15. An antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the fixing member comprises a grounding member made of an electrically conductive material which abuts against the plate material due to tightening of the second screw section.

16. An antenna device according to claim 15, wherein the grounding member covers the second connector from an opposite side of the plate material.

17. An antenna device according to claim 16, wherein the fixing member further comprises an elastic body provided between the second connector and the grounding member.

18. An antenna device according to claim 16, wherein the fixing member comprises a restricting section which restricts a movement quantity in the tightening direction of the grounding member of the second connector in a predetermined range.

19. An antenna device according to claim 16, wherein the grounding member comprises a slippage proof section which prevents the second screw section from slipping off at an opposite side of the plate material.

20. An antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the antenna element comprises one or a plurality of elements which correspond to a plurality of frequency band.