Three Dimensional Antennas Formed Using Wet Conductive Materials and Methods for Production

• US 20080291095A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Galtronics Corporation Limited (Baylin Technologies (USA), Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Galtronics Limited
• Inventors: Krishtul, Izhak
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A method for manufacturing antennas including providing a substrate having at least one surface lying in three dimensions and applying a conductive coating to the at least one surface lying in three dimensions, thereby defining an antenna on the at least one surface and an antenna including a conductive coating applied to a three-dimensional surface of a substrate.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing antennas comprising:

providing a substrate having at least one surface lying in three dimensions; and

applying a conductive coating to said at least one surface lying in three dimensions, thereby defining an antenna on said at least one surface.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein

said substrate defines at least one of a housing portion and a carrier element of a mobile communicator.

3. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating includes applying said coating in a predetermined pattern which corresponds to the configuration of said antenna.

4. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises applying a conductive polymer coating.

5. A method according to claim 4 and wherein said applying a conductive polymer coating comprises applying at least one of silver and nanoparticles.

6. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises spraying said conductive coating onto a pre-masked substrate.

7. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises:

spraying said conductive coating onto said substrate; and

thereafter patterning said conductive coating.

8. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises microdispensing said conductive coating onto said surface.

9. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises:

dipping the surface in a conductive coating bath; and

thereafter patterning said conductive coating.

10. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises at least one of chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition and electroless plating of a pre-patterned three-dimensional substrate.

11. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises:

pad printing at least one of interior portions and non-highly angled portions of said three-dimensional substrate; and

applying sub-micron conductive particles to at least one of peripheral portions and highly angled portions of said three-dimensional substrate.

12. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said antenna is an embedded antenna.

13. A method for manufacturing a precision three-dimensional conductive layer comprising:

providing a substrate having at least one surface having at least a first generally two-dimensional surface portion and at least a second generally three-dimensional surface portion;

applying a conductive coating to said at least a first generally two-dimensional surface portion; and

applying sub-micron conductive particles to said at least a second generally three-dimensional surface portion, wherein said conductive coating on said at least a first generally two-dimensional surface portion and said sub-micron conductive particles on said at least a second generally three-dimensional surface portion together define said precision three-dimensional conductive layer.

14. A method for manufacturing a precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 13 and wherein said applying sub-micron conductive particles includes applying said submicron conductive particles in a predetermined pattern, the outer extent of which corresponds to the configuration of said precision three-dimensional conductive layer.

15. A method for manufacturing a precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 13 and wherein said applying a conductive coating comprises applying a conductive polymer coating.

16. A method for manufacturing a precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 15 and wherein said applying a conductive polymer coating comprises applying at least one of silver and nanoparticles.

17. A method for manufacturing a precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 13 and wherein said applying a conductive coating utilizes pad printing.

18. A method for manufacturing a precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 13 and wherein said precision three-dimensional conductive layer is formed on a plastic support element, which forms part of a mobile communicator.

19. An antenna comprising a conductive coating applied as a wet conductive material to at least one three-dimensional surface.

20. An antenna comprising a conductive coating applied to a three-dimensional surface of a substrate.

21. An antenna according to claim 20 and wherein said conductive coating is a polymer.

22. An antenna according to claim 21 and wherein said polymer comprises at least one of silver and nanoparticles.

23. A mobile communicator comprising:

a housing portion;

a carrier element, at least one of said housing portion and said carrier element defining a substrate having at least one surface lying in three dimensions; and

an antenna, said antenna defined by a conductive coating applied to said at, least one surface lying in three dimensions.

24. A mobile communicator according to claim 23 and wherein said conductive coating includes a predetermined pattern, which corresponds to the configuration of said antenna.

25. A mobile communicator according to claim 23 and wherein said antenna is embedded in said housing portion.

26. A mobile communicator according to claim 23 and wherein said conductive coating is a polymer.

27. A mobile communicator according to claim 26 and wherein said polymer comprises at least one of silver and nanoparticles.

28. A precision three-dimensional conductive layer, said conductive layer being applied to at least one support surface having at lest a first generally two-dimensional surface portion and at least a second generally three-dimensional surface portion, said conductive layer comprising;

a conductive coating applied to said at least a first generally two-dimensional surface portion; and

sub-micron conductive particles applied to said at least a second generally three-dimensional surface portion.

29. A precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 28 and wherein said sub-micron conductive particles are applied in a predetermined pattern extending at least generally along the periphery of said precision three-dimensional conductive layer.

30. A precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 28 and wherein said conductive coating is a polymer.

31. A precision three-dimensional conductive layer according to claim 30 and wherein said polymer comprises at least one of silver and nanoparticles.

32. A method for manufacturing mobile communicators comprising:

providing a substrate having at least one surface lying in three dimensions, said substrate defining at least one of a housing portion and a carrier element of a mobile communicator; and

applying a conductive coating to said at least one surface lying in three dimensions, thereby defining an antenna on said at least one surface.