CONTACT SPRING FOR PLANAR ANTENNA, ANTENNA AND METHODS
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement for connecting the radiator (430) of the planar antenna of a radio device to the rest part of the device. The arrangement comprises a contact spring (310) with a top contact (318) for making the connection to the radiator and a bottom contact (319) for making the connection to a counter-contact (405) in the radio device. The vertical movement caused by the force which pushes the bottom contact is converted into a rotation, by means of which the top contact of the contact spring is pressed horizontally against a vertical projection (435) of the radiating plane. For implementing the rotation the contact spring is first directed upwards from the bottom contact and turns then back down obliquely. This oblique portion (313) is fixed at its lower end, in which case the pushing of the bottom contact upwards rotates the oblique portion round its lower end. For the top contact, an arm (312) joins the oblique portion (313), which arm at rest is more vertical than the oblique portion and has the top contact (318) at the upper end, and which arm turns together with the oblique portion pressing the top contact to its connection point. The contact spring requires only a relatively small space, because its portions to be bent are substantially vertical, i.e. they have a steep angle in respect of the radiating plane. Though space is saved, the contacts are reliable anyhow. The contact spring is mounted into a box in the dielectric body of the antenna by a snap joint.
39 Citations
33 Claims
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1-7. -7. (canceled)
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8. A spring contact apparatus for use with an antenna of a radio device, the spring contact apparatus comprising:
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a pre-formed metal element, comprising; a base portion; a first branch comprised of a first contact element, the first contact element configured to be coupled to a coupling element of the antenna along a first plane; and a second branch comprised of a second contact element, the second contact element configured to be coupled to an interface of the radio device along a second plane; wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel with one another. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A planar antenna for use in a radio device, comprising:
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a dielectric element comprising a first surface and a second surface; a coupling element arranged at least partially on the first surface; a radiating element electrically coupled to the coupling element and disposed at least partly on the second surface; and a first spring contact apparatus, comprising; a first contact element coupled with the coupling element; a second contact element configured to be coupled to an interface of the radio device; and a spring element, comprising; a base; a first section comprised of the first contact element; and a second section comprised of the second contact element; wherein the interface of the radio device is arranged at least partly along a third surface, the first surface being non-parallel with the third surface. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of forming an electrical connection between a coupling element of a planar antenna and an electrical interface of a radio device, the method comprising:
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providing an antenna radiating element, the radiating element arranged at least partly within a first plane; arranging at least a portion of the coupling element within a second plane; electrically coupling the radiating element to the coupling element; arranging the electrical interface of the radio device at least partly within a third plane; providing a spring contact apparatus; affixing the spring contact apparatus to a support structure of the radio device via the locking element; and rotating a spring element associated with the spring contact apparatus along an axis that is coplanar to the second plane. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A contact spring for a planar antenna that connects a radiator of the antenna to a radio device, the contact spring comprising:
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a pre-bent metal strip; a top contact configured to be pressed against the radiator and a bottom contact configured to be pressed against a counter-contact in the radio device; wherein the pre-bent metal strip comprises a base configured to be fixed to a dielectric body of the antenna, the metal strip comprising a first and a second branch, the first branch comprising an arm directed upwards from the base and having the top contact at its upper end; wherein the second branch comprises, in order, an oblique portion being directed upwards from the base, a bend point, a vertical portion being directed downwards and a bottom portion comprised of the bottom contact; and wherein the first branch, the oblique portion and the vertical portion of the contact spring to are substantially vertical with respect to a plane of the radiator. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A planar antenna, comprising:
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a supporting dielectric body; a radiating plane on an upper surface of the supporting dielectric body; and at least one contact spring that connects the radiating plane of the antenna to a radio device, the at least one contact spring comprising; a pre-bent metal strip; a top contact configured to be pressed against the radiating plane and a bottom contact configured to be pressed against a counter-contact in the radio device; wherein the pre-bent metal strip comprises a base configured to be fixed to the supporting dielectric body of the antenna, the metal strip comprising a first and a second branch, the first branch comprising an arm directed upwards from the base and having the top contact at its upper end; wherein the second branch comprises an oblique portion being directed upwards from the base, a bend point, a vertical portion being directed downwards and a bottom portion comprised of the bottom contact; and wherein the first branch, the oblique portion and the vertical portion of the contact spring to are substantially vertical with respect to the radiating plane. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A radio device, comprising:
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a radio transceiver; and a planar antenna in communication with said transceiver via an interface, the antenna comprising; a dielectric element comprising a first surface and a second surface; a coupling element arranged at least partially on the first surface; a radiating element electrically coupled to the coupling element and disposed at least partly on the second surface; and a first spring contact apparatus; wherein the interface is arranged at least partly along a third surface, the first surface being non-parallel with the third surface. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification