ANTENNAS FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20110169700A1
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brett William Degner, Matthew Ian Mcdonald
• Original Assignee: Brett William Degner, Matthew Ian Mcdonald
• Inventors: Degner, Brett William, McDonald, Matthew Ian
• Granted Patent: US 8,581,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/085 Flexible aerials; Whip aerials with a resilient base
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6276 comprising one or more balls engaging in a hole or a groove
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/02 for antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Abstract

A removable antenna and a resilient antenna are provided for an electronic device such as a laptop computer. An antenna resonating element is mounted within the antenna. Flexible coupling structures are used to physically and removably attach the antenna to the electronic device. The flexible coupling structures couple the antenna resonating element to circuitry in the electronic device. The coupling structures may allow the antenna to break away from the electronic device without causing damage. A user may extend the antenna by rotating the removable antenna to its extended position. The electronic device may have an antenna receptacle that holds the resilient antenna in a stowed position and that allows the resilient antenna to flex to an extended position. A user may extend the resilient antenna by removing the resilient antenna from the antenna receptacle and flexing the antenna into its extended position.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an electronic device having an antenna receptacle; and

a resilient antenna formed from a conductive elastic material, wherein the resilient antenna elastically flexes between a stowed position in the antenna receptacle and an extended position outside of the antenna receptacle.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient antenna comprises an elastic wire that forms at least part of an antenna resonating element for the resilient antenna.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the resilient antenna comprises nickel-titanium wire.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna receptacle comprises portions defining a trough and at least one tab that at least partially extends across the trough.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna receptacle comprises portions defining a trough and at least one tab that at least partially extends across the trough, wherein the resilient antenna is configured to flex into the trough, and wherein the tab is configured to restrain the resilient antenna within the trough.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna receptacle comprises portions defining a trough and at least two tabs, each of which at least partially extends across the trough.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna receptacle comprises portions defining a trough and at least two tabs, each of which at least partially extends across the trough, wherein the resilient antenna is configured to flex into the trough, and wherein the tabs are configured to restrain the resilient antenna within the trough.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein, when no stresses are applied to the resilient antenna, the resilient antenna elastically returns to the extended position outside of the antenna receptacle.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient antenna has a width, wherein the antenna receptacle comprises portions defining a trough that has a width, wherein the antenna receptacle comprises portions defining a tab that has a width that extends partly across the trough, and wherein the width of the resilient antenna plus the width of the tab is less than the width of the trough.

10. An electronic device comprising:

an antenna; and

an antenna receptacle having portions defining a trough and at least one tab that at least partially extends across the trough, wherein the tab is configured to restrain the antenna within the trough.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the antenna has a width, wherein the trough has a width, wherein the tab has a width that extends partly across the trough, and wherein the width of the antenna plus the width of the tab is less than the width of the trough.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein, when no stresses are applied to the antenna, the antenna elastically returns to an extended position outside of the antenna receptacle.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the tab comprises a first tab and wherein the antenna receptacle has portions defining a second tab that at least partly extends cross the trough.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the trough has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first tab is connected to the first side of the trough, and wherein the second tab is connected to the second side of the trough.

15. An electronic device comprising:

an antenna receptacle;

an antenna, wherein the antenna flexes between a stowed position in the antenna receptacle and an extended position outside of the antenna receptacle;

a radio-frequency transceiver; and

a communications path that conveys radio-frequency signals between the radio-frequency transceiver and the antenna.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the electronic device comprises a portable computer having a display.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the antenna receptacle is configured to restrain the antenna within the antenna receptacle.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein, when no stresses are applied to the antenna by the antenna receptacle, the antenna elastically returns to the extended position outside of the antenna receptacle.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the antenna receptacle has portions defining a trough and at least one tab that at least partially extends across the trough, wherein the antenna has a width, wherein the trough has a width, wherein the tab has a width that extends partly across the trough, and wherein the width of the antenna plus the width of the tab is less than the width of the trough.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the antenna receptacle has portions defining a trough and at least a first tab and a second tab, each of which at least partially extends across the trough, wherein the trough has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first tab is connected to the first side of the trough, and wherein the second tab is connected to the second side of the trough.