Embedded Antenna Structures

• US 20130076573A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rappoport, Benjamin M., Berg, Bruce E., Raff, John, McClure, Stephen R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,153,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14655 connected to or mounted on a carrier, e.g. lead frame
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14819 the inserts being completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3456 Antennas, e.g. radomes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures that are embedded in a dielectric such as plastic. The plastic may be molded over the antenna structures using molding equipment. Antenna structures may be embedded in molded plastic structures such as plastic electronic device housing structures. The plastic electronic device housing structures may form housing structures such as housing wall structures. The antenna structures may be embedded within the housing wall structures in the vicinity of an exterior surface of the housing wall structures. Embedded antenna structures may also be mounted under other dielectric structures such portions of a display cover layer.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a molded plastic housing structure; and

antenna structures embedded within the molded plastic housing structure.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna structures comprise a metal antenna resonating element.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the metal antenna resonating element comprises patterned metal traces on a dielectric substrate and wherein the molded plastic housing structure is molded over the patterned metal traces and the dielectric substrate.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the metal antenna resonating element traces comprise laser-patterned metal traces on the dielectric substrate and wherein the molded plastic housing structure is molded over the laser-patterned metal traces and the dielectric substrate.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the dielectric substrate comprises a two-shot plastic substrate having first and second plastic portions with different affinities for metal, wherein the metal antenna resonating element traces comprise metal traces on the two-shot plastic substrate, and wherein the molded plastic housing structure is molded over the metal antenna resonating element traces and the two-shot plastic substrate.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna structures comprise conductive structures selected from the group consisting of:

machined metal structures, metallic paint structures, electrochemically deposited structures, and etched structures.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the molded plastic housing structure comprises a housing wall.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the antenna structures comprises planar structures that run parallel with an exterior surface of the housing wall.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the metal antenna resonating element comprises patterned metal traces on a printed circuit substrate and wherein the molded plastic housing structure is overmolded over the patterned metal traces and the printed circuit substrate.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a display having a display cover layer, wherein the molded plastic housing structure is configured to support the antenna structures against a portion of the display cover layer.

11. A method of forming electronic device structures comprising:

forming antenna structures for the electronic device; and

overmolding plastic over the antenna structures.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein overmolding the plastic comprises injection molding plastic housing structures over a conductive antenna resonating element in the antenna structures.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein forming the conductive antenna resonating element comprises using a process selected from the group consisting of:

a metal machining process, a metallic paint deposition process, an electrochemical metal deposition process, and a chemical etching process.

14. The method defined in claim 11 wherein forming the antenna structures comprises forming patterned traces on a printed circuit substrate.

15. The method defined in claim 11 wherein forming the antenna structures comprises:

laser patterning metal antenna resonating element structures.

16. The method defined in claim 11 wherein forming the antenna structures comprises:

with at least one molding tool, forming a two-shot plastic substrate having first and second plastic portions with different affinities for metal; and

forming metal antenna resonating element structures on the dielectric substrate, wherein overmolding the plastic comprises overmolding the plastic over the metal antenna resonating element structures and the dielectric substrate.

17. The method defined in claim 11 wherein overmolding the plastic comprises injection molding the plastic to form electronic device housing wall structures in which the antenna structures are embedded.

18. The method defined in claim 17 wherein forming the antenna structures comprises forming a patterned planar metal antenna resonating element structure and wherein injection molding the plastic comprises molding the plastic over the metal antenna resonating element structure so that the metal antenna resonating element structure is separated from an exterior surface of the electronic device housing wall structures by less than 3 mm.

19. An antenna, comprising:

an antenna ground;

an antenna resonating element; and

overmolded plastic in which at least the antenna resonating element is embedded.

20. The antenna defined in claim 19 wherein the antenna resonating element is formed from patterned metal having at least one terminal, wherein the patterned metal is embedded in the overmolded plastic so that the terminal protrudes through the overmolded plastic, and wherein the overmolded plastic comprises an electronic device housing wall.