CHIP ANTENNA AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130207849A1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Shibahara, Katsuo, Mori, Natsuhiko, Hayashi, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,634,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/700.MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• 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

After a three-dimensional antenna pattern (10) is formed by bending a conductive plate, the three-dimensional antenna pattern (10) thus bent is supplied in an injection molding die set as an insert component and a base (20) is formed by injection molding of a resin. With this, a chip antenna (1) comprising the three-dimensional antenna pattern (10) can be formed easier as comparison to a case where the antenna pattern is formed over a plurality of surfaces by printing and the like.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna, the chip antenna comprising:

a base made of a resin; and

a three-dimensional antenna pattern formed of a conductive plate, the manufacturing method for the chip antenna comprising;

a bending pressing step of bending the conductive plate so that the three-dimensional antenna pattern is formed; and

an injection molding step of injection molding the base with the resin together with the three-dimensional antenna pattern as an insert component.

2. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 1,

wherein the conductive plate comprises a long-belt-like hoop member, and

wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern comprises a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns formed in the long-belt-like hoop member.

3. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 2, further comprising punching out the long-belt-like hoop member so that a two-dimensionally expanded form of each of the plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns is formed,

wherein the bending pressing step comprises bending the two-dimensionally expanded form under a state in which the two-dimensionally expanded form remains fixed to the long-belt-like hoop member, to thereby form each of the plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns.

4. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 2, wherein the injection molding step is performed under a state in which the plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns remain fixed to the long-belt-like hoop member.

5. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 2, further comprising rolling up the chip antenna together with the long-belt-like hoop member after the injection molding step.

6. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 2, further comprising cutting off the chip antenna from the long-belt-like hoop member after the injection molding step.

7. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 1, further comprising clamping a die set for the injection molding step so that an angle of a bent portion of the three-dimensional antenna pattern is corrected, to thereby bring the bent portion of the three-dimensional antenna pattern and the die set for the injection molding step into close contact with each other.

8. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the bending pressing step is performed by utilizing a clamping force of the die set for the injection molding step.

9. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 8, wherein the clamping of the die set for the injection molding step and the bending pressing step are performed simultaneously with each other.

10. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the bending pressing step is performed with both a clamping force of a die set for the injection molding step and a force of an additionally provided actuator.

11. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 10, wherein the actuator is provided in a die set for the bending pressing step.

12. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 11, wherein the actuator is provided out of the die set for the bending pressing step.

13. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern is formed by bending the conductive plate a plurality of times.

14. A chip antenna, comprising:

an antenna pattern formed of a conductive plate bent into a three-dimensional shape; and

a base formed by injection molding of a resin together with the antenna pattern as an insert component.

15. A chip antenna according to claim 14, wherein the antenna pattern is held by the base so that the three-dimensional shape is maintained.

16. A chip antenna according to claim 15,

wherein the antenna pattern is provided over surfaces of the base, and

wherein the antenna pattern comprises a bent portion comprising two flat plate portions provided respectively on both sides of the bent portion and embedded in the base.

17. A chip antenna according to claim 16, wherein the antenna pattern further comprises an edge portion provided with a projecting portion which is embedded in the base.

18. A chip antenna according to claim 15, wherein the antenna pattern is embedded in the base.

19. A chip antenna according to claim 14, wherein the resin of the base comprises a highly dielectric material having a dielectric constant of 4 or more.

20. A chip antenna according to claim 14, wherein a surface roughness of at least a surface of the antenna pattern, which is bonded to the base, is Ra 1.6 or more.