Furniture antenna system

• US 4,546,357 A
• Filed: 04/11/1983
• Issued: 10/08/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Singer Company The Eight Stamford Forum
• Original Assignee: Singer PLC (Hayleys Plc)
• Inventors: Laughon, Thomas C., Warner, Richard C., Klopach, Robert T., Haynes, H. Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieberman, Eli
• Application Number:
  US06/484,076
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 343/795, 343/803, 343/873, 343/702
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An antenna system for an article of furniture in which a panel of the article of furniture is sealed by a low loss dielectric material to isolate the panel from impurities which affect its electrical integrity. An antenna structure is applied thereon by silk screening, painting or otherwise marking of a conductive ink, or by vacuum deposition techniques, or by application of stamped or die cut foil, or by metallic tape, all by way of example. Connections to the antenna structure are made by compressing a conductive elastomeric material against terminations of the antenna structure so as to avoid temperature or other initiated dimensional changes of the panel which could effect the contact resistance to the terminations of the antenna structure, and also to avoid damaging the antenna structure. A specific connection arrangement is disclosed.

Claims

1. An antenna system including an antenna structure for an article of furniture having an exterior coated finish, said antenna system comprising:

a coating of low loss dielectric sealing material applied over at least a specific portion of the exterior finished surface of said article of furniture upon which said antenna structure of said antenna system may be applied where required to avoid a loss of signal from said antenna structure;

said antenna structure comprising trace coatings of conductive ink applied to said article of furniture over said sealing material;

means for making an electrically conductive connection to said trace coatings; and

a coating of sealing and abrasion resistant material applied over said trace coatings and said connection means.

2. A method for manufacturing an antenna system including an antenna structure for an article of furniture, said method comprising steps of:

providing an article of furniture with at least one exteriorly coated finished panel;

coating at least a specific portion of the exterior finish of said furniture panel with a low loss dielectric sealing material to avoid a loss of signal from said antenna structure;

applying trace coatings of conductive ink over said coating of said dielectric sealing material to provide an antenna structure;

making electrically conductive connections to said antenna structure by using a conductive elastomeric material to make contact with said trace coatings; and

,

concealing said trace coatings with a coating of sealing and abrasion resistant material.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 further including coating an opaque substance over said sealing coatings to conceal said antenna structure.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 in which said coating of opaque substance and said coating of sealing and abrasive resistant material are applied simultaneously as a single coating.