Antenna apparatus for capacitively coupling an antenna ground plane to a moveable antenna
First Claim
1. An antenna assembly for a hand-held device for transmitting or receiving signals, comprising:
- a housing of a rigid material having a hole formed therein;
an elongated, one-quarter wavelength antenna having first and second antenna conductors;
a rotatable coupling member having a first end portion rigidly retaining the elongated antenna and having a second end portion rotatably received by the housing and extending through the hole to within the housing and retained in the hole for rotation relative to the housing, the coupling member and the antenna being rotatable as a unit between a first position where the antenna is in a raised position with respect to the housing and a second position where the antenna is in a lowered position, the coupling member having first and second coupling conductors extending between the first and second end portions, the first and second coupling conductors being electrically coupled to the first and second antenna conductors, respectively, at the first end portion;
an electrically conductive ground plane positioned within the housing, the ground plane having a non-planar portion being at least partially covered on one side thereof with a non-conductive material, the covered portion of the ground plane having an aperture aligned with the hole and receiving the second end portion of the coupling member therethrough; and
an electrically conductive plate positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the second coupling conductor at the second end portion of the coupling member, the plate having a first face thereof positioned approximately parallel to the covered portion of the ground plane with the non-conductive material positioned therebetween, the plate being capacitively coupled to the ground plane upon the transmission or reception of signals by the antenna.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An antenna apparatus for a hand-held symbology reader device having a housing and an elongated one-quarter wavelength antenna. A rotatable coupling member has an L-shaped conductor fixedly and electrically coupled to the antenna by a first end thereof. A second end of the L-shaped conductor is rotatably received by the housing. A ground plane of an electrically conductive material, having a plastic film coated thereon, is positioned within the housing. A washer of an electrically conductive material is electrically coupled to the second end of the L-shaped conductor, and is positioned in face-to-face juxtaposition with a portion of the ground plane. The washer and the portion of the ground plane form a parallel plate capacitor, with the plastic film forming a dielectric therebetween to capacitively couple the ground plane to the antenna. The antenna may be repeatedly rotated from an upright, transmitting/receiving position to a stowed position, without damage to the device or electrical disconnection between the antenna and the ground plane.
79 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An antenna assembly for a hand-held device for transmitting or receiving signals, comprising:
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a housing of a rigid material having a hole formed therein; an elongated, one-quarter wavelength antenna having first and second antenna conductors; a rotatable coupling member having a first end portion rigidly retaining the elongated antenna and having a second end portion rotatably received by the housing and extending through the hole to within the housing and retained in the hole for rotation relative to the housing, the coupling member and the antenna being rotatable as a unit between a first position where the antenna is in a raised position with respect to the housing and a second position where the antenna is in a lowered position, the coupling member having first and second coupling conductors extending between the first and second end portions, the first and second coupling conductors being electrically coupled to the first and second antenna conductors, respectively, at the first end portion; an electrically conductive ground plane positioned within the housing, the ground plane having a non-planar portion being at least partially covered on one side thereof with a non-conductive material, the covered portion of the ground plane having an aperture aligned with the hole and receiving the second end portion of the coupling member therethrough; and an electrically conductive plate positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the second coupling conductor at the second end portion of the coupling member, the plate having a first face thereof positioned approximately parallel to the covered portion of the ground plane with the non-conductive material positioned therebetween, the plate being capacitively coupled to the ground plane upon the transmission or reception of signals by the antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An antenna assembly for a hand-held device for transmitting or receiving signals, comprising:
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a housing having a hole formed therein; an elongated antenna having first and second antenna conductors; a rotatable coupling member having a first end portion rigidly retaining the elongated antenna and having a second end portion rotatably received by the housing and extending through the hole and retained therein for rotation relative to the housing, the coupling member and the antenna being rotatable as a unit between a first position where the antenna is in an approximately upright position with respect to the housing and a second position where the antenna is in a non-upright position, the coupling member having first and second coupling conductors extending between the first and second end portions, the first and second coupling conductors being electrically coupled to the first and second antenna conductors, respectively, at the first end portion; an electrically conductive ground plane positioned adjacent to the housing, the ground plane being at least partially covered on one side thereof with a non-conductive material; and an electrically conductive plate positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the second coupling conductor at the second end portion of the coupling member, the plate having a first face thereof positioned approximately parallel to a portion of the ground plane covered with the non-conductive material, the plate being capacitively coupled to the ground plane upon the transmission or reception of signals by the antenna. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An antenna assembly for a hand-held device having a housing, comprising:
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an elongated antenna having a first antenna conductors; a rotatable coupling member having a first end portion rigidly retaining the elongated antenna and having a second end portion rotatably received by the housing and extending into the housing, the coupling member and the rotatable as a unit between a first position and a second position, the coupling member having first and second coupling conductors extending between the first and end portions, respectively, the first and second coupling conductors being electrically coupled to the first and second antenna conductors respectively; an electrically conductive ground plane; an electrically conductive plate electrically coupled to the second coupling conductor and having a first face positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the ground plane; a non-conductive material positioned between the portion of the ground plane and the first face of the plate, the plate being capacitively coupled to the ground plane through the non-conductive material. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification