Vehicle antenna attaching apparatus suitable for attaching a rod-shaped antenna to a vehicle

• US 5,896,110 A
• Filed: 02/07/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kojima, Hiroyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US08/798,377
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 343/715, 343/711, 343/712, 343/900, 343/878, 343/880, 343/882, 343/888
• US Class Current: 343/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1214 through a wall

Abstract

An apparatus for attaching a rod-shaped antenna to a vehicle comprises supporting plates and a hollow holding member which is formed in a hollow truncated-conical shape, and which includes an opening portion and an elongated-hole formation portion having an elongated hole formed in the upper wall of the hollow holding member. The supporting plates have contact portions and center portions supported to allow supporting plates to rotate at journal support points. The journal support point of each of the supporting plates may be placed within the range of the thickness of the wall when the contact portions of each supporting plate are put into contact with the inner surface of the wall. The elongated-hole formation portion has inner and outer surfaces each of which is arcuated along a circle having a center at the journal support point when the opening portion of the hollow holding member is attached to the wall.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attaching a rod-shaped antenna to a vehicle having an inclined wall inclined at a predetermined angle, on which an antenna holding hole is formed comprising:

a rod-shaped antenna holding portion to be inserted into the antenna holding hole, the antenna holding portion having a male screw on an upper end portion thereof;

a supporting plate unit which has a center portion pivotally and rotatably supported on the antenna holding portion, and a contact portion to be put into contact with an inner surface of the inclined wall of the vehicle;

a hollow holding member which has a bottom opening portion having an inclined surface corresponding to the inclined wall of the vehicle, and encloses the antenna holding portion projecting outwardly from the antenna holding hole when the contact portion of the supporting plate unit is put into contact with the inner surface of the wall of the vehicle, the hollow holding member having an upper wall in which an elongated hole for insertion of the upper end portion is formed, the elongated hole having a length defining a range for an angle at which the rod-shaped antenna is to be inclined to the wall of the vehicle;

a fixing nut which is to be engaged with the male screw of the antenna holding portion, which is inserted through the elongated hole, and which is tightened to project the antenna holding portion further outwardly from the wall, and to put the contact portions of the supporting plate unit into pressure-contact with the inner surface of the wall,

wherein;

a journal support point to the supporting plate unit is permitted to be placed within a range of a thickness of the wall, when the contact portion of the supporting plate unit is put into pressure-contact with the inner surface of the wall; and

the upper wall of the hollow holding member has inner and outer surfaces each of which is arcuated along a circle having a center at the journal support point when the opening portion of the hollow holding member is attached to the wall of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow holding member is formed in a hollow truncated-conical shape.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supporting plate unit comprises a pair of supporting plates pivotally and rotatably supported on the antenna holding portion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supporting plates are shared with grounding members.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supporting plates each have a pair of projections formed at an end portion thereof, which are to be put into contact with the inner surface of the wall of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow holding member is formed in a hollow truncated-conical shape, and made of an insulative material.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the hollow holding member is made of a hard synthetic resin.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the antenna holding portion has a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion which are formed on a distal end side of the antenna holding portion and a proximal end side thereof, respectively;

the small diameter portion is allowed to be inserted into the elongated hole, and the large diameter portion is not allowed to be inserted into the elongated hole; and

a step portion is formed between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion such that the step portion is allowed to be slid over the inner surface of the elongated-hole formation portion when the antenna holding portion is rotated about the journal support point.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow holding member comprises a base portion including the opening portion, and a holding portion which is detachably connectable to the base portion and has the elongated hole, the base portion and the holding portion are formed independently of each other, and are assembled as a single unit when the base portion and the holding portion are used.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the hollow holding member is formed in a hollow truncated-conical shape, and made of an insulative material.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow holding member is a single hollow holding member formed to a base hollow portion having the bottom opening portion and the upper wall integrally provided on the base hollow portion.