Vehicle antenna device
First Claim
1. A vehicle antenna device in a vehicle having an internal part and an external part separated by a wall, said vehicle antenna device comprising:
- an amplifier housing mounted on said wall;
an amplifier contained within the amplifier housing;
a wall grommet opening in said wall;
a bushing forming an integral part of said amplifier housing and adapted for fitting snugly into said wall grommet opening to form a seal with said wall grommet opening; and
an antenna comprising a conductive structure electrically connected to said amplifier through said bushing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved vehicle antenna device that reduces the cost and complexity of the antenna and its installation procedure. An antenna is mounted within the fender of a vehicle, while the antenna amplifier is mounted on the opposite side of a structural wall. The electrical connection between the antenna and its amplifier passes through a vehicle wall through a water-tight bushing. The bushing is made an integral part of the amplifier housing so that attachment of the housing to the vehicle wall causes the bushing to simultaneously penetrate an opening in the wall and seal that opening. The antenna is then plugged into an electrical connector in the bushing which is already in electrical contact with the amplifier, thus completing the installation. The water-tight seal can be improved by coating the bushing with an elastic material, by giving the bushing a slight tapered shape, or both. The antenna can be mounted within the fender on insulated mounts or by attaching directly to a fender made of non-conductive material.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle antenna device in a vehicle having an internal part and an external part separated by a wall, said vehicle antenna device comprising:
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an amplifier housing mounted on said wall; an amplifier contained within the amplifier housing; a wall grommet opening in said wall; a bushing forming an integral part of said amplifier housing and adapted for fitting snugly into said wall grommet opening to form a seal with said wall grommet opening; and an antenna comprising a conductive structure electrically connected to said amplifier through said bushing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of assembling a vehicle antenna device in a vehicle with a wall between the interior and exterior portions of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a housing assembly comprising an amplifier, an amplifier housing, and a bushing; assembling said amplifier housing and said bushing into a single unit by attachable inserting said bushing into a housing grommet opening in said amplifier housing; providing a wall grommet opening in said wall; attaching said housing assembly to the interior side of said wall in a manner that causes said bushing to create a seal with said wall grommet opening; and electrically connecting said antenna to said amplifier at said bushing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification