Vehicular exterior trim accessory having a built-in antenna

• US 5,945,956 A
• Filed: 08/21/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohira, Takayuki, Ito, Takayoshi, Nakano, Takaaki, Izawa, Shogo, Koike, Tsuneyuki, Hase, Nobutoshi, Kaneyasu, Yoichi, Hattori, Yoshiro, Kohama, Tadahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US08/916,195
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/700 MS, 343/872, 343/712, 343/711, 343/873, 29/600
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/04 Extrusion blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/20 of articles having inserts or reinforcements ; Handling of inserts or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/007 Rear spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A vehicular exterior trim accessory having a built-in antenna body is constructed to include: a hollow body 21 blow-molded into a predetermined shape having an internal space; and an antenna body 3 fixed in the hollow body 21 and arranged in the internal space by the blow-molding method. The hollow body 21 and the antenna body 3 are made integral.

Claims

1. A vehicular exterior trim accessory having a built-in antenna comprising:

a hollow body of a predetermined shape constructed to form an internal space by holding a first shell and a second shell in abutment against each other; and

an antenna body fixed in said hollow body and arranged in said internal space by clamping it between the abutting portions of said first shell and said second shell, wherein the abutting portion of said second shell and the peripheral edge of said antenna body are continuously welded into an integral structure through perforations formed on said antenna body.

2. A vehicular exterior trim accessory having a built-in antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna body includes:

a flat plate;

a radio waves receiving member fixed on said flat plate; and

a cable fixed on said flat plate and connected with said receiving member.

3. A vehicular exterior trim accessory having a built-in antenna according to claim 2, wherein said flat plate is arranged to partition said internal space into a first space and second space and has through holes formed in predetermined positions to provide communication between said first space and said second space.

4. An antenna built-in vehicular exterior trim accessory according to claim 1, wherein said antenna body includes:

a resin substrate melted and fixed integrally in said hollow body; and

a conductive film formed in a predetermined pattern and fixed on said substrate by spraying a granular metal.

5. A vehicular spoiler comprising:

a spoiler body made of a synthetic resin and formed as a parison by a blow molding method to have an internal space; and

an antenna flat plate held at its peripheral edge in said spoiler body and including a conductor fixed thereon by mechanical engagement with a structure roughness of said flat plate, wherein said antenna flat plate is made of a synthetic resin and has a plurality of perforations at a spacing in its two side edges, so that said parison forming said spoiler body is welded directly to said antenna flat plate through said perforations.

6. A vehicular spoiler according to claim 5,

wherein said antenna flat plate includes die insertion holes formed in its two longitudinal ends for inserting a portion of a blow molding die, so that the end portions of said antenna flat plate having said die insertion holes are cut off after the end of the molding operation.

7. A vehicular spoiler according to claim 6, wherein the perforations in a row, as formed at one of the side edges of said antenna flat plate, are opened sideways to the outside.

8. A vehicular spoiler according to claim 7, wherein the bottom part of said blow molding die includes a slide part and a stationary part, so that the pressurized air is blown into the space of said parison by assembling said slide part and said stationary part and then by assembling said bottom part with a top part.