Incorporation of antenna into vehicle door pillar

• US 6,072,436 A
• Filed: 01/11/1999
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Marougi, LeeAnn
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malos, Jennifer H.
• Application Number:
  US09/228,181
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 343/711, 343/712, 343/713
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3291 mounted in or on other locations inside the vehicle or vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00

Abstract

An antenna for an RF transmitter is incorporated into the front door pillar trim member in a vehicle cab. This location for the antenna maximizes the transmission characteristics of the antenna. A switch and a transmitter are also preferably mounted on the trim member. The switch and transmitter are incorporated into a garage door opening system. The antenna is ideally positioned to transmit a signal to the garage door opener.

Claims

1. An antenna and electronic RF transmitter system for use with a vehicle garage door opener comprising a door pillar for an automotive vehicle body passenger compartment, the door pillar defining a forward part of a vehicle door opening and a lateral margin of a windshield opening for a glass windshield at the front of the passenger compartment;

a trim member surrounding said door pillar, the trim member having a first panel portion generally perpendicular to said windshield and a second panel portion generally parallel to said windshield;

an electronic RF transmitter mounted within said trim member;

a manually operable switch mounted on said second panel portion, said switch;

being electrically connected to said transmitter; and

a dipole antenna electrically connected to said transmitter, said antenna being located with a generally vertical orientation within said trim member between said door pillar and said windshield whereby RF signals may be directed forwardly through said windshield opening without interference from said door pillar;

said switch including a manually operable actuator portion on said second panel portion between upper and lower margins of said windshield opening whereby a vehicle operator may activate the switch without altering the forward visual focus of the vehicle operator through said windshield opening.