Window with an aerial for motor vehicles

• US 6,320,276 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
• Inventors: Sauer, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Assistant Examiner(s): DeBeradinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/356,411
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 343/702, 343/714, 343/715, 343/718, 343/892, 343/704, 343/711, 343/712, 343/713
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10293 Edge features, e.g. inserts or holes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10376 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing metal wires
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1271 for mounting on windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1285 with capacitive feeding through the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271

Abstract

A window with an aerial for motor vehicles is provided with an electrically conductive layer (5) which fulfils the function of an aerial conductor. In order to prevent capacitive coupling of the layer to the bodywork of the vehicle, the layer (5) ends at a distance of a few centimetres from the edge of the window. The layer (5) is coupled capacitively to the aerial connection cable leading to the receiver set by means of a coupling electrode (9). The coupling electrode comprises thin wires (10) which are connected together by electroplating and are arranged at a large distance from one another which is large compared with their diameter.

Claims

1. In a window with an aerial for motor vehicles, having an electrically conductive coating used as an aerial conductor and a connection element which is coupled capacitively to the electrically conductive coating by means of a coupling electrode the improvement wherein the coupling electrode (9) comprises thin wires (10) connected together at one end and arranged along their length at a distance from one another which is large compared with their diameter.

2. Window with an aerial according to claim 1, wherein the coupling electrode (9) comprises wires with a thickness of 10 to 100 μ

m.

3. Window with an aerial according to claim 2, wherein the coupling electrode (9) comprises two to ten wires arranged along their length at a distance of 1 to 5 mm parallel to one another and connected together at said one end, said one end being located adjacent said connection element.

4. Window with an aerial according to claim 3, wherein the wires (10) of the coupling electrode (9) have a length of at least 5 cm.

5. Window with an aerial according to claim 4, wherein the wires (10) have a length of between 10 and 30 cm.

6. Window with an aerial according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coupling electrode (9) is a prefabricated component comprising the wires (10), a strip of metal sheet (11) connected to said one end of the wires (10) by electroplating and a contact element (12).

7. Window with an aerial according to claim 6, wherein the coupling electrode (9) is provided with an adhesive layer in the region of said wires for fastening said electrode by adhesion on the window.

8. Window with an aerial according to claim 7, wherein the window is made of laminated glass panes (1, 2) separated by an intermediate thermoplastic layer (3), and said adhesive layer in said region of the wires (10) is composed of the same thermoplastic polymer as the intermediate thermoplastic layer (3) between the laminated glass panes.

9. Window with an aerial according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said window is provided with a plurality of spaced coupling electrodes (20, 21, 22, 23) around the periphery of the window.