Antenna for an automobile

• US 6,853,340 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tim Wang
• Original Assignee: Tim Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US10/375,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20040169607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 343/715, 343/888, 343/880, 343/882, 343/713
• US Class Current: 343/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/08 Means for collapsing antennas or parts thereof collapsible loop antennas H01Q7/02; means for collapsing H-antennas or Yagi antennas H01Q19/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1285 with capacitive feeding through the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Abstract

An antenna formed of a mounting base, an antenna terminal and a transmission box is described for use in an automobile. The antenna terminal is pivotally attached to the mounting base by a ball and socket joint. The mounting base has a bearing plate supported on a spring member and forced by the spring member to adjustably positively hold down the antenna terminal in position.

Claims

1. An antenna for an automobile comprising:

an antenna terminal including a tubular metal terminal body, and a connector threadedly joined with the tubular metal terminal body, the connector having a solid spherical coupling portion and a shank extending from the periphery of the solid spherical coupling portion;

a mounting base including a holder shell and a metal ball socket, said metal ball socket being received and secured within the holder shell and further being hollow so as to hold the solid spherical coupling portion of the antenna terminal, an opening being formed through the metal ball socket so that the antenna terminal is received by said opening and extends out of the holder shell, a metal block being fixedly arranged at a bottom of the holder shell and being adapted for adhesion to an outer surface of a windshield of an automobile;

a metal spring for holding the solid spherical coupling portion of the antenna terminal in position, said metal spring simultaneously abutting both the metal block and a bearing member in direct contact with the solid spherical coupling portion of the antenna terminal; and

,

a transmission box disposed inside the automobile opposite the mounting base, the transmission box including a metal plate built in a circuit board that disposes in the transmission box and adheres to an inner surface of the windshield of the automobile, a transmission line electrically extending from the metal plate for connection to a wireless communication system inside the automobile.

2. The antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular metal terminal body has an inner thread in an end thereof, and the shank has an outer thread threaded mating with the inner thread of the tubular metal terminal body.

3. The antenna for an automobile as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector and the terminal body are respectively made from copper.

4. The antenna for an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission box further includes a casing defining a receiving open chamber that accommodates with the transmission box;

the circuit board is mounted in the receiving open chamber of the casing and electrically connected to the transmission line, the metal plate is built in a side of the circuit board and opposite the transmission line.

5. The antenna for an automobile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transmission line is a coil that receives in the receiving open chamber prior to extend out of the casing.

6. The antenna for an automobile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transmission box includes a terminal connector that fixedly secures to a peripheral wall of the casing, the transmission line terminates in the terminal connector.

7. The antenna for an automobile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the casing includes a plurality of upright female screw rods projecting inside the receiving open chamber and adapted to support the circuit board and a plurality of screws corresponding to the upright female screw rods, respectively;

the circuit board has a plurality of screw holes that correspond to the screws and the upright female screw rods in an one-on-one manner.

8. The antenna for an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder shell of the mounting base has a double-sided adhesive tape adapted for a bottom side thereof to secure the metal block to the windshield of the automobile.