Vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly

• US 7,336,231 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Makoto, Wang, Jinsong, Yokoyama, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hoang V.
• Application Number:
  US11/374,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/711, 343/878
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1214 through a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Abstract

The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly comprises a convex portion (120), a bolt (160) and a leg washer (140). The convex portion is inserted into a mounting hole (RH) of a vehicle roof panel (R) and has a edge portion (125) and a inner threaded hole (126). The bolt has a screw screwed to the threaded hole and is tightened to the convex portion. The leg washer has a plate washer ring (141), a leg portion (142) and a taper portion (144). The leg portion is extendedly provided from the washer ring toward the mounting hole. The taper portion is provided on the leg portion as opposed to the edge portion and abutted on the edge portion to expand the tip portion toward an outside of the mounting hole.

Claims

1. A vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly fixed by inserting a part of the mounting assembly from an outside of a vehicle through a mounting hole formed through a vehicle roof panel so as to engage the vehicle roof panel, the mounting assembly comprising:

an antenna base disposed on an outside surface of said vehicle roof panel of said vehicle;

a convex portion formed on a surface of the vehicle roof panel side of said antenna base, said convex portion being inserted into said mounting hole, said convex portion having a surface portion defining a threaded screw recess, said surface portion having an edge portion;

a tightening member having a threaded screw portion said tightening member being tightened to said convex portion such that said threaded screw recess receives said threaded screw portion of said tightening member;

a leg washer having a plate washer ring, said plate washer ring body defining a plate washer ring hole, said threaded screw portion of said tightening member extending through said plate washer ring hole, said leg washer having a leg portion extending from said plate washer ring toward said mounting hole, said leg washer having a tapered portion connected to said leg portion, said tapered portion being located opposite said edge portion of said surface portion, said tapered portion engaging said edge portion such that a tip portion of said leg portion expands in a direction opposite said mounting hole when said tightening member is tightened, whereby said plate washer ring is opposite said mounting hole when said tightening member has been tightened.

2. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said leg portion is formed flatly, and said tapered portion extends on a side of said leg portion.

3. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said tapered portion is formed by bending at least a part of said leg portion inwardly.

4. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 3, wherein said tapered portion is a tapered face of said bent leg portion.

5. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said tapered portion is formed such that said tapered portion can be released from being in contact with said edge portion when said tightening member is completely tightened to said convex portion.

6. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said tip portion is bent such that said tip portion is perpendicular to an inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel when said tightening member is completely tightened to said convex portion, whereby said perpendicular tip portion engages an inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel.

7. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a temporary joint member located between said convex portion and said leg washer, said temporary joint member comprising:

a support member located between said convex portion and said washer ring;

an elastic temporary joint leg having a toe portion and an arm portion, said joint leg extending from said support member toward said mounting hole, wherein a portion of said toe portion is disposed outside of said vehicle roof panel when said vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly is mounted; and

a fastening portion formed between said toe portion and said arm portion such that a portion of said fastening portion is disposed on the outside of said mounting hole, whereby said fastening portion engages an inside surface of said vehicle roof panel.

8. An antenna attachment assembly for attaching an antenna to a panel of a vehicle, the attachment assembly comprising:

a vehicle panel, said vehicle panel defining a mounting hole, said vehicle panel having an outside vehicle surface and an inside vehicle surface;

a base assembly having a vehicle roof panel surface in contact with said outside vehicle surface;

a retaining mount connected to said vehicle roof panel surface of said base assembly, said retaining mount extending through said mounting hole of said vehicle panel, said retaining mount having a surface portion defining an internal threaded screw groove, said retaining mount having a plurality of outside edge portions;

a fixing member having a threaded screw portion, said fixing member being connected to said retaining mount such that said threaded screw portion of said fixing member engages said internal threaded screw groove of said retaining mount;

an expandable member having an annular portion, said annular portion defining an expandable member recess, said expandable member recess being aligned with said internal threaded screw groove, said threaded screw portion of said fixing member extending through said expandable member recess, said expandable member having a plurality of expandable member portions, each expandable member portion being connected to said annular portion, said expandable member having a plurality of tapered expandable member portions, each tapered expandable member portion being connected to one of said expandable member portions, each tapered expandable member portion being located opposite one of said outside edge portions, one of said tapered expandable member portions being in contact with one of said outside edge portions such that an end portion of each expandable member portion expands in a direction opposite said mounting hole as said fixing member is connected to said retaining mount, whereby each said expandable member portion engages said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle panel.

9. The antenna attachment assembly according to claim 8, wherein each said expandable member portion is formed flatly, each said tapered expandable member portion extending on each side of each expandable member portion such that each tapered expandable member portion is perpendicular to each expandable member portion.

10. The antenna attachment assembly according to claim 8, wherein each said tapered expandable member portion is formed by bending at least a part of each expandable member portion inwardly.

11. The vehicle roof antenna mounting assembly according to claim 10, wherein said tapered expandable member portion is a tapered face of said bent leg portion.

12. The antenna attachment assembly according to claim 8, wherein each said tapered expandable member portion is formed such that each said tapered expandable member portion can be detached from one of said outside edge portions when said fixing member is completely connected to said retaining mount.

13. The antenna attachment assembly according to claim 8, wherein said end portion of each tapered expandable member portion is bent such that said end portion is perpendicular to said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel when said fixing member is completely connected to said retaining mount, whereby said perpendicular end portion of each tapered expandable member portion engages said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel.

14. The antenna attachment assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a temporary joint member positioned between said retaining mount and said expandable member, said temporary joint member comprising:

a support member located between said retaining mount and said annular portion of said expandable member;

an elastic temporary joint leg having a toe portion and an arm portion, said joint leg being connected to said support member and extending toward said mounting hole, wherein a portion of said toe portion is disposed at a location outside of said vehicle roof panel when said antenna attachment assembly is mounted; and

a fastening portion formed between said toe portion and said arm portion such that said a portion of said fastening portion is disposed on the outside of said mounting hole, whereby said fastening portion engages said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel.

15. An attachment assembly for attaching an antenna to a panel of a vehicle, the attachment assembly comprising:

a vehicle panel having a defined mounting hole, said vehicle panel having an outside vehicle surface and an inside vehicle surface;

an antenna base assembly having a vehicle roof panel surface, said vehicle roof panel surface engaging said outside vehicle surface;

an attachment element integrally connected to said vehicle roof panel surface of said antenna base assembly, said attachment element extending through said mounting hole of said vehicle panel, said attachment element having a surface portion defining a connecting member recess, said attachment element having a plurality of external edge portions;

a connecting member detachably connected to said attachment element such that said connecting member recess receives said connecting member from a vehicle interior side;

an expandable member having an annular portion, said annular portion defining an expandable member recess, said expandable member recess being aligned with said connecting member receiving recess, said connecting member extending through said expandable member recess, said expandable member having a plurality of retaining portions, each retaining portion being connected to said annular portion, said expandable member having a plurality of tapered portions, each tapered portion being connected to one of said retaining portions, each tapered portion being located opposite one of said external edge portions, each said tapered portion being in contact with one of said external edge portions such that an end portion of each retaining portion expands in a direction opposite said mounting hole as said connecting member is connected to said attachment element, whereby each retaining portion engages said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle panel.

16. The attachment assembly according to claim 15, wherein each said retaining portion is formed flatly, each said tapered portion extending on each side of each retaining portion such that each tapered portion is perpendicular to each retaining portion.

17. The attachment assembly according to claim 15, wherein each said tapered portion is formed by bending at least a part of each retaining portion inwardly, said tapered portion being a tapered face of said bent leg portion.

18. The attachment assembly according to claim 15, wherein each said tapered portion is formed such that each said tapered portion can be detached from one of said external edge portions when said connecting member completely engages said connecting member recess, whereby said connecting member is completely connected to said attachment element.

19. The attachment assembly according to claim 15, wherein said end portion of each tapered portion is bent such that said end portion is perpendicular to said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel when said connecting member is completely connected to said attachment element, whereby said perpendicular end portion of each tapered portion engages said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel.

20. The attachment assembly according to claim 15, further comprising a temporary joint member positioned between said attachment element and said expandable member, said temporary joint member comprising:

a support member located between said attachment element and said annular portion of said expandable member;

an elastic temporary joint leg having a toe portion and an arm portion, said joint leg being connected to said support member and extending toward said mounting hole, wherein a portion of said toe portion is disposed at a location outside of said vehicle roof panel when said attachment assembly is mounted to said vehicle roof panel; and

a fastening portion formed between said toe portion and said arm portion such that said fastening portion is disposed on the outside of said mounting hole, whereby said fastening portion engages said inside vehicle surface of said vehicle roof panel.