Body mount for a vehicle antenna

• US 7,679,572 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harada Industry of America, Incorporated (Harada Industry Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harada Industry of America, Incorporated (Harada Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lungu, Michael David, Gray, Matthew Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US11/904,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/715, 343/878, 343/906
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Abstract

A mounting for a vehicle antenna including a mounting base which has an insertion portion for insertion through a hold in a vehicle body panel and a flange for engagement with an inner surface of the vehicle panel. The mounting further includes a temporary retainer at least two resilient temporary retention arms extending upward from engaging with the outer surface of the vehicle body panel after being inserted through the hole in the vehicle body panel. A retainer is then provided in the insertion portion to permanently mount the mounting to the vehicle body panel.

Claims

1. A mounting for a vehicle antenna, said mounting comprising:

a mounting base, said mounting base comprising an insertion portion for insertion through a hole in a vehicle body panel, a flange portion provided on said insertion portion for engagement with an inner surface of said vehicle body panel;

at least two temporary resilient retention arms provided on said flange portion adjacent said insertion portion, said two temporary retention arms for engaging with an outer surface of said vehicle body panel after being inserted through said hole in said body panel;

a mounting hosel provided on said insertion portion and for engaging with said outer surface of said vehicle body panel; and

retainer means for holding said insertion portion of said mounting base;

whereby during installation of an antenna the mounting is inserted through said hole in said vehicle body panel until said flange portion engages with an inner surface of said vehicle body panel and said at least two temporary retention arms are compressed and then engage with said outer surface of said vehicle body panel to temporarily retain said mounting in said hole until said retainer means and hosel is installed on said insertion portion of said mounting base to permanently install said mounting.

2. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least two temporary retention arms extend upwardly from and are integrally formed with a metal retention plate.

3. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 2, wherein said flange is provided with a recessed surface into which said metal retention plate is fitted.

4. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is provided with an antenna retention hole.

5. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein said insertion portion is provided with outwardly projecting walls on each side of said at least two temporary resilient retention arms for providing recesses into which said at least two temporary resilient retention arms can be compressed when said mounting is inserted through said hole in said vehicle body panel to make the installation of said mounting easier.

6. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein a top surface of each said at least two temporary resilient retention arms is a sloped surface for ease of insertion in said hole in said vehicle body panel.

7. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least two temporary resilient retention arms is provided with an outwardly projecting retention portion.

8. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 7, wherein a distance from a top surface of said flange portion to said outwardly projecting retention portions is substantially equal to a thickness of said vehicle body panel.

9. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein the at least two temporary resilient retention arms are integrally formed with said flange of said mounting base.

10. The mounting for a vehicle antenna according to claim 9, wherein said mounting base is made from plastic resin.