Chip antenna and manufacturing method thereof

• US 9,634,384 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Shibahara, Katsuo, Mori, Natsuhiko, Hayashi, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, DIEU HIEN
• Application Number:
  US13/876,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20130207849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 343700 MS, 343702
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

After a three-dimensional antenna pattern (10) is formed by bending a conductive plate, the three-dimensional antenna pattern (10) thus bent is supplied in an injection molding die set as an insert component and a base (20) is formed by injection molding of a resin. With this, a chip antenna (1) comprising the three-dimensional antenna pattern (10) can be formed easier as comparison to a case where the antenna pattern is formed over a plurality of surfaces by printing and the like.

Claims

1. A chip antenna, comprising:

an antenna pattern comprising a conductive plate bent into a three-dimensional shape; and

a base formed together with the antenna pattern as an insert component, the base being formed by injection molding of a resin,

wherein the antenna pattern is disposed at surfaces of the base,

wherein the antenna pattern comprises a bent portion and two flat plate portions provided respectively on both sides of the bent portion,

wherein both of the two flat plate portions of the antenna pattern are fixed to the base by the injection molding, and

wherein the antenna pattern further comprises an edge portion provided with a projecting portion which is embedded in the base, and the projecting portion is covered with the base from outside in a direction perpendicular to a first surface of the surfaces of the base, so as to prevent the two flat plate portions of the antenna pattern from rising from the surfaces of the base, and such that the projecting portion does not extend outside of the base.

2. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna pattern is held by the base so that the three-dimensional shape is maintained.

3. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the resin of the base comprises a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of 4 or more.

4. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein a surface roughness of at least a surface of the antenna pattern, which is bonded to the base, is Ra 1.6 or more.

5. A chip antenna according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second conductive plate;

a third conductive plate; and

a fourth conductive plate,

wherein the conductive plate comprises a first corner of the insert component,

wherein the second conductive plate comprises a second corner of the insert component,

wherein the third conductive plate comprises a third corner of the insert component, and

wherein the fourth conductive plate comprises a fourth corner of the insert component.

6. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the base are flush with outer surfaces of the antenna pattern.

7. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion and the two flat plate portions comprise an outer corner of the insert component.

8. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein inner surfaces of the base different from the surfaces of the base are bound by a whole area of each of back surfaces and end surfaces of the two flat plate portions of the antenna pattern.

9. A chip antenna according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion anchors the bent portion and the two flat plate portions with respect to the surfaces of the base.

10. A chip antenna, comprising:

an antenna pattern comprising a conductive plate bent into a three-dimensional shape; and

a base formed together with the antenna pattern as an insert component, the base being formed by injection molding of a resin,

wherein the antenna pattern is disposed at surfaces of the base,

wherein the antenna pattern comprises a bent portion and two flat plate portions provided respectively on both sides of the bent portion,

wherein a whole area of each of back surfaces and end surfaces of the two flat plate portions of the antenna pattern contacts the base directly, and

wherein the antenna pattern further comprises an edge portion provided with a projecting portion which is embedded in the base, and the projecting portion is covered with the base from outside in a direction perpendicular to a first surface of the surfaces of the base, so as to prevent the two flat plate portions of the antenna pattern from rising from the surfaces of the base, and such that the projecting portion does not extend outside of the base.

11. A chip antenna according to claim 10, further comprising:

a second conductive plate;

a third conductive plate; and

a fourth conductive plate,

wherein the conductive plate comprises a first corner of the insert component,

wherein the second conductive plate comprises a second corner of the insert component,

wherein the third conductive plate comprises a third corner of the insert component, and

wherein the fourth conductive plate comprises a fourth corner of the insert component.

12. A chip antenna according to claim 10, wherein the surfaces of the base are flush with outer surfaces of the antenna pattern.

13. A chip antenna according to claim 10, wherein the bent portion and the two flat plate portions comprise an outer corner of the insert component.

14. A chip antenna according to claim 10, wherein inner surfaces of the base different from the surfaces of the base are bound by the whole area of each of back surfaces and end surfaces of the two flat plate portions of the antenna pattern.

15. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna comprising a base made of a resin and a three-dimensional antenna pattern formed of a conductive plate, the manufacturing method for the chip antenna comprising:

a bending pressing step of bending the conductive plate so that the three-dimensional antenna pattern is formed; and

an injection molding step of injection molding the base with the resin together with the three-dimensional antenna pattern as an insert component,

wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern is disposed at surfaces of the base,

wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern comprises a bent portion and two flat plate portions provided respectively on both sides of the bent portion,

wherein both of the two flat plate portions of the three-dimensional antenna pattern are fixed to the base by the injection molding, and

wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern further comprises an edge portion provided with a projecting portion which is embedded in the base, and the projecting portion is covered with the base from outside in a direction perpendicular to a first surface of the surfaces of the base, so as to prevent the two flat plate portions of the three-dimensional antenna pattern from rising from the surfaces of the base, and such that the projecting portion does not extend outside of the base.

16. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 15,

wherein the conductive plate comprises a long-belt-like hoop member, and

wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern comprises a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns formed in the long-belt-like hoop member.

17. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 15, further comprising clamping a die set for the injection molding step so that an angle of the bent portion of the three-dimensional antenna pattern is corrected, to thereby bring the bent portion of the three-dimensional antenna pattern and the die set for the injection molding step into close contact with each other.

18. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 15, wherein the bending pressing step is performed by utilizing a clamping force of a die set for the injection molding step.

19. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 15, wherein the bending pressing step is performed with both a clamping force of a die set for the injection molding step and a force of an additionally provided actuator.

20. A manufacturing method for a chip antenna according to claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional antenna pattern is formed by bending the conductive plate a plurality of times.