Vehicle window antenna with antenna elements on two surfaces

• US 5,017,933 A
• Filed: 03/22/1989
• Issued: 05/21/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Iijima, Hiroshi, Sakurai, Kaoru, Murakami, Harunori, Maeda, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hille, Rolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Doris J.
• Application Number:
  US07/327,062
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 343/704, 343/711, 343/713
• US Class Current: 343/704
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1271 for mounting on windscreens

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a vehicle window equipped with a radio antenna as well as a heating defroster. A laminated window glass is employed advantageously which comprises inner and outer plates of glass facing respectively the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The heating structure is mounted on a first surface of the laminated glass. At least part of the antenna elements is formed on a second surface which is different from the first surface supporting the heater elements. The antenna bearing surface and/or heater bearing surface may be any surface of the laminated glass; the outer surface of the outer glass plate should be excluded from the supporting surface, however, because such surface is exposed to the exterior of the vehicle. Therefore, a relatively large area is always available for the antenna structure irrespective of the size of the window. It becomes more flexible and easier to make the design of antenna having the desired characteristics.

Claims

1. A vehicle window antenna comprising:

a laminated glass for use in a vehicle having inner and outer glasses facing respectively the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and an intermediate layer sandwiched therebetween;

heating conductor means mounted on a first surface of said laminated glass which is selected from all surfaces thereof but the outer surface of said outer glass exposed to the exterior of the vehicle;

first antenna conductor means mounted on a second surface of said laminated glass which is different from said first surface and said outer surface of said outer glass; and

second antenna conductor means mounted on the same surface of said laminated glass as said heating conductor means.

2. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heating conductor means is arranged to generate a current in response to radio waves having frequencies to be received by said motor vehicle antenna, said first antenna conductor means being capacitively coupled to said heating conductor means whereby the antenna gain is improved.

3. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said heating conductor means includes a plurality of parallel strip heating elements and said first antenna conductor means includes at least one strip antenna element which is placed opposite to one of the parallel strip heating elements of said heating conductor means.

4. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said heating conductor means includes a plurality of parallel strip heating elements and said first antenna conductor means take the form of a transparent film or films which are placed opposite to at least one of the parallel strip heating elements of said heating conductor means.

5. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said heating conductor means and said first and second antenna conductor means each take the form of a transparent film or films.

6. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second antenna conductor means are arranged to receive radio signals over a broad band of frequencies.

7. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 6 wherein said broad band covers FM broadcast frequencies.

8. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said heating conductor means is arranged to generate a current in response to radio waves having frequencies to be received by said antenna, said second antenna conductor means being capacitively coupled to said heating conductor means whereby the antenna gain is improved

9. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 8 wherein said heating conductor means includes a plurality of parallel strip heating elements and said second antenna conductor means includes at least one strip antenna element which is placed parallel and adjacent to one of the strip heating elements of said heating conductor means.

10. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first antenna conductor means and said second antenna conductor means are arranged to receive radio signals over a broad band of frequencies.

11. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 10 wherein said broad band covers FM broadcast frequencies.

12. The vehicle window antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second antenna conductor means have different effective antenna lengths.