Abstract:
The present invention provides a film antenna assembly and a fabrication method thereof. The assembly includes an antenna body, which is a conducting body placed onto the substrate. The antenna body is provided with a signal connector, a feeder, and a conducting medium. One side of the conducting medium is coupled with the feeder, and the other side is located on the signal connector of antenna body. With this combined structure of the feeder, the film antenna assembly could be protected against damage, and the stable electrical connection resolves the coupling issue of the film antenna and feeder for improved applicability and economic efficiency.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0006]    The present invention relates generally to a film antenna, and more particularly to an innovative antenna with an antenna body and feeder in a combined structure as well as a new fabrication method thereof. 
         [0007]    2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. 
         [0008]    In the modern information age, there is a growing trend of wireless transmission functions being introduced into electronic products. So, the antenna assembly becomes a key element of a variety of electronic products, such as commonly used mobile phones, notebook computers and PDAs. 
         [0009]    An antenna assembly is generally prefabricated into a solid antenna(e.g. an inverted-antenna) by means of punch-forming metal sheets. However, since lightweight and thin-profile electronic products have become a popular trend, the inner space of these electronic products, such as mobile phones, notebook computers and PDAs, will be reduced greatly, thus emphasizing the need for miniature antenna assemblies. For this reason, a new film antenna is developed for lightweight electronic products. 
         [0010]    For a regular film antenna, a thin-profile antenna structure is formed on the preset substrate (such as circuit boards, chassis, etc.) by means of printing, evaporation, sputtering and other means. The feed point and grounding portion of the antenna must be electrically connected with the core wire and conductor of a coaxial cable (feeder), thus enabling the feeding of received and transmitted signals. For a solid antenna made of metal sheets, the antenna is coupled with the coaxial cable by means of welding without any damage. For a film antenna, a thin structure is coated onto the surface of substrate. Unfortunately, high-temperature welding causes excessive melting of the film antenna, or even lead indirectly to the damage of the substrate (often made of plastics). 
         [0011]    Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy. 
         [0012]    Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Based upon the innovation of the present invention, a feeder is coupled with the conducting medium, and the conducting medium is then positioned onto the antenna body. It is possible to provide the combined feeder structure and fabrication method suitable for the film antenna assembly in the present invention. This invention ensures that the film antenna assembly is protected against damage, and a stable electrical connection resolves the coupling issue of the film antenna and feeder for improved applicability and economic efficiency. 
         [0014]    Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  depicts an assembled perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the electric field antenna of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  depicts an assembled sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  depicts a top plan view of the application of the present invention when the antenna body is a magnetic field antenna. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  depicts an assembled perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  depicts an assembled sectional view of the structure disclosed in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  depicts an assembled sectional view of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  depicts an assembled sectional view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  depicts an assembled perspective view of the fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  depicts an assembled perspective view of the sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  depicts a partial sectional and side elevational view of the application of the present invention when the conducting medium is fabricated directly by solder. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  depicts a sectional view of the application of the present invention when the conducting medium is mated with the feeder via a gripper. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 1-2  depict preferred embodiments of a film antenna and the fabrication method thereof. The embodiments are provided only for explanatory objectives with respect to the patent claims. 
         [0028]    The film antenna assembly comprises a substrate  10 , which is assembled onto the circuit board or shell of the electronic product, or other supports and components. 
         [0029]    An antenna body  20  is a conducting body placed onto a preset location of the substrate  10 . The antenna body  20  is provided with a signal connector  21 , which contains a feeding portion  212  and a grounding portion  211 . 
         [0030]    A feeder  30  is a coaxial cable comprising a core wire  31  and an exterior conductor  32 . An intermediate insulating layer is optionally contained in the cable, but is not shown in the present invention. 
         [0031]    A conducting medium  40  has one side coupled with the feeder  30  and the other side located on the signal connector  21  of antenna body  20  by several means. 
         [0032]    The film antenna of the present invention is fabricated by the following methods. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the conductive film antenna body  20  has a preset location of the substrate. The signal connector  21  of antenna body  20  is positioned onto and electrically connected with the feeder  30  via a conducting medium  40  by several sequences. For instance, the conducting medium  40  is coupled with the feeder  30 , and then with the signal connector  21  of antenna body  20 . Alternatively, the conducting medium  40  is coupled with the signal connector  21  of antenna body  20 , and then with the feeder  30 . Moreover, the antenna body  20  is formed first onto the substrate  10 , or the conducting medium  40  is first coupled with the antenna body  20 . 
         [0033]    The antenna body  20  is formed onto the substrate  10  by either of the following methods or their combinations: printing, evaporation, sputtering, painting or coating. 
         [0034]    The conducting medium  40  is made of metal (e.g. metal plate, metal ring and metal sheet), conductive adhesive, or welding material. 
         [0035]    The conducting medium  40  is positioned onto the signal connector  21  of antenna body  20  by either of the following components or their combinations: fasteners, elastic components, embedding components, pressing components and adhesives, etc. 
         [0036]    The conducting medium  40  could be mated with the feeder  30  through conductive welding, fusion or gluing materials. 
         [0037]    The conducting medium  40  and the signal connector  21  of antenna body  20  are coupled as referenced in the accompanying drawings. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the antenna body  20  of the present invention is configured into a radiative electric field, where the conducting medium  40  is composed of two metal rings  41 ,  42 . One metal ring  41  is mated with the core wire  31  of the feeder  30 , and the other metal ring  42  is mated with the exterior conductor  32  of the feeder  30  through two studs  51 ,  52 . The studs  51 ,  52  are prefabricated by the substrate  10  or fixed by combination. Then, two metal rings  41 ,  42  are separately positioned via two studs  51 ,  52  onto the grounding portion  211  and feeding portion  212  of signal connector  21  of the antenna body  20  on the substrate  10  for electric connection. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the antenna body  20 B is configured into a complementary magnetic field, and also positioned similarly by two studs  51 ,  52 . 
         [0039]    As illustrated in the following preferred embodiments, the core wire  31  and exterior conductor  32  of feeder  30  must be electrically connected with grounding portion  211  and feeding portion  212  of the signal connector  21  of antenna body  20 . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the conducting medium  40  of the preferred embodiment is a metal plate  43 . The feeder  30  is welded onto the top of the metal plate  43  with the help of adhesive  53 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , if the adhesive  53  is a conductive adhesive, it can be applied onto entire surface or local surface of the metal plate  43 , so that the metal plate  43  is electrically connected with the antenna body  20 . If the adhesive  53  is a non-conductive adhesive, it is applied onto local surface of the bottom of the metal plate  43 , so that the bottom of metal plate  43  is partially contacted with the antenna body  20  for electrical connection. 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , the conducting medium  40  of the preferred embodiment is also a metal plate  43  that is positioned by a stud  54 . The stud  54  is prefabricated by the substrate  10 . The metal plate  43  is provided with a through hole  44 , which could be sleeved onto the stud  54 . Then, the protruding top of the stud  54  is formed into an expanded end  55  by heat pressing, so the metal plate  43  and antenna body  20  could be assembled securely. The stud  54  can also be fabricated separately and then assembled into a hole of the substrate. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the conducting medium  40  could be positioned by an embedding component, which has a contact surface  541  for connecting the antenna body  20 . An embedding leg  542  is arranged at the bottom of the contact surface  541 , allowing insertion into a preset slot  11  of the substrate  10 . 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , the conducting medium  40  of the preferred embodiment is also a metal plate  43  that is positioned by a pressing component  56 . The pressing component  56  is a blocky body and a bottom with a snapping slot  561 , enabling the pressing component  56  to be snapped onto the metal plate  43 . The bottom of the pressing component  56  is positioned on the signal connector  21  of the antenna body  20  by means of snapping or gluing. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the conducting medium  40  of the preferred embodiment is a metal sheet  45 . A downwardly twisting flexible pressing end  451  is laterally arranged onto the metal sheet  45 . A protruding tube  11  is formed on the substrate  10  for inserting the plug-in stud  57  so as to position the conducting medium  40 . 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the conducting medium  40  is also fabricated directly by solder  46 . As shown by the arrow in the figure, the solder  46  is firstly placed at the core wire  31  of the feeder  30 . The solder  46  is firstly processed into a spherical shape, and then pressed into a flat shape, and next the punched solder  46  is fastened onto the antenna body  20  by an ultrasonic way. 
         [0045]    Referring also to  FIG. 10 , the conducting medium  40  of the present invention can also be prefabricated, e.g. the conductive adhesive of conductivity and adhesiveness could help realize the coupling of the conducting medium  40  and feeder  30 , or the conducting medium  40  and antenna body  10 . 
         [0046]    Referring also to  FIG. 11 , a gripper  47  is placed at top of the conducting medium  40 , thereby gripping securely the core wire  31  of the feeder  30  for connection purpose.