ANTENNA ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE HOUSING

An electronic device including: an inner housing portion and an outer housing portion, the inner housing portion having a cavity, the outer housing portion having an opening; and an antenna assembly including a substrate accommodated in the cavity, a ground element on the substrate, a conductive adhesive portion on the ground element and affixed to the outer housing portion, and a positioning portion on the substrate and received in the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an antenna assembly mounted in a cavity formed by an electronic device housing.

2. Description of Related Arts

U.S. Pat. No. 8,269,674, issued on Sep. 18, 2012, discloses an antenna mounted to interior surface of a housing wall adjacent to a media drive opening. The antenna may be implemented using any suitable antenna configuration and conductive antenna elements thereof may be formed from planar traces (patches) on a rigid printed circuit board (antenna substrate). The antenna substrate and associated antenna elements may be mounted to a conductive ground plate which in turn may be grounded to an interior planar surface of a housing portion using conductive adhesive.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0006953, published on Jan. 13, 2011, discloses an electronic device comprising a metal housing structure, an antenna window in the metal housing structure, and a cavity-backed antenna located under the antenna window.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electronic device comprising: a housing including an inner housing portion and an outer housing portion, the inner housing portion having a cavity, the outer housing portion having an opening; and an antenna assembly including a substrate accommodated in the cavity, a ground element on the substrate, a conductive adhesive portion on the ground element and affixed to the outer housing portion, and a positioning portion on the substrate and received in the opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 4, an antenna assembly200comprises a substrate/printed circuit board110, a pair of outer circuit pads or ground element portions103on the substrate10with conductive adhesive portions104thereon, and a positioning portion60on the substrate10. The antenna assembly200further comprises a feeding cable or member3. The feeding member3being a coaxial cable with an inner conductor and an outer conductor for radiating and grounding respectively, as well know in the arts, may be used to convey radio-frequency signals to and from antenna substrate10which implements one or more integrated circuits and associated components well known in this field. Antenna structures that may be used in forming resonating elements for antennas are also well known in this field and thus not illustrated.

As can be seen inFIGS. 5-7, the conductive adhesive portions104affix the substrate10directly to a housing500of an electronic device.

The substrate10has opposite first/inner and second/outer surfaces101and102. The ground element portions103are exposed to or provided on the second surface102. Integrated circuits and associated components, e.g., the radiating element (not shown), implementing an antenna may be provided on the first surface101which may be further coated by an insulation as is known in this art. As is also in a known manner, the feeding member3such as a coaxial cable is coupled to the first surface101.

The antenna assembly200may further comprise a cushioning member40such as foam for resting upon a housing of an electronic device to which the antenna assembly is mounted. The cushioning member40may be disposed on the second surface102of the substrate10.

The positioning portion60of the antenna assembly200is received in an opening501of a metallic outer housing portion52of the housing500. The positioning portion60is conveniently bonded to the second surface102of the substrate10. In this embodiment, the opening501communicates outwardly with the exterior so as to expose the corresponding positioning portion60to the exterior.

The pair of ground portions103are disposed on two opposite sides of the positioning portion60. The substrate10is elongate and has two opposite longitudinal edges111and two opposite lateral edges112. The pair of ground portions103are disposed on the two longitudinal edges111of the substrate10, respectively.

The housing500further includes a frame like insulative inner housing portion51having a cavity511. The substrate10is protectively accommodated in the cavity511with the conductive adhesive portions or layers104on the ground portions103affixed to an inner wall/interior surface of the outer housing portion52and the positioning portion60exposed to or received in the opening501of the outer housing portion52. The cushioning member40helps to firmly press the conductive adhesive portions104against the inner wall of the outer housing portion52.