VEHICLE ANTENNA COMBINATION DEVICE

Abstract: In a vehicle light unit comprising a housing (2) for containing a light means (3), the housing (2) is adapted for containing an antenna element (7) arranged to provide radio signal transfer, wherein cabling from the light unit includes an antenna cable and electrical cables to the light means.

Description: VEHICLE ANTENNA COMBINATION DEVICE This invention concerns a vehicle light unit according to the preamble of claim 1. It also concerns a modification thereof. It is previously known to place antenna elements at various places of a motor vehicle. DE-A1-19 53 5250 describes antenna systems wherein antenna elements are integrated in different non metallic body portions of a car. DE-A1-19 53 0617 relates to locating equipment such as an antenna on the front wind screen of a car and DE-U1-29 60 6475 concerns flat antennas for application to a non metallic material detail of the vehicle body such as the front or the rear wind screen. DE-A1-196 16 974 concerns a rear light unit being applied at the upper side of the glass panel . The unit is mounted into a hole in the rear view window in order to avoid losses in light transmission through the glass panel . This unit may also include an antenna. The antenna per se does not provide extra limitation to the view through said glass panel since this portion used is already occupied by the light function. The mounting of this unit is however expensive and complicated, since the hole in the window has to be cut by i . a . a laser cutter, a water- jet cutter or the like. All of these representatives of the prior art, however, suffer from disadvantages such as expensive manufacture and assembly and in some cases disturbances of and from electric or electronic devices, i.a. such devices related to the engine, when mounting in relative proximity to said devices is envisaged. It is an aim of this invention to obviate or at least reduce the above disadvantages and to provide a structure which is simple and easy to install. This aim is obtained in a device according to the above characterized by the features of the characterizing portion of claim 1. This way the advantages of DE-A1-196 16 974 are ensured in a far more advantageous manner. There is thus no need for externally mounted antenna elements, extra holes in the car body etc. The solution according to the invention is equally essentially "invisible" resulting in possibility of aesthetically attractive solutions. Moreover, in car manufacture it is highly desired to speed up working time and to reduce the number of assembly operations. This desire will be fulfilled according to this invention since the mounting of the antenna element and the light means and the cabling simply will be provided in one single operation. Installation is simplified by having cabling including both antenna cable and electrical leads to the light means. Ease of mounting, economy and functionality of the light unit as well as the antenna is accentuated by positioning the unit inside the glass panel. No particular measures have to be taken to modify the roof or the glass panel prior to mounting, since the unit is functional through the glass panel . By the radiation from the antenna passing the glass panel, the character of the radiation may be modified, for example such that extended band-width is obtained. According to the invention this aspect is exploited for possibility of enhanced antenna function. The feature of claim 2 , ensures the integrity of the device consisting of the unit and the adjacent glass panel portion. It is preferred that the light means comprises vehicle brake light means, because brake light units are possible to place such in the vehicle that the brake light function as well as the antenna function is easy to optimise. The feature according to claim 5 makes it possible to further minimise possible influence of radiation on passengers. The feature of claim 6 accentuates the ease of mounting. Claim 7 concerns economic production of the antenna. By providing a common connector for the cabling, installation in even more simplified. The modification of the invention according to claim 11 brings about some but not all advantages of the invention. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a brake light unit according to the invention in a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a brake light unit mounted at the upper portion of a rear window of a motor vehicle, and Fig. 3 show the unit in a perspective view. The light unit 1 in Fig. 1 is a brake light unit comprising a housing 2, for example of a synthetic material having radiation suppressing properties. The housing, as usual, encloses a brake light assembly 3 including one or several brake lamps 4 and a reflector 5. The brake light unit according to Fig. 1 is intended to be mounted at the upper part of the inclined rear window glass panel of a car, whereby the housing portion 6 in use is horizontal and adapted for containing, in a space so as not to obstruct visibility of the brake light, an antenna element 8 provided on a carrier 7. The upper rear edge 9 of the brake light unit housing 2 is intended to be placed tightly against said glass panel. The upper front edge 10 of the brake light unit housing is intended to be placed against an inside part of the roof of the vehicle. The brake light unit 1 is as is common technology fixed against the rear roof portion by fasteners such as screws or the like. 13 depicts an antenna cable to be contacted to the antenna element 8 over a contact means 16. 15 depicts electric lead to the brake lamp 4. These leads 13, 15 are united in a common cabling 14, which simplifies installation. Also separate cables comprising the cabling is within the scope of the invention. The location of the brake light unit 1 inside the car will be more apparent from Fig. 2. Radiation emanating from and/or reaching the separate elements of the antenna unit will pass through the adjacent portion of the glass panel. Fig. 3 shows the light unit in a perspective view, wherein antenna element 8 is shown as an antenna for radio communication purposes. Besides an antenna element and a ground plane (not shown) the antenna carrier 7 may be provided with a signal amplifier (not shown) for the antenna and/or a compensation circuit (not shown) for compensating loss in antenna cable. The antenna carrier may carry different antennas such as for mobile phones, GPS, digital radio etc. The invention may be modified within the scope of the following claims. The portion of the housing adapted for reception of the antenna unit may in certain applications be provided elsewhere than at the lower portion of the housing, e. g. at an upper portion. It is also possible to construct the housing differently from what is shown in Fig. 1. It is thus possible to provide a protection surface or the like, e.g. including conductive means, in the housing material or between the housing and the antenna so as to prevent radiation from entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle or at least to suppress such radiation. In a possible modification of the invention the light means is excluded and another electric or electronic piece of equipment is included. Hereby some of the above advantages are not obtained, but the advantage of common mounting and cabling remains.

Claims: Claims : 1. Vehicle light unit comprising a housing (2) for containing a light means (3), wherein the housing (2) also contains an antenna element (7) being arranged to provide radio signal transfer, characterized in that cabling from the light unit include an antenna cable and electrical cables to the light means and that the unit is adapted to be positioned inside of the glass panel (11) of a rear view window of the vehicle such that radiation related to the antenna element is adapted to pass through said glass panel (11) portion. 2. Light unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2) , and at least an adjacent portion of the glass panel (11) forms a closed unit. 3. Light unit according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the light means include a brake light. 4. Light unit according to claim 1, 2 or 3 , characterized in that the housing is adapted so as to be placed on the inside of an inclining glass panel. 5. Light unit according to any of the claims 1 - 4 , characterized in that the housing (2) includes a material having suppressing properties with respect to radio communication and similar radiation. 6. Light unit according to any of the claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the housing is adapted to include the antenna element such that the element is essentially horizontal in use. 7. Light unit according to any of the claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the antenna element (7) is comprised on a circuit board (8) . 8. Light unit according to claim 7, characterized in that the board includes an integrated ground plane. 9. Light unit according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the antenna unit (7) includes a signal amplifier connected to the antenna element . 10. Light unit according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the unit (7) comprises a common connector for the antenna element and the light means. 11. Modification of any of the claims 1 - 10, characterized in a device excluding the light means and including another electrical equipment, wherein cabling is included.

Inventors: SVENSSON MARKUS, SVENSSON, MARKUS
Applicants: ALLGON AB, SVENSSON MARKUS, SVENSSON, MARKUS
Application year: 1999
Main classification: H01Q1
IPC codes: B60Q1, H01Q1