Patent Publication Number: US-11024951-B2

Title: Antenna devices

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Japanese patent application number 2016-149134 filed Jul. 29, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The disclosure relates generally to vehicular antenna devices. More specifically, the disclosure relates to vehicular shark fin antenna devices that are configured to be attached to a roof of a vehicle. 
     Generally, a vehicular antenna device is attached to a roof of a vehicle in order to increase the sensitivity of the antenna device. A known vehicular antenna device configured to be attached to the roof of the vehicle is taught, for example, by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2013-229813 (JP 2013-229813A). The antenna device may be referred to as a shark fin antenna. As shown in  FIG. 9-11 , the antenna device  103  includes an antenna unit  110  configured to transmit and receive various electromagnetic waves or signals, an antenna cover  130 , and an elastomer pad  140  attached to an inner peripheral surface  130   b  of an opening periphery  130   a  of the antenna cover  130 . The antenna unit  110  is attached to the antenna cover  130  with the elastomer pad  140  disposed therebetween. As shown in  FIGS. 12 and 14 , the antenna device  103  thus constructed is attached to the roof  102  of the vehicle  101  with the elastomer pad  140  positioned between the antenna cover  130  and the roof  102 . The antenna device  103  (the shark fin antenna device) may have a simple structure and a good appearance compared with a (telescopic) rod antenna. 
     The antenna device  103  is attached to the roof  102  of the vehicle  101  at a predetermined position thereon. As shown in  FIGS. 12 to 15 , in order to attach the antenna device  103  to the roof  102 , the antenna device  103  is positioned on the roof  102  while a threaded bore  122  formed in the antenna unit  110  is aligned with an attachment hole  102   a  previously formed in the roof  102 . Subsequently, a fastening bolt  150  is inserted into the attachment hole  102   a  from an interior side of the roof  102  and is then screwed or threaded into the threaded bore  122 . Thus, the antenna device  103  is attached to the roof  102 . 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect of the disclosure, a vehicular antenna device may include an antenna unit transmitting and receiving various electromagnetic waves or signals, an antenna cover configured to cover the antenna unit, and a pad attached to an inner peripheral surface of the antenna cover. The antenna unit is attached to the antenna cover with the pad interleaved therebetween. The pad has a postural adjusting member formed therein. The postural adjusting member is arranged and constructed to be elastically compressed in a condition in which the antenna device is attached to a roof of a vehicle. 
     According to the aspect, when the antenna device is attached to the roof, the antenna cover (the antenna unit) may be posturally adjusted due to a restoring force of the compressed postural adjusting member. As a result, the antenna cover (the antenna unit) may be prevented from being partially spaced from the roof. That is, the antenna device may be attached to the roof without producing a clearance gap between the antenna cover and the roof. Therefore, the antenna device attached to the roof may have a good appearance. 
     Other objects, features and advantage of the present teaching will be readily understood after reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings and the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an antenna device according to a representative embodiment, which is viewed from above; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device, which is viewed from above; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device, which is viewed from below; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially enlarged perspective view of a pad of the antenna device; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the antenna device, which shows a method of attaching the antenna device to a roof of a vehicle; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematically enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the antenna device, which shows a condition in which the antenna device is attached to the roof of the vehicle; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematically enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a conventional antenna device, which is viewed from above; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device, which is viewed from above; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device, which is viewed from below; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the antenna device, which shows a method of attaching the antenna device to a roof of a vehicle; 
         FIG. 13  is a schematically enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the antenna device, which shows a condition in which the antenna device is attached to the roof of the vehicle; and 
         FIG. 15  is a schematically enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of  FIG. 14 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment. 
     Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness. 
     In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices, components, and connections. 
     As previously described, the conventional antenna device  103  is attached to the roof  102  of the vehicle  101  with fastening bolt  150 . Generally, the threaded bore  122  into which the fastening bolt  150  is threaded is not positioned on a longitudinal center of the antenna unit  110  and is offset backward therefrom. Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 15 , when the fastening bolt  150  is threaded into the threaded bore  122  (fastened) in order to attach the antenna device  103  to the roof  102 , a rear portion of the antenna unit  110  (a rear portion of the antenna cover  130 ) may be relatively strongly pressed against the roof  102  (as compared to the front portion of the antenna cover  130 ). As a result, a front portion of the antenna cover  130  (a front portion of the antenna unit  110 ) may be spaced from the roof  102 , so as to form a clearance gap S therebetween. Further, because the roof  102  has a low or limited rigidity, the roof  102  may be deformed or depressed when the fastening bolt  150  is fastened. As a result, the clearance gap S between the front portion of the antenna cover  130  and the roof  102  may be increased. Such a clearance gap S may lead to an inferior appearance of the antenna device  103  attached to the roof  102 . Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved vehicular antenna device. 
     A representative embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 8 . 
     In this embodiment, an automobile (passenger car)  1  may be exemplified as a vehicle to which a vehicular antenna device  3  according to the embodiment is attached ( FIGS. 12 and 14 ). Further, forward and backward, rightward and leftward, and upward and downward in the drawings respectively correspond to forward and backward, rightward and leftward, and upward and downward of the automobile  1 , which are identified in the drawings. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the vehicular antenna device  3  (which will be hereinafter simply referred to as the antenna device  3 ) includes an antenna unit  10 , an antenna cover  30  and a pad  40 . The antenna unit  10  may be composed of an antenna element  12  configured to transmit and receive various electromagnetic waves or signals (e.g., radio broadcasting signals, television broadcasting signals, GPS signals, cell-phone signals, signals from ETC device), and an antenna substrate  14  having various electrical circuits (not shown) electrically connected to the antenna element  12 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the antenna substrate  14  of the antenna unit  10  may have a main engagement portion  16  formed in a front side of an outer periphery  14   a  thereof. The antenna substrate  14  may also have an auxiliary engagement portion  18  formed in a back side of the outer periphery  14   a  thereof. The antenna substrate  14  may have two pairs of (front and back) engagement claws  20  respectively formed in lateral (right and left) sides of the outer periphery  14   a  thereof. Each pair of engagement claws  20  may be positioned at a certain interval in a front-back direction. Further, the antenna substrate  14  may have a threaded bore  22  formed therein, which may be used to attach the antenna device  3  to a roof  2  ( FIGS. 5 and 7 ) of the automobile  1 . The threaded bore  22  may be opened in a bottom surface (attaching surface)  14   b  of the antenna substrate  14 . Further, the threaded bore  22  may be located at a position spaced backward from a longitudinal center of the antenna unit  10  (the antenna substrate  14 ). That is, the threaded bore  22  may not be positioned on the longitudinal center of the antenna unit  10  and may be offset backward therefrom. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the antenna cover  30  may be a shark fin-shaped hollow member having an opening formed in a bottom portion thereof. That is, the antenna cover  30  may be an open-bottomed streamline-shaped hollow member that is gradually widened and raised front to back. The antenna cover  30  may have an internal space that is configured to receive or encapsulate the antenna unit  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the antenna cover  30  may have an opening periphery  30   a  that defines the opening thereof. Further, the antenna cover  30  may have three (first to third) pairs of engagement strips  32  (which may also be referred to as first engagement elements) formed in an inner peripheral surface  30   b  of the opening periphery  30   a . The first pair of engagement strips  32  may be formed in a back side of the inner peripheral surface  30   b , so as to be positioned at a certain interval in a lateral direction. Each of the second and third pairs of engagement strips  32  may be formed in each of lateral (right and left) sides of the inner peripheral surface  30   b , so as to be positioned at a certain interval in the front-back direction. Further, the antenna cover  30  may have a main engagement claw  34  formed in a front side of an interior surface thereof. The main engagement claw  34  may be arranged and constructed to flexibly engage the main engagement portion  16  of the antenna unit  10  when the antenna unit  10  is pressed into the antenna cover  30  (which will be hereinafter described). 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the antenna cover  30  may further have an engagement block  36  formed in a back side of the interior surface thereof. The engagement block  36  may be arranged and constructed to engage the auxiliary engagement portion  18  of the antenna unit  10  when the antenna unit  10  is pressed into the antenna cover  30 . Further, the antenna cover  30  may have two pairs of (front and back) auxiliary engagement portions  38  formed in lateral (right and left) sides, respectively, of the interior surface thereof. Each pair of auxiliary engagement portions  38  may be arranged and constructed to engage the corresponding engagement claws  20  of the antenna unit  10  when the antenna unit  10  is pressed into the antenna cover  30 . Further, the antenna cover  30  may preferably be integrally formed of hard or rigid synthetic resins. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the pad  40  may have a substantially annular shape and may be configured to conform to the inner peripheral surface  30   b  of the opening periphery  30   a  of the antenna cover  30 . The pad  40  may function as a sealing member between the antenna cover  30  and the roof  2  of the automobile  1  when the antenna device  3  is attached to the roof  2  (which will be hereinafter described). The pad  40  may preferably be integrally formed of soft or elastic synthetic resins (e.g., rubber or elastomer. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the pad  40  may have three (first to third) pairs of (vertical) engagement slots  44  (which may also be referred to as second engagement elements) formed in a peripheral wall  42  thereof. Further, the engagement slots  44  may preferably be formed in the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40  so as to be positioned between guide blocks  42   a  formed in an inner surface of the peripheral wall  42 . The first pair of engagement slots  44  may be formed in a back side of the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40 . The first pair of engagement slots  44  may be arranged and constructed to engage the first pair of engagement strips  32  formed in the back side of the inner peripheral surface  30   b  of the antenna cover  30  when the pad  40  is fitted in the antenna cover  30  (which will be hereinafter described). Further, the second and third pairs of engagement slots  44  may respectively be formed in lateral (right and left) sides of the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40 . The second and third pairs of engagement slots  44  may be arranged and constructed to engage the second and third pairs of engagement strips  32 , respectively, formed in the right and left sides of the inner peripheral surface  30   b  of the antenna cover  30  when the pad  40  is fitted in the antenna cover  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the pad  40  may have a postural adjusting member  46  integrally formed in the inner surface of the peripheral wall  42  thereof and having an L-shape in cross-section. Further, the postural adjusting member  46  may preferably be positioned in the back side of the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40 . The postural adjusting member  46  may be composed of a main portion  46   a  vertically suspended from the peripheral wall  42  and a substantially flat contact portion  46   b  horizontally extended forward from a distal end of the main portion  46   a . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , the postural adjusting member  46  may be arranged and constructed such that the contact portion  46   b  may be positioned adjacent to the opening periphery  30   a  of the antenna cover  30  when the pad  40  is attached to the antenna cover  30 . In particular, the postural adjusting member  46  may be arranged and constructed such that the contact portion  46   b  may be positioned beneath (outside) the engagement block  36  of the antenna cover  30  when the pad  40  is attached to the antenna cover  30 . Further, the postural adjusting member  46  may be configured such that the contact portion  46   b  may protrude downward (outward) beyond the bottom surface  14   b  of the antenna substrate  14  of the antenna unit  10  when the antenna unit  10  is pressed into the antenna cover  30 . Further, the contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46  may have a projection  46   b   1  formed in a front end portion thereof and projected downward therefrom. Therefore, the contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46  may face and contact the roof  2  via the projection  46   b   1  when the antenna device  3  is disposed on the roof  2 . 
     An assembly process of the antenna device  3  composed of the antenna unit  10 , the antenna cover  30  and the pad  40  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 . First, the pad  40  may be combined with the antenna cover  30 . In particular, the pad  40  may be fitted in the inner peripheral surface  30   b  of the opening periphery  30   a  of the antenna cover  30  while the six engagement slots  44  formed in the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40  respectively engage the six engagement strips  32  formed in the inner peripheral surface  30   b  of the opening periphery  30   a  of the antenna cover  30 . Thus, the pad  40  may be attached to the antenna cover  30 . This operation (i.e., an attaching operation of the pad  40  to the antenna cover  30 ) may be referred to as a first assembly operation or step. 
     Next, in this condition, the antenna unit  10  may be attached to the antenna cover  30 . In particular, the auxiliary engagement portion  18  formed in the antenna substrate  14  of the antenna unit  10  may be hooked on the engagement block  36  formed in the antenna cover  30 , so as to form a pivotal engagement portion therein. Thereafter, the antenna unit  10  may be rotated with respect to the antenna cover  30  about the pivotal engagement portion until the (four) engagement claws  20  formed in the antenna substrate  14  of the antenna unite  10  respectively engage the (four) auxiliary engagement portions  38  formed in the antenna cover  30 . Upon rotation of the antenna unit  10 , the antenna unit  10  may be pressed against the antenna cover  30 , so that the main engagement claw  34  formed in the antenna cover  30  may engage the main engagement portion  16  of the antenna unit  10 . Thus, the antenna unit  10  may be attached to the antenna cover  30  with the pad  40  interleaved therebetween, so that the antenna device  3  may be assembled. This operation (i.e., an attaching operation of the antenna unit  10  to the antenna cover  30 ) may be referred to as a second assembly operation or step. 
     In the manner described, the antenna device  3  may be assembled through two assembly operations (the first and second assembly operations). As shown in  FIGS. 5 to 8 , the antenna device  3  thus assembled may be attached to the roof  2  of the automobile  1 . In particular, the antenna device  3  may be positioned on the roof  2  with the bottom surface  14   b  of the antenna substrate  14  of the antenna unit  10  contacting the roof  2  while the threaded bore  22  formed in the antenna substrate  14  of the antenna unit  10  is aligned with an attachment hole  2   a  previously formed in the roof  2  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Subsequently, a fastening bolt  50  may be inserted into the attachment hole  2   a  from an interior side of the roof  2  and then be screwed or threaded into the threaded bore  22  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Thus, the fastening bolt  50  may be fixed or fastened to the threaded bore  22  through the attachment hole  2   a , so that the antenna device  3  may be secured to the roof  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , when the fastening bolt  50  is threaded into (fastened to) the threaded bore  22 , the pad  40  may elastically contact the roof  2  of the automobile  1  while the contact portion  46   b  (the projection  46   b   1 ) of the postural adjusting member  46  may elastically deformed or compressed. Therefore, even if a rear portion of the antenna cover  30  (a rear portion of the antenna unit  10 ) is relatively strongly pressed against the roof  2  (as compared to the front portion of the antenna cover  30 ) when the fastening bolt  50  is threaded into the threaded bore  22 , the rear portion of the antenna cover  30  may be pushed up due to an elastic or restoring force (reactive force) of the deformed contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46 . As a result, a front portion of the antenna cover  30  (a front portion of the antenna unit  10 ) may be pressed downward, so as to be prevented from being spaced from the roof  2 . That is, the antenna device  3  may be attached to the roof  2  without producing a clearance gap between the front portion of the antenna cover  30  and the roof  2 . Thus, when the antenna device  3  is secured to the roof  2 , the antenna cover  30  (the antenna unit  10 ) may be appropriately posturally adjusted due to the restoring force of the deformed contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46 . Therefore, the antenna device  3  attached to the roof  2  may have a good appearance. 
     Further, the contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46  may have the projection  46   b   1  formed therein. Therefore, when the fastening bolt  50  is threaded into the threaded bore  22  in order to attach the antenna device  3  to the roof  2 , the contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46  may be reliably and effectively deformed or compressed via the projection  46   b   1 . As a result, the restoring force of the contact portion  46   b  of the postural adjusting member  46  may be reliably and effectively applied to the antenna cover  30  (the antenna unit  10 ). Accordingly, the antenna device  3  of embodiments described herein may be reliably attached to the roof  2  of the automobile  1 . 
     Various changes and modifications may be made to the present embodiment without departing from the scope of the teaching. For example, in the embodiment, the automobile  1  may be exemplified as the vehicle to which the antenna device  3  is attached. However, the antenna device  3  may be attached to various vehicles. 
     Further, in the embodiment, an engaging mechanism composed of the engagement slots  44  and the engagement strips  32  may be used in order to attach the pad  40  to the antenna cover  30 . However, such an engaging mechanism may be replaced with various engaging mechanisms (e.g., an engaging mechanism composed of engagement projections and engagement hooks). 
     Further, in the embodiment, an engaging mechanism composed of a combination of the auxiliary engagement portion  18  and the engagement block  36 , a combination of the engagement claws  20  and the auxiliary engagement portions  38 , and a combination of the main engagement portion  16  and the main engagement claw  34  may be used in order to attach the antenna unit  10  to the antenna cover  30 . However, such an engaging mechanism may be replaced with various engaging mechanisms. 
     Further, the number and the numeral value described therein may be changed as necessary. 
     Further, in the embodiment, the postural adjusting member  46  (the main portion  46   a ) may be positioned in the back side of the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40 . However, the position of the postural adjusting member  46  may be changed as necessary. That is, the postural adjusting member  46  may be formed in various portions (e.g., a right side and a left side) of the peripheral wall  42  of the pad  40 . 
     A representative example of the present teaching has been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teaching and is not intended to limit the scope of the teaching. Only the claims define the scope of the claimed teaching. Therefore, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the foregoing detailed description may not be necessary to practice the teaching in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe detailed representative examples of the teaching. Moreover, the various features taught in this specification may be combined in ways that are not specifically enumerated in order to obtain additional useful embodiments of the present teaching.