Patent Publication Number: US-6215446-B1

Title: Snap-in antenna

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a snap-in antenna and more particularly to snap-in fixed or retractable antennas which may be easily secured to a wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone and which are easily removed therefrom. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Due to the ever-increasing growth in the wireless communications industries, suppliers of portable wireless devices, such as cellular telephone handsets, are constantly seeking ways to improve the value of their product while reducing manufacturing costs. One area of intense price pressure is the antenna. Currently, most antenna designs for wireless devices such as cellular telephones, land mobile radio and other portable devices are one of two types. One type of antenna design is the retractable or collapsible antenna. The radiator of the retractable antenna may be extended from the top of the device housing while in use. The antenna radiator may also be retracted into the housing while in the standby mode. The second major type of antenna design is the fixed antenna wherein the antenna radiator is fixed in the extended position and does not move. 
     In either of the antenna designs discussed above, they are normally comprised of the following components: (1) a radiating element such as a straight wire whip or a helical wound wire; (2) a threaded metal connector that connects the antenna to the communications device; (3) a flexible cover that covers all exposed components; and (4) other miscellaneous components within the antenna assembly. In addition to that described above, the antennas require a mated threaded connector inside the communications device and some sort of electrical connection between the printed circuit board and the antenna. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention disclosed herein relates to a series of antennas which incorporate a unique way to electrically and mechanically attach the antennas to the wireless device. The antenna is mechanically attached to the wireless device by means of a plastic connector that incorporates a molded-in snap latch feature which snaps over an internal edge in the wireless device housing during installation. The antenna is electrically attached to the wireless device by means of a contact that electrically connects the radiating element (elongated radiator or helical wound) to the conductive pad on the printed circuit board. More particularly, the snap-in connector has upper and lower ends with a central bore extending therethrough with the lower end of the connector being selectively removably snapped-in the opening formed in the upper end of the housing of the device. In one embodiment of the invention, a helical antenna is positioned in the central bore of the connector at the upper end thereof and has a spring contact operatively electrically connected thereto which extends downwardly from the helical antenna through the lower end of the central bore of the connector with the spring contact being in electrical contact with the receiving and transmitting circuitry. In a second embodiment of the invention, an elongated rod antenna extends upwardly from the helical antenna. In another embodiment of the invention, a retractable rod radiator is slidably mounted in the connector and is movable between retracted and extended positions. In yet another embodiment of the invention, an elongated rod antenna is slidably movably mounted in the connector and has a helical antenna positioned at the upper end thereof. In all of the embodiments, the lower end of spring contact is in electrical contact with the contact pad of the receiving and transmitting circuitry of the communications device. Further, in all of the embodiments disclosed herein, the opening in the upper end of the housing includes an alignment keyway with the connector including an alignment key structure which is received in the alignment keyway to properly position the spring contact with respect to the receiving and transmitting circuitry. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an antenna design that is easier to manufacture than prior art antennas. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an antenna design which has fewer components than most prior art antennas. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide an antenna design that is easy to install on the handset of the communications device. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an antenna design which results in reduced manufacturing costs, yet maintains a high degree of reliability and performance. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a stubby antenna of this invention mounted on the handset of the communications device and removed therefrom; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the antenna of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating a retractable antenna having the snap-in connector of this invention included therein; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial vertical view of the antenna and handset of FIG. 3 with the antenna in its extended position; 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the upper portion of the handset; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial vertical view of the upper portion of the handset; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an antenna having the snap-in connector of this invention included therein; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a top-loaded retractable antenna having the snap-in connector of this invention included therein; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one form of the helical radiator employed in the embodiments disclosed herein with a spring contact extended downwardly therefrom; and 
     FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 except that the spring contact or spring arm is an integral part of the helical antenna. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional handset for a wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone and which is designated by the reference numeral  10 . Handset  10  is conventional in design except for the opening  12  formed in the upper end of the housing  14 . In most cellular telephone handsets, the opening  12  has an electrically conductive threaded connector provided therein which serves as the mounting for the antenna. In this case, the snap-in connector  16  is inserted into the opening  12 , as will be described in more detailed hereinafter. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one form of the embodiment which is commonly referred to as a stubby antenna  18  which is a fixed antenna. The lower end of the stubby antenna  18  is provided with the snap-in connector  16  to enable the antenna  18  to be quickly and easily installed in the opening  12 , as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a collapsible or retractable antenna  20  having the snap-in connector  16  included therewith. FIG. 7 illustrates a fixed antenna  22  having the snap-in connector  16  provided at the lower end thereof. In FIG. 8, the numeral  24  refers to a top-loaded retractable antenna having the snap-in connector  16  associated therewith. 
     To accommodate the snap-in connector  16 , the opening  12  in the housing  14  is provided with an alignment keyway  26  which extends laterally outwardly from a pair of flat shoulders  28  and  30  which form a part of the alignment keyway. 
     The construction of the connector  16  is best seen in FIG.  2  and perhaps FIG.  4 . Connector  16  includes a lower end portion  32  and an upper end portion  34  which are separated by an annular shoulder  36  which projects outwardly therefrom. Lower end portion  32  is provided with an alignment key structure referred to generally by the reference numeral  38  which includes a pair of flat surfaces  40  and  42  having keyway  44  extending therefrom. Connector  16  also includes a central bore  46  which extends therethrough, as illustrated in FIG. 4. A flexible or resilient latch  48  is provided in the lower end  32  of connector  16  and includes a protruding latching lip  50  having a tapered lower surface  52 . 
     The connector  16  can only be inserted into the opening  12  in one position and that is extremely important in that it is ensured that the spring contact, to be described hereinafter, will be in the proper position with respect to the electrical contact pad of the receiving and transmitting circuitry of the communications device. 
     The connector  16  is inserted into the opening  12  so that the keyway  44  is received by the keyway  26  with the flat surfaces  40  and  42  being positioned adjacent the flat shoulders  28  and  30 , respectively. As the connector  16  is inserted downwardly into the opening  12 , the latch  48  is deflected inwardly through the engagement of the tapered surface  52  with the structure surrounding the opening  12  until the latch  50  is able to spring or move outwardly so as to engage an internal surface of the housing  14 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     In the antenna embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, a helical radiator  54  is positioned in the upper end of the bore  46  and has a spring contact  56  electrically connected to the lower end thereof. As seen in FIG. 4, the lower end of the spring contact  56  is in electrical contact with the electrical contact pad  58  positioned on the circuit board  60  of the receiving and transmitting circuitry. FIG. 9 illustrates the spring contact  56  being a separate component from the radiator  54 . FIG. 10 illustrates that the spring contact is in the form of a leg  62  which an integral part of the helical antenna or radiator  54 . In other words, the embodiment of FIG. 10 is of unitary construction while the embodiment of FIG. 9 is of a two-piece construction. 
     Referring again to the retractable antenna  20  of FIGS. 3 and 4, the numeral  64  refers to an electrically conductive telescopic tube which is secured to the lower end of an elongated rod radiator or antenna  66  which is selectively vertically mounted so as to be able to be moved between a retracted position and an extended position. In the extended position of FIG. 4, the lower end of the tube  64  is in electrical contact with the spring contact  56  so that the radiator  66  is electrically connected to the contact pad  58  through the spring contact  56 . The spring contact  56 , through its engagement with the tube  64 , also serves to yieldably maintain the antenna in its extended position. The upper end of the connector  16  is covered by a conventional coil cover  68 . 
     In the stubby antenna configuration  18  of FIGS. 1 and 2, only a helical radiator is employed which may be either of the design of FIG. 9 or FIG.  10 . In the embodiment of FIG. 7, an elongated rod antenna or radiator is secured to a helical radiator positioned within the cover  70  with the helical radiator and rod radiator being connected to the electrical contact pad  58  through the spring contact  56 , as previously described. 
     In the design of FIG. 8, the helical antenna is enclosed within a cover  72  with the helical antenna being positioned at the upper end of the elongated radiator. 
     Thus, whether the antenna design is of the stubby design of FIGS. 1 and 2, the retractable antenna design of FIG. 3, the fixed antenna design of FIG. 7, or the top-loaded design of FIG. 8, the connector design  16  is substantially similar in each of those designs. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the connector  16  does not have an upper end portion which supports the helical antenna, since the helical antenna is positioned at the upper end of the rod antenna. 
     Thus it can be seen that a novel antenna design has been employed which includes a snap-in connector so that the antenna may be quickly and easily secured to the housing or removed therefrom. The design of this invention ensures that the proper electrical contact will be made inasmuch as the connector  16  can only be inserted into the housing in one position, with that one position ensuring that the spring contact  56  will be properly positioned with respect to the electrical contact pad  58 . 
     The snap-in connector of this invention, as well as the antenna embodiments associated therewith, results in an antenna requiring less components without sacrificing reliability performance. The snap-in connector of this invention results in reduced manufacturing costs. 
     Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.