EP3665742B1

EP3665742B1 - Antenna module for a vehicle, and method for installing an antenna module

Info

Publication number: EP3665742B1
Application number: EP18753178.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juergen Fuhr
Original assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
Current assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
Priority date: 2017-08-10
Filing date: 2018-08-10
Publication date: 2021-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-10
Also published as: DE102017118249A1; CN110998966B; CN110998966A; EP3665742A1; WO2019030406A1

Description

The invention relates to an antenna module for a vehicle, and to a method for installing an antenna module as per the preamble of claim 1.
DE 10 2012 002 953 A1 has disclosed an antenna module for a vehicle, which antenna module comprises a first, upper assembly and a second, lower assembly, wherein the upper assembly comprises at least one electrical contact component and at least one guide means, wherein the lower assembly comprises at least one electrical counterpart contact component and at least one counterpart guide means, wherein the counterpart guide means of the lower assembly can be slid with a linear sliding-on movement in a sliding-on direction onto the guide means of the upper assembly into a pre-installation position such that the at least one contact component and the at least one counterpart contact component are situated opposite one another.
Further antenna modules are known from DE103 30 962 A1 , US 2 875 442 A , DE 10 2015 210321 A1 or DE 10 2015 104543 A1 .
It is an object of the invention to propose an antenna module for a vehicle and a method for installing an antenna module, in the case of which installation and uninstallation can be performed in a manner which is particularly space-saving and gentle on the product.
Said object is achieved, proceeding from the features of the preambles of claims 1 and 6, by means of the characterizing features of claims 1 and 6 respectively. The respective subclaims specify advantageous and expedient refinements.
In the case of the antenna module according to the invention, the lower assembly comprises an actuation means, wherein the at least one counterpart contact component is movable relative to the at least one contact component along a contacting direction, which is aligned orthogonally with respect to the sliding-on direction, out of the pre-installation position of the two assemblies by means of a contacting movement which can be generated by the counterpart guide means and by the actuation means, such that complete contacting of the at least one counterpart contact component and of the at least one contact component is effected. By means of an L-shaped installation movement, which is made up of a linear movement for the alignment of the at least one counterpart contact component with the at least one contact component and a linear movement for the contacting of the at least one counterpart contact component and of the at least one contact component, one long movement path is replaced by two short, differently aligned movement paths, which are possible in a compact space. Furthermore, in this way, a gentle joining-together process is possible, because it is clear to the technician when the manufacturing step of the orientation or alignment and when the manufacturing step of the sliding-on or contacting is taking place. Thus, in particular, the manufacturing step of the sliding-on or contacting can always be performed with the required care, without the need for further auxiliary means for this purpose.
The lower assembly comprises a housing, wherein the counterpart guide means is guided on the housing, wherein the counterpart guide means is, in the pre-installation position, held in positively locking fashion in the upper assembly, and wherein the counterpart guide means is, in order to generate the contacting movement, movable by the actuation means on the housing of the lower assembly such that said counterpart guide means can be pulled into the lower housing and, here, owing to its positively locking retention, pulls the lower housing against the upper assembly. By the counterpart guide means, which is movable by the actuation means relative to the housing of the lower assembly and which is preferably formed as a guide bolt, it is possible to realize contacting of the counterpart contact component with the contact component, without the need to exert an undefined pressure force on the upper assembly. Provision is also made for the counterpart guide means to comprise a head, by way of which said counterpart guide means can, similarly to a tongue-and-groove connection, be inserted into a rail guide of the upper assembly and displaced therein. In this way, the sliding-on movement is optimally predefined.
The lower assembly comprises a fixing pin, for the upper assembly to comprise a pin receptacle, wherein the fixing pin is, in the pre-installation position, situated in a release position and aligned with the pin receptacle such that the fixing pin can be moved into the pin receptacle of the upper assembly by means of a movement of the actuation means relative to the housing of the lower assembly. In this way, locking of the lower assembly on the upper assembly is realized, such that the contacting means and the counterpart contacting means do not have to accommodate any transverse forces in the fully installed state.
Provision is furthermore made for the actuation means to move the counterpart guide means and the fixing pin in opposite directions during the contacting movement. In this way, it is ensured that the fixing pin, at the end of the contacting movement, protrudes into the upper assembly, but nevertheless the counterpart contacting means does not change its position relative to the upper assembly.
Provision is also made for the actuation means to be formed as a clamping lever, wherein the clamping lever comprises a lever arm, a pivot axle, an eccentric head with a sliding surface which runs, in particular, eccentrically with respect to the pivot axle, and at least one eccentric peg, wherein the clamping lever is connected by way of its pivot axle pivotably to the counterpart guide means, wherein the clamping lever is guided by way of each eccentric peg in in each case one slotted guide formed on the housing of the lower structural unit, and wherein the clamping lever is supported by way of its eccentric pegs on the housing of the lower component such that the pivot axle of said clamping lever moves, during the turning-over of the lever arm, counter to a contacting direction, such that the counterpart guide means moves into the housing of the lower assembly. By means of such a clamping lever and a corresponding attachment of the clamping lever to the housing and the counterpart guide means, the relative movement between the counterpart guide means and the counterpart contact means or between the counterpart guide means and the housing of the lower assembly, relative to which the counterpart contact means is arranged so as to be fixed, can be easily generated. Here, a pivoting-over of the clamping lever through 90° is sufficient to perform the contacting movement. Such a movement can be performed quickly, and here also with the required sensitivity, by a technician.
Provision is also made for the counterpart guide means to be formed in particular as a mushroom-head bolt, wherein the fixing pin is guided on the counterpart guide means, and wherein the fixing pin is in particular guided in a passage bore of the counterpart guide means. In this way, a particularly compact construction of the lower assembly is realized.
Additionally, provision is made for the fixing pin to be spring-loaded by a spring, wherein the spring pushes the fixing pin in the direction of the actuation means, and wherein the spring pushes the fixing pin in particular against at least one of the sliding surfaces of the clamping lever, and wherein the spring is in particular supported on the counterpart guide means. It is ensured in this way that, during the sliding-on movement, during which the clamping lever is in an open position, the fixing pin does not project in a disruptive manner out of the counterpart guide means and prevent a sliding-on action.
The method according to the invention for installing an antenna module, in which method the antenna module comprises a first, upper assembly and a second, lower assembly, provides the following steps:

fixing the upper assembly to a vehicle and in particular a vehicle roof of a vehicle;
sliding the lower assembly onto the upper assembly with a linear sliding-on movement in a sliding-on direction, wherein the lower and the upper assembly are, after the sliding-on, aligned with one another such that at least one electrical contact component of the upper assembly is aligned with at least one electrical counterpart contact component of the lower assembly and such that a counterpart guide means of the lower assembly engages by way of a head behind a guide means of the upper assembly,
sliding the lower assembly further onto the upper assembly in a contacting direction which is orthogonal with respect to the sliding-on direction. By means of an L-shaped installation movement, which is made up of a linear movement for the alignment of the at least one counterpart contact component with the at least one contact component and a linear movement for the contacting of the at least one counterpart contact component and of the at least one contact component, one long movement path is replaced by two short, differently aligned movement paths, which are possible in a compact space. Furthermore, in this way, a gentle joining-together process is possible, because it is clear to the technician when the manufacturing step of the orientation or alignment and when the manufacturing step of the sliding-on or contacting is taking place. Thus, in particular, the manufacturing step of the sliding-on or contacting can always be performed with the required care, without the need for further auxiliary means for this purpose.

The method furthermore provides for the further sliding-on to be performed using an actuation means by which the counterpart guide means is pulled against a housing of the lower assembly and, here, the housing of the lower assembly is moved towards the upper assembly such that the at least one electrical counterpart contact component is completely contacted with the at least one contact component. By means of this method step, contacting in a manner gentle on the product is ensured.
The lower assembly comprises a fixing pin, and the fixing pin is actuated by the actuation means such that said fixing pin is slid out of the housing of the lower assembly, into a pin receptacle of the upper assembly, oppositely to the movement of the counterpart guide means. In this way, it is ensured that the fixing pin, at the end of the contacting movement, protrudes into the upper assembly, but nevertheless the counterpart contacting means does not change its position relative to the upper assembly. Finally, provision is made for the actuation means to be formed as a clamping lever, wherein the counterpart guide means is, during the contacting, pulled by the clamping lever into the housing of the lower assembly, and wherein the fixing pin is pushed out of the counterpart guide means in a contacting direction by the clamping lever. By means of such a method step, in which a clamping lever is used, the relative movement between the counterpart guide means and the counterpart contact means or between the counterpart guide means and the housing of the lower assembly, relative to which the counterpart contact means is arranged so as to be fixed, can be easily generated. Here, it is sufficient for the clamping lever to be pivoted over through 90° to perform the contacting movement. Such a movement can be performed quickly, and here also with the required sensitivity, by a technician. Further details of the invention will be described in the drawing on the basis of schematically illustrated exemplary embodiments.
In the drawing:

Figure 1: shows an antenna module with a lower assembly and an upper assembly in a sectional view, wherein the lower assembly has been mounted onto the upper assembly for the purposes of performing a sliding-on movement;
Figure 2: shows the antenna module shown in Figure 1, during the sliding-on movement, in a sectional perspective view;
figure 3: shows the antenna module shown in Figure 1 after the sliding-on movement has been performed;
Figure 4: shows the antenna module shown in Figure 1, during the contacting movement, and
Figure 5: shows the antenna module shown in Figure 1, after the contacting movement has been performed.

Figure 1 shows, in a sectional view, an antenna module 1 which is designed as a vehicle roof antenna module. The antenna module 1 comprises a first, upper assembly 101 and a second, lower assembly 201, wherein the lower assembly 201 has been mounted onto the upper assembly 101 for the purposes of performing a sliding-on movement ASB. The upper assembly 101 comprises electrical contact components 102, 103 and a guide means 104. The lower assembly 201 comprises electrical counterpart contact components 202, 203 (see Figure 2) and a counterpart guide means 204. From an initial position P1-201 shown in Figure 1, the lower assembly 201 is displaceable by means of the sliding-on movement ASB via an intermediate position P2-201 shown in Figure 2 into a central position P3-201 shown in Figure 3. Here, the counterpart guide means 204 of the lower assembly 201 can be slid, by means of the linear sliding-on movement ASB in a sliding-on direction ASR, onto the guide means 104 of the upper assembly 101 into the central position P3-101 or into a pre-installation position V101 (see Figure 3), such that, in the pre-installation position V101, the contact components 102, 103 and the counterpart contact component 202, 203 are situated opposite one another.
As can be seen from Figure 1, the lower assembly 201 comprises not only the counterpart contact components 202, 203 and the counterpart guide means 204 but also a housing 205, in which a circuit board 206 is accommodated, an actuation means 207, and a fixing pin 208. The counterpart guide means 204 is formed as a mushroom-head bolt 209 in the manner of a guide bolt, and comprises a head 210. Similarly to a tongue-and-groove connection, the lower assembly 201 is slid, by way of the head 210 of its counterpart guide means 204, into the guide means 104, formed as an undercut groove 105, of the upper assembly 101, such that the lower assembly 201 is suspended on the guide means 104 of the upper assembly 101. After being fully slid into or slid onto the guide means 104, the lower assembly is situated in the central position P3-201 (see Figure 3), in which its counterpart contact components 202, 203 are aligned with the contact components 102, 103 of the upper assembly 101.
From the pre-installation position V201 shown in Figure 3, the housing 205 of the lower assembly 201 can, together with the circuit board 206 and the counterpart contact components 202, 203 arranged on the circuit board, be displaced in a contacting direction KTR with a contacting movement KTB via a further intermediate position P4-201 shown in Figure 4 into an end position P5-201 shown in Figure 5, and assumes an installation position M201 therein. Here, during the displacement into the installation position M201, the counterpart contact components 202, 203 of the lower assembly 201 are slid onto the contact components 102, 103 of the upper assembly 101, such that these are contacted with one another in electrically conductive fashion. Here, the contact components 101, 102 are formed as coaxial plugs, and the counterpart contact components 201, 202 are formed as coaxial bushings. The contacting direction KTR is oriented orthogonally with respect to the sliding-on direction ASR (see Figure 3), such that the lower assembly 201 is, with the exception of the counterpart guide means 204, connected or contacted to the upper assembly 101 in an L-shaped movement.
Here, the contacting movement KTB is generated by the actuation means 207, by which the counterpart guide means 204 is pulled into a guide channel 211 formed on the housing 205. The actuation means 207 is formed as a clamping lever 212. The clamping lever 212 comprises a lever arm 213, an axle bolt 214, which geometrically defines a pivot axle 215, an eccentric head 216 which is of U-shaped cross section and which has two sliding surfaces 217a, 217b see in particular Figure 4) which run eccentrically, at least in sections, with respect to the pivot axle 215, and two eccentric pegs 218 which are arranged opposite one another on the eccentric head 216. The eccentric peg 218 is illustrated in Figure 2. The second eccentric peg is arranged on the eccentric head 216 opposite the eccentric peg 218, but is concealed in the illustration of Figure 2 by the housing 205. It can be seen in particular from Figure 5 that the clamping lever 212 is, by way of its eccentric head 216, connected pivotably to the counterpart guide means 204 by means of the axle bolt 214. Thus, the lever arm 213 of the clamping lever 212 can be pivoted from its release position S1-213 shown in Figure 3 via an intermediate position S2-213 shown in Figure 4 into a blocking position S3-213 shown in Figure 5. During its movement from the release position S1-213 into the blocking position S3-213 or from the blocking position S3-213 into the release position S1-213, the lever arm 213 is guided by way of the eccentric pegs 218 (see Figure 2) on the housing 205 of the lower assembly 201 in mutually oppositely situated slotted guides 219a, 219b (see Figures 2 and 5), wherein only the slotted guide 219a is visible in Figure 2, and the second slotted guide 219b, like the second eccentric peg, is concealed by the housing 205. The second slotted guide 219b can be seen in Figure 5. During the movement between the release position S1-213 and the blocking position S3-213, the clamping lever 212 is guided and supported by way of its eccentric pegs 218 in the slotted guides 219a, 219b of the housing 205. Furthermore, the clamping lever 212 is guided by the counterpart guide means 204, which is displaceable in the guide channel 211 of the housing 205. During the turning-over of the lever arm 213 into the blocking position S3-213, it is then the case, correspondingly to the profile of the slotted guides 219a, 219b, that the counterpart guide means 204 is pulled in the arrow direction y' into the housing 205 of the lower assembly 201. However, since the counterpart guide means 204 is held by way of its head 210 in the guide means 104 of the upper assembly 101, which is fixed to a vehicle roof 302, merely schematically indicated in Figure 4, of a vehicle 301, this has the effect that the lower housing 205 together with the circuit board 206, the counterpart contact components 202, 203 and the actuation means 207 moves in the arrow direction y towards the upper assembly 101, such that complete contacting of the counterpart contact components 202, 203 with the contact components 102, 103 occurs.
At the same time as this movement in the y direction, the fixing pin 208 is, by means of the eccentric head 216 rotating about the pivot axle 215, moved in the y direction towards the upper assembly 101, such that the fixing pin 208 protrudes into a pin receptacle 106 of a main body 107 of the upper assembly 101 (see Figures 3 to 5). By means of the fixing pin 208, the lower assembly 201 is then, on the upper assembly 101, secured in the installation position M201 so as to be prevented from moving counter to the sliding-on movement ASB, such that corresponding forces do not have to be accommodated by the contact components 102, 103 or the counterpart contact components 202, 203.
The fixing pin 208 is guided in a passage bore 221 which is formed in the counterpart guide means 204. Here, the passage bore 221 is formed as a stepped bore 222, which has a shoulder 223, and the fixing pin 208 is formed as a stepped pin 224, which likewise has a shoulder 225. For the spring loading of the fixing pin 208, the lower assembly 201 comprises a spring 226. Here, the spring 226 is arranged in the passage bore 221 between the stated shoulders 223, 225, such that the fixing pin 208 is pushed by the spring 226 in the y' direction in the direction of the clamping lever 212, and the fixing pin 208, in the release position S1-213 of the lever arm 213, protrudes out of the counterpart guide means 204 towards the eccentric head 216 of the clamping lever 212. During the turning-over of the lever arm 213 into the blocking position S3-213, the eccentric head 216 of the clamping lever 212 acts by way of its sliding surface 217a on the fixing pin 208 and pushes the latter through the counterpart guide means 204 counter to a force of the spring 226 in the y direction in the direction of the upper assembly, such that the fixing pin 208 emerges from the counterpart guide means 204 and protrudes into the pin receptacle 106.
Uninstallation of the lower assembly 201 from the upper assembly 101 is performed in the opposite direction to the installation. By virtue of the clamping lever 212 being opened, the housing 205 can move downwards on the counterpart guide means 204 in the arrow direction y' counter to the contacting direction KTR, and the entire lower assembly 201 can subsequently be pulled off the guide means 104 of the upper assembly 101 counter to the sliding-on direction ASR.

List of reference designations:

1: Antenna module

101: First, upper assembly
102: Contact component
103: Contact component
104: Guide means
105: Undercut groove
106: Pin receptacle for 208
107: Main body

201: First, lower assembly
202: Counterpart contact component
203: Counterpart contact component
204: Counterpart guide means
205: Housing
206: Circuit board
207: Actuation means
208: Fixing pin
209: Mushroom-head bolt
210: Head
211: Guide channel
212: Clamping lever
213: Lever arm
214: Axle bolt
215: Pivot axle
216: Eccentric head
217a, 217b: Sliding surface on 216
218: Eccentric peg on 216
219a, 219b: Slotted guide for 218 on 205
220: not used
221: Passage bore in 204
222: Stepped bore
223: Shoulder of 222
224: Stepped pin
225: Shoulder of 224
226: Spring of 201
301: Vehicle
302: Vehicle roof

ASB: Sliding-on movement
ASR: Sliding-on direction

KTB: Contacting movement
KTR: Contacting direction

M201: Installation position

P1-201: Initial position of 201
P2-201: Intermediate position of 201
P3-201: Middle position of 201
P4-201: Further intermediate position of 201
P5-201: End position of 201

S1-213: Release position of 213
S2-213: Intermediate position of 213
S3-213: Blocking position of 213

V201: Pre-installation position

y: Direction
y': Direction

Claims

Antenna module (1) for a vehicle (301), in particular vehicle roof antenna module,
- wherein the antenna module (1) comprises a first, upper assembly (101) and a second, lower assembly (201),

- wherein the upper assembly (101) comprises at least one electrical contact component (102, 103) and at least one guide means (104),

- wherein the lower assembly (201) comprises at least one electrical counterpart contact component (202, 203) and at least one counterpart guide means (204),

- wherein the counterpart guide means (204) of the lower assembly (201) can be slid with a linear sliding-on movement (ASB) in a sliding-on direction (ASR) onto the guide means (104) of the upper assembly (104) into a pre-installation position (V201) such that the at least one contact component (102, 103) and the at least one counterpart contact component (202, 203) are situated opposite one another,

- wherein the lower assembly (201) comprises an actuation means (207), wherein the at least one counterpart contact component (202, 203) is movable relative to the at least one contact component (102, 103) along a contacting direction (KTR), which is aligned orthogonally with respect to the sliding-on direction (ASR), out of the pre-installation position (V201) of the two assemblies (101, 201) by means of a contacting movement (KTB) which can be generated by the counterpart guide means (204) and by the actuation means (207), such that complete contacting of the at least one counterpart contact component (202, 203) and of the at least one contact component (102, 103) is effected;

- wherein the lower assembly (201) comprises a housing (205), the counterpart guide means (204) being guided on the housing (205), wherein the counterpart guide means (204) is, in the pre-installation position (V201), held in positively locking fashion in the upper assembly (101), wherein the counterpart guide means (204) is, in order to generate the contacting movement (KTB), movable by the actuation means (207) on the housing (205) of the lower assembly (201) such that said counterpart guide means can be pulled into the lower housing (205) and, here, owing to its positively locking retention, pulls the lower housing (205) against the upper assembly (101),
Characterized in that:
- the lower assembly (201) comprises a fixing pin (208), and in that the upper assembly (101) comprises a pin receptacle (106), wherein the fixing pin (208) is, in the pre-installation position (V201), situated in a release position and aligned with the pin receptacle (106) such that the fixing pin (208) can be moved into the pin receptacle (106) of the upper assembly (101) by means of a movement of the actuation means (207) relative to the housing (205) of the lower assembly (201).
Antenna module according to Claim 1, characterized in that the actuation means (207) moves the counterpart guide means (204) and the fixing pin (208) in opposite directions (y, y') during the contacting movement (KTB).
Antenna module according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized
- in that the actuation means (207) is formed as a clamping lever (212),

- wherein the clamping lever (212) comprises a lever arm (213), a pivot axle (215), an eccentric head (216) with a sliding surface (217a, 217b) and at least one eccentric peg (218),

- wherein the clamping lever (212) is connected by way of its pivot axle (215) pivotably to the counterpart guide means (204),

- wherein the clamping lever (212) is guided by way of each eccentric peg (218) in in each case one slotted guide (219a, 219b) formed on the housing (205) of the lower structural unit (201),

- wherein the clamping lever (212) is supported by way of its eccentric peg (218) on the housing (205) of the lower component (201) such that the pivot axle (215) of said clamping lever moves, during the turning-over of the lever arm (213), counter to a contacting direction (KTR), such that the counterpart guide means (204) moves into the housing (205) of the lower assembly (201).
Antenna module according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the counterpart guide means (204) is formed in particular as a mushroom-head bolt (209), wherein the fixing pin (208) is guided on the counterpart guide means (204), and wherein the fixing pin (204) is in particular guided in a passage bore (221) of the counterpart guide means (204).
Antenna module according to claim 3 or according to claim 4 when depending on claim 3, characterized in that the fixing pin (208) is spring-loaded by a spring (226), wherein the spring (226) pushes the fixing pin (208) in the direction of the actuation means (207), and wherein the spring (226) pushes the fixing pin (208) in particular against at least one of the sliding surfaces (217a, 217b) of the clamping lever (212), and wherein the spring (226) is in particular supported on the counterpart guide means (204).
Method for installing an antenna module (1), wherein the antenna module (1) comprises a first, upper assembly (101) and a second, lower assembly (201), comprising the steps:
- fixing the upper assembly (101) to a vehicle (301) and in particular a vehicle roof (302) of the vehicle (301);

- sliding the lower assembly (201) onto the upper assembly (101) with a linear sliding-on movement in a sliding-on direction (ASR), wherein the lower and the upper assembly (201, 101) are, after the sliding-on, aligned with one another such that at least one electrical contact component (102, 103) of the upper assembly (101) is aligned with at least one electrical counterpart contact component (202, 203) of the lower assembly (201) and such that a counterpart guide means (204) of the lower assembly (201) engages by way of a head (210) behind a guide means (104) of the upper assembly (101),

- sliding the lower assembly (201) further onto the upper assembly (101) in a contacting direction (KTR) which is orthogonal with respect to the sliding-on direction (ASR), the further sliding-on being performed using an actuation means (207) by which the counterpart guide means (204) is pulled against a housing (205) of the lower assembly (201) and, here, the housing (205) of the lower assembly (201) being moved towards the upper assembly (101) such that the at least one electrical counterpart contact component (202, 203) is completely contacted with the at least one contact component (102, 103), the lower assembly (201) comprising a fixing pin (208), and the fixing pin (208) being actuated by the actuation means (207) such that said fixing pin is slid out of the housing (205) of the lower assembly (201), into a pin receptacle (106) of the upper assembly (101), oppositely to the movement of the counterpart guide means (204).
Method according to Claim 6, characterized in that the actuation means (207) is formed as a clamping lever (212), wherein the counterpart guide means (204) is, during the contacting, pulled by the clamping lever (212) into the housing (205) of the lower assembly (201), and wherein the fixing pin (208) is pushed out of the counterpart guide means (204) in a contacting direction (KTR) by the clamping lever (212).