JP2007306449A - Port-based antenna unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify a hermetically sealed construction in a port part by eliminating the necessity for routing cables from an antenna which receives radio signals from a sensor device arranged in a unit body to the port part. <P>SOLUTION: A metal supporting substrate 23 is fixed from outside to a flange 21 of the port 19 which is formed in the unit body 17 so as to seal the port 19. The antenna 27 has an elongated tube body 29 whose one end is sealed and a long antenna body 31 which is inserted into the tube body 29. The antenna body 27 is protruded with its end toward the inside of the unit body 17, and is sealed and supported by the supporting substrate 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a port-mounted antenna device, and more particularly to a port-mounted antenna device that can be used in an environment where temperature, pressure, humidity, or the like changes in a wide range.

  The temperature and pressure in these devices in an environment where the environmental atmosphere such as temperature, pressure, and humidity changes greatly, such as high-temperature steam sterilizers (autoclave devices) and devices that produce granular instant coffee (freeze-drying devices). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a device for measuring humidity and the like includes a sensor device 1 that measures temperature and the like and emits measurement data on a radio signal and an internal antenna 3 that receives the radio signal. A cylindrical port portion 7 that is disposed inside and communicates with the inside and outside of the device body 5 is formed to project from the device main body 5, and a cable 9 extending from the internal antenna 3 is led out to the outside via the port portion 7 to the receiving device 11. A configuration for connection is known.

  In addition, the cable 9 is separated inside and outside the apparatus main body 5 and is connected to each other by a conductor 15 hermetically sealed with a glass filler or the like melted and solidified on a support substrate 13 fixed to the port portion 7 from the outside. For convenience, the apparatus main body 5 and the support substrate 13 are shown in a simplified cross section.

In such a device, the temperature inside the device main body 5 is measured by the sensor device 1 and is emitted on a radio signal, which is received by the internal antenna 3, and the port portion 7 (conductor 15) is received from the internal antenna 3. Via the cable 9 to the receiving device 11 to be demodulated or signal-processed and measured. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-210799) is also of this type.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-210799

  However, in the apparatus as shown in FIG. 4, the cable 9 between the internal antenna 3 and the port unit 7 in the apparatus main body 5 is troublesome and the cable 9 is routed from the port unit 7 to the receiving device 11. However, it is difficult to assemble and measure.

  Furthermore, from the viewpoint of ensuring the sealing performance in the apparatus main body 5 in which the temperature, pressure, humidity, etc. vary over a wide range, special measures are taken to make the port portion 7 and the support substrate 13 penetrating the cable 9 into a good sealing structure. Was necessary.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a port-installed antenna device that eliminates the need for cable routing in the device main body and simplifies the sealing structure in the port portion. And

  In order to solve such a problem, a port installation type antenna device according to the present invention includes a port portion formed in the device body and communicating between the inside and the outside, and a metal fixed to the port portion from the outside so as to close the port portion. An antenna portion formed by inserting a long antenna body into a long and narrow insulating cylinder with a closed end, and projecting through the support substrate with the tip directed into the apparatus body And an antenna portion hermetically supported by the support substrate.

  In the present invention, the antenna body may be formed by screwing the antenna main body into the base portion of the cylindrical body so as to be able to move forward and backward.

  Moreover, in this invention, the structure which forms the cylinder in the said antenna part with a heat resistant synthetic resin is also possible.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, a configuration having a receiving unit that is connected to the antenna body and processes received signals received by the antenna body is also possible.

  In such a port-installed antenna device according to the present invention, an internal and external communication port portion formed in the device body is fixed and closed by a metal support substrate from the outside, and the elongated insulating cylinder is closed at the tip. Since the antenna part formed by inserting the long antenna body into the device is sealed and supported with the tip of the antenna part extending through the support substrate with the tip facing into the device body, there is no need to route the cable in the device body. Thus, workability is improved and the sealing structure in the port portion can be simplified.

  In the configuration in which the antenna main body is screwed to the base portion in the cylindrical body so as to be able to move forward and backward as the antenna portion, the reception strength of the radio signal can be adjusted.

  Moreover, in the structure which forms the cylinder in the said antenna part with a heat resistant synthetic resin, the antenna part can be bent and can be arrange | positioned in a narrow space, and it can be used also in a high temperature environment.

  Furthermore, in a configuration having a receiving unit that is connected to the antenna body and processes a received signal received by the antenna body, it can be directly connected to an external measuring device or the like with a cable.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a port-installed antenna apparatus according to the present invention.

  1, a device body 17 made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant metal has a sealing structure similar to the device body 5 of FIG. 4 described above, and has a port portion 19 that protrudes integrally in a cylindrical shape to the outside. The front end of the port portion 19 is slightly widened to form a flange 21.

  In the apparatus main body 17, as shown in FIG. 4 described above, a sensor apparatus 1 that measures temperature and the like and emits measurement data on a radio signal is disposed, but is not illustrated in FIG. 1.

  For example, a stainless steel disc-like support substrate 23 having an outer shape substantially the same diameter as that of the flange 21 is brought into contact with the port portion 19 and is fixed in close contact with a known fixing means (not shown) in a separable manner.

  A through hole 25 is formed in almost the middle of the support substrate 23, and an antenna portion 27 is hermetically supported in the through hole 25.

  The inner diameter a of the port portion 19 described above is larger than the outer shape b of the antenna portion 27, and the antenna portion 27 protrudes into the device main body 17 from the port portion 19 with play in the port portion 19.

  The antenna portion 27 is formed from a synthetic resin having good insulation and heat resistance, such as fluorine resin or polyimide resin, and has an elongated cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 25. A cylindrical body 29 whose end is closed and a helical coil-shaped elongated antenna body 31 inserted into the cylindrical body 29 so as to project the end portion are formed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical body 29 of the antenna portion 27 has a screw groove 33 on the outer periphery of the base portion supported by the support substrate 23, and the antenna body 31 is inserted into the cylindrical body 29 so as to be able to advance and retract. The outer periphery of the base has a thread groove 35 and protrudes from the cylindrical body 29. Note that the tip of the antenna body 31 also protrudes from the port portion 19 to the inside of the device body 17.

  The antenna portion 27 is inserted from the other end side (base side) opposite to the tip thereof into the through hole 25 of the support substrate 23 so as to penetrate the cylindrical body 29, and a locking portion 37 formed on the outer periphery in the vicinity of the other end. While being brought into contact with the support substrate 23 and screwing and tightening the nut 39 around the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 29, the support substrate 23 is hermetically supported so as to sandwich the support substrate 23.

  Reference numeral 40 in FIG. 2 denotes a sealing elastic body O-ring that is tightly inserted between the end portion of the through hole 25 of the support substrate 23 and the engaging portion 37, and is made of a corrosion-resistant and heat-resistant synthetic resin.

  The antenna main body 31 of the antenna unit 27 is fixed to the cylindrical body 29 by screwing and tightening a nut 41 around the outer periphery of the portion protruding from the cylindrical body 29. That is, a screw groove is formed on the outer periphery of the base portion of the antenna main body 31, and the nut 41 is screwed and the antenna main body 31 itself is also screwed into the cylindrical body 29.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support substrate 23 is covered with a cap 43 so as to cover the cylindrical body 29 of the antenna portion 27 and the base portion of the antenna body 31 and the nuts 39 and 41 with play. It is fixed to the support substrate 23 by a conventionally known method.

  A conventionally known connector 45 is disposed on the cap 43, and this connector 45 is connected to the antenna body 31 via a lead wire 47.

  Next, an example of use of the port installation type antenna apparatus according to the present invention will be described very simply.

  When a radio wave is emitted by placing measurement data on a radio signal from a sensor device (see FIG. 4) arranged in the apparatus body 17, a high-frequency signal is induced in the antenna body 31 of the antenna unit 27, which leads to a lead wire. It is directly output from the connector 45 via 47.

  Therefore, if the receiving device 11 as shown in FIG. 4 is connected to the connector 45, the received data can be demodulated or processed, and the measurement data can be measured and displayed outside the device body 17.

  Furthermore, if the nut 41 screwed into the antenna main body 31 of the antenna unit 27 is loosened, the antenna main body 31 moves forward and backward with respect to the cylindrical body 29, and the nut 41 is tightened again to fix the antenna main body 31 from the support substrate 23. The protrusion length is adjusted.

  In such a port-installed antenna device according to the present invention, the metal support board 23 is fixed to the flange 21 of the port portion 19 from the outside so as to close the port portion 19 formed in the device body 17, and the tip is An elongated antenna body 31 is inserted into the closed and elongated cylindrical body 29 to form an antenna portion 27, and the antenna portion 27 is supported so that its tip protrudes into the apparatus body 17. The substrate 23 was hermetically supported.

  For this reason, it is not necessary to route the cable in the apparatus main body 17, and the workability of assembly and measurement is simplified, and the sealing structure in the port portion 19 is reliably and simplified.

  Moreover, since the antenna body 31 of the antenna portion 27 is formed by being screwed into the base portion in the cylindrical body 29 so as to be movable back and forth, the antenna protruding from the support substrate 23 when the antenna main body 31 is moved forward and backward relative to the cylindrical body 29. The length of the main body 31 is adjusted, and the radio signal reception intensity can be varied.

  In particular, when the radio wave from the sensor device arranged in the device body 17 is weak, or when the inner diameter a of the port portion 19 is smaller than λ / 2 of the frequency of the received radio wave, the antenna body 31 is connected to the port portion 19. It is possible to further increase the reception intensity of the radio signal by projecting to the inside of the apparatus main body 17.

  In addition, since the cylindrical body 29 is formed of a heat-resistant synthetic resin, the antenna section 27 can be bent and can be placed in a narrow space in the apparatus main body 17, and can be disposed at a high temperature and high humidity. It can be used even in an environment of

  In the present invention, the antenna main body 31 of the antenna unit 27 is not limited to the above-described helical coil antenna, and can be implemented by, for example, a pole antenna or other known long antenna.

  The port installation type antenna device of the present invention described above is not limited to the configuration in which the high frequency signal induced in the antenna body 31 is directly output from the connector 45.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a configuration in which a receiving unit 49 that processes a received signal received by the antenna body 31 is arranged in the cap 43 is also possible.

  The receiving unit 49 functions as a converter or a repeater that inputs a high-frequency signal induced when the antenna body 31 of the antenna unit 27 receives radio waves via the lead wire 47 and performs demodulation and other signal processing. Have In FIG. 3, the other configuration is the same as that of FIG.

  In such a port-installed antenna device having a wireless reception function, the connector 45 of the port unit 19 and a measuring device (not shown) can be directly connected by a cable, and there is no need to arrange the receiving device 11 described above outside. Space saving and wiring saving are possible.

  If the receiving unit 49 has a transmission function, various data can be wirelessly transmitted from the antenna unit 27 to the inside of the apparatus main body 17.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the port installation type antenna apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the port installation type antenna apparatus shown in FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of the port installation type antenna apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic which shows the conventional port installation type antenna apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sensor apparatus 3 Internal antenna 5, 17 Apparatus main body 7, 19 Port part 9 Cable 11 Receiving apparatus 13, 23 Support board 15 Conductor 21 Flange 25 Through-hole 27 Antenna part 29 Cylindrical body 31 Antenna main body 33, 35 Screw groove 37 Locking Parts 39, 41 nut part 40 elastic body O-ring 43 cap 45 connector 47 lead wire 49 receiving part

Claims (4)

A port part formed in the apparatus main body and communicating inside and outside;
A metal support substrate fixed to the port portion from the outside so as to close the port portion;
An antenna unit in which a long antenna body is inserted into an elongated insulating cylinder with a closed end, and the tip is inserted into the apparatus body so as to protrude through the support substrate and sealed to the support substrate. A supported antenna section;
A port-installed antenna apparatus comprising: 2. The port installation type antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit is formed by screwing the antenna body into a base portion of the cylindrical body so as to be movable back and forth. The port installation type antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is made of a heat-resistant synthetic resin. The port installation type antenna apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3 which have a receiving part connected to the said antenna main body, and processing the received signal received with the said antenna main body.

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