JP2015100011A - Vehicular antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify a structure for fixing an on-vehicle antenna to a vehicle accessory component.SOLUTION: A clamp part 22 formed in a base part is inserted into a fixing hole 58 provided in a vehicle accessory component 60. A protrusion structure that the clamp part 22 includes is caught by the vehicle accessory component 60 in the state where the clamp part 22 is inserted into the fixing hole 58. Therefore, a main body part 10 is fixed to the vehicle accessory component 60. A cushion 56 is mounted in an outer end of each antenna element substrate 12, and the outer end of each antenna element substrate 12 is fixed through the cushion 56 to the vehicle accessory component 60. Thus, vibration of the antenna element substrate 12 is suppressed, and power applied from the antenna element substrate 12 to the main body part 10 is reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle antenna, and more particularly to a structure of an antenna fixed to a vehicle accessory.

  As a vehicle-mounted antenna, an antenna having a spoiler provided with an antenna element is widely used. The spoiler is a member attached to the body of the vehicle, and adjusts the flow of air around the vehicle and has an aesthetic appearance of the vehicle. The spoiler includes a bowl-shaped one provided at the upper part of the rear window of the vehicle and a wing-shaped one provided at the rear part of the vehicle. Generally, the spoiler is formed of a hollow plastic resin, and the antenna element is provided inside the spoiler.

  Other in-vehicle antennas include those in which an antenna element is provided inside a bumper formed of a hollow plastic resin, and those in which an antenna element is provided in an overhead console of a passenger compartment. In the following Patent Documents 1 and 2, a spoiler antenna for mounting on a vehicle is described. Patent Document 3 describes a vehicle antenna transmission / reception structure in which an antenna element is provided on an overhead console.

JP 2009-177484 A JP 2008-283609 A JP 2008-118546 A

  Some in-vehicle antennas have an antenna element fixed to a substrate, and the substrate is fixed to a plate-like base material made of plastic resin. In such a vehicular antenna, the base material is fixed to a vehicle accessory such as a spoiler or a bumper, and the antenna element is fixed to the vehicle accessory via the base. However, in such a structure, there is a problem that screws and the like for fixing the base material to the vehicle accessory are required, and the number of parts increases. In addition, there is a problem that the amount of work for fixing the base material to the vehicle accessory is increased.

  An object of the present invention is to simplify the structure for fixing a vehicle-mounted antenna to a vehicle accessory.

  The present invention includes an antenna element, a base portion fixed to a vehicle accessory part, and a substrate disposed on the base part and connected to the antenna element, wherein the base part is provided on the vehicle accessory part. It has a clamp part inserted in the formed hole, and the clamp part has a structure caught in the vehicle accessory part in the state inserted in the hole.

  In addition, the vehicle antenna according to the present invention preferably includes a mold portion that covers the substrate and is fixed to the base portion, and the antenna element and an antenna feed line connected to the substrate include the mold. It is pulled out from the department.

  In the vehicle antenna according to the present invention, preferably, the base portion has a plate-like member, and the plate-like member is formed with a region into which the mold portion enters, and one surface of the plate-like member is formed. The substrate is disposed, and the clamp portion is disposed on the other surface of the plate-like member.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the structure which fixes a vehicle-mounted antenna to a vehicle accessory can be simplified.

It is a perspective view of the antenna for vehicles concerning the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the vehicle antenna which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of a base part. It is a side view of a base part. It is a perspective view of the antenna for vehicles before an amplifier board is covered with a mold part. It is a figure which shows the process of fixing a vehicle antenna to a vehicle accessory. It is a figure which shows the vehicle by which the antenna for vehicles is mounted. It is a figure which shows the state from which the upper cover of the housing | casing of the spoiler was removed.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle antenna is an antenna that is attached to a vehicle accessory such as a spoiler or a bumper. This figure shows a state in which the side (z-axis negative direction) directed to the vehicle accessory is directed upward. The vehicle antenna includes a main body 10 and two antenna element substrates 12. The antenna element substrate 12 is formed of an insulator such as a plastic film. Although the antenna element substrate 12 shown in FIG. 1 is transparent, the antenna element substrate 12 may be translucent or opaque. An antenna element 16 is provided on the antenna element substrate 12. The antenna element 16 is connected to an amplifier provided inside the main body 10. The main body portion 10 includes a base portion 18 and a mold portion 20. As will be described later, an amplifier substrate on which an amplifier is mounted is disposed on the base portion 18, and the amplifier substrate is covered with the mold portion 20. The base portion 18 is formed with a clamp portion 22 that protrudes in the negative z-axis direction. By inserting the clamp portion 22 into a fixing hole provided in the vehicle accessory, the vehicle antenna is fixed to the vehicle accessory.

  FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the vehicle antenna in which the side directed to the vehicle accessory is directed downward. The base portion 18 includes a cylindrical shape having a width (length in the x-axis direction) larger than a height (length in the z-axis direction). In other words, the base portion 18 includes a rectangular plate-shaped member 19, and the plate-shaped member 19 has a shape in which a hollow is formed by penetrating a rectangular hole from one short side to the other short side. A U-shaped cutout 26 is formed on each short side of the upper plate forming the plate-like member 19. A groove 28 is formed on each side surface of the plate-like member 19 in the longitudinal direction.

  FIG. 3 shows a front view of the base portion 18. A column 36 coupled between the upper plate 32 and the lower plate 34 is provided in the cavity 30. A clamp portion 22 is formed on the lower surface of the lower plate 34. The clamp part 22 protrudes from the lower surface of the plate-like member 19 and extends in the negative z-axis direction. The clamp part 22 has an annular support part 38 whose diameter increases as the distance from the lower surface of the plate-like member 19 increases. The support portion 38 surrounds the rod-shaped clamp portion main body 40 in an annular shape. The support portion 38 may have a shape protruding at a part of the periphery of the clamp portion main body 40.

  FIG. 4 shows a side view of the base portion 18. A protrusion structure 39 is formed on the side surface facing the positive y-axis direction and the side surface facing the negative y-axis direction in the clamp body 40. The protruding structure 39 has a tapered shape in which the thickness increases as it goes upward from the distal end side of the clamp body 40. On the upper side of the portion having the maximum thickness, the thickness decreases toward the upper side and is narrowed toward the lower surface of the support portion 38. The protrusion structure 39 and the clamp body 40 form a wedge shape below the support portion 38. The entire clamp portion 22 or at least the portion of the protruding structure 39 may be formed of elastic rubber, plastic, or the like. The clamp part 22 is inserted into a fixing hole opened in a plate-like member provided in the vehicle accessory. After the protrusion structure 39 passes through the fixing hole, the fixing hole is fitted between the lower surface of the support portion 38 and the protrusion structure 39, and the base portion 18 is fixed to the vehicle accessory. When the base part 18 is fixed to the vehicle accessory part, the lower surface of the support part 38 comes into contact with the vehicle accessory part, and the wobbling of the main body part 10 fixed to the vehicle accessory part is suppressed.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the structure of the vehicle antenna will be described. Substrate fixing claws 42 are provided on the opposing long sides of the upper surface of the base portion 18. The amplifier substrate 44 is formed in a rectangular shape, and is provided on the long side facing the fixing recess 46 where the substrate fixing claw 42 is caught. When the amplifier substrate 44 is joined to the upper surface of the base portion 18, each substrate fixing claw 42 spreads outward from the base portion 18, the amplifier substrate 44 contacts the upper surface of the base portion 18, and each substrate fixing claw 42 fits in each fixing recess 46 of the amplifier substrate 44. As a result, the amplifier substrate 44 is hooked on the two substrate fixing claws 42 while being in contact with the upper surface of the base portion 18, and is fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 18.

  On each antenna element substrate 12, a linear conductor having a length of about ¼ of the wavelength of a received radio wave is fixed as an antenna element 16. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a section near the end of the antenna element 16 is bent by a predetermined angle and is wider than the other sections. As a result, the capacitance in the vicinity of the terminal increases, and the physical length is shortened while keeping the electrical length constant. The antenna element 16 is made of, for example, copper foil. The antenna element 16 may be formed of other conductive materials. For example, the antenna element 16 may be formed by printing on the antenna element substrate 12 with conductive ink. Alternatively, the antenna element substrate 12 may have a structure in which two plastic films are stacked, and the antenna element 16 may be sandwiched between the two plastic films. The two antenna element substrates 12 constitute a half-wave dipole antenna. Note that a quarter-wave monopole antenna may be configured using only one antenna element substrate 12.

  FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the vehicle antenna before the amplifier substrate 44 is covered with the mold part. A feeding end 48 of the antenna element 16 is drawn out from the antenna element substrate 12, and the feeding end 48 is connected to the amplifier substrate 44. An amplifier (not shown) is mounted on the amplifier board 44, and each antenna element 16 is connected to the amplifier by a wiring pattern provided on the amplifier board 44. A coaxial cable 50 is connected to the amplifier board 44. That is, the inner conductor 52 of the coaxial cable 50 is connected to the amplifier via a wiring pattern provided on the amplifier board 44 and an impedance matching circuit provided on the amplifier board 44. The outer conductor 54 of the coaxial cable 50 is connected to the ground conductor of the amplifier board 44. If the impedance on the coaxial cable 50 side matches the impedance on the amplifier side, the impedance matching circuit may not be provided.

  With reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the process of forming the mold part 20 is demonstrated. In a state where the amplifier substrate 44 is fixed to the base portion 18 and each antenna element substrate 12 and the coaxial cable 50 are attached to the amplifier substrate 44, the molding material forming the mold portion 20 is the side surface of the plate-like member 19 and the cavity 30 A region extending from the opening to the upper side of the amplifier substrate 44 is covered.

  This step is performed by molding. That is, the mold material softened by heating covers the region extending from the side surface of the plate-like member 19 and the opening of the cavity 30 to the upper side of the amplifier substrate 44, and in this state, the mold material is cooled and cured. The softened mold material is cured after flowing into the cavity 30 and the groove 28 shown in FIG. Therefore, after the mold material is cured, the mold material is securely fixed to the base portion 18 and the mold portion 20 is formed. Instead of using such a thermoplastic material, a material that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays may be used as the mold material. In this case, after the mold material in the softened state covers the region extending from the side surface of the plate-like member 19 and the opening of the cavity 30 to the upper side of the amplifier substrate 44, the mold material may be irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

  By such a molding process, the mold part 20 covers the amplifier substrate 44 and is fixed to the base part 18. The coaxial cable 50 serving as an antenna feed line connected to the antenna element 16 and the amplifier substrate 44 is drawn out from the mold unit 20. Since the plate-like member 19 includes the cavity 30 and the groove 28 as a region into which the molding material enters, the mold part 20 is securely fixed to the base part 18.

  FIG. 6 shows a process of fixing the vehicle antenna to the vehicle accessory 60. The clamp part 22 formed in the base part is inserted into a fixing hole 58 provided in the vehicle accessory 60. The protruding structure of the clamp part 22 is caught by the vehicle accessory 60 in a state where the clamp part 22 is inserted into the fixing hole 58. Thereby, the main body 10 is fixed to the vehicle accessory 60. A cushion 56 is attached to the outer end of each antenna element substrate 12, and the outer end of each antenna element substrate 12 is fixed to the vehicle accessory 60 via the cushion 56. The cushion 56 is made of foamed polystyrene, sponge, plastic resin, or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a groove is cut in the cushion 56 in a direction parallel to the xy plane, and the antenna element substrate 12 is inserted into the groove. The cushion 56 is fixed to the vehicle accessory 60 with an adhesive, a double-sided tape, or the like, and the outer end of the antenna element substrate 12 is fixed to the vehicle accessory 60 via the cushion 56. As a result, the vibration of the antenna element substrate 12 is suppressed, and the force applied from the antenna element substrate 12 to the main body 10 is reduced.

  According to such a vehicle antenna, the vehicle antenna can be attached to the vehicle accessory 60 with a simple process. Further, since the vehicle antenna is fixed to the vehicle accessory 60 by the cushion 56 and the clamp portion 22, it is possible to avoid a large force from acting on a specific portion. Furthermore, the lower surface of the support part which the clamp part 22 has contacts the vehicle accessory part 60, and the wobbling of the main-body part 10 fixed to the vehicle accessory part 60 is suppressed.

  In the above description, the example in which the clamp portion is inserted into the fixing hole formed in the plate-like member has been described. The clamp part may be inserted into a cylindrical fixing hole opened in the vehicle accessory. In this case, for example, the protrusion is provided on the side surface of the cylindrical fixing hole, and the protrusion structure of the clamp portion is caught by the protrusion provided on the side surface of the fixing hole. Moreover, the dent which the protrusion structure of a clamp part enters into the side surface of a cylindrical fixing hole may be formed.

  FIG. 7 shows a vehicle 62 on which a vehicle antenna is mounted. The spoiler 64 as a vehicle accessory is formed of plastic resin or the like. The spoiler 64 shown in FIG. 7 is provided on the upper portion of the rear window 66 and has a bowl-like shape.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the upper lid of the casing of the spoiler 64 has been removed. The upper direction and the lower direction in FIG. 8 correspond to the rear direction and the front direction of the vehicle, respectively, and the left direction and the right direction in FIG. The spoiler 64 is fixed to the body by bolts passed through bolt holes provided at predetermined positions.

  The vehicle antenna 100 is fixed to a fixing hole formed in the spoiler 64, and the outside of each antenna element substrate 12 is fixed to the spoiler 64 via a cushion 56. The coaxial cable 50 is connected to a radio device in the vehicle through a cable insertion hole 68 formed in the spoiler 64. A signal received by each antenna element 16 is amplified by an amplifier provided in the main body 10 and then transmitted to the radio device via the coaxial cable 50.

  The vehicle antenna 100 is used, for example, as an antenna for receiving a digital television broadcast signal or a DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) signal. In addition to the vehicle antenna 100, the spoiler 64 may be provided with an antenna that receives each signal of medium wave radio broadcast or FM radio broadcast.

  The vehicle antenna according to the present invention may be provided in other vehicle accessory parts such as a bumper and an overhead console in the vehicle interior.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Main body part, 12 Antenna element board | substrate, 16 Antenna element, 18 Base part, 19 Plate-shaped member, 20 Mold part, 22 Clamp part, 26 Notch, 28 Groove, 30 Cavity, 32 Upper board, 34 Lower board, 36 Column , 38 Support part, 39 Protrusion structure, 40 Clamp part main body, 42 Substrate fixing claw, 44 Amplifier board, 46 Fixing recess, 48 Feeding end, 50 Coaxial cable, 52 Inner conductor, 54 Outer conductor, 56 Cushion, 58 Fixing hole, 60 Vehicle accessory, 62 Vehicle, 64 spoiler, 66 Rear window, 68 Cable insertion hole.

Claims (3)

An antenna element;
A base portion fixed to vehicle accessory parts;
A substrate disposed on the base portion and connected to the antenna element,
The base portion is
A clamp portion to be inserted into a hole provided in the vehicle accessory;
The vehicular antenna according to claim 1, wherein the clamp portion has a structure that is hooked on the vehicle accessory when inserted into the hole. The vehicle antenna according to claim 1, wherein
A mold part that covers the substrate and is fixed to the base part;
The vehicular antenna, wherein the antenna element and an antenna feed line connected to the substrate are drawn out from the mold part. The vehicle antenna according to claim 2, wherein
The base portion has a plate-like member,
In the plate-like member, an area into which the mold part enters is formed,
The substrate is disposed on one surface of the plate-like member,
The vehicular antenna, wherein the clamp portion is disposed on the other surface of the plate-like member.

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