JP3196969B2 - Manufacturing method of antenna module - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a small antenna module used for a portable communication device or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, small antenna modules as shown in FIGS. 13 to 20 have been used in portable communication devices and the like. This antenna module includes a metal foil member 11 as an antenna element conductor, a metal foil member 13 as a ground conductor, and a resin molded body 15 for keeping the shape and interval of these metal foil members 11 and 13 constant. It is composed of

As the metal foil members 11 and 13, a so-called FPC (flexible printed circuit) in which an insulating film and a copper foil (dotted portion) are bonded together is used. One of the metal foil members 11 is formed in a substantially flat Z shape having an outer U-turn portion 17 and an inner U-turn portion 18, as shown in FIGS. A power supply portion 19 is formed on one end of the metal foil member 11, and the other end is soldered to the outer U-turn portion 17 to form a loop. Due to the shape of the metal foil member 11, this antenna module is called a P-type. Further, the other metal foil member 13 has a shape in which both side edges of the plane portion are bent obliquely upward as shown in FIGS.

The resin molded body 15 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having an opening at one end, and a deep cut 21 formed in the upper half of the other end to match the shape of the metal foil member 11. . The surfaces of the metal foil members 11 and 13 on the insulating film side are bonded and fixed to the surface of the resin molding 15.

Conventionally, the following method has been employed to manufacture such an antenna module. First, one metal foil member 11 is bent and formed as shown in FIG. 21, and the other metal foil member 13 is bent and formed as shown in FIG. Metal foil members
An adhesive with a mold resin is applied to the surfaces of the insulating films 11 and 13 in advance.

Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the metal foil members 11 and 13 are connected to one mold 23 for molding a resin molded body.
Then, the other mold 25 is closed, the cavity 27 is filled with resin, and the resin molded body is molded. As a result, as shown in FIG.
Can be manufactured.

The end 29 of the metal foil member 11 where the loop is formed is folded as shown in FIGS. 21 and 23 during resin molding, and is raised after the resin molding as shown in FIGS. 14 and 20. And soldered to the outer U-turn portion 17.

A polyimide film or the like is used as the insulating film of the metal foil members 11 and 13 because heat resistance is required at the time of resin molding, and an epoxy-based adhesive is used as an adhesive with the resin molded body 15. . In addition, resin molding 15
An epoxy resin having excellent high frequency characteristics and a small molding shrinkage is used as the resin for the application.

[0009]

The conventional method for manufacturing an antenna module has the following problems. When the metal foil member is set on the inner surface of the mold, for example, the open end sides of the metal foil members 11 and 13 are separated from the inner surface of the mold 23 as shown by a dashed line in FIG.
In some cases, the resin 19 does not enter the metal mold 23 to a sufficient depth, so that the resin wraps around the outer surfaces of the metal foil members 11 and 13 and defects are likely to occur.

[0010] Since the position of the metal foil member is not stable,
The resin molding conditions (injection speed, pressure, etc.) are limited, and efficient molding work cannot be performed. It is difficult to correctly set a metal foil member at a predetermined position in a mold, and automation is difficult.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an antenna module which has solved the above-mentioned problems, and has a structure provided on an inner surface of a mold for molding a resin molded body for an antenna module. An antenna that sets a metal foil member for an antenna module bent into a predetermined shape, fills the mold with resin, molds the resin molded body, and simultaneously integrates the resin molded body and the metal foil member. In the module manufacturing method, when the metal foil member is set on the inner surface of the mold, a resin locking member that partially presses the bent portion and the open end of the metal foil member against the inner surface of the mold is set. It is characterized in that a resin molded body is formed by molding a resin so as to embed the locking member.

[0012]

In this manner, after the metal foil member is set in the mold, key portions such as the bent portion and the open end of the metal foil member are pressed against the inner surface of the mold by the locking member. The position of the metal foil member is stabilized, and the possibility that the metal foil member rises from the inner surface of the mold is eliminated. Further, since the metal foil member is pressed by the locking member, the setting work on the inner surface of the mold becomes easy.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a locking member 31 having a shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 is used. This locking member 31 is
A convex piece 33 that is set in a mold together with the metal foil members 11 and 13 formed as shown in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, and presses the outer U-turn portion 17 of one of the metal foil members 11 against the inner part of the mold. A pair of concave portions 35 for pressing the inner U-turn portion 18 of the metal foil member 11 against the mold, a rib portion 37 for pressing the end portion 29 side of the metal foil member 11 against the mold, and a mold for both side edges of the other metal foil member 13. A pair of bar portions 39 and the like pressed against the fin are integrally formed. The locking member 31 has a structure that is as thin as possible except for a portion necessary for pressing the key portions of the metal foil members 11 and 13 against the inner surface of the mold, and as much as possible.

In order to manufacture an antenna module using the locking member 31, first, the locking member 11 and FIGS.
After the metal foil members 11 and 13 formed as described above are combined as shown in FIG. 9, this combined body is set in a mold 23 as shown in FIG. As a result, the metal foil members 11 and 13 are locked members.
The position and the shape are stabilized because both sides are constrained by the mold 31 and the mold 23. Note that an adhesive is applied to the inner surfaces of the metal foil members 11 and 13 as in the related art.

Next, after closing the molds 23 and 25 as shown in FIG.
The cavity 27 is filled with a resin, and a resin molded body is molded. Thereafter, when the molds 23 and 25 are opened, an antenna module as shown in FIG. 12 is obtained. The resin molded body 15 of this antenna module has a structure in which a locking member 31 is embedded within a thickness thereof as shown by a dotted line. The end of the metal foil member 11
Raising 29 and soldering to the outer U-turn portion 17 is the same as in the prior art.

The locking member 31 is desirably formed of a resin similar to the molding resin in order to enhance the adhesiveness with the resin for molding the resin molded body 15. Also, when a high-precision resin is used for the locking member 31 and the dimensional accuracy of the antenna module is guaranteed by the locking member 31, the resin used for molding the resin molded body does not require much dimensional accuracy. The degree of freedom in selection can be increased in terms of, for example, specific gravity and coloring.

When the setting of the locking member in the mold is automated by a robot or the like, it is preferable to form a projection on the locking member for the robot to grip.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the metal foil member for the antenna module is set together with the locking member when the metal foil member is set in the mold. , And the occurrence of defects due to the mold resin wrapping around the outer surface of the metal foil member can be prevented. In addition, since the position of the metal foil member set in the mold is stabilized, the degree of freedom of the resin molding conditions is increased, and the cycle time can be shortened.

Further, the use of the locking member facilitates the work of setting the metal foil member at a predetermined position in the mold.
If necessary, the set of metal foil members can be automated by a robot or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a locking member used in the present invention.
The perspective view seen from the lower diagonal direction.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the locking member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the locking member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the locking member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the locking member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the locking member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the locking member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a front view showing the first stage of the method for manufacturing an antenna module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the next stage of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of an antenna module manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional antenna module.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the antenna module of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the antenna module of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a right side view of the antenna module of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a left side view of the antenna module of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 14;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 14;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 13;

FIG. 21 is an exemplary perspective view showing one metal foil member used for the antenna module of FIG. 13;

FIG. 22 is an exemplary perspective view showing the other metal foil member used for the antenna module of FIG. 13;

FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing a conventional method for manufacturing the antenna module of FIG. 13;

[Explanation of symbols]

 11: One metal foil member 13: The other metal foil member 15: Resin molded body 23, 25: Mold 27: Cavity 31: Locking member

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kenzo Kobayashi 2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-63-234601 (JP, A) JP-A-Hei 4-185003 (JP, A) JP-A 4-70767 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01Q 1/38 H01Q 1/24

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A metal foil member for an antenna module bent into a predetermined shape is set on an inner surface of a mold for molding a resin molded body for an antenna module, and the mold is filled with a resin to form a resin. Simultaneously with molding the body, in the method of manufacturing an antenna module for integrating the resin molded body and the metal foil member, when the metal foil member is set on the inner surface of the mold, the bent portion and the open end of the metal foil member A method for manufacturing an antenna module, comprising: setting a resin-made locking member that partially presses against the inner surface of a mold; and molding a resin so as to embed the locking member to form a resin molded body.