JP4692103B2 - In-vehicle antenna and monitor device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a monitoring device mounted on a vehicle antenna Contact and vehicles for which mounted are for example car Wireless LAN communication in the vehicle.

As one of the configurations for realizing Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication and in-vehicle wireless LAN communication in a vehicle interior, a configuration in which an in-vehicle antenna is mounted on electromultivision (hereinafter referred to as EMV) mounted on an instrument panel. Yes (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-129138 A

  By the way, in what was described in the above-mentioned patent document 1, the vehicle-mounted antenna is comprised from the planar antenna, and the planar antenna is mounted on the EMV board | substrate provided in the back | inner side (vehicle front end side) of EMV. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted antenna is provided on the back side of the EMV. On the other hand, in consideration of the direction of arrival of radio waves, it is desirable to provide a vehicle-mounted antenna as close to the direction of arrival of radio waves as possible, that is, the front side of the EMV (the vehicle interior side).

  Therefore, by mounting the planar antenna described in Patent Document 1 above, for example, on the front surface of the escutcheon or on the side of the LCD monitor, the in-vehicle antenna can be provided as much as possible in the vehicle interior, and the antenna characteristics can be improved. It is thought that you can. However, in a configuration in which the planar antenna is simply mounted on the front of the escutcheon or the side of the LCD monitor, for example, the planar antenna is mounted in an exposed state, and the planar antenna is directly viewed, so that the aesthetics are improved. There is a problem of losing. It is also conceivable to cover the planar antenna with a cover member so as not to impair the aesthetics. However, this requires a cover member for covering the planar antenna, which increases the number of parts and increases the cost. There is a problem that man-hours increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and the object thereof is to improve antenna characteristics by providing as much as possible inside the vehicle interior without impairing aesthetics or increasing the number of parts. it is to provide a vehicle-mounted antenna you and monitor device can be.

  According to the in-vehicle antenna of the first aspect, the metal frame provided in the monitor device disposed in the vehicle interior so as to surround the LCD monitor, and the escutcheon at the front portion of the metal frame is the metal frame. An inverted L-shaped radiating element integrally provided at a predetermined portion covered by escutcheon in a state of being normally assembled to the frame, and a metal frame is used as a ground of the radiating element. Thus, an inverted F antenna is constructed.

  Thus, since the radiating element can be covered with the escutcheon, it can be avoided that the radiating element is directly viewed, and it is possible to avoid impairing the appearance. Moreover, since a cover member for covering the radiating element can be eliminated, an increase in the number of parts can be avoided in advance. Furthermore, since the radiating element can be provided at a predetermined portion of the front surface portion of the metal frame, that is, the radiating element can be provided as much as possible inside the vehicle cabin, the antenna characteristics can be improved.

  In addition, the radiating element can be configured integrally with the metal frame, that is, the radiating element can be formed with the same electrical conditions with respect to the metal frame, so that the standardization of the vehicle-mounted antenna can be achieved, Development man-hours, evaluations, and product numbers can be reduced. Furthermore, if the vehicle type is the same, the mounting location of the in-vehicle antenna is not different for each vehicle, so that the antenna adjustment after mounting the in-vehicle antenna can be made unnecessary.

Further , since the radiating element is made of the same metal material as the metal frame, the radiating element can be easily formed.
Furthermore , since the radiating element is composed of a member integrally formed with the metal frame, the radiating element can be formed in the work process of forming the metal frame, and the radiating element can be efficiently formed. .

According to the monitor device of the second aspect , the escutcheon is covered with the escutcheon in a state in which the escutcheon is normally assembled to the metal frame on the front surface of the metal frame provided to surround the periphery of the LCD monitor. An inverted L-shaped radiating element is integrally provided at the site, a metal frame is used as the ground of the radiating element, and an inverted F antenna is configured by the radiating element and the metal frame.

Thereby, the same effect as that described in claim 1 can be obtained.
That is, it is possible to avoid damaging the aesthetics, to avoid an increase in the number of parts, and to be provided as much as possible in the interior of the vehicle as much as possible to improve antenna characteristics. Can do. In addition, standardization of the in-vehicle antenna can be achieved, development man-hours, evaluation, and product number can be reduced, and further, antenna adjustment after mounting the in-vehicle antenna can be made unnecessary.

Further, the radiating element, which is configured of the same metal material and a metal frame, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those described in claim 1 described above, i.e., to easily form the radiating elements Can do.
Further, since the radiating element is constituted by a member integrally formed with the metal frame, the same effect as that described in claim 1 can be obtained, that is, an operation step of forming the metal frame. The radiating element can be molded in the casing, and the radiating element can be efficiently molded.

  Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention, electromultivision (hereinafter referred to as EMV) is applied as a monitor device, and an antenna used for Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication or in-vehicle wireless LAN communication is applied as an in-vehicle antenna. The case will be described with reference to the drawings. The EMV here means a display function for displaying various display information such as map information input from the car navigation device, music information input from the audio device, and outside air temperature information input from the outside air temperature sensor. And an input function for accepting an input from a user (occupant) through a touch panel.

  First, FIG. 2 shows a state where the EMV is decomposed. The EMV 1 includes an escutcheon (operation panel) 2, a switch board 3, a first circuit board 4, an LCD monitor 5, a metal frame 6, a second circuit board 7, a shield case 8, a third circuit board 9, a frame 10, The cover 11 is composed of parts such as the cover 11, and the escutcheon 2 is arranged on the front side (vehicle interior side) when viewed from the vehicle interior in a state where these components are assembled, and the cover 11 is on the rear side (vehicle front end side). It is configured to be mounted by being embedded in an instrument panel (not shown) so as to be disposed on the instrument panel.

  In the escutcheon 2, a plurality of operation buttons 2 a to 2 h operated by the user are mechanically arranged on the lower side thereof, and various display information displayed on the LCD monitor 5 can be visually recognized by the user. A frame portion 12 having a shape in which a central portion is extracted in a rectangular shape is formed. The switch board 3 is disposed at a position corresponding to the operation buttons 2a to 2h on the back side of the escutcheon 2, and is configured to electrically detect the operation of the operation buttons 2a to 2h by the user with a switch component. ing. Various electronic components are mounted on the first circuit board 4 and disposed below the LCD monitor 5 in a direction orthogonal to the LCD monitor 5.

  The LCD monitor 5 has a display function for displaying various types of display information such as map information, music information, and outside air temperature information, and has an input function for receiving user input via a touch panel. It is configured to be assembled to the metal frame 6. Various electronic components are mounted on the second circuit board 7 and disposed on the back side of the LCD monitor 5. The shield case 8 is configured in a shape that can be accommodated while the second circuit board 7 is shielded therein. Various electronic components are mounted on the second circuit board 9 and arranged on the back side of the shield case 8. The frame 9 is configured to cover the side surfaces of the shield case 8 and the third circuit board 9, and the cover 10 is attached to the frame 9 and is on the back side of the third circuit board 9. It is comprised so that it may cover.

  Next, the configuration of the metal frame 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The metal frame 6 is formed by processing a metal material (conductive material) into a frame shape having a size corresponding to the outer dimensions of the LCD monitor 5 (for example, a shape divided into 7 inches, 8 inches, 9 inches, etc.) In a state where the escutcheon 2 is normally assembled to the metal frame 6, the escutcheon 2 is configured in a frame shape that covers the entire metal frame 6. The metal frame 6 is covered with the escutcheon 2 in this way, so that direct visual observation is avoided and mechanical protection is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an inverted L-shaped radiating element 13 is integrally formed at a predetermined portion of the front side portion 6 a of the metal frame 6 and for supplying power to the radiating element 13. A cable caulking portion 15 for caulking and fixing the coaxial cable 14 is also integrally formed. In this case, the position where the cable caulking portion 15 is formed is a position where the reverse L-shaped radiating element 13 does not electrically affect the normal functioning as an antenna. This is the position of the left side of the radiating element 13. The radiation element 13 and the cable caulking portion 15 are formed by the following procedure.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the conductive flat plate member 16 is cut into a shape including an inverted L shape and a rectangular shape, and a portion 17 cut into an inverted L shape is indicated by a broken line “A1” in FIG. The radiating element 13 is integrally formed by being bent at a substantially right angle as a folding line, and the portion 18 cut into a rectangular shape is bent at a substantially right angle with the broken line “A2” in FIG. The cable caulking portion 15 is integrally formed by being folded back into an arc shape as a whole. In this way, the metal frame 6 is formed by pressing, and at the same time, the radiating element 13 and the cable caulking portion 15 are integrally formed by pressing. Then, after the radiation element 13 and the cable caulking portion 15 are integrally formed in this way, the flat plate member 16 is bent at a substantially right angle with the broken line “A3” in FIG. And an upper surface portion 6b are formed. In FIG. 2, the cable caulking portion 15 is omitted.

  The coaxial cable 14 is fixed to the metal frame 6 by caulking an intermediate portion of the sheath 19 with a predetermined caulking tool at the cable caulking portion 15. In addition, the inner conductor 20 of the coaxial cable 14 is electrically connected in a state in which the tip portion 20 a is soldered to a predetermined portion of the radiating element 13 with the solder 21. A point where the inner conductor 20 is connected is a feeding point. In this case, the connection point where the inner conductor 20 of the coaxial cable 14 is connected to the radiating element 13 is the distance from the distal end portion 13a of the radiating element 13 to the connection point (see “L” in FIG. 3). “2.4 GHz” band radio wave) A position corresponding to a length of approximately one quarter of one wavelength.

  The outer conductor 22 of the coaxial cable 14 is electrically connected in a state where the tip 22 a is soldered to a predetermined portion of the metal frame 6 with solder 23. Thus, the metal frame 6 is used as the ground of the radiating element 13, and the radiating element 13 and the metal frame 6 constitute an inverted F antenna 24. Further, the coaxial cable 14 is configured such that the base end portion thereof is connected to one of the circuit boards via a connector 25 (see FIG. 1).

  By the way, the position where the radiating element 13 is formed in the metal frame 6 in the above-described configuration is that not only the high-frequency current flows through the radiating element 13 but also the high-frequency current flows through the metal frame 6. This is a position where the maximum characteristic is taken into consideration, and is a position where the high-frequency current flowing through the radiating element 13 and the current flowing through the metal frame 6 are in phase. This is because if the radiating element 13 is formed at a position where the high-frequency current flowing through the radiating element 13 and the current flowing through the metal frame 6 are in opposite phases, the high-frequency current flowing through the radiating element 13 and the metal frame 6 flow. This is because currents weaken each other (cancel each other) and it is difficult to obtain sufficient characteristics.

  In the above configuration, the case where the inverted F antenna 24 is an antenna for Bluetooth communication or in-vehicle wireless LAN communication has been described. However, for example, an antenna for a keyless entry system or an antenna for spot communication may be used. May be. Further, the above has described the case where one radiating element 13 is formed on the metal frame 6, but two or more radiating elements are formed on the metal frame 6, and diversity is achieved by these two or more radiating elements. The configuration may be such that reception is performed.

  Furthermore, the above describes the case where the radiation element 13 and the cable caulking portion 15 are integrally formed by cutting a predetermined portion of the conductive flat plate member 16 into an inverted L shape and a rectangular shape. As shown in FIG. 5, a predetermined portion of the conductive flat plate member 26 is cut into a reverse L shape and a rectangular shape, and a portion 27 cut into the reverse L shape has a broken line “B1” in FIG. The radiating element 13 is integrally formed by being bent at a substantially right angle as a folding curve, and the rectangular cut-out portion 28 is bent at a substantially right angle with the broken line “B2” in FIG. 5A as a folding curve. A configuration in which the cable caulking portion 15 is integrally formed by being folded back in an overall arc shape later may be employed. Also in this case, after the radiation element 13 and the cable caulking portion 15 are integrally formed, the flat plate member 26 is bent at a substantially right angle with the broken line “B3” in FIG. A portion 6b is formed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the escutcheon 2 is normally assembled to the metal frame 6 in the front surface portion 6 a of the metal frame 6 provided so as to surround the periphery of the LCD monitor 5. The reverse L-shaped radiating element 13 is integrally provided at a predetermined portion covered with the escutcheon 2, the metal frame 6 is used as the ground of the radiating element 13, and the inverted F antenna 24 is configured from the radiating element 13 and the metal frame 6. Therefore, it is possible to avoid deteriorating the aesthetic appearance, to avoid an increase in the number of parts, and to be provided on the indoor side as much as possible to improve the antenna characteristics. it can.

  Further, since the radiating element 13 can be formed integrally with the metal frame 6, that is, the radiating element 13 can be formed with respect to the metal frame 6 under the same electrical condition, the standardization of the inverted F antenna 24 is possible. It is also possible to reduce the development man-hour, evaluation, and product number. Furthermore, if the vehicle type is the same, the mounting location of the inverted F antenna 24 is not different for each vehicle, so that antenna adjustment after mounting the inverted F antenna 24 can be made unnecessary.

Further, since the radiating element 13 is made of the same metal material as that of the metal frame 6, the radiating element 13 can be easily formed, and the radiating element 13 is made of a member integrally formed with the metal frame 6, so that the metal The radiating element 13 can be formed in the work process of forming the frame 6, and the radiating element 13 can be efficiently formed.
Further, since the coaxial cable 14 is configured to be fixed to the cable caulking portion 15, the connection point between the inner conductor 20 of the coaxial cable 14 and the radiating element 13 and the connection between the outer conductor 22 of the coaxial cable 14 and the metal frame 6. It is possible to relieve the stress acting on the points, and to avoid mechanical disconnection of those electrical connections. Further, in the molding procedure shown in FIG. 4, the radiating element 13 is integrally formed by bending the portion 17 cut into the inverted L shape from the lower side, so that the portion 27 cut out into the inverted L shape is bent from the upper side. Mechanical strength can be ensured as compared with the case where the radiating element 13 is integrally formed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
A configuration may be employed in which the radiating element is joined to the metal frame after the radiating element is formed by an operation process different from that of the metal frame.
The portion where the radiating element is formed is not limited to the upper side portion on the front surface portion of the metal frame, but may be any of the lower side portion, the right side portion, and the left side portion on the front surface portion of the metal frame.

The external appearance perspective view which shows the metal frame of one Embodiment of this invention External perspective view showing a state in which components are disassembled External perspective view showing the radiating element The figure which shows the aspect by which a radiation element and a cable crimping part are shape | molded 4 equivalent diagram

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is an EMV (monitor device), 2 is an escutcheon, 5 is an LCD monitor, 6 is a metal frame, 6a is a front surface part, 13 is a radiating element, and 24 is an inverted F antenna (vehicle antenna).

Claims (2)

An in-vehicle antenna mounted on a vehicle,
A metal frame provided around the LCD monitor in the monitor device disposed in the passenger compartment;
An inverted L-shaped radiating element integrally provided at a predetermined site covered by the escutcheon in a state where the escutcheon is normally assembled to the metal frame in the front part of the metal frame;
The metal frame is used as a ground of the radiating element, and an inverted F antenna is configured from the radiating element and the metal frame ,
The in-vehicle antenna , wherein the radiating element is composed of a member made of the same metal material as the metal frame and integrally formed with the metal frame . A monitor device comprising a metal frame mounted on a vehicle and provided to surround the periphery of an LCD monitor,
An inverted L-shaped radiating element is integrally provided at a predetermined portion of the front surface of the metal frame and covered with the escutcheon in a state where the escutcheon is normally assembled to the metal frame, and the metal frame is provided with the radiation. Used as a ground of an element, an inverted F antenna is constructed from the radiating element and the metal frame,
The radiating element is composed of a member made of the same metal material as the metal frame and formed integrally with the metal frame.

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