WO2021013624A1

WO2021013624A1 - Antenna device for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2021013624A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/069830
Authority: WO
Inventors: Florian Butscher; Johann FRISCH
Original assignee: Continental Automotive Gmbh
Priority date: 2019-07-19
Filing date: 2020-07-14
Publication date: 2021-01-28
Also published as: DE102019210710A1; DE102019210710B4

Abstract

The invention relates to an antenna device (1) for a motor vehicle (3), said antenna device having a PCB device (2) and a frame housing (4) for receiving the PCB device (2), and disposed on the PCB device (2) are at least one antenna (10) and at least one interface unit (11) of a wiring harness of the motor vehicle (3). According to the invention, the PCB device (2) has at least two rigid PCB sections (5) which are interconnected at least via one flexible PCB section (6) of the PCB device (2). The PCB device (2) is mechanically fastened to the frame housing (4) at least at the at least two rigid PCB sections (5). The at least two rigid PCB sections (5) are interspaced and arranged plane-parallel relative to one another. Each of the at least two rigid PCB sections (5) has mutually opposing inner faces (15).

Description

description

Antenna device for an automobile and an automobile

The invention relates to an antenna device for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle with an antenna device.

Intelligent antenna devices of motor vehicles are preferred in

Antenna housings arranged on a vehicle roof of the

Motor vehicle are arranged. These antenna devices on the

Vehicle roofs are also known as flais fin antennas or shark antennas. It has recently become common practice to replace flafish fin antennas with so-called hidden antennas. The antenna device is arranged in the roof. Specifically, the antenna device can be arranged on or in a metal cavity, in particular a cross member. The

The antenna device is arranged under a plastic or glass cover. Through this plastic or glass cover you can

electromagnetic waves are sent and / or received, so that a fish fin antenna on a tin roof is no longer necessary. According to the current state of the art, they have several different circuit boards. It is common to use several circuit boards to which a respective function is assigned. For example, three circuit boards can be used. Some of the components sit on an electronic circuit board and have control units for processing signals. On a

Antenna circuit board are antennas, which can be patch antennas or plate antennas, for example. Another circuit board has plug connectors for the motor vehicle architecture and enables connection to a motor vehicle wiring harness. The use of multiple circuit boards requires many connections or board-to-board connectors between the different circuit boards in order to enable the exchange of signals. These

Connections and board-to-board connectors have different height levels. As a result, an optimized distribution of electronic components on the circuit boards is not possible, and the circuit boards arranged in a nested manner limit the design options, so that efficient use of a volume is limited. This limits the possibilities for reducing the dimensions of the antenna devices.

It is thus an object to reduce a space requirement of the circuit boards

Reduce antenna device.

The object is achieved by the subjects of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments of the invention result from

Features of the dependent claims, the following description and the figures.

The invention provides an antenna device for a motor vehicle. The antenna device has a circuit board device and a frame housing for receiving the circuit board device. On the

Circuit board devices are at least one antenna and at least one

Arranged interface unit of a wiring harness of the motor vehicle. In other words, the invention relates to the printed circuit board device of the antenna device arranged in the frame housing. The circuit board device has the at least one antenna and the at least one interface unit for connection to the cable harness of the motor vehicle. The antenna device can for example be provided for arrangement on or in a roof or a cross member of the motor vehicle. The antenna device can for example be arranged in an antenna housing on the roof of the vehicle. The antenna device can also be arranged in or on a metal cavity of a cross member under a plastic or glass cover of the roof. The antenna device can for example receive a

Be designed satellite navigation signal, a WLAN signal or a cellular signal. The interface unit can, for example, be a plug which is set up to connect the antenna device to a bus system of the motor vehicle. It is provided that the circuit board device is at least two rigid

Has printed circuit board sections that have at least one flexible

Circuit board portion of the circuit board device are connected to one another. In other words, the circuit board device is a rigid-flex circuit board, the surface sections of which differ from one another in terms of their mechanical flexibility

distinguish. The surface sections can be divided into flexible circuit board sections and rigid circuit board sections, with the flexible

Circuit board sections mechanically connect the rigid circuit board sections to one another. The circuit board sections can for example have layers of polyimide, the rigid circuit board sections, for example, additionally reinforcing layers made of steel, aluminum, copper or

May have epoxy resin-glass fabric composite. The

Reinforcing layers can increase the flexural strength of the rigid circuit board sections compared to the flexible circuit board sections. It is provided that the printed circuit board device is rigid at least on the at least two

Circuit board sections is mechanically attached to the frame housing. In other words, the circuit board device is mechanically connected to the

Frame housing connected. The fastening can take place for example by means of clamps or screws on the at least two rigid circuit board sections. The at least two rigid circuit board sections are spaced apart and arranged plane-parallel to one another. In other words, the at least two rigid circuit board sections have an identical orientation and a distance from one another. The at least two rigid circuit board sections each have opposite inner surfaces. In other words is a respective one

Inner surface of one of the rigid circuit board sections arranged opposite the respective inner surface of the other circuit board section. It can

For example, it can be provided that the circuit board device has the at least two rigid circuit board sections, these being connected to one another by the at least one flexible circuit board section. The flexible printed circuit board section can have a bending stiffness which makes it possible to bend the flexible printed circuit board section, so that the inner surfaces of the respective rigid printed circuit boards of the section can be arranged opposite one another and at a distance from one another. The two rigid circuit board sections can be in this final assembly position to be attached to the frame housing of the antenna device, so that in this final assembly position by the

Frame housing can be fixed.

The invention has the advantage that printed circuit boards arranged one above the other are replaced by a coherent printed circuit board device. As a result, connecting elements or plug connections can be saved and the space required by the antenna device can be reduced.

A further development of the invention provides that the circuit board device has at least one rigid secondary circuit board section which is mechanically connected to one of the at least two rigid circuit board sections via at least one flexible secondary circuit board section. The rigid one

The secondary circuit board section is perpendicular to the rigid one

PCB section aligned. In other words, the

Circuit board device in addition to the rigid circuit board sections at least one rigid secondary circuit board section. This is aligned at 90 ° to one of the rigid circuit board sections. The at least one rigid secondary circuit board section is flexible over the at least one

Sub-circuit board section with one of the at least two rigid

Circuit board sections mechanically connected. The sub-circuit board sections can each have the same layers as the corresponding ones

Printed circuit board sections. It can be provided, for example, that the

Circuit board device is arranged in the frame housing of the antenna device in such a way that the rigid circuit board sections are aligned in the final assembly position in a horizontal plane, while the at least one rigid secondary circuit board section is aligned in a vertical plane. This results in the advantage that components which must have a different orientation than components on the rigid circuit board sections can be arranged on the at least one secondary circuit board section. These can be plug connections or antennas, for example. A further development of the invention provides that the at least one is rigid

Sub-circuit board section is mechanically attached to the frame housing. In other words, the sub-circuit board section is screwed or clamped to the frame housing. It can for example be provided that the flexible secondary circuit board section is bent in such a way that the rigid

Secondary circuit board section in the final assembly position has an angle of 90 ° with one of the rigid circuit board sections and in this

Final assembly position is clamped or screwed to the frame housing.

This has the advantage that the position and orientation of the

Sub-circuit board section is fixed by the frame housing.

A further development of the invention provides that the at least one

Interface unit on which at least one rigid secondary circuit board section is arranged. In other words, the at least one interface unit is attached to the at least one rigid secondary circuit board section. This has the advantage that plug connections can be arranged with an orientation perpendicular to the rigid circuit board sections.

A further development of the invention provides that the at least one antenna is arranged on one of the at least two rigid circuit board sections. In other words, the at least one antenna is located on at least one of the at least two rigid circuit board sections. It is possible, for example, for at least one antenna to be arranged on a respective of the at least two rigid circuit board sections, which antenna corresponds to a respective

Transmission standard can be assigned.

A further development of the invention provides that the circuit board device has at least one electrical component which is arranged on one of the at least two circuit board sections, which has a heat dissipation area of the

Contacted frame housing. In other words, the at least one electrical component is arranged on the circuit board device, the

Circuit board device is fastened in the frame housing in such a way that the electrical component rests against the heat dissipation area of the frame housing. This has the advantage that heat can be dissipated from the electrical component via the frame housing.

A further development of the invention provides that the at least one flexible printed circuit board section has at least one electrical connection element which is electrically conductive for the at least two of the rigid printed circuit board sections

connects with each other. In other words, the at least two rigid circuit board sections are connected to one another via the electrically conductive connecting element of the at least one flexible circuit board section. This results in the advantage that no electrical plug connection or cables are required between the rigid circuit board sections. It can be provided, for example, that a wire or a copper track is arranged on the at least one flexible circuit board section, by means of which components on the different rigid circuit board sections are connected to one another.

The invention also includes a motor vehicle that has at least one

Having antenna device.

The invention also includes further developments of the invention

Motor vehicle that have features as they have already been described in connection with the developments of the antenna device according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention are not described again here.

The invention also includes the combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below. This shows:

1 shows a circuit board device of a

Antenna device for a motor vehicle

2 shows an underside of the circuit board device; 3 shows a top side of the circuit board device in FIG

Final assembly position with frame housing;

FIG. 4 shows an underside of the circuit board device in FIG

Final assembly position without frame housing;

FIG. 5 shows an upper side of the circuit board device in FIG

Final assembly position without frame housing;

6 shows a cross section through the antenna device;

7 shows the underside of the antenna device;

Fig. 8 shows the underside of the antenna device in the

Outer casing; and

9 shows the antenna device on a cross member of the motor vehicle.

The exemplary embodiment explained below is a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the described components of the embodiment each represent individual features of the invention that are to be considered independently of one another, which also develop the invention independently of one another and are therefore to be regarded as part of the invention individually or in a combination other than the one shown. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

In the figures, functionally identical elements are in each case with the same

Provided with reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows a circuit board device of an antenna device for a

Motor vehicle. The circuit board device 2 is shown in Fig. 1 in a Pre-assembly position before installation in the frame housing 4 is shown. The circuit board device 2 can have at least two rigid circuit board sections 5, which can be connected to one another, for example, via two flexible circuit board sections 6. The flexible printed circuit board sections 6 can thus make it possible for the printed circuit board device 2 to be folded up, wherein the flexible printed circuit board sections 6 can act in a manner similar to a hinge. The circuit board device 2 can be designed such that the at least two rigid circuit board sections 5 are arranged by bending the flexible circuit board sections 6 in a final assembly position such that the at least two rigid circuit board sections 5 can be spaced apart and arranged plane-parallel to one another. The at least two rigid circuit board sections 5 can each have opposite main planes to one another. The circuit board device 2 can be at least one rigid

Have secondary circuit board section 7, which has at least one flexible secondary circuit board section 8 on at least one of the rigid

Circuit board sections 5 can be arranged. The circuit board device 2 can be shaped such that it is possible, in the final assembly position, to rigidly the at least one rigid secondary circuit board section 7 by means of the at least one flexible secondary circuit board section 8 perpendicular to the at least two

Align PCB sections 5. It can be provided that electronic components 9 can be arranged on each of the rigid circuit board sections 5 and the rigid secondary circuit board sections 7. This can be antennas 10, for example, which can be patch or plate antennas in particular. It can be provided that at least one interface unit 11 can be arranged on the at least one rigid secondary circuit board section 7. This can make it possible, for example, to make contact with the printed circuit board device 2 perpendicular to the rigid ones

Circuit board sections 5 can be made possible. The circuit board device 2 can have at least one electrical connection element 12 which electrically connects at least two of the rigid circuit board sections 5 to one another via the at least one flexible circuit board section 6. This can be, for example, a copper conductive path which is on the flexible

Circuit board sections 6 can be applied. The circuit board device 2 may have fastening elements 13, such as bores, for example, in order to enable the printed circuit board device 2 to be fastened to the frame housing 4.

The circuit board device 2 can be a highly integrated and stacked multiflex circuit board that includes all functions, services and

Can provide interfaces to the vehicle 3. By using the Multiflex circuit board instead of several individual circuit boards, a more efficient use of the installation space can be achieved. The circuit board device 2 allows greater freedom in the arrangement of the

Interface units 11 have a reduced installation space height compared to the prior art.

Here, the plug direction of the interface units 11 to

Automotive wiring harness can be oriented in any direction. Due to the connection elements 12, separate board-to-board connections between individual circuit boards are not necessary. Unwound in the pre-assembly position, the printed circuit board device 2 can be handled like a standard printed circuit board and thus also with electronic components 9 on both sides, in particular with SMDs

(Surface-mounted devices / surface-mounted components) can be equipped.

The antenna device 1 can be installed in trucks, trains and utility vehicles that use highly integrated and stacked circuit boards. The antenna device 1 can be set up as an IAM (intelligent highly integrated antenna module) for providing services such as AM, FM, GPS-GNSS, SDARS, telephone, DSDA, C2X, RKE, TPS, WLAN, DRM, workshop diagnostics. The components, functions and antennas for realizing the services could be accommodated on just a single PCB (ECU or TCU). Connector or

Board-to-board connectors between the functional areas could thus be dispensed with. This can save costs, installation space and a

Overall height of the antenna device 1 due to the omission of the board-to-board connector and additional circuit boards. The installation space can be optimally used by aligning the connector in the required plug-in direction. Fig. 2 shows an underside of the circuit board device. The circuit board device 2 shown can be arranged in the pre-assembly position. The inner surfaces 15 of the rigid circuit board sections 5 can be seen. In the final assembly position of the circuit board device 2

be arranged opposite one another. On one of the inner surfaces 15 can

for example a NAD telephone module can be arranged. An interface unit 11 can be arranged on the inner surface 15 of another rigid circuit board section 5.

Fig. 3 shows an upper side of the circuit board device in the final assembly position with frame housing. In the final assembly position, the circuit board device 2 can be shaped such that two of the inner surfaces 15 of the rigid

Circuit board sections 5 are arranged opposite one another. The electronic components 9 on the circuit board device 2 can be rigid on both the inner surfaces 15 and the outer surfaces 16 of the circuit board device 2

Printed circuit board sections 5 can be arranged. In the final assembly position, the rigid secondary circuit board sections 7 can be rotated through an angle of 90 ° to one of the rigid circuit board sections 5, so that they can be arranged perpendicular to the rigid circuit board sections 5. As a result, it can be possible for one of the interface units 11, for example a plug or a socket, to be arranged perpendicular to the rigid printed circuit board sections 5. To the circuit board device 2 in the predetermined

To be able to fasten the final assembly position, the circuit board device 2 can be attached to the fastening element 13, for example by means of screws in the

Frame housing 4 be attached. The screws can go through the

Fastening elements 13 extend and be screwed into threads of the frame housing 4. The frame housing 4 can, for example, a

Have aluminum alloy or steel. The frame housing 4 can also be a die-cast zinc.

The invention provides a circuit board device 2 or mainboard (ECU or TCU with patch antennas and connectors) that is supported by the special flexible circuit board sections 6 at precisely defined points of the circuit board device 2 movable connections of the rigid

PCB sections 5 may have. The flexible circuit board sections 6 can enable the circuit board device 2 to be bent and folded into a predetermined position. This circuit board device 2, which can be designed as a flexible circuit board, can be screwed or fastened onto the frame housing 4, which can be a chassis or a frame or a carrier made of die-cast zinc or aluminum. This allows the

Printed circuit board device 2 are stabilized and shielded in the final assembly position.

Fig. 4 shows an underside of the circuit board device in the final assembly position without a frame housing. In the illustration, the circuit board device 2 is shown in the final assembly position without the frame housing 4. Through the rigid secondary circuit board section 7, which has been rotated by 90 °, plug connections are accessible as interface units 1 1, so that the bottom of the

Circuit board device 2 can be connected, for example, to a cable harness of motor vehicle 3. One of the interface units 1 1 can be on one of the inner surfaces 15 of the circuit board device 2 on one of the rigid

Printed circuit board sections 5 can be arranged. The opposite, rigid

Circuit board section 5 can have a recess so that it is possible to connect the interface unit 11 to an external cable.

Fig. 5 shows an upper side of the circuit board device in the final assembly position without a frame housing.

6 shows a cross section through the antenna device. The

Circuit board device 2 can be screwed into the frame housing 4, which can be arranged in an outer housing 17 of the antenna device 1. The outer housing 17 can have turns in order to fasten the antenna device 1 to the motor vehicle 3 by means of screws 18

enable. Fig. 7 shows the underside of the antenna device. The circuit board device 2 can be at least partially enclosed by the frame housing 4 and the outer housing 17. The interface units 11 can be connected through an opening on the underside of the frame housing 4 and the outer housing 17 by means of a cable.

Fig. 8 shows the underside of the antenna device in the outer housing. In the outer housing 17, in addition to the circuit board device 2,

Antenna devices 19 can be arranged, which can be connected to the circuit board device 2. The frame housing 4 can have a heat dissipation region 20 on the underside. This can be a depression which can lie against an electronic component 9 of the circuit board device 2. This can make it possible to dissipate heat from the component via the heat dissipation region 20.

Fig. 9 shows the antenna device on a cross member of the motor vehicle. The cross member 21 can, for example, be a component of a roof of the

Motor vehicle 3 be. The antenna device 1 can be arranged under a glass cover or a plastic cover.

Overall, the example shows how the invention creates a multi-flex

Circuit board device can be provided in a central unit of an antenna device.

Claims

1 . Antenna device (1) for a motor vehicle (3), comprising a

Circuit board device (2) and a frame housing (4) for receiving the circuit board device (2), at least one antenna (10) and at least one interface unit (11) of a cable harness of the motor vehicle (3) being arranged on the circuit board device (2),

characterized in that

the circuit board device (2) has at least two rigid circuit board sections (5) which have at least one flexible circuit board section (6) of the

Circuit board device (2) are connected to one another, wherein

- The circuit board device (2) is mechanically fastened to the frame housing (4) at least on the at least two rigid circuit board sections (5),

- The at least two rigid circuit board sections (5) spaced apart and

are arranged plane-parallel to one another, and

- The at least two rigid circuit board sections (5) each

have opposite inner surfaces (15) to one another.

2. Antenna device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit board device (2) has at least one rigid secondary circuit board section (7) which is mechanically connected to one of the at least two rigid circuit board sections (5) via at least one flexible secondary circuit board section (8) wherein the rigid secondary circuit board section (7) is aligned perpendicular to the rigid circuit board section (5).

3. Antenna device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one rigid secondary circuit board section (7) mechanically on the

Frame housing (4) is attached.

4. Antenna device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the at least one interface unit (1 1) is arranged on the at least one rigid secondary circuit board section (7).

5. Antenna device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one antenna (10) is arranged on one of the at least two rigid circuit board sections (5).

6. Antenna device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circuit board device (2) has at least one electrical component (9) which is rigid on one of the at least two

Circuit board sections (5) is arranged and contacts a heat dissipation area (20) of the frame housing (4).

7. Antenna device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circuit board device (2) has at least one electrical connecting element (12), the at least two of the rigid

Circuit board sections (5) electrically connects to one another.

8. Motor vehicle (3), having at least one antenna device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7.