roof antenna

Abstract

A roof antenna for a vehicle has a cover connected to a base via a latching unit. The latching unit includes a latching hook releasably engaged behind a resilient latching lug.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a roof antenna for a vehicle. Such roof antennas are known in many varieties, for example, in the field of motor vehicle technology and are generally fixed at an opening in the roof of the vehicle. Individual antenna elements, electronic components or GPS receivers are accommodated in a protected manner underneath the cover. SUMMARY

[0002] The object of the invention is to provide a roof antenna for a vehicle which can be produced in a particularly cost-saving manner, can be installed in a simple manner and can be easily detached in a non-destructive manner.

[0003] The solution to this object is achieved by the features of claim 1, in particular by a roof antenna having a cover which is connected to a base plate via a latching unit, the latching unit comprising a plurality of latching hooks which engage behind resilient latching lugs. Furthermore, a recess is provided in the base plate in the region of the latching unit, which recess makes it possible to engage a tool for releasing the engagement. The antenna elements can be fixed to the base plate.

[0004] The roof antenna according to the invention can be produced in a very cost-saving manner and can be installed in a simple manner, wherein the cover is latched to the base plate via a latching unit. When the roof antenna needs to be repaired or replaced, the base plate and the cover can be released from one another in a simple manner, wherein a tool is introduced into the recess in order to release the engagement between the latching hooks and the latching lugs.

[0005] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the description, the drawings and the dependent claims.

[0006] According to a first advantageous embodiment, the base plate can be made of metal, wherein the latching hooks are integrally formed as a single piece at the base plate. Thus, on the one hand, a very stable structure is produced, and on the other hand, a screen is formed at the same time in the direction of the interior of the vehicle.

[0007] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the cover can be made of plastic, wherein the latching lugs are integrally formed as a single piece in the interior of the cover. Thus, the entire cover produces an attractive appearance, and the base plate can be arranged in the interior of the cover and / or can be surrounded by the cover at its outer periphery. At the same time, the latching unit is thus accommodated in a protected manner in the interior of the cover.

[0008] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the latching lugs are formed in such a way that they form a rim at their front end. Due to this pointed design of the front end of the latching lugs, a tool can be introduced in a particularly advantageous manner behind the latching lugs in order to release the engagement with the latching hooks.

[0009] According to another advantageous embodiment, support ribs can be provided in the interior of the cover next to the latching lugs and in this way achieve a stable support of the base plate, in particular in the area of the latching unit, so that a particularly secure latching connection is achieved.

[0010] According to another advantageous embodiment, the latching lugs can be uniformly distributed over the circumference of the cover, so that they can be fixedly connected to the base plate and / or to the vehicle roof over the entire periphery of the cover.

[0011] According to another advantageous embodiment, a circumferential seal can be provided between the base plate and the cover, which can be pressed against the vehicle roof in a sealing manner in order to prevent moisture from penetrating into the interior of the vehicle and into the interior of the roof antenna. Thus, openings can be provided in the seal, in particular which are closed from all sides and which are wider than the latching hooks. In this way, a tool can be introduced through the recess in the base plate and through the openings in the seal in order to release the engagement between the latching lugs and the latching hooks.

[0012] According to another aspect of the application, a tool is provided for releasing the engagement and is suitable for the latching lugs. To this end, the latching lugs have two arms and a transverse web connecting the arms, and the tool comprises two blades which are spaced apart at the distance of the arms in order to release the arms of the latching lugs from the latching connection when required. Furthermore, the tool can have an abutment between the two blades which abuts at the transverse web upon introduction of the tool.

[0013] According to another aspect of the application, a method for installing a roof antenna of the aforementioned type is also provided, wherein the cover is placed from above at the opening of the vehicle roof and the base plate is placed from below at the opening, and the base plate and the cover are connected to one another with the latching unit, so that the vehicle roof is clamped between the cover and the base plate.

[0014] The roof antenna according to the application can be installed without a tool, whereby a tolerance compensation can be achieved at the same time between the cover and the base plate by means of the seal. Thus, a gap- and flutter-free implementation is achieved. Furthermore, for the recesses provided in the base plate, a control of the latching hooks can be carried out in order to ensure that the latching hooks are latched in accordance with their intended use. Finally, the cover and the base plate can be exchanged and reused in a simple manner, since the latching unit can be released non-destructively by means of a tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] In the following, the application will be described by means of advantageous embodiments and with reference to the submitted drawings. Shown in the drawings are:

[0016] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the roof antenna.

[0017] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cover from below Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cover from below.

[0018] Figure 3 is a view of the assembled roof antenna from below according to Figure 1 is a view of the assembled roof antenna from below according to

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Figure 1 An exploded view of a roof antenna for a vehicle is shown, which has a cover 10 that can be connected to a base plate 12 via a latching unit, and in fact in such a way that the cover 10 is placed from above and the base plate 12 is placed from below at an opening of a vehicle roof, and the base plate and the cover are connected to one another by the latching unit such that the vehicle roof is clamped between the cover 10 and the base plate 12. Thus, a circumferentially extending flexible seal 14 is provided for sealing and tolerance compensation, which is placed on the base plate 12 before assembly and presses against the underside of the vehicle roof after assembly.

[0021] The base plate 12 is made of metal and serves for the attachment of various electronic components and antennas, which are not shown in the drawing. In contrast thereto, the cover 10 is made of plastic and is configured on its underside such that the outer contour of the cover 10 substantially corresponds to the outer contour of the base plate 12 in the position (see Figure 3 ).

[0022] The latching unit for connecting the cover 10 and the base plate 12 comprises, on the one hand, latching hooks 16 that are integrally formed on the base plate. On the other hand, resilient latching lugs 18 are formed on the inside of the cover along the circumference of the cover at a substantially uniform spacing, which engage behind the latching hooks 16 in the assembled state.

[0023] Each latching lug 18 has two arms 20 and 22, which are connected to one another at their outer ends via a transverse web 24. The transverse web is thus formed in a cusp-like manner, such that each latching lug 18 forms an edge at its front end in order to simplify the introduction of a tool for releasing the engagement. As is further emphasized in the drawing 10, a plurality of support ribs 26 are provided on the inside of the cover 10, in particular next to the latching lugs 18, which on the one hand reinforce the outer wall of the cover 10 and on the other hand also serve to form a bearing for the base plate, in particular in the region of the latching connection, in order to achieve a stable connection of the cover 10 and the base plate 12.

[0024] As Figure 1 and 3As shown, recesses 30 and 32 are provided at the base plate 12 in the area of the latching hooks 16, which enable the engagement of a tool for releasing the engagement between the latching hooks 16 and the latching lugs 18. Thus, the recesses 30 are provided in the area of the latching hooks 16 at the outer periphery of the base plate 12 and open towards the outer border, while the recesses 32 are closed from all sides at the front and rear end of the base plate 12. The width of all recesses 30 and 32 corresponds approximately to the distance between the two arms 20 and 22 and / or the width of the transverse web 24, so that a tool can be introduced through the recesses, which elastically bends away from the arms 20 and 22 in order to release the engagement between the latching hooks 16 and the latching lugs 18.

[0025] The openings 34, which enable the introduction of a tool through the seal 14 in a non-destructive manner, are provided in the seal in the area of the latching hooks, which are closed from all sides, on the one hand the respective latching hooks 16 can extend through the openings 34 and on the other hand a tool can extend through the openings 34.

[0026] In order to assemble the aforementioned roof antenna on a vehicle roof, first the seal 14 is placed on the base plate 12 with the latching hooks 16 extending through the openings 34. Subsequently, the cover 10 is placed from above onto the opening of the vehicle roof, so that the unit comprising the base plate 12 and the seal 14 is introduced from below into the cover 10 and in this respect the latching hooks 16 engage the elastic latching lugs 18 from behind (see Figure 3 If the roof antenna is released from the vehicle again for repair or replacement, a tool can be inserted into the recesses 30, 32 of the base plate 12, as shown by way of example only in Figure 4 The tool 40 is made of a small sheet metal plate, which comprises two blades 46 and 48 provided at the ends of webs 42 and 44, wherein the two blades 46 and 48 and / or the two webs 42 and 44 are spaced apart from each other at the distance of the arms 20 and 22 of the latching lugs 18. Thus, the tool 40 can be introduced from the underside of the base plate 12, wherein the blades 46 and 48 are located between the transverse web 24 and the base plate 12, so that the latching lugs 18 are bent and the engagement with the latching hooks 16 is released. When the tool 40 is correspondingly introduced into all or almost all recesses 30 and 32, the base plate can be released from the cover 10 in a non-destructive manner. It is of course understood that it is also possible to provide only a single tool, which engages into all or almost all recesses 30 and 32 at the same time.

Claims

1. A roof antenna for a vehicle, the roof antenna having a cover (10) connected to a base plate (12) via a locking unit, the locking unit including a locking hook (16) engaging behind a flexible locking lug (18), wherein, A recess (30, 32) is provided in the base plate (12) in the region of the locking hook (16), the recess (30, 32) enabling engagement of a tool (40) for releasing the engagement of the locking hook (16) with the flexible locking lug (18), wherein a peripheral seal (14) is provided between the base plate (12) and the cover (10), wherein an opening (34) is provided in the peripheral seal (14), the opening (34) being closed from all sides, wherein the locking hook (16) extends upward from the base plate (12) through the opening (34) and engages with the flexible locking lug (18), wherein the opening (34) is wider than the locking hook (16) so that the tool (40) can pass through the recess (30, 32) in the base plate (12) in a non-destructive manner. 32) and introduced through the opening (34) in the peripheral seal (14) to release the locking hook (16) from the flexible locking lug (18).

2. The rooftop antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (12) is made of metal, and the locking hook (16) is formed as a single piece on the base plate (12).

3. The rooftop antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cover (10) is made of plastic, and the flexible locking lug (18) is integrally formed as a single piece inside the cover (10).

4. The rooftop antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The flexible locking lug (18) forms an edge at its front end.

5. The rooftop antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Inside the cover (10), a support rib (26) is provided next to the flexible locking lug (18).

6. The rooftop antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The flexible locking lugs (18) are arranged evenly around the periphery of the cover (10).

7. The rooftop antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the flexible locking lugs (18) has a pair of arms (20, 22) which are connected to each other at their outer ends via a transverse web (24).

8. The rooftop antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, The transverse web (24) is formed in a pointed manner, such that each flexible locking lug (18) forms an edge at the front end.

9. The rooftop antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (12) and the peripheral seal (14) are configured to abut against the lower side of the vehicle roof, and the cover (10) is configured to abut against the upper side of the vehicle roof, such that the vehicle roof is clamped between the cover (10) and the base plate (12).

10. The rooftop antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (12) and the peripheral seal (14) are connected to each other via the locking hook (16) extending through the opening (34) in the peripheral seal (14).

11. A combination of a roof antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a tool (40) for releasing the engagement, wherein the locking lug (18) has two arms (20, 22) and a transverse web (24) connecting the arms, the tool (40) having two blades (46, 48) spaced apart from each other at the spacing of the arms (20, 22), wherein the tool (40) has an abutment located between the two blades.

12. A method for mounting a roof antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 at an opening in the roof of a vehicle, wherein, The cover (10) is placed on the opening from above, and the base plate (12) is placed on the opening from below. The cover (10) and the base plate (12) are connected to each other by the locking unit, such that the vehicle roof is clamped between the cover (10) and the base plate (12).

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