Antenna module and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle and to an antenna module (3), in particular a roof antenna module for a motor vehicle (1), having at least one sheet metal antenna (5, 6) for receiving and / or transmitting radio signals (S), the sheet metal antennas (5, 6) in each case having one or more connecting elements (26, 27, 28), the connecting elements are formed in one piece with the sheet metal antenna plates (5, 6) so as to be in contact with the printed circuit board (8).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an antenna module and a motor vehicle.

[0002] Antenna modules are known, for example, from DE 10 2005 054 286 B4, EP 3 011 636 B1, WO 2014 / 204494 A1, US 2016 / 0104932 A1 and US Pat. No. 9 793 602 B2.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide an improved configuration of an antenna module for a motor vehicle. This object is efficiently achieved in each case by the subject matter of the independent claim. Some particularly advantageous configurations of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

[0004] Further possible features and advantages of the configurations of the invention will become apparent from the following description of some preferred configurations of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0005] Figure 1 A motor vehicle with a (roof) antenna module for transmitting and / or receiving radio signals is shown in a simplified manner in longitudinal section,

[0006] Figure 2 The cover (inner radome) of the antenna module with the metal sheet antenna is shown in a perspective view,

[0007] Figure 3 A detailed perspective view shows a press-fit connection which contacts the printed circuit board and is fixed to the cover via tabs.

[0008] Figure 4 The front metal sheet antenna and the rear metal sheet antenna as well as the base are shown in a perspective view,

[0009] Figure 5 The assembled antenna module with the metal sheet antenna is shown in a perspective view.

[0010] Figure 6 shows in cross section a cover and a sheet metal antenna with a press-fit connection as a connecting element,

[0011] Figure 7 A cover with a metal sheet antenna and a printed circuit board is shown in a perspective view, the cover being fixed to a base.

[0012] Figure 8 A cover with a sheet metal antenna is shown in a perspective view, which cover is fixed to a base with a printed circuit board.

[0013] Figure 1By way of example, a motor vehicle 1 as a configuration of the invention is shown in a simplified manner in a longitudinal section, which motor vehicle has an antenna module 3 (in the form of a roof antenna module) arranged on a vehicle roof 2 for transmitting and / or receiving signals S, in particular cellular (2G / 3G / 4G / 5G / 6G / 7G) mobile radio signals S and / or other signals, such as navigation satellite signals, WiFi signals, radio, etc.

[0014] The antenna module 3 comprises one or here a plurality of front ( 5 ) and rear ( 6 ) metal sheet antennas 5 , 6 which are arranged on the cover 4 , in particular in the direction of the motor vehicle.

[0015] When the antenna module 3 is assembled on the vehicle 1, the cover 4 (also called the inner antenna cover), the metal sheet antennas 5 and 6, the base 7, and the optional printed circuit board 8 and / or electronic components 9 (such as a controller and / or a receiver and / or a transmitter and / or an amplifier and / or an additional (GPS / GNSS, etc.) antenna) are located in the housing 13 (also called the outer antenna cover) of the antenna module 3.

[0016] In the assembled state of the antenna module 3 , the housing 13 can rest (for example watertightly) on the roof 2 of the motor vehicle 1 .

[0017] The cover 4 with the metal sheet antennas 5 and 6 can be configured to be fixed on a base 7 including a printed circuit board 8, or the cover 4 with the metal sheet antennas 5 and 6 and the printed circuit board 8 can be configured to be fixed on the base 7, in particular by means of a snap-action hook of the cover 4 engaging with the base 7 and / or the printed circuit board.

[0018] Figure 2 By way of example of one configuration of the invention, a front metal sheet antenna 5 and a rear metal sheet antenna 6 to be assembled on a cover 4 shown below are shown in a perspective view.

[0019] The front metal patch antenna 5 and the rear metal patch antenna 6 may include, for example, slots 51 , 52 , 61 , 62 , which may form antenna structures.

[0020] To simplify assembly and for a secure fit, the cover 4 here has recesses 18 , 19 (here for example peripherally arranged concave contours at the edge) for embedding in each case (at the surface, for example in a planar manner) a sheet metal antenna 5 or 6 .

[0021] In order to improve the retention of the metal sheet antennas 5, 6 on the cover 4, recesses (e.g. holes 20, 21, 22) are also provided on the metal sheet antennas 5, 6, into which ridges or bumps or projections 23, 24, 25 of the cover 4 can engage (or vice versa).

[0022] The front metal patch antenna 5 comprises one or more connection elements 26 formed in one piece with the metal patch antenna 5 (eg integral with the antenna structure of the metal patch antenna) to contact (contacts on / in) the printed circuit board 8 .

[0023] The rear metal patch antenna 5 further comprises one or here a plurality of connection elements 27 , 28 which are formed in one piece with the metal patch antenna 5 to contact (electrical contacts or tracks on or in) the printed circuit board 8 .

[0024] The connecting elements 26, 27, 28 can in particular in each case be press-fit connections 26, 27, 28 which can be fixed to the printed circuit board and / or the metal sheet antenna 5, 6 by press-fitting or can be formed in one piece with the metal sheet antenna 5, 6, for example by cutting and bending the metal sheet.

[0025] The press-fit connectors 26, 27, 28 can also be inserted into recesses or grooves in, for example, the printed circuit board 8 or can rest on (for example a recess in) the printed circuit board and at this point can contact contacts of the printed circuit board or (contact) elements thereon (and via these electronic components) for example by soldering.

[0026] Figure 3 A press-fit connection 26 is shown in detail in a simplified manner, which is inserted, for example, into a recess or notch (indicated by dashed lines) in the printed circuit board 8 (and, for example, glued or soldered thereto) and contacts the contacts and / or conductor tracks 30 of the printed circuit board 8 at this point (and contacts the electronic components via these).

[0027] Figure 3 Further shown is a recess 31 which receives a portion of the metal sheet antenna 5 during assembly of the metal sheet antenna 5 on the cover 4 , for example for anti-vibration attachment.

[0028] Figure 3 Furthermore, a locking recess (recess) 32 in the cover 4 is shown, in which a locking tab 33 (of the connecting element) of the sheet metal antenna 5 engages, for example for vibration-proof attachment (of the sheet metal antenna, in particular of the connecting element 26 ).

[0029] The connecting element 26 (in particular in the form of a press-fit connection) of the metal sheet antenna 5 (similar to the metal sheet antenna 6) is in each case conveniently arranged directly adjacent to the recess and / or the part of the metal sheet antenna which is guided in the slot (in particular the vertical part in the state assembled on the motor vehicle), in particular in order to avoid that the connecting element 26 or the locking tab becomes an interfering element of the actual antenna structure (of the metal sheet antenna 5 or 6) or detunes it too much.

[0030] Figure 4 Shown (for illustration purposes without the cover 4 ) are a bent front metal sheet antenna 5 and a bent rear metal sheet antenna 6 and also a base 7 with a printed circuit board 8 .

[0031] Figure 5 By way of example of one configuration of the invention, an antenna module 3 is shown in a perspective view assembled with a base 7 by means of a front metal sheet antenna 5 and a rear metal sheet antenna 6 arranged on a cover 4 and also at least one snap-action hook arrangement 11, 12, for example with recesses and / or snap-action hooks (not shown in greater detail) for engaging (the base) snap-action hooks, which likewise engage an edge on the base 3 (at Figure 3 ) or in recesses 16, 17.

[0032] Figure 6 By way of supplementary illustration, the cover 4 and the sheet metal antennas 5 , 6 with connecting elements 26 , 27 , 28 , in particular press-fit connections, are shown in section.

[0033] Figure 7 The cover 4 of the antenna module 3 in the embodiment comprises a front metal sheet antenna 5 and a rear metal sheet antenna 6 arranged on the cover 4 and an optional printed circuit board 8, and the cover is fixed on a base 7 together with them.

[0034] The antenna module 3 can be fastened to the roof 2 of the motor vehicle 1 and / or the base 7 can be fastened to the cover 4 by screwing (for example in the threaded projections 34 - 37 ) or the like.

[0035] Figure 8 The cover 4 of the antenna module 3 in the embodiment includes a front metal sheet antenna 5 and a rear metal sheet antenna 6 arranged on the cover 4 , and the cover together with the front metal sheet antenna 5 and the rear metal sheet antenna 6 are fixed on a base 7 including a printed circuit board 8 .

[0036] List of Reference Numerals

[0037] 1 Motor Vehicles

[0038] 2 Roof

[0039] 3 Antenna module

[0040] 4 Cover

[0041] 5 Front metal antenna

[0042] 6 Rear metal antenna

[0043] 7 Base

[0044] 8. Printed Circuit Board

[0045] 9 Electronic devices

[0046] 10. Housing

[0047] 11 Snap-action hook device

[0048] 12 Snap-action hook device

[0049] 13. Housing

[0050] 14 recess

[0051] 15 concavity

[0052] 16 recess

[0053] 17 recess

[0054] 18. Outline

[0055] 19 Profile

[0056] 20 concavity

[0057] 21 recess

[0058] 22 recess

[0059] 23 Bump

[0060] 24 Bump

[0061] 25 Bump

[0062] 26 Connecting element, in particular press-fit connection

[0063] 27 Connecting element, in particular press-fit connection

[0064] 28 Connecting element, in particular press-fit connection

[0065] 32 Locking recess

[0066] 33 Locking tab

[0067] 34 Thread protrusion

[0068] 35 Thread protrusion

[0069] 36 Thread protrusion

[0070] 37 Thread protrusion

[0071] S signal

[0072] R Direction of travel

Claims

1. An antenna module (3), in particular a roof antenna module for a motor vehicle (1), comprising at least one metal sheet antenna (5, 6) for receiving and / or transmitting radio signals (S), in, The metal patch antenna (5, 6) has at least one connecting element (26, 27, 28) which is formed in one piece with the metal patch antenna (5, 6) so as to be in direct contact with a printed circuit board (8).

2. The antenna module (3) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The sheet metal antennas (5, 6) are in each case bent sheet metal antennas, in particular in each case bent sheet metal antennas produced by punching and bending.

3. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The at least one connecting element (26, 27, 28) of the metal sheet antenna (5, 6) is in each case a press-fit connection (26, 27, 28).

4. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that At least one metal patch antenna (5, 6) has a plurality of connection elements (26, 27, 28) which are in each case formed in one piece with the metal patch antenna (5, 6) for contacting a printed circuit board (8).

5. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The antenna module (3) has at least two metal sheet antennas (5, 6), in particular at least two metal sheet antennas (5, 6) used for cellular mobile communications.

6. Antenna module (3) according to one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The antenna module (3) has a cover (4) supporting the metal sheet antennas (5, 6), In particular, the cover (4) has a recess or a recessed contour (18, 19) for embedding in each case a sheet metal antenna (5, 6).

7. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The at least one metal sheet antenna (5, 6) has in each case at least one recess (20, 21, 22), in particular a hole, A protrusion (23, 24, 25) of the cover (4) engages in each case in the at least one recess, in particular for centering and / or as knock protection.

8. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cover (4) has at least one groove (31) for guiding a portion of the metal sheet antenna (5, 6).

9. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cover (4) has one or more recesses (32) into which a locking tab (33) of the sheet metal antenna (5, 6) can be introduced in each case.

10. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The press-fit connection (26, 27, 28) of the metal sheet antenna (5, 6) is arranged in each case directly adjacent to the recess (32), and / or directly adjacent to a vertical section of the sheet metal antenna (5, 6) guided in the groove (31), in particular in the assembled state on the motor vehicle (1).

11. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cover (4) is formed with the sheet metal antennas (5, 6) for fixing on a base (7) comprising a printed circuit board (8), in particular by means of snap-action hooks for engaging the cover (4) with the base (7) and / or the printed circuit board (8).

12. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cover (4) is formed with the sheet metal antennas (5, 6) for fixing on a printed circuit board (8) and is designed for fixing on a base (7), in particular by means of snap-action hooks for engaging the cover with the base (7).

13. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that In the assembled state of the antenna module (3), a printed circuit board (8) and / or further antennas and / or electronic components and / or amplifiers and / or controllers are arranged in the cover (4).

14. The antenna module (3) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The antenna module (3) has a housing (13). In the assembled state of the antenna module (3), the cover (4) and the sheet metal antenna (5, 6) and preferably the printed circuit board (8) are arranged in the housing (13), and in the assembled state of the antenna module (3), the housing is adjacent to the roof (2) of the motor vehicle (1).

15. A motor vehicle (1) having an antenna module (3) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

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