A vehicle-mounted antenna and a waterproof structure of a board end connector thereof

Abstract

The utility model discloses a waterproof structure of vehicle antenna board end connector, through the three series waterproof framework of sealing ring double muscle position inside and outside interference + composite circular arc outer muscle position + third sealing structure, can solve the elbow FAKRA connector insertion surface, connector - shell interface and upper and lower shell seam three place water leakage risk simultaneously once under the condition of not needing additional metal pressing plate or pouring sealant, and sealing ring circular arc muscle position concave surface is outward when assembling, utilizes water pressure self -tightening, and the rebound force is small, and three kinds of circumferential sealing scheme of laser / ultrasonic / waterproof glue can be switched flexibly, and the IP67 protection, cost saving, production line rhythm fast and long -term reliability are taken into account.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of vehicle antennas, and particularly relates to a waterproof structure for a vehicle antenna and its board-end connector. Background Technology

[0002] There are two ways to transmit signals using an automotive antenna: one is to solder a coaxial cable to the circuit board and then output the signal via a wire; the other is to solder a connector to the PCB and then output the signal. FAKRA connectors, due to their standardized design, excellent signal integrity, and automotive-grade reliability, have become the preferred interface for automotive communication systems.

[0003] The design of FAKRA elbow connectors on the market is a sealed connector cavity. This can only guarantee the sealing of the connector mating part, but cannot guarantee the sealing between the connector housing and the vehicle antenna housing. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a waterproof structure for a vehicle-mounted antenna and its board-end connector. The sealing ring has two ribs that are interference-fitted with the connector, and the outer ring has straight and arc-shaped ribs that are interference-fitted with the housing. The sealing design between the upper and lower housings can be achieved by laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or waterproof glue sealing. Laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or waterproof glue sealing can all achieve IP67 protection.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows: A waterproof structure for a vehicle-mounted antenna board connector includes: A sealing ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the connector. The inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring is provided with inner ribs, which are interference fit with the connector shell to form a first sealing interface. The outer circumferential surface of the sealing ring is provided with a composite outer rib composed of a straight segment and a circular arc segment, with the concave surface of the circular arc segment facing outward; The composite outer rib is compressed when the upper and lower shells of the vehicle antenna are closed, and forms a second sealing interface with an interference fit with the inner surface of the upper shell; the lower shell is provided with a sealing groove whose shape is complementary to that of the composite outer rib.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the arc segment of the composite outer rib of the sealing ring undergoes elastic deformation when compressed, and the straight segment provides support to maintain the continuous adhesion between the arc segment and the inner surface of the upper shell.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sealing ring is made of EPDM rubber or silicone rubber with a hardness of 30±5 Shore A.

[0008] A vehicle-mounted antenna includes: an upper shell, a lower shell, a PCBA, and a connector. The connector is assembled onto the PCBA via SMT and fixed to the lower shell along with the PCBA. The connector is fitted with a waterproof structure as described in one embodiment of the present invention. A third sealing structure is provided circumferentially on the mating surface between the upper shell and the lower shell, so that the upper shell and the lower shell achieve IP67 protection.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the third sealing structure is formed by laser welding. The lower shell is provided with laser absorbing ribs on the mating surface, and the upper shell is provided with overflow grooves at corresponding positions. After the laser energy passes through the upper shell, it is absorbed and melted by the laser absorbing ribs, thereby welding the upper shell and the lower shell into one piece.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the third sealing structure is formed by ultrasonic welding. The lower shell is provided with triangular welding ribs on the mating surface, and the upper shell is provided with overflow grooves at corresponding positions. Ultrasonic vibration melts the triangular welding ribs and welds the upper shell and the lower shell into one piece.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the third sealing structure is formed by sealing with waterproof adhesive. The lower shell is provided with an adhesive groove on the mating surface, and the upper shell is provided with an insert rib. The insert rib is embedded in the adhesive groove to a depth of ≥3 mm. The height of the adhesive groove is greater than the height of the insert rib to prevent adhesive overflow. A buckle is provided between the upper shell and the lower shell to keep them closed before the waterproof adhesive solidifies.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material combination of the upper shell and the lower shell satisfies: When laser welding is used, the upper shell is made of laser-transmissible PC+ABS alloy or PBT, and the lower shell is made of laser-absorbing modified PC+ABS alloy or PBT. When ultrasonic welding is used, both the upper and lower shells are made of ultrasonically weldable PBT, ABS, or PC alloys.

[0013] Because of the adoption of the above technical solution, this utility model has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art: The waterproof structure of the vehicle antenna board connector in one embodiment of this utility model uses a three-level series waterproof architecture of double-ribbed sealing ring with internal and external interference fit, composite arc outer rib, and third sealing structure. It can solve the risk of water leakage at three points at one time: the mating surface of the elbow FAKRA connector, the connector-housing interface, and the joint between the upper and lower housings, without the need for additional metal pressure plates or potting adhesive. During assembly, the concave surface of the arc rib of the sealing ring faces outward to utilize water pressure for self-tightening with low rebound force. Three circumferential sealing solutions, namely laser, ultrasonic, and waterproof adhesive, can be flexibly switched, taking into account IP67 protection, cost savings, fast production line cycle, and long-term reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted antenna in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing ring structure in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the sealing ring in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of laser welding of the upper and lower shells in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of ultrasonic welding of the upper and lower shells in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the waterproof adhesive sealant in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1: Upper shell; 2: Sealing ring; 3: Connector; 4: Lower shell; 5: PCBA; 6: Composite outer rib; 7: Straight section; 8: Arc section; 9: Laser absorption rib; 10: Overflow groove; 11: Triangular welding rib; 12: Glue groove; 13: Buckle. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The waterproof structure of a vehicle-mounted antenna and its board-end connector according to this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description and claims.

[0017] There are typically two methods for transmitting signals from vehicle-mounted antennas: one is to solder a coaxial cable to the circuit board and then output the signal via a wire; the other is to solder a two-board connector to the PCB and then output the signal. FAKRA connectors, due to their standardized design, excellent signal integrity, and automotive-grade reliability, have become the preferred interface for vehicle communication systems. This embodiment uses a board-mounted elbow FAKRA connector for signal output and meets IP66 protection requirements.

[0018] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The vehicle-mounted antenna includes an upper shell 1, a lower shell 4, a PCBA 5, and a connector 3. The connector 3 is assembled to the PCBA 5 via SMT and fixed to the lower shell 4 along with the PCBA 5. A sealing ring 2 is fitted over the connector 3. The inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring 2 has inner ribs that are interference-fitted with the outer shell of the connector 3 to form a first sealing interface. The outer circumferential surface of the sealing ring 2 has a composite outer rib 6 composed of a straight segment 7 and an arc segment 8, wherein the concave surface of the arc segment 8 faces outward. When the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 4 of the vehicle-mounted antenna are closed, the composite outer rib 6 is compressed and interference-fitted with the inner surface of the upper shell 1 to form a second sealing interface. A third sealing structure is provided circumferentially at the mating surface of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 4, so that the upper shell and the lower shell achieve IP67 protection.

[0019] This vehicle-mounted antenna employs a three-tiered waterproof architecture: double-ribbed inner and outer interference seals, a composite arc outer rib, and a third sealing structure. This architecture simultaneously addresses the risk of water leakage at three points—the mating surface of the FAKRA connector at the elbow, the connector-housing interface, and the joint between the upper and lower housings—without requiring additional metal pressure plates or potting compound. During assembly, the concave surface of the arc rib of the sealing ring faces outward, utilizing water pressure for self-tightening with minimal rebound force. Three circumferential sealing methods—laser, ultrasonic, and waterproof adhesive—can be flexibly switched, balancing IP67 protection, cost savings, fast production line cycle time, and long-term reliability.

[0020] Specifically, in this embodiment, the connector is a FAKRA elbow connector. The sealing ring 2 is sleeved on the outside of the connector, and the two ribs of its inner ring are interference-fitted with the connector to achieve a waterproof effect between the inner ring of the sealing ring and the connector.

[0021] Meanwhile, the outer circumferential surface of the sealing ring 2 is provided with a composite outer rib 6 composed of a straight segment 7 and an arc segment 8, wherein the concave surface of the arc segment 8 faces outward; the composite outer rib 6 is compressed when the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 4 of the vehicle antenna are closed and forms a second sealing interface with an interference fit with the inner surface of the upper shell 1, thereby achieving waterproofing of the interface between the connector and the shell.

[0022] The lower shell 4 is provided with a sealing groove that complements the shape of the composite outer rib 6. After the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 4 are closed, the arc segment 8 of the composite outer rib 6 is bent. This design has less rebound force than a straight rib, which can make the strength of the upper and lower shells more reliable after laser welding.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bottom of the composite outer rib 6 is designed to be straight. This is to ensure that the arc-shaped rib has a greater rebound force, preventing insufficient rebound force from causing the arc surface of the sealing ring rib to fail to adhere tightly to the upper shell mating surface, thus failing to achieve effective waterproofing. When assembling the sealing ring, the concave surface of the arc segment 8 faces outwards. This way, after water enters the groove, some of the pressure will cause the sealing ring to adhere more tightly to the upper shell. If installed in reverse, water can easily bend the arc and enter the shell.

[0024] The aforementioned sealing ring 2 can be made of EPDM rubber or silicone rubber, with a hardness of up to 30±5 Shore A. Of course, in practical applications, sealing rings made of other materials can be used depending on the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this embodiment, a third sealing structure is provided circumferentially on the mating surface of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 4. The third sealing structure can be at least one of laser welding, ultrasonic welding or waterproof adhesive filling.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 4The third sealing structure is laser-welded. The lower shell 4 is made of a material that can absorb laser energy, while the upper shell is made of a material that can effectively transmit laser light. The lower shell 4 has a 1mm wide rib 9 on its mating surface to absorb laser energy, and the upper shell 1 has an overflow groove 10 at a corresponding position to prevent molten material from overflowing. During welding, the laser energy passes through the upper shell and is absorbed and melted by the laser-absorbing ribs, thus welding the upper and lower shells together.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 5 The third sealing structure is ultrasonically welded, and the upper and lower shells are made of thermoplastic materials suitable for laser welding, such as PBT, ABS, and PC. The lower shell 4 has a ring of triangular welding ribs 11 on the mating surface, and the upper shell 1 has an overflow groove 10 at the corresponding position. During welding, the high-frequency vibration of the ultrasonic waves melts the triangular welding ribs 11 and welds the upper and lower shells together.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 6 The third sealing structure is formed by sealing with waterproof adhesive. The lower shell 4 has an adhesive groove 12 on the mating surface. After the PCBA and the lower shell are assembled, the waterproof adhesive is evenly and quantitatively squeezed into the adhesive groove 12 of the lower shell. The upper shell 1 is provided with corresponding insertion ribs. The insertion ribs are embedded in the adhesive groove to a depth of ≥3 mm. The height of the adhesive groove 12 is greater than the height of the insertion ribs to prevent adhesive overflow. In addition, a buckle 13 is provided between the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 4 to keep them closed before the waterproof adhesive solidifies.

[0029] When laser welding is used, the upper shell 1 is made of laser-transmissible PC+ABS alloy or PBT, and the lower shell is made of laser-absorbing modified PC+ABS alloy or PBT; when ultrasonic welding is used, both the upper shell and the lower shell are made of ultrasonically weldable PBT, ABS or PC alloy.

[0030] This embodiment also provides a waterproof structure for the connector on the vehicle-mounted antenna board, including: A sealing ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the connector. The inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring has an inner rib that forms a first sealing interface with the connector housing through an interference fit. The outer circumferential surface of the sealing ring has a composite outer rib composed of a straight segment and an arc segment, with the concave surface of the arc segment facing outward. When the upper and lower shells of the vehicle antenna are closed, the composite outer rib is compressed and forms a second sealing interface with an interference fit with the inner surface of the upper shell. The lower shell has a sealing groove with a shape complementary to the composite outer rib.

[0031] The arc segment of the composite outer rib of the sealing ring undergoes elastic deformation when compressed, while its straight segment provides support to maintain the continuous adhesion between the arc segment and the inner surface of the upper shell.

[0032] The sealing ring is made of EPDM rubber or silicone rubber with a hardness of 30±5 Shore A.

[0033] The waterproof structure of the aforementioned vehicle antenna board connector uses a two-stage series waterproof architecture with double-ribbed inner and outer interference fit of the sealing ring and composite arc outer rib. This can solve the risk of water leakage at the mating surface of the elbow FAKRA connector and the connector-housing interface at one time without the need for additional metal pressure plates or potting compound. During assembly, the concave surface of the arc rib of the sealing ring faces outward to utilize water pressure for self-tightening with low rebound force. This achieves IP67 protection, cost savings, fast production line cycle time, and long-term reliability.

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Even if various changes are made to the present invention, if these changes fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, they shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A waterproof structure for a vehicle-mounted antenna board connector, characterized in that, include: A sealing ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the connector. The inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring is provided with inner ribs, which are interference fit with the connector shell to form a first sealing interface. The outer circumferential surface of the sealing ring is provided with a composite outer rib composed of straight segments and arc segments, with the concave surface of the arc segments facing outwards; The composite outer rib is compressed when the upper and lower shells of the vehicle antenna are closed, and forms a second sealing interface with an interference fit with the inner surface of the upper shell; the lower shell is provided with a sealing groove whose shape is complementary to that of the composite outer rib.

2. The waterproof structure of the vehicle-mounted antenna board connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The arc segment of the composite outer rib of the sealing ring undergoes elastic deformation when compressed, and the straight segment provides support to maintain the continuous adhesion between the arc segment and the inner surface of the upper shell.

3. The waterproof structure of the vehicle-mounted antenna board connector as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The sealing ring is made of EPDM rubber or silicone rubber with a hardness of 30±5 Shore A.

4. A vehicle-mounted antenna, comprising: The invention comprises an upper shell, a lower shell, a PCBA, and a connector, wherein the connector is assembled onto the PCBA via SMT and fixed to the lower shell along with the PCBA; characterized in that the connector is fitted with a waterproof structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, and a third sealing structure is provided circumferentially on the mating surface of the upper shell and the lower shell, so that the upper shell and the lower shell achieve IP67 protection.

5. The vehicle-mounted antenna as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The third sealing structure is formed by laser welding. The lower shell is provided with laser absorbing ribs on the mating surface, and the upper shell is provided with overflow grooves at corresponding positions. After the laser energy passes through the upper shell, it is absorbed and melted by the laser absorbing ribs, thereby welding the upper shell and the lower shell into one piece.

6. The vehicle-mounted antenna as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The third sealing structure is formed by ultrasonic welding. The lower shell has triangular welding ribs on the mating surface, and the upper shell has overflow grooves at corresponding positions. Ultrasonic vibration melts the triangular welding ribs and welds the upper shell and lower shell into one piece.

7. The vehicle-mounted antenna as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The third sealing structure is formed by sealing with waterproof adhesive. The lower shell is provided with an adhesive groove on the mating surface, and the upper shell is provided with a corresponding insertion rib. The insertion rib is embedded in the adhesive groove to a depth of ≥3 mm. The height of the adhesive groove is greater than the height of the insertion rib to prevent adhesive overflow. A buckle is provided between the upper shell and the lower shell to keep them closed before the waterproof adhesive solidifies.

8. The vehicle-mounted antenna as described in any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that, The material combination of the upper and lower shells satisfies: When laser welding is used, the upper shell is made of laser-transmissible modified PC+ABS alloy or PBT, and the lower shell is made of laser-absorbing modified PC+ABS alloy or PBT. When ultrasonic welding is used, both the upper and lower shells are made of ultrasonically weldable PBT, ABS, or PC alloys.

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