Antenna mount

Abstract

An antenna mount for installation in a recess of a flat component comprises an antenna base, a retaining bracket with an inner surface facing the antenna base and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, and a fastening element with a mounting axis for attaching the retaining bracket to the antenna base. The retaining bracket has a base and several spreading legs extending from the base. The antenna base has at least one spreading surface inclined to the mounting axis, along which the inner surfaces of the spreading legs slide during installation of the antenna mount to cause the spreading legs to spread radially.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an antenna holder for mounting in a recess of a flat component.

[0002] Such antenna mounts are known, for example, for fixing vehicle antennas to a vehicle body. The antenna mounts are placed against a recess in the vehicle body from the outside and fixed in place from the inside of the vehicle using a fastener that rests against the vehicle body.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to create an antenna mount that is particularly easy to assemble and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0004] This problem is solved by an antenna mount with the features of claim 1. The antenna mount for installation in a recess of a planar component comprises an antenna base, a retaining bracket with an inner surface facing the antenna base and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, and a fastening element with a fastening axis for attaching the retaining bracket to the antenna base. The retaining bracket has a base and several spreading legs extending from the base. The antenna base has at least one spreading surface inclined to the fastening axis, along which the inner surfaces of the spreading legs slide during installation of the antenna mount to cause the spreading legs to spread radially.

[0005] The antenna mount according to the invention can be manufactured extremely cost-effectively, since the base simultaneously serves as an expanding element for the mounting bracket, and no additional component is required to spread the bracket's expanding legs. Assembly is achieved by actuating the fastening element, which presses the base of the mounting bracket towards the antenna base along the mounting axis. This causes the expanding legs to slide along the expanding surface and spread open. As a result, the expanding legs come into contact with the flat component, bearing against it and thus fixing the antenna mount to the flat component. Accordingly, assembly is quick and easy, as few components need to be attached to the antenna mount, and the antenna mount is simply installed by actuating the fastening element in the recess.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the description, the drawings and the dependent claims.

[0007] In a first advantageous embodiment, the spreading legs are S-shaped, which ensures good elastic properties of the spreading legs and guarantees a permanently uniform contact pressure of the spreading legs on the flat component.

[0008] According to a further advantageous embodiment, each spreading leg has a straight central section, at the two ends of which curved sections are connected, resulting in a particularly favorable bending behavior.

[0009] In a further advantageous embodiment, each spreading leg has a shoulder section curved towards the inner surface, extending radially from the base and then towards the antenna base. Due to the shoulder sections curved towards the inner surface, the retaining bracket has a relatively small circumference in the radial direction before spreading, allowing the antenna base with the attached retaining bracket to fit through the recess. Furthermore, since the spreading legs extend from the base towards the antenna base, the free ends of the spreading legs are already in close proximity to the flat component before spreading, thus minimizing the deformation of the spreading legs required to make contact with the flat component.

[0010] According to a further advantageous embodiment, each spreading leg has a curved section in the area of ​​its free end, which, when viewed in a longitudinal section of the spreading leg, has a convex inner surface.

[0011] In this way – similar to upturned ski tips – the free ends are prevented from striking the spreading surfaces or the flat component at an unfavorable angle during assembly, where they could catch on or pierce them, leading to increased frictional resistance or even damage to the flat component. Instead, the convex inner surface of the curved section allows the free ends to meet the sliding surfaces at a more favorable angle, resulting in a smooth sliding motion of the spreading legs and ensuring easy and trouble-free installation of the antenna mount. Furthermore, stresses caused by increased friction on the flat component, which could lead to deformation, are avoided.

[0012] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the inner surface of each spreading leg is concave at its free end when viewed in a cross-section of the spreading leg.

[0013] The inner surfaces of the spreader legs do not come into contact with the flat component across their entire width, but only with the edge sections of the inner surfaces. This results in lower frictional resistance, meaning less force is required for fastening and damage to the flat component can be reliably avoided.

[0014] According to a further advantageous embodiment, each spreading leg has a concave groove with two edge edges at its free end on its inner surface, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the spreading leg and which serve as a contact section for the planar component.

[0015] Similar to the principle of an ice skate blade, this achieves excellent sliding properties of the inner surfaces of the spreader legs, while at the same time ensuring that the edge edges slightly scratch into the flat component and thereby establish a galvanic contact with it.

[0016] According to a further advantageous embodiment, longitudinally extending edges of the spreading legs in the area of ​​the free end are formed by an acute angle between the inner surface and a respective side surface that limits the spreading leg in the width direction.

[0017] The edges thus form two longitudinally extending cutting edges that reliably penetrate a layer of paint applied to the flat component. This allows for reliable electrical contact with the flat component, which can serve, for example, as a ground contact for an antenna.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment, each spreader leg has a taper formed in the shoulder section, at which in particular a dimension of the spreader leg in the width direction is reduced.

[0019] The tapering allows for targeted control of both the force required to spread the spreader legs and the force applied by the spreader legs to the flat component at the contact points, which can further simplify assembly.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the antenna base has a separate spreading surface for each spreading leg. This reduces the space occupied by the spreading surface on the antenna base and allows for more flexible design options for the antenna base, for example, to adapt the antenna base to the geometry of the recess.

[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one surface section of the antenna base is designed as a stop surface for a spreading leg to prevent rotation. This allows for even simpler assembly, as rotation of the retaining bracket during fastening is reliably prevented without the need for additional holding of the bracket in position. Furthermore, the positions of the contact points between the retaining bracket and the flat component can be determined in advance.

[0022] Further aspects of the present invention also relate to a vehicle antenna with an antenna mount of the type described above and a vehicle with a flat component on which an antenna mount of the type described above is mounted, wherein the two edge edges bear against the flat component under a preload. It is understood that the vehicle antenna described herein is also suitable for aircraft and watercraft.

[0023] The present invention is described below by way of example with reference to an advantageous embodiment and the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of an antenna mount in a pre-assembled state; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the antenna mount in a mounted state; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the mounting bracket of the antenna mount. Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 an enlarged partial view of the retaining bracket of Fig. 3 Front view.

[0024] Figs. 1 and 2 Figure 1 shows an antenna mount with an antenna base 11, a retaining bracket 13, and a fastening element 15. The antenna mount is arranged in a recess of a flat component 61. The flat component 61 can, for example, be part of a vehicle body, such as a vehicle roof. The antenna mount can accommodate electrical and / or electronic components internally and can include a mounting device for an antenna or even an antenna itself. In the views of Figs. 1 and 2 Each image shows an interior surface of the body 61. The antenna base 11 protrudes at least partially through the recess towards the interior of the vehicle.

[0025] How Figs. 1 and 2As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the fastening element 15 is designed as a screw 15 which interacts with an internal thread of the antenna mount and can be screwed in or out along a fastening axis A.

[0026] Fig. 3 Figure 1 shows the retaining bracket 13 as a single component, which in this embodiment is made of metal and designed as a stamped and bent part. The retaining bracket 13 is formed by a base 17 and several spreading legs 19 extending from the base. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 17 is a planar surface component from whose corners four spreading legs extend, which are integrally formed on the base 17 at equal intervals. The base 17 includes a centrally arranged circular opening 18 that penetrates the base 17 in the thickness direction and serves as a passage for the screw 15.

[0027] The retaining bracket 13 has an outer surface, an inner surface, and a side surface. The outer surface is formed by the in Fig. 3 The upper surface of the base 17 and the adjacent outer surfaces 16 of the spreading legs 19 are formed. The inner surface is formed by the one shown in Fig. 3 the non-visible lower surface of base 17 and the adjacent areas, in Fig. 3 The partially visible inner surfaces 20 of the spreader legs 19 are formed. The side surface extends from the edges of the outer surface to the edges of the inner surface in the thickness direction of the retaining bracket 13. As in Figs. 1 and 2 As can be seen, the retaining bracket 13 is attached to the antenna base in such a way that the inner surface, in particular the inner surface of the base 17, faces the antenna base 11.

[0028] The spreader legs 19 are essentially S-shaped, with each spreader leg 19 having a curved shoulder section 31 extending from the base 17, a straight middle section 23, and a curved section 25 to which the free end of the spreader leg 19 is attached. Fig. 3 As shown, shoulder section 31 is curved towards the inner surface. The curved section 25, on the other hand, is curved towards the outer surface. This means that the curvature of the curved section 25 is oriented in the opposite direction to the curvature of shoulder section 31, so that the abductor limb 19 has a turning point in its curvature and thus forms the S-shape.

[0029] Due to the curvature of the shoulder section 31, the straight central section 23 extends at an angle to the base 17. This angle can be approximately 90° to 100°, particularly approximately 95°, when not spread. Due to the curvature of the curved section 25, the free end extends at an angle to the straight central section 23. This angle can be approximately 102° to 118°, particularly approximately 114°. Due to the curved section 25, each spreader leg 19 has a convex inner surface 20 in the region of its free end when viewed in a longitudinal section of the spreader leg.

[0030] Each spreader leg 19 has a taper 33 in the area of ​​the shoulder section 31 and in a partial area of ​​the middle section 23, at which a dimension of the spreader leg 19 is reduced in the width direction. The taper 33 reduces the force required to spread the spreader legs 19.

[0031] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged partial view of Fig. 3 A free end of a spreader leg 19 in a front view. As in Fig. 4 As can be seen, a concave groove 27 with two edge edges 29, 30 is formed on the inner surface 20 in the region of the free end of the spreader leg 19, extending longitudinally along the spreader leg 19. The concave groove 27 and the two edge edges 29, 30 can extend from the free end completely or partially over the curved section 25. Due to the concave groove 27, the inner surface 20 at the free end is concave when viewed in a cross-section of the spreader leg 19. Furthermore, the edge edges 29, 30 running longitudinally along the inner surface 20 are formed by an acute angle (i.e., < 90°) between the inner surface 20 and the respective side surface section due to the concave groove 27 in the region of the free end.

[0032] How Figs. 1 and 2As shown, the antenna base 11 in the illustrated embodiment has an approximately square base shape in top view, which can essentially correspond to the geometric shape of the recess in the bodywork 61. A spreading surface 21 is formed on each side of the antenna base 11, which is inclined with respect to the mounting axis A. Thus, the antenna base 11 in this embodiment has a total of four spreading surfaces 21. The spreading surfaces 21 are inclined such that they move away from the mounting axis A in the screw-in direction of the screw 15.

[0033] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows the pre-assembled state, in which the retaining bracket 13 is attached to the antenna base 11, but the base 17 is positioned away from the antenna base 11 and the spreading legs 19 have not yet been, or only slightly, spread. As shown in Fig. 1As can be seen, the arrangement of the spreading surfaces 21 on the antenna base 11 matches the arrangement of the spreading legs 19 on the retaining bracket 13 in such a way that, in the pre-assembled state, the inner surfaces 20 of the spreading legs 19 lie against the spreading surfaces 21 in the area of ​​the free ends.

[0034] How Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 As shown, the antenna base 11, for preventing rotation of the retaining bracket 13, further comprises several surface sections 35 which serve as stop surfaces for the spreading legs 19 abutting the spreading surfaces 21. In the illustrated embodiment, the surface sections 35 are formed by flanks of the antenna base 11 perpendicular to the spreading surfaces 21, which extend substantially parallel to the mounting axis A. The surface sections 35 limit or prevent rotation of the retaining bracket 13 about the mounting axis A.

[0035] The following section explains in more detail how to mount the antenna bracket described above as an example.

[0036] As mentioned above, shows Fig. 1The antenna mount is shown in its pre-assembled state. The retaining bracket 13 is attached to the antenna base 11 by the screw 15 in such a way that the screw head of the screw 15 rests against the outer surface of the base 17, and the base 17 is positioned away from the antenna base. Furthermore, the spreader legs 19, with their inner surfaces 20 at their free ends, rest against the spreading surfaces 21 of the antenna base 11, with no or only minimal spreading of the spreader legs 19 having yet occurred. In particular, in this state, the free ends of the spreader legs 19 do not protrude beyond the outer circumference of the antenna base 11 when viewed from above. This allows the antenna mount, in its pre-assembled state, to be positioned from the outside of the vehicle at the recess in the bodywork 61, and the antenna base 11, together with the already attached retaining bracket 13, to be inserted through the recess.

[0037] The antenna bracket is fixed in the recess of the body 61 by tightening the screw 15, which presses the base 17 of the retaining bracket 13 along the mounting axis A towards the antenna base 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting axis A is oriented essentially perpendicular to the inner surface of the vehicle body 61 surrounding the recess. Rotation or twisting of the retaining bracket 13 during tightening is limited or prevented by the surface sections 35 of the antenna base, as these serve as stop surfaces for the spreader legs 19. While the base 17 is pressed towards the antenna base 11 by tightening the screw 15, the spreader legs 19 of the retaining bracket 13 slide along the spreading surfaces 21 and spread open radially, i.e., essentially perpendicular to the mounting axis A.

[0038] In the further course of assembly, the inner surfaces 20 of the further spreading spreader legs 19 come into contact with the vehicle's inner surface of the body 61 in the area of ​​the free ends and slide along it until the in Fig. 2 The assembled state shown is achieved. In this state, the base 17 rests against the antenna socket 11 and is held in this position by the screw 15. The inner surfaces 20 of the spreading legs 19 are in contact with the body 61 at their free ends and are supported by it. This fixes the antenna mount in the recess of the body 61.

[0039] The curved sections 25 and the resulting convex inner surfaces 20 of the spreader legs 19 improve the sliding properties of the spreader legs 19 on the mounting surfaces 21 and on the inner surface of the vehicle body 61. In particular, this prevents the free ends from contacting the mounting surfaces 21 or the inner surface of the vehicle body 61 at an unfavorable angle during assembly, causing them to catch or pierce. This would lead to increased frictional resistance and a corresponding increase in the force required to operate the screw, or even damage to the vehicle body 61. In contrast, the described embodiment ensures a smooth sliding motion of the spreader legs 19 and consequently simple and trouble-free assembly of the antenna mount.In addition, stresses that act on the body 61 due to increased frictional forces and can lead to deformations on the body 61 can be avoided.

[0040] As mentioned above, in the illustrated embodiment, the inner surfaces 20 of the spreader legs 19 are provided with the groove and the two edge edges 29, 30 in the area of ​​the free ends, forming two cutting edges extending longitudinally along the spreader legs 19. These serve as contact surfaces for the body 61. Thus, the spreader legs 19 do not come into contact with the body 61 across their entire width, but only in the area of ​​the cutting edges, similar to an ice skate blade. This further improves the sliding properties of the spreader legs 19 on the body 61. Furthermore, during the installation of the antenna mount, the cutting edges can penetrate a layer of paint on the body 61, reliably establishing an electrically conductive connection between the antenna mount and the body 61 without the need for further assembly steps.

[0041] It is understood that the specific embodiment of the antenna mount described above is purely exemplary and that the antenna base 11 and the retaining bracket 13 can, in principle, have any shape.

Claims

1. Antenna bracket for mounting in a recess of a planar component (61), comprising an antenna base (11), a retaining bracket (13) with an inner surface facing the antenna base (11) and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, and a fastening element (15) with a fastening axis (A) for attaching the retaining bracket (13) to the antenna base (11), wherein the retaining bracket (13) has a base (17) and several spreading legs (19) extending from the base (17), and the antenna base (11) has at least one spreading surface (21) inclined to the fastening axis (A), along which the inner surfaces (20) of the spreading legs (19) slide when the antenna bracket is mounted to cause the spreading legs (19) to spread radially.

2. Antenna mount according to claim 1, characterized by that the spreading legs (19) are S-shaped.

3. Antenna mount according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that Each spreading leg (19) has a straight central section (23) to which curved sections (25, 31) are attached at both ends.

4. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that Each spreading leg (19) has a shoulder section (31) curved towards the inner surface, which extends from the base (17) first in a radial direction and then towards the antenna base (11).

5. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that Each spreading leg (19) has a curved section (25) in the region of its free end, which, when viewed in a longitudinal section of the spreading leg (19), has a convex inner surface (20).

6. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by thatthe inner surface (20) of each spreading leg (19) is concave at its free end when viewed in a cross-section of the spreading leg (19).

7. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that Each spreader leg (19) has a concave groove (27) with two edge edges (29, 30) at its free end on its inner surface (20), which extend in the longitudinal direction of the spreader leg (19) and which serve as a contact section for the planar component (61).

8. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that The longitudinal edges (29, 30) of the spreading leg (19) running along the inner surface (20) in the area of ​​the free end are formed by an acute angle between the inner surface (20) and a respective side surface that limits the spreading leg (19) in the width direction.

9. Antenna mount according to claim 4, characterized by thatEach spreading leg (19) has a tapering (33) which is formed in the shoulder section (31) and at which, in particular, a dimension of the spreading leg (19) is reduced in the width direction.

10. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the antenna base (11) has a separate spreading surface (21) for each spreading leg (19).

11. Antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that To prevent rotation, at least one surface section (35) of the antenna base (11) is designed as a stop surface for a spreading leg (19).

12. Vehicle antenna with an antenna mount according to one of the preceding claims.

13. Vehicle with a planar component (61) on which an antenna mount according to claim 7 is mounted, wherein the two edge edges (29, 30) are subjected to a preload on the planar component (61).

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