Antenna mounting structure and antenna mounting method

Abstract

To suppress loosening of an antenna and maintain a performance of the antenna.SOLUTION: In an antenna mounting structure, a connector portion 10 includes a cylindrical case portion 20 in which a male screw 22 is formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a cylindrical coil spring 30 which is accommodated inside the case portion 20 so as to be expandable and contractible and in which a fixed end 32 is formed on a bottom surface of the case portion 20. An antenna portion 60 includes a cylindrical skirt portion 70, a female thread forming portion 80 in which a female thread 84 is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 70, and an insertion portion 90 in which one end is formed on a bottom surface 74 of the skirt portion 70 and a spiral groove 92 having the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring 30 is formed on the outer peripheral surface. In a state in which the antenna portion 60 is attached to the connector portion 10, the male screw 22 of the case portion 20 and the female screw 84 of the female screw forming portion 80 are screwed together, and the coil spring 30 is wound around the insertion portion 90 along the spiral groove 92.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna mounting structure and an antenna mounting method. [Background technology]

[0002] A typical antenna connector structure for a radio device is one in which a connector part having a case part with a female thread on its inner circumferential surface is inserted into the inside of the skirt part of the antenna, which has an insertion part and a skirt part with a male thread on its outer circumferential surface, and then fastened by screwing. In conventional fastening methods like this, the skirt part made of elastomer pushes back the case part with a crushing pressure, thereby preventing loosening by utilizing the friction generated in the threaded part.

[0003] However, conventional friction-based locking methods lose their effectiveness with even slight loosening, and because the screws must be completely fastened, there was the problem that unintended loads could easily cause the antenna to perform improperly or even lead to damage.

[0004] To prevent loosening of the screw part, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of absorbing the impact on the coil spring by utilizing the elasticity of the spring, and Patent Document 2 discloses a method of filling the gap inside the screw with a coil spring to increase the frictional force and promote fastening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-156482 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-145722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the locking methods in Patent Documents 1 and 2 control the force so that torque in the direction of loosening is not applied to the screw body when the screw is completely fixed, and the locking effect is not fully exerted when the screw is loosened. If such a method is applied to an antenna connector structure, there is a possibility that the antenna may easily come off, preventing the antenna from performing its intended function.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an antenna mounting structure and an antenna mounting method that can suppress loosening of the antenna and maintain the performance of the antenna. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an antenna mounting structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an antenna mounting structure for mounting an antenna to a connector portion, the connector portion comprising: a cylindrical case portion having one closed end and a male thread formed on its outer peripheral surface; and a cylindrical coil spring that is accommodated in the case portion so as to be expandable and contractible within the case portion and is concentric with the case portion, and has one end formed on the bottom surface of the case portion; and the antenna portion of the antenna that is attached to the connector portion comprises: a cylindrical skirt portion having one closed end; a female thread forming portion that forms a female thread on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion; and an insertion portion that has one end formed on the bottom surface of the skirt portion so as to be concentric with the skirt portion, and has a spiral groove formed on its outer peripheral surface with the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring; and when the antenna portion is attached to the connector portion, the male thread of the case portion and the female thread of the female thread forming portion are threadedly engaged, and the coil spring is contained in the spiral groove of the insertion portion.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an antenna attachment method for attaching an antenna to a connector portion, the connector portion comprising: a cylindrical case portion having one closed end and a male thread formed on an outer peripheral surface; and a cylindrical coil spring accommodated inside the case portion so as to be concentric with the case portion and capable of expanding and contracting, with one end formed on a bottom surface of the case portion; and an antenna portion of the antenna that is attached to the connector portion comprises a cylindrical skirt portion having one closed end and a female thread formed on an inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion. and an insertion portion having one end formed on the bottom surface of the skirt portion so as to be concentric with the skirt portion and having a spiral groove formed on its outer surface with the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring, wherein the case portion is inserted into the skirt portion and the connector portion and the antenna portion are rotated relative to each other around the axis, so that the other end of the coil spring enters the tip of the spiral groove of the insertion portion, and the coil spring winds around the insertion portion along the spiral groove, while the male thread of the case portion and the female thread of the female thread forming portion are screwed together. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, loosening of the antenna can be suppressed and the performance of the antenna can be maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded side view, partially in cross section, showing a schematic view of an antenna mounting structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view, partly in cross section, schematically showing the antenna mounting structure according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the antenna mounting method according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the antenna mounting method according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded side view, partly in section, showing a schematic view of an antenna mounting structure according to a modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view, partly in cross section, showing a schematic view of an antenna mounting structure according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of an antenna mounting method according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of an antenna detachment method according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Below, embodiments of an antenna mounting structure and an antenna mounting method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the description of the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments described below can be variously omitted, replaced, or modified without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In the following embodiments, components necessary for illustrating the antenna mounting structure and antenna mounting method according to the present disclosure will be described, and other components will be omitted.

[0013] [Embodiment] First, an antenna mounting structure according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded side view, partly in cross section, of the antenna mounting structure according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in cross section, of the antenna mounting structure according to the embodiment.

[0014] The antenna mounting structure of the embodiment shows the structure of a portion where an antenna is mounted on a main body of a radio device such as a transceiver. The antenna mounting structure has a connector portion 10 provided on the radio device main body and to which an antenna is attached, and an antenna portion 60 provided on the antenna and attached to the connector portion 10.

[0015] In the following description, the antenna mounting structure is assumed to be applied to a radio, and the direction in which the antenna is attached to and extends from the radio body is defined as "up." In Figures 1 and 4, the top of the paper is "upward," and the bottom of the paper is "downward." The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction is "lateral."

[0016] The connector unit 10 is provided on the top surface of the outer periphery of the radio body. The connector unit 10 is electrically connected to a communication circuit provided inside the radio body. By attaching an antenna unit 60 to the connector unit 10, the radio can transmit and receive signals using the antenna. The connector unit 10 includes a case unit 20, a coil spring 30, a connector pin 40, and a stopper unit 50.

[0017] The case part 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed bottom end. Like known case parts, the case part 20 is formed from a metal material such as copper, zinc alloy (nickel-plated), brass, etc. The case part 20 is inserted into the inside of a skirt part 70 of the antenna part 60 (described later), and an insertion part 90 of the antenna part 60 (described later) is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical shape. The case part 20 has a male thread 22 formed on its outer circumferential surface at a predetermined pitch P1. The male thread 22 is threadedly engaged with a female thread 84 of the antenna part 60 (described later).

[0018] The coil spring 30 is a cylindrical coil spring having a predetermined pitch P2 in a free state so that it can act in both the compression direction and the tension direction. The outer diameter of the coil spring 30 is the same as the inner diameter of the case portion 20. The coil spring 30 is formed from a metal material such as stainless steel or titanium. The coil spring 30 is housed inside the cylindrical case portion 20 in an expandable manner so that its axis is parallel to the vertical direction and concentric with the case portion 20. The coil spring 30 is supported by the inner peripheral surface 24 of the case portion 20, thereby preventing it from tilting.

[0019] One end of the coil spring 30 on the lower side is fixed to the bottom surface 26 of the case part 20 as a fixed end 32. The fixed end 32 is preferably formed as a closed end. By forming the fixed end 32 as a closed end and fixing it to the bottom surface 26 of the case part 20, it is possible to prevent the coil spring 30 from tilting.

[0020] One upper end of the coil spring 30 is released as a free end 34 and is rotatable about the axis. The shape of the end of the coil spring is not particularly important, but an open-end shape is preferable. Here, the free end 34 is formed as an open end, for example. When the antenna unit 60 is not attached to the connector unit 10, the coil spring 30 is released at its natural length. The pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in the free state is smaller than the pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92 formed in the insertion portion 90 of the antenna unit 60, which will be described later.

[0021] The connector pin 40 includes a core wire that is electrically connected to a communication circuit provided inside the radio main body. The connector pin 40 is made of the same metal material as well-known connector pins 40, such as a copper-zinc alloy (gold-plated) or brass. The connector pin 40 is fixed so that a portion of it protrudes upward from the center of the bottom surface 26 of the case unit 20. When the antenna unit 60 is attached to the connector unit 10, the connector pin 40 is inserted into and fitted into a connection hole 94 of the antenna unit 60, which will be described later.

[0022] The stopper portion 50 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the case portion 20, protruding radially outward from a position below the area where the male threads 22 are formed. The stopper portion 50 limits the amount of insertion of the case portion 20 into a skirt portion 70, which will be described later, when the antenna portion 60 is attached to the connector portion 10. The stopper portion 50 abuts against an end face 76 (lower face) of the skirt portion 70, thereby stopping the skirt portion 70 from moving relative to the case portion 20. The stopper portion 50 may be molded integrally with the case portion 20, or may be formed separately from and fixed to the case portion 20, or may be realized as part of the main body housing of the radio in which the connector portion 10 is provided.

[0023] The antenna unit 60 is provided at the lower end of an antenna that extends vertically and is attached to the radio device body. By attaching the antenna unit 60 to the connector unit 10, the radio device can acquire radio signals received by the antenna and can output radio signals radiated into space by the antenna from the communication circuit to the antenna. The antenna unit 60 includes a skirt portion 70, a female thread portion 80, and an insertion portion 90.

[0024] The skirt portion 70 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end. Like known skirt portions 70, the skirt portion 70 is formed from an elastomer such as a polyurethane-based elastomer. The skirt portion 70 has an internal thread forming portion 80 fixed to an inner circumferential surface 72. The skirt portion 70 has an insertion portion 90 fixed to a bottom surface 74. This insertion portion 90 may not be a separate member, but may be formed directly on the skirt portion 70 by extending from the bottom surface 74.

[0025] The female thread forming portion 80 is formed in a cylindrical shape with both ends open. The outer peripheral surface 82 of the female thread forming portion 80 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface 72 of the skirt portion 70. In other words, the outer diameter of the female thread forming portion 80 is the same as the inner diameter of the skirt portion 70. The female thread forming portion 80 is formed from a metal material such as stainless steel or brass. The female thread forming portion 80 has a female thread 84 formed on its inner peripheral surface at a predetermined pitch P1. The pitch P1 of the female thread 84 is the same as the pitch P1 of the male thread 22 of the connector portion 10. The female thread 84 threadably engages with the male thread 22 of the connector portion 10. In other words, the inner diameter of the female thread forming portion 80 is the same as the outer diameter of the case portion 20 of the connector portion 10. The case portion 20 of the connector portion 10 is inserted into the female thread forming portion 80. That is, the case portion 20 of the connector portion 10 is inserted inside the skirt portion 70, which has the female thread forming portion 80 fixed to its inner peripheral surface 72. The female thread forming portion 80 does not have to be a separate cylindrical body, and the female thread 84 may be formed on the inner peripheral surface 72 of the skirt portion 70.

[0026] The insertion portion 90 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The insertion portion 90 is formed from the same metal material as known insertion portions, such as stainless steel or brass. One end of the insertion portion 90 is formed on the bottom surface 74 (top surface) of the skirt portion 70 so that the axis is parallel to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the insertion portion 90 has an upper end fixed to the bottom surface 74 of the skirt portion 70. The insertion portion 90 has a spiral groove 92 formed on its outer peripheral surface. The pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92 is larger than the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state. It is preferable that the pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92 be larger than the pitch P1 of the male thread 22 of the connector portion 10 and the female thread 84 of the antenna portion 60.

[0027] The spiral groove 92 has approximately the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring 30. Furthermore, the portion between adjacent spiral grooves 92 has a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the coil spring 30 and smaller than the inner diameter of the case portion 20. Furthermore, the insertion portion 90 has a connection hole 94 formed in the bottom surface thereof, into which the connector pin 40 of the connector portion 10 is inserted and fitted.

[0028] When the case portion 20 of the connector unit 10 is inserted into the skirt portion 70 of the antenna unit 60, the insertion portion 90 is inserted inside the coil spring 30 of the connector unit 10, and the connector pin 40 is inserted into and fitted into the connection hole 94. Here, when the case portion 20 of the connector unit 10 is inserted into the skirt portion 70 of the antenna unit 60, the antenna unit 60 is rotated about its axis relative to the connector unit 10, and the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 60 is screwed into the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10. As a result, the coil spring 30 is wound from the free end 34 side along the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90. This can also be said to be a state in which the coil spring 30 is fitted into the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90.

[0029] As described above, the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state is smaller than the pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, when the antenna portion 60 is attached to the connector portion 10, the coil spring 30 is forcibly extended from its natural length, and a restoring force is applied in the compression direction. As a result, the connector portion 10 pulls the insertion portion 90 of the antenna portion 60 via the coil spring 30, thereby preventing movement in the loosening direction.

[0030] The connector portion 10 is manufactured, for example, by forming a male thread 22 on the outer peripheral surface of the case portion 20, fixing a connector pin 40 to the bottom surface 26, and inserting a coil spring 30 inside the case portion 20 and fixing a fixed end 32 to the bottom surface 26. The antenna portion 60 is manufactured, for example, by forming a female thread 84 in the female thread forming portion 80, forming a spiral groove 92 and a connection hole 94 in the insertion portion 90, and forming the skirt portion 70 by insert molding with the female thread forming portion 80 and the insertion portion 90 in predetermined positions.

[0031] Next, an antenna mounting method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the antenna mounting method according to an embodiment.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, first, the coil spring 30 of the connector part 10 and the insertion part 90 of the antenna part 60 are axially opposed to each other, and the upper end of the male thread 22 of the connector part 10 is abutted against the lower end of the female thread 84 of the antenna part 60 (step S11).

[0033] Next, while the connector part 10 and the antenna part 60 are rotated relative to each other about their axes, the case part 20 is inserted into the skirt part 70, thereby threading the male threads 22 of the connector part 10 into the female threads 84 of the antenna part 60. When the case part 20 is inserted to some extent into the skirt part 70, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 of the connector part 10 abuts against the lower end of the insertion part 90 of the antenna part 60 (step S12).

[0034] As the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10 and the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 60 are subsequently threaded together, the coil spring 30 rotates about its axis while in contact with the insertion unit 90, causing the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 to enter the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion unit 90. As the coil spring 30 rotates to thread the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 60 onto the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10, it winds around the insertion unit 90 along the spiral groove 92 (step S13).

[0035] Here, the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state is smaller than the pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92. Therefore, the portion of the coil spring 30 wound around the insertion portion 90 is forcibly stretched in the axial direction, and a restoring force is applied in the compression direction. The restoring force of the coil spring 30 in the compression direction inhibits movement of the connector portion 10 and the antenna portion 60 in the loosening direction.

[0036] Furthermore, the male threads 22 of the connector part 10 and the female threads 84 of the antenna part 60 are screwed together until the stopper part 50 abuts against the end face 76 of the skirt part 70. At this time, the connector pins 40 provided on the bottom face 26 of the connector part 10 are fitted into the connection holes 94 of the insertion part 90, thereby attaching the antenna part 60 to the connector part 10 (step S14).

[0037] The series of steps shown from step S11 to step S14 can be performed in the same manner as conventional fastening of a connector part and an antenna part, using the same method as turning a screw. Coil spring 30 winds around insertion part 90 one after another along spiral groove 92, and the wound part is forcibly stretched, so that a restoring force in the compressive direction is applied from the start of winding, and the restoring force in the compressive direction gradually increases as the wound part becomes larger.

[0038] That is, the anti-loosening effect is achieved even before complete attachment, and the further the case portion 20 of the connector portion 10 is inserted into the skirt portion 70 of the antenna portion 60, the stronger the anti-loosening effect becomes. In other words, it is possible to prevent the connector portion 10 and the antenna portion 60 from becoming further loose. Because the stretched coil spring 30 applies a force that causes the connector portion 10 to pull the antenna portion 60, it is possible to prevent the contact between the connector portion 10 and the antenna portion 60 caused by the fitting of the connector pin 40 and the connection hole 94 from coming loose.

[0039] Next, the behavior of the coil spring 30 when the free end 34 does not enter the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90 and spins freely will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the antenna mounting method according to the embodiment.

[0040] 4, first, the coil spring 30 of the connector unit 10 and the insertion portion 90 of the antenna unit 60 are aligned in the axial direction, and the upper end of the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10 is brought into contact with the lower end of the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 60 (step S21). This procedure is the same as step S11 shown in FIG.

[0041] Next, while the connector portion 10 and the antenna portion 60 are rotated relative to each other about their axes, the case portion 20 is inserted into the skirt portion 70, thereby threading the male threads 22 of the connector portion 10 into the female threads 84 of the antenna portion 60. When the case portion 20 is inserted to a certain extent into the skirt portion 70, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 of the connector portion 10 abuts against the lower end of the insertion portion 90 of the antenna portion 60. At this time, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 does not enter the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90, and the coil spring 30 rotates freely relative to the insertion portion 90. Then, the coil spring 30 is compressed between the lower end of the insertion portion 90 and the bottom surface 26 of the case portion 20 (step S22).

[0042] As the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10 continues to be threaded into the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 60, the coil spring 30 is further compressed and a restoring force is applied in the tensile direction. This gradually increases the force with which the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 presses against the lower end of the insertion portion 90, making it easier for the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 to enter the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90. When the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 enters the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90, the compression is released and the coil spring 30 wraps around the insertion portion 90 along the spiral groove 92 (step S32).

[0043] Furthermore, the male threads 22 of the connector part 10 and the female threads 84 of the antenna part 60 are screwed together until the stopper part 50 abuts against the end face 76 of the skirt part 70. At this time, the connector pins 40 provided on the bottom face 26 of the connector part 10 are fitted into the connection holes 94 of the insertion part 90, thereby attaching the antenna part 60 to the connector part 10 (step S24).

[0044] In this way, even if the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 does not enter the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90 and spins freely, the restoring force of the compressed coil spring 30 in the tensile direction allows the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 to enter the lower end of the spiral groove 92 of the insertion portion 90. This allows the coil spring 30 to be wound around the insertion portion 90 along the spiral groove 92.

[0045] [Modification] Next, an antenna mounting structure according to a modified example will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is an exploded side view, partly in cross section, of the antenna mounting structure according to the modified example. Fig. 6 is a side view, partly in cross section, of the antenna mounting structure according to the modified example. In the antenna mounting structure according to the modified example, components similar to those in the antenna mounting structure according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0046] The antenna mounting structure of the modified example has a connector section 10 having the same configuration as the embodiment, and an antenna section 100. The antenna section 100 of the modified example differs from the antenna section 60 of the embodiment in that it has a plug section 110 instead of the plug section 90 in which the pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92 is constant.

[0047] The insertion portion 110 of the modified example is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, similar to the insertion portion 90 of the embodiment, and its upper end is fixed to the bottom surface 74 (top surface) of the skirt portion 70 so that its axis is parallel to the vertical direction. The insertion portion 110 has a spiral groove 112 formed on its outer peripheral surface. The pitch of the spiral groove 112 changes from the bottom end to the top end. The pitch P4 of the tip end 116 (lower region) of the insertion portion 110 is smaller than the pitch P3 of the central portion. The pitch P4 of the tip end 116 is approximately the same as the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state. Furthermore, the pitch P5 of the base end 118 (upper region) of the insertion portion 110 is larger than the pitch P3 of the central portion.

[0048] Similar to the spiral groove 92 of the embodiment, the spiral groove 112 has approximately the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring 30. Furthermore, the portion between adjacent spiral grooves 112 has a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the coil spring 30 and smaller than the inner diameter of the case portion 20. Similar to the insert portion 90 of the embodiment, the insert portion 110 has a connection hole 94 formed in the bottom surface into which the connector pin 40 of the connector portion 10 is inserted and fitted.

[0049] When the case portion 20 of the connector portion 10 is inserted into the skirt portion 70 of the antenna portion 100, the insertion portion 110 is inserted inside the coil spring 30 of the connector portion 10, and the connector pin 40 is inserted into and fitted into the connection hole 94. Here, when the case portion 20 of the connector portion 10 is inserted into the skirt portion 70 of the antenna portion 100, the antenna portion 100 is rotated about its axis relative to the connector portion 10, and the female thread 84 of the antenna portion 100 is screwed into the male thread 22 of the connector portion 10. As a result, the coil spring 30 is wound around the spiral groove 112 of the insertion portion 110 from the free end 34 side.

[0050] As described above, the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state is approximately the same as the pitch P4 of the tip end 116 in the spiral groove 112 of the insertion portion 110. Therefore, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 can easily enter the spiral groove 112 from the lower end, which can encourage the coil spring 30 to wind around the insertion portion 110.

[0051] When the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 passes through the tip portion 116 and reaches the central portion of the tip portion 116, which has a pitch P3 larger than the pitch P4, the coil spring 30 is forcibly extended from its natural length, and a restoring force is applied in the compression direction. As a result, the connector unit 10 pulls the insertion portion 110 of the antenna unit 100 via the coil spring 30, thereby inhibiting movement in the loosening direction. Furthermore, when the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 reaches the base end 118, which has a pitch P5 larger than the central pitch P3, the deformation of the coil spring 30 in the tensile direction increases, and the restoring force in the compression direction increases, further strengthening the anti-loosening effect.

[0052] Next, an antenna mounting method according to a modified example will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the antenna mounting method according to the modified example.

[0053] 7, first, the coil spring 30 of the connector unit 10 and the insertion unit 110 of the antenna unit 100 are axially opposed to each other, and the upper end of the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10 is brought into contact with the lower end of the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 100 (step S31). This procedure is the same as step S11 shown in FIG. 3 of the embodiment.

[0054] Next, while the connector part 10 and the antenna part 100 are rotated relative to each other about their axes, the case part 20 is inserted into the skirt part 70, thereby threading the male threads 22 of the connector part 10 into the female threads 84 of the antenna part 100. When the case part 20 is inserted to some extent into the skirt part 70, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 of the connector part 10 abuts against the lower end of the insertion part 110 of the antenna part 100 (step S32).

[0055] As the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10 and the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 100 are subsequently threaded together, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 enters the lower end of the spiral groove 112 of the insertion unit 110. At this time, because the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state is approximately the same as the pitch P4 of the tip end 116 in the spiral groove 112 of the insertion unit 110, the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 can be smoothly threaded into the lower end of the spiral groove 112. As the coil spring 30 is rotated to threadably engage the male thread 22 of the connector unit 10 with the female thread 84 of the antenna unit 100, the coil spring 30 winds around the insertion unit 110 along the spiral groove 112 (step S33).

[0056] Furthermore, the male thread 22 of the connector part 10 and the female thread 84 of the antenna part 100 are threaded together until the stopper part 50 abuts against the end face 76 of the skirt part 70. When the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 reaches the center of the pitch P3, which is larger than the pitch P4 of the tip part 116, the coil spring 30 is forcibly extended from its natural length, and a restoring force is applied in the compression direction. The restoring force of the coil spring 30 in the compression direction inhibits movement of the connector part 10 and the antenna part 100 in the loosening direction.

[0057] Furthermore, when the free ends 34 of the coil springs 30 reach the base ends 118 having a pitch P5 larger than the pitch P3 in the central portion, the deformation of the coil springs 30 in the tensile direction increases, and the restoring force in the compressive direction increases, thereby further strengthening the anti-loosening effect. Then, the connector pins 40 provided on the bottom surface 26 of the connector part 10 are fitted into the connection holes 94 of the insertion part 110, thereby attaching the antenna part 100 to the connector part 10 (step S34).

[0058] Next, an antenna detachment method according to a modified example will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the antenna detachment method according to the modified example.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 8, in the state where the connector section 10 and the antenna section 100 are attached, the movement in the loosening direction is inhibited by the restoring force in the compression direction of the coil spring 30 (step S41).

[0060] Resisting this anti-loosening force, the connector part 10 and the antenna part 100 are rotated relative to each other about their axes in the opposite direction to that at the time of attachment, while the case part 20 is pulled out from inside the skirt part 70. As a result, the coil spring 30 rotates about its axis relative to the insertion part 110, and the coil spring 30 comes out of the insertion part 110 along the spiral groove 92 (step S42).

[0061] Since the coil spring 30 is subjected to a restoring force in the compression direction, by pulling out the case part 20 from inside the skirt part 70, the coil spring 30 is pulled toward the fixed end 32, facilitating removal from the insertion part 110.

[0062] Next, while rotating the connector part 10 and the antenna part 100 relative to each other around the axis, the case part 20 is pulled out from inside the skirt part 70, and the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 comes out from the lower end of the spiral groove 112 of the insertion part 110, and the coil spring 30 is released from the insertion part 110 (step S43).

[0063] Furthermore, the connector part 10 and the antenna part 100 are rotated relative to each other around the axis to release the engagement between the male thread 22 of the connector part 10 and the female thread 84 of the antenna part 100, thereby removing the antenna part 100 from the connector part 10 (step S44).

[0064] 〔effect〕 As described above, the antenna mounting structures of the embodiment and modified examples inhibit movement of the connector section 10 and the antenna section 60, 100 in the loosening direction by the restoring force in the compression direction of the coil spring 30 wound around the spiral grooves 92, 112 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion section 90, 110. Because the restoring force in the compression direction is generated when the coil spring 30 winds around the spiral grooves 92, 112 of the insertion section 90, 110 and expands, the anti-loosening effect is maintained from the moment it is wound until it is removed.

[0065] Furthermore, the larger the portion wound around the spiral grooves 92, 112, the greater the restoring force in the compression direction, and therefore the further the case portion 20 of the connector portion 10 is inserted into the skirt portion 70 of the antenna portion 60, 100, the stronger the anti-loosening effect. Furthermore, when removing the coil spring 30, the further the coil spring 30 is removed from the spiral grooves 92, 112, the gradually smaller the restoring force in the compression direction, making it easier to remove.

[0066] Furthermore, by making the pitch P3 of the spiral groove 92 larger than the pitch P1 of the male screw 22 and the female screw 84, when removing the antenna unit 60, 100 from the connector unit 10, the coil spring 30 is released from the spiral groove 92, 112 before the male screw 22 and the female screw 84 are unscrewed. This makes it possible to prevent the coil spring 30 from being wound up and stretched and broken during removal.

[0067] In addition, even if an impact is applied from an unexpected direction, the elasticity of the coil spring 30 allows a certain degree of freedom in deformation, which has the advantage of being resistant to load and less likely to break. Furthermore, since the spring load of the coil spring 30 can be freely set during the design stage, the strength of the locking effect can be adjusted as desired.

[0068] Furthermore, in the antenna mounting structure of the modified example, pitches P4, P3, and P5 of spiral groove 112 formed on the outer peripheral surface of insertion portion 110 are changed within a predetermined range from tip end 116 to base end 118 of insertion portion 110. This increases the frictional force between coil spring 30 and spiral groove 112, making it possible to suppress loosening.

[0069] Furthermore, by making the pitch P4 of the tip portion 116 smaller than the pitch P3 of the central portion and the same size as the pitch P2 of the coil spring 30 in its free state, friction between the coil spring 30 and the spiral groove 112 at the start of winding is reduced, allowing the free end 34 of the coil spring 30 to smoothly enter the spiral groove 112.

[0070] Furthermore, by making the pitch P5 of the base end 118 larger than the pitch P3 of the central portion, the deformation of the coil spring 30 in the tensile direction can be increased, thereby increasing the restoring force in the compression direction and making the anti-loosening effect stronger.

[0071] Furthermore, in the antenna attachment method of the embodiment and the modified example, the case part 20 is inserted into the skirt part 70, and the female threads 84 of the antenna part 60, 100 are screwed onto the male threads 22 of the connector part 10. That is, similar to the structure of a conventional antenna connector, the case part 20 can be fixed while rotating in a manner similar to screw fixing. By rotating the connector part 10 and the antenna part 60, 100 relatively around their axes for this screwing, the coil spring 30 naturally winds around the insertion part 90, 110 along the spiral grooves 92, 112, creating a locking effect, and no special operation is required. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10 Connector part 20 Case part 22 Male thread 24 Inner peripheral surface 26 bottom 30 Coil spring 32 Fixed end 34 Free end 40 connector pins 50 Stopper part 60,100 Antenna section 70 Skirt Section 72 Inner surface 74 bottom 76 End face 80 Female thread forming part 82 Outer surface 84 Female thread 90,110 Insertion part 92,112 Spiral groove 94 Connection hole 116 Tip 118 Proximal end

Claims

1. An antenna mounting structure for mounting an antenna to a connector portion, The connector portion is a cylindrical case portion having one end closed and a male screw formed on an outer peripheral surface; a cylindrical coil spring that is accommodated inside the case portion so as to be concentric with the case portion and be capable of expanding and contracting, and one end of the coil spring is formed on a bottom surface of the case portion; Equipped with The antenna portion of the antenna that is attached to the connector portion comprises: a cylindrical skirt portion having one closed end; a female thread forming portion in which a female thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion; an insertion portion having one end formed on the bottom surface of the skirt portion so as to be concentric with the skirt portion, and having a spiral groove formed on its outer peripheral surface with the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring; Equipped with When the antenna unit is attached to the connector unit, The male thread of the case portion and the female thread of the female thread forming portion are threadedly engaged with each other, The coil spring is received in the spiral groove of the insertion portion. An antenna mounting structure comprising:

2. The pitch of the coil spring in a free state is smaller than the pitch of the spiral groove.

2. The antenna mounting structure according to claim 1 .

3. The pitch of the spiral groove is greater than the pitch of the male thread and the female thread.

2. The antenna mounting structure according to claim 1 .

4. The pitch of the spiral groove is The insertion portion is formed so as to change in a predetermined range from the distal end to the proximal end.

2. The antenna mounting structure according to claim 1 .

5. An antenna mounting method for mounting an antenna to a connector portion, comprising: The connector portion is a cylindrical case portion having one end closed and a male screw formed on an outer peripheral surface; a cylindrical coil spring that is accommodated inside the case portion so as to be concentric with the case portion and be capable of expanding and contracting, and one end of the coil spring is formed on a bottom surface of the case portion; Equipped with The antenna portion of the antenna that is attached to the connector portion comprises: a cylindrical skirt portion having one closed end; a female thread forming portion in which a female thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion; an insertion portion having one end formed on the bottom surface of the skirt portion so as to be concentric with the skirt portion, and having a spiral groove formed on its outer peripheral surface with the same diameter as the inner diameter of the coil spring; Equipped with The case portion is inserted into the skirt portion, and the connector portion and the antenna portion are rotated relative to each other around the axis. The other end of the coil spring enters the spiral groove of the insertion portion from the tip thereof, and the coil spring is wound around the insertion portion along the spiral groove. The male thread of the case portion and the female thread of the female thread forming portion are screwed together. An antenna mounting method comprising:

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