Antenna unit of a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to an antenna unit (1) of a vehicle, comprising at least one antenna for high-frequency signals, a support body (4) for electronic components, and a high-frequency cable (3) for externally connecting the antenna unit (1) to other vehicle components. According to the invention, the antenna unit (1) has a contacting module (10) having at least two electrically conductive contacting elements (12) provided on the support body (4) and having a contacting housing (11) which receives the high-frequency cable (3). In order to electrically contact the high-frequency cable (3) with the electrically conductive contacting elements (12), the contacting housing (11) is interlockingly connected to the support body (4).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Antenna unit of a vehicle

[0003] The invention relates to an antenna unit of a vehicle according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

[0004] Antenna units or antenna modules are used in a wide variety of designs and applications, particularly for receiving and transmitting high-frequency signals. In the automotive sector, such antenna units or antenna modules are used, for example, for telephony, communication with other communication partners, reception of radio stations, and reception of satellite signals.

[0005] In vehicles, these antenna units are located at different installation locations, in particular on the vehicle roof as roof antennas or integrated into an exterior mirror of the vehicle or arranged on the cockpit of the vehicle.

[0006] The antenna unit is connected to other electronic components, parts, or assemblies of the vehicle for signal transmission via a high-frequency cable, in particular via a coaxial high-frequency cable. Such coaxial high-frequency cables consist of an inner conductor designed as a copper wire or as a multi-core stranded wire for signal transmission, a dielectric, a shield usually designed as a braid as a ground connection, and an outer sheath. This high-frequency cable is electrically contacted at one end by a carrier body of the antenna unit, which is in particular designed as a printed circuit board (PCB). For this purpose, solder connections of the inner conductor of the high-frequency cable and the ground contact of the high-frequency cable to the circuit board are provided. The other end of the high-frequency cable is led out of a housing of the antenna unit.When operating the antenna unit with a high data volume and thus in the high frequency ranges required for this, for example, above 3 GHz, such solder connections and their solder pads cause problems due to the unreliable reproducibility of the solder application and the limited space available for the solder pads on the antenna unit, which is designed to be as compact as possible, and thus also on the printed circuit board, which is designed to be as compact as possible.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of specifying an antenna unit of a vehicle in which the electrical contacting of the high-frequency cable on a carrier body of the antenna unit, which is designed in particular as a printed circuit board, is realized in a simple and reliably reproducible manner.

[0008] This object is achieved in an antenna unit of a vehicle having the features of patent claim 1.

[0009] Advantageous further developments of the invention are part of the further patent claims.

[0010] According to the invention, the antenna unit of a vehicle has a solderless electrical connection between the high-frequency cable and the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board, which is implemented by means of a contacting module, in order to realize a reliably reproducible electrical contacting of the high-frequency cable provided for the external connection of the antenna unit to other vehicle components and is designed in particular as a coaxial cable, on the carrier body designed in particular as a printed circuit board for electronic components of the antenna unit.This solderless electrical connection of the high-frequency cable to the carrier body of the antenna unit, which is designed as a printed circuit board, can be used in particular even at high frequency ranges during operation of the antenna unit, for example, more than 3 GHz, so that an improvement in the performance of the antenna unit and a significant expansion of the application range of the antenna unit can be achieved.

[0011] The contacting module of the antenna unit according to the invention comprises at least two electrically conductive contacting elements arranged on the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board, and a contacting housing accommodating the high-frequency cable, which is mechanically and positively connected to the printed circuit board for electrically contacting the high-frequency cable and thereby also physically contacts the electrically conductive contacting elements arranged on the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board. In particular, the contacting housing with the appropriately stripped high-frequency cable is pressed onto the electrically conductive contacting elements located on the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board, thereby electrically connecting them to these electrically conductive contacting elements.

[0012] In particular, at least one electrically conductive contacting element is provided for electrically contacting the inner conductor of the high-frequency cable, and at least one electrically conductive contacting element is provided for electrically contacting the ground connection and thus for electrically contacting the shielding of the high-frequency cable. For example, one electrically conductive contacting element is provided for electrically contacting the inner conductor of the high-frequency cable, and two electrically conductive contacting elements are provided for contacting the ground connection and thus for contacting the shielding of the high-frequency cable.

[0013] In an advantageous development of the invention, the electrically conductive contacting elements comprise a base body made of a compressible plastic material, which is provided with an electrically conductive coating, for example, a gold-based coating arranged on the compressible plastic material. The contacting elements have a certain predetermined height of the base body and a thin electrically conductive coating applied thereto.The height of the base body of the electrically conductive contacting elements is selected such that, when the contacting housing is pressed onto the electrically conductive contacting elements and the resulting compression of the electrically conductive contacting elements, sufficient physical contact and thus a reliable electrical connection results between the high-frequency cable arranged in the contacting housing and the electrically conductive contacting elements.

[0014] In an advantageous development of the invention, the base body of the electrically conductive contacting elements consists of a compressible foam material as a foam core. Accordingly, this foam core of the electrically conductive contacting elements is compressible during the mechanical connection of the contact housing to the electrically conductive contacting elements and the resulting pressure on the electrically conductive contacting elements.

[0015] Preferably, the base body of the electrically conductive contacting elements and thus the compressible foam core of the electrically conductive contacting elements can be compressed by up to 60% of its height during the mechanical connection of the contacting housing to the electrically conductive contacting elements by appropriately selecting the material of the base body of the electrically conductive contacting elements.

[0016] In an advantageous development of the invention, the electrically conductive contacting elements are designed as SMD components (surface-mounted devices) that are applied to the carrier body, which is designed as a printed circuit board, using SMT technology (surface-mounted technology) or by means of an SMT process. The SMT process enables automated, precise assembly of the contacting elements designed as SMD components using a pick-and-place machine, thus enabling efficient production of the antenna unit. The electrically conductive contacting elements are thus precisely positioned on the carrier body, which is designed as a printed circuit board. This means that the positioning and dimensions of the electrically conductive contacting elements can be determined very precisely and with high reproducibility.

[0017] In a further advantageous development of the invention, for the precise control of the pressing of the contact housing with the appropriately stripped high-frequency cable onto the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board and thus onto the electrically conductive contact elements, a plurality of receiving openings are provided on the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board, into which corresponding fastening elements formed on the contact housing engage. This also ensures, in particular, the positive mechanical connection of the contact housing to the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board. For example, the fastening elements engaging in correspondingly shaped receiving openings on the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board are designed as snap hooks.Alternatively, the fastening elements can also be designed as fastening clips, which, for example, have a fir tree shape to possibly compensate for different thicknesses of the carrier body designed as a printed circuit board.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the contact housing has molded-on recesses on its inner wall as centering elements for centering the high-frequency cable inserted into the contact housing. Preferably, the contact housing also includes several recesses, designed, for example, as ribs, in the region of the inlet opening for the high-frequency cable, for strain relief of the high-frequency cable. Furthermore, the contact housing can have a stop on its inner wall, which is designed, for example, as a semicircular stop, to limit movement of the high-frequency cable in the longitudinal direction of the contact housing and thus to fix or secure the high-frequency cable.Advantageously, the antenna unit of a vehicle according to the invention thus provides a consistent, automated and reproducible electrical connection of the high-frequency cable to the circuit board with high quality, even with small dimensions of the circuit board and thus with a small available area for the electrical contact.

[0019] Furthermore, the invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0020] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. These show:

[0021] Fig. 1 is a schematic external view of the antenna unit;

[0022] Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of a high-frequency cable;

[0023] Fig. 3 a view of the contact housing with inserted high-frequency cable;

[0024] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the carrier body of the antenna unit designed as a printed circuit board;

[0025] Fig. 5 is a view of the contacting module when the contacting housing is pressed onto the carrier body of the antenna unit, which is designed as a printed circuit board;

[0026] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the contacting module after the contacting housing has been pressed onto the carrier body of the antenna unit, which is designed as a printed circuit board.

[0027] The exemplary embodiment explained below is a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the described components of the embodiment each represent individual, independently considered features of the invention, which also further develop the invention independently of one another and are thus also to be considered as components of the invention, either individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0028] In the figures, functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0029] The antenna unit 1 of a vehicle, shown in Figure 1, is provided with a housing 2, embodied, for example, as a plastic housing, and is attached to a component of the vehicle by means of a fastening element 5. For example, the antenna unit 1 comprises a circularly polarized ceramic antenna for high-frequency signals, which is formed on a ceramic substrate with a high relative dielectric constant ε. The ceramic substrate is arranged on a carrier body 4, embodied as a printed circuit board, for electronic components of the antenna unit 1, in particular for a signal amplifier mounted on the underside of the printed circuit board 4.For the external connection of the antenna unit 1 and thus for the electrical connection of the antenna unit 1 to other components or parts of the vehicle and for the signal transmission of high-frequency signals, the high-frequency cable 3, designed, for example, as a coaxial cable, is led out of the housing 2. Within the antenna unit 1, the high-frequency cable 3 is electrically conductively connected to the printed circuit board 4 and thus also electrically conductively connected to the electronic components of the antenna unit 1 mounted on the printed circuit board 7.

[0030] In the detailed view of the high-frequency cable 3 designed as a coaxial cable according to Figure 2, it can be seen that the inner conductor 6, consisting of a bare strand, for example, made of copper, is surrounded by a dielectric 7 with a high dielectric constant. The dielectric 7 is in turn enclosed by a shield 8 forming the ground connection of the high-frequency cable 3, which, for example, consists of two layers of laminated aluminum foil and a braid of tinned copper wires. An outer sheath 9, made of a plastic material such as PVC, is provided as the outer layer of the high-frequency cable 3.

[0031] In the detailed view of the contacting housing 11 of the contacting module 10, according to Figure 3, it can be seen that the stripped high-frequency cable 3 is inserted into the interior region 17 of the contacting housing 11 of the contacting module 10, i.e., both the inner conductor 6 of the high-frequency cable 3 and the shielding 8 of the high-frequency cable 3 are exposed in a specific section to be contacted. A stop 20 is formed on the inner wall 22 of the contacting housing 11, which allows precise positioning of the high-frequency cable 3 in the longitudinal direction of the contacting housing 11. Likewise, a semicircular recess 19, for example, is formed on the inner wall 22 of the contacting housing 11 as a centering aid for the high-frequency cable 3.At the inlet opening 18 of the high-frequency cable 3 into the interior region 17 of the contact housing 11, several ribs 21 are formed on the inner wall 22 of the contact housing 11, via which strain relief of the high-frequency cable 3 is realized. Furthermore, a fastening element 15, designed, for example, as a snap hook, is provided at each of the four corners of the contact housing 11, i.e., the contact housing 11 thus has a total of four fastening elements 15.

[0032] In the detailed view of the circuit board as a carrier body 4 according to Figure 4, it can be seen that several contacting elements 12 of the contacting module 10 are applied to the circuit board 4 as SMD components, which were applied in particular using SMT technology with the aid of an automatic assembly machine. For example, three contacting elements 12 of the contacting module 10 arranged linearly one behind the other are applied to the circuit board 4. According to the illustrated embodiment, two such contacting elements 12 of the contacting module 10 are provided for contacting the shielding 8 of the high-frequency cable 3, while one such contacting element 12 of the contacting module 10 is provided for contacting the inner conductor 6 of the high-frequency cable 3.The contacting elements 12 of the contacting module 10 each consist of a compressible base body 13 made of a compressible plastic material as a foam core with a width of, for example, approximately 2 cm and a height of, for example, approximately 2 cm. A thin conductive coating 14, in particular a gold-based coating, is applied to this compressible base body 13. For example, the plastic material of the foam core of the contacting elements 12 can be compressed by up to 60% when appropriate pressure is applied to the surface of the contacting elements 12, i.e., its height can be reduced accordingly. Furthermore, receiving openings 16 corresponding to the fastening elements 15 of the contacting housing 11 are formed in the circuit board 4, into which receiving openings the fastening elements 15 of the contacting housing 11, designed, for example, as snap hooks, can engage.According to the four fastening elements 15 on the contact housing 11, four corresponding receiving openings 16 are also provided in the printed circuit board 4.

[0033] Figure 5 shows that the contact housing 11 of the contact module 10, with the inserted, positioned, and stripped high-frequency cable 3, is applied to the circuit board 4. As a result, the fastening elements 15 of the contact housing 11, designed, for example, as snap hooks, are pressed into the corresponding receiving openings 16 on the circuit board 4.At the same time, due to the pressure of the contacting housing 11 of the contacting module 10 on the circuit board 4, the compressible contacting elements 12 of the contacting module 10 are also compressed by the resulting pressure on their surface, whereby the stripped areas of the high-frequency cable 3, i.e. the stripped areas of the inner conductor 6 and the stripped areas of the shielding 8 of the high-frequency cable 3, come into contact with the conductive coating 14 of the contacting elements 12 and, as a result of this physical contact, also bring about an electrically conductive connection to the contacting elements 12.The height of the contacting elements 12 and also the compressibility of the contacting elements 12 are selected such that a defined contact of the stripped areas of the inner conductor 6 and the shielding 8 of the high-frequency cable 3 on the conductive coating 14 of the contacting elements 12 is achieved and thus a defined electrically conductive connection of the stripped areas of the inner conductor 6 and the shielding 8 of the high-frequency cable 3 to the contacting elements 12 is achieved.

[0034] In the sectional view of the contacting module 10 according to Figure 6, it can be seen that the contacting housing 11 of the contacting module 10 with the inserted and stripped high-frequency cable 3 positioned in the interior region 15 of the contacting housing 11 of the contacting module 10 is applied to the circuit board 4 and is thus positively connected to the circuit board 4 via the snap hooks pressed into the receiving openings 16 of the circuit board 4 as fastening elements 15. In particular, Figure 6 also shows that two contacting elements 12 of the contacting module 10 electrically contact the shielding 8 of the high-frequency cable 3 and one contacting element 12 electrically contact the inner conductor 6 of the high-frequency cable 3.

[0035] Overall, the example shows how an antenna unit according to the invention can be provided for a vehicle to receive and / or transmit high-frequency signals.

[0036] 1 antenna unit

[0037] 2 housings

[0038] 3 high-frequency cables

[0039] 4 Carrier body / circuit board

[0040] 5 Fastening

[0041] 6 inner conductor high-frequency cable

[0042] 7 Dielectric high-frequency cable

[0043] 8 Shielding high-frequency cables

[0044] 9 Outer sheath high-frequency cable

[0045] 10 Contacting module

[0046] 11 Contact housing

[0047] 12 contact elements

[0048] 13 Base body / foam core contact elements

[0049] 14 conductive coating contact elements

[0050] 15 Fastening elements contact housing

[0051] 16 mounting holes for carrier body / circuit board

[0052] 17 Interior contact housing

[0053] 18 Inlet opening in the contact housing

[0054] 19 Formation in the contact housing as a centering aid

[0055] 20 Stop in the contact housing

[0056] 21 ribs in the contact housing

[0057] 22 Inner wall of contact housing

Claims

Patent claims 1. Antenna unit (1) of a vehicle, comprising at least one antenna for high-frequency signals, a carrier body (4) for electronic components and a high-frequency cable (3) for externally connecting the antenna unit (1) to further vehicle components, characterized in that the antenna unit (1) has a contacting module (10) with at least two electrically conductive contacting elements (12) arranged on the carrier body (4) and with a contacting housing (11) receiving the high-frequency cable (3), and in that for electrically contacting the high-frequency cable (3) with the electrically conductive contacting elements (12), the contacting housing (11) is positively connected to the carrier body (4).

2. Antenna unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one electrically conductive contacting element (12) is provided for electrically contacting an inner conductor (6) of the high-frequency cable (3) and at least one electrically conductive contacting element (12) is provided for electrically contacting a shield (8) of the high-frequency cable (3).

3. Antenna unit (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrically conductive contacting elements (12) consist of a compressible base body (13) and an electrically conductive coating (14) applied to the compressible base body (13).

4. Antenna unit (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the electrically conductive contacting elements (12) have as a base body (13) a compressible foam core made of plastic, which is compressible during the positive connection of the contacting housing (11) to the carrier body (4).

5. Antenna unit (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the compressible foam core as the base body (13) of the electrically conductive contacting elements (12) is compressible by up to 60% of its height during the positive connection of the contacting housing (11) to the carrier body (4).

6. Antenna unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the electrically conductive contacting elements (12) are applied to the carrier body (4) as SMD components using SMT technology.

7. Antenna unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that receiving openings (16) are provided on the carrier body (4), into which fastening elements (15) formed on the contact housing (11) engage for the positive connection of the contact housing (11) to the carrier body (4).

8. Antenna unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the contacting housing (11) has formations (19) on the inner wall (22) for centering the high-frequency cable (3) in the contacting housing (11).

9. Antenna unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the contacting housing (11) has a stop (20) on the inner wall (22) for limiting a movement of the high-frequency cable (3) in the longitudinal direction of the contacting housing (11).

10. Antenna unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the contact housing (11) in the region of the inlet opening (18) of the high-frequency cable (3) in the contact housing (11 ) has rib-shaped formations (21 ) on the inner wall (22) for strain relief of the high-frequency cable (3).

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