Antenna device

Abstract

Provided is an antenna device with excellent workability of electrical connection between an element part and a substrate. This antenna device comprises: an element part; a ground part disposed at a predetermined distance from the element part; and a substrate disposed between the element part and the ground part. The substrate has a first surface facing the ground part and a second surface on the reverse side from the first surface. The element part has an element body part located on the second surface side and an element connection part extending from the element body part toward the first surface side and folded back to the second surface side on the first surface side. A hole or a notch is formed in the substrate, a section of the element connection part is located inside the hole or the notch, and the element connection part is electrically connected to the substrate on the second surface side of the substrate.

Description

Antenna Device

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an antenna device. This antenna device includes a ground conductor plate (ground portion), a radiation conductor plate (element portion) provided above the ground conductor plate, and a substrate. The substrate is attached onto the ground conductor plate in a state of facing the radiation conductor plate. A bent piece serving as a feeding portion of the radiation conductor plate extends downward from the radiation conductor plate and is soldered to a wiring pattern of the substrate.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-159841

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the ground conductor plate is assembled to the substrate from below, and the radiation conductor plate is assembled to the substrate from above. For this reason, there have been cases where workability for electrical connection between the radiation conductor plate and the substrate is poor.

[0005] An example of an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device with good workability for electrical connection between an element portion and a substrate. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an antenna device including: an element portion; a ground portion disposed spaced apart from the element portion by a predetermined distance; and a substrate disposed between the element portion and the ground portion, wherein the substrate has a first surface facing the ground portion, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the element portion has an element main body portion located on the second surface side, and an element connection portion extending from the element main body portion toward the first surface side and folded back toward the second surface side on the first surface side, a hole or a notch is formed in the substrate, a part of the element connection portion is located inside the hole or the notch, and the element connection portion is electrically connected to the substrate on the second surface side of the substrate.

[0007] According to the above aspect of the present invention, an antenna device with good workability for electrical connection between an element portion and a substrate can be provided.

[0008] This is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device 1 according to an embodiment. This diagram shows the assembly process of the antenna device 1, specifically the process of attaching the elastic member 18 to the case 19. This is a view of the case 19 with the elastic member 18 attached, seen from below. This diagram shows the assembly process of the antenna device 1, specifically the process of attaching the element ground plate 14 to the base 10 with double-sided tape 13. This is a rear perspective view of the element ground plate 14. This is a view of the base 10 with the element ground plate 14 attached, seen from above. This diagram shows the antenna device 1 with the pad 15, coaxial cable 16, and circuit board 17 further assembled in the state shown in Figure 6. This is a bottom perspective view of the antenna device 1. This is a top perspective view of the antenna device 1. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Figure 10. This is a perspective view of the antenna device 1 with the case 19 removed. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating principle of the antenna device 1.

[0009] This embodiment relates to an antenna device 1. The antenna device 1 is, for example, an antenna compatible with Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Figure 1 and other figures define the relative perpendicular directions of the antenna device 1: front-to-back, up-and-down, and left-to-right. The left-to-right direction is the width direction of the antenna device 1. The front-to-back direction is the depth direction of the antenna device 1. The up-and-down direction is the direction perpendicular to the substrate 17. Note that these directions are defined for convenience in explaining the structure of the antenna device 1 and do not limit the direction in which the antenna device 1 is actually used.

[0010] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0011] The antenna device 1 comprises a base 10, double-sided tape 11, screws 12, double-sided tape 13, element ground plate 14, pad 15, coaxial cable 16, substrate 17, elastic member 18, and case 19.

[0012] The base 10 and case 19 are, for example, resin molded bodies that are radio wave transparent and constitute the outer shell of the antenna device 1. The element ground plate 14 is held in the housing space enclosed by the base 10 and case 19. The base 10 is made of, for example, reinforced plastic containing 30% glass fiber (GF) in polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The case 19 is made of, for example, engineering plastic blended with polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile (ASA).

[0013] The two double-sided tapes 11 are components for attaching the antenna device 1 to an object such as a wall or ceiling, and are adhered to the outer bottom surface of the base 10 as needed. For attaching the antenna device 1 to an object, the through holes 38 provided at both the left and right ends of the base 10 can also be used.

[0014] The seven screws 12 are fastening members for securing the base 10 and the case 19 to each other. Each screw 12 passes through a through hole 36 in the base 10 and is screwed into a screw hole 88 in the case 19 as shown in Figure 2. In addition to the screws 12, snap-fit ​​fasteners may be used to secure the base 10 and the case 19 to each other. Alternatively, they may be secured to each other by welding or adhesive.

[0015] The two double-sided tapes 13 are components for attaching the element ground plate 14 to the base 10, and are interposed between the lower surface of the ground portion 42 of the element ground plate 14 and the upper surface of the bottom portion 21 of the base 10. The element ground plate 14 may be fixed to the base 10 with screws. Alternatively, it may be fixed by snap-fitting or welding.

[0016] The element-ground plate 14 is a single sheet metal component formed by connecting the element portion 41 and the ground portion 42 with a connecting portion 43. The detailed configuration of the element-ground plate 14 will be described later.

[0017] The pad 15 is made of an elastic material such as TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). The pad 15 is a waterproofing member and is held between the base 10 and the case 19 from above and below, preventing water from entering the housing space surrounded by the base 10 and the case 19. The pad 15 has a circumferential portion 81 that surrounds the bottom surface 21 of the base 10 and a substantially cylindrical holding portion 82 that holds the coaxial cable 16. Note that waterproofing may not be required depending on the antenna mounting location, in which case the pad 15 may not be provided.

[0018] The coaxial cable 16 is a covered wire for signal transmission and has an inner conductor 71, a dielectric 72, an outer conductor 73, and an outer sheath 74. The coaxial cable 16 passes through the holding portion 82 of the pad 15 and its tip is electrically connected to the substrate 17.

[0019] The substrate 17 has a first surface 68 and a second surface 69. The first surface 68 is the lower surface of the substrate 17 and faces the ground portion 42. The second surface 69 is the surface opposite to the first surface 68 in the vertical direction and is the upper surface of the substrate 17. The substrate 17 has electrode portions 61 to 64, a guide portion 65, and through holes 66 and 67.

[0020] The electrode portions 61 to 64 are electrical connection points with the element ground plate 14 and the coaxial cable 16, and are provided on the second surface 69 of the substrate 17. Electrode portion 61 is an electrical connection point with the element portion 41 of the element ground plate 14. The two electrode portions 62 are electrical connection points with the ground portion 42 of the element ground plate 14. Electrode portion 63 is an electrical connection point with the inner conductor 71 of the coaxial cable 16. The two electrode portions 64 are electrical connection points with the outer conductor 73 of the coaxial cable 16. Although not shown in the figures, the substrate 17 has conductor patterns formed thereon that electrically connect electrodes 61 and 63 to each other, and conductor patterns formed thereon that electrically connect electrodes 62 and 64 to each other, and a sensing resistor is also provided.

[0021] The guide portion 65 is a notch for positioning the coaxial cable 16 relative to the substrate 17. A portion of the coaxial cable 16 (a portion of the outer conductor 73) is located within the guide portion 65. The through hole 66 is the portion through which the upward extension 48 of the element portion 41 passes. The two through holes 67 are the portions through which the two protrusions 57 of the ground portion 42 pass.

[0022] The elastic member 18 is a cushioning material made of, for example, polyurethane foam. The elastic member 18 is located between the upper surface portion 85 of the case 19 shown in Figure 2 and the element ground plate 14, and presses the element ground plate 14 towards the base 10, stabilizing the position of the element ground plate 14.

[0023] Figure 2 shows the assembly process of the antenna device 1, specifically the process of attaching the elastic member 18 to the case 19. Figure 3 is a view of the case 19 with the elastic member 18 attached, seen from below.

[0024] The case 19 has a top surface 85, an outer wall 86, ribs 87, and screw holes 88. The ribs 87 are erected on the inner surface of the top surface 85. As shown in Figure 11, the ribs 87 press against the pad 15 around its entire circumference. The recesses 90 of the ribs 87 are lowered in height to conform to the outer circumference shape of the pad 15's holding portion 82. The recesses 89 of the outer wall 86 are lowered in height to conform to the outer circumference shape of the coaxial cable 16. The seven screw holes 88 are for screwing in the seven screws 12 shown in Figure 1. The elastic member 18 is fixed to the inner surface of the top surface 85 by adhesive or the like, as shown in Figure 3.

[0025] Figure 4 shows the assembly process of the antenna device 1, specifically the process of attaching the element ground plate 14 to the base 10 with double-sided tape 13. Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the element ground plate 14.

[0026] The base 10 has a bottom surface 21, support parts 22-26, boss parts 27, 28, a first side wall part 29, a second side wall part 30, an outer wall part 34, a through hole 36, a protruding part 37, and a through hole 38.

[0027] Support portions 22 to 26 are erected on the inner surface of the bottom portion 21. Support portions 22 to 26 support the element portion 41 from below. The support portions 22 to 26 have a cross-shaped cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction, which allows for longer lengths in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions compared to a cylindrical shape. In addition, the amount of resin material can be reduced compared to a cylindrical shape, thus suppressing costs. The boss portion 27 is provided integrally with the support portion 22. Two boss portions 28 are erected on the inner surface of the bottom portion 21. The boss portions 27 and 28 are for positioning the element ground plate 14 relative to the base 10.

[0028] The first side wall portion 29 and the second side wall portion 30 are erected on the inner surface of the bottom portion 21 and form a groove portion 31 for fitting the pad 15. The first side wall portion 29 surrounds the periphery of the ground portion 42. The first side wall portion 29 has a notch portion 33 for passing the coaxial cable 16 through. The second side wall portion 30 surrounds the periphery of the first side wall portion 29. The second side wall portion 30 has a notch portion 32 for arranging the retaining portion 82 of the pad 15. The recess 35 of the outer wall portion 34 is a portion whose height has been reduced to conform to the outer circumference shape of the coaxial cable 16. The recess 35 of the outer wall portion 34 is connected to the recess 89 of the outer wall portion 86 of the case 19 shown in Figure 2 and constitutes a through hole for passing the coaxial cable 16.

[0029] The seven through holes 36 are connected to the seven screw holes 88 of the case 19 shown in Figure 2, and the seven screws 12 shown in Figure 1 pass through them. The two protrusions 37 protrude from the left and right sides of the outer wall portion 34, respectively, in the left and right directions. The two through holes 38 each pass through the protrusions 37. The through holes 38 can be used to pass bolts, etc. (not shown) through when attaching the antenna device 1 to an object such as a wall or ceiling.

[0030] The element ground plate 14 has an element portion 41, a ground portion 42, and a connecting portion 43. In the illustrated example, the element ground plate 14 has a symmetrical shape, but it may also have an asymmetrical shape. By using an asymmetrical shape, it becomes possible to change the corresponding frequency band, for example.

[0031] The element portion 41 has an element body portion 44 and an element connection portion 45.

[0032] The element body portion 44 is a flat plate perpendicular to the vertical direction. The element body portion 44 includes a left-right extension portion 44a, a front extension portion 44b, 44c, a left extension portion 44d, and a right extension portion 44e. The left-right extension portion 44a constitutes the rear part of the element body portion 44. A through hole 49 for passing the boss portion 27 of the base 10 is provided in the center of the left-right extension portion 44a. The front extension portion 44b extends forward from the right end of the left-right extension portion 44a. The front extension portion 44c extends forward from the left end of the left-right extension portion 44a. The left extension portion 44d extends to the left from the front end of the front extension portion 44b. The right extension portion 44e extends from the front end of the front extension portion 44c. By bending the element body portion 44 in this way, the effective length of the element can be secured while keeping the length of the element body portion 44 in the left-right direction to a minimum. The reason why the width of both ends of the left-right extension portion 44a is narrow, and the width of the front extension portions 44b and 44c is narrow, is for impedance adjustment.

[0033] The element connection section 45 includes a hanging section 46, a forward extension section 47, and an upward extension section 48. The hanging section 46 bends and hangs down from the center of the front edge of the left-right extension section 44a of the element body section 44. The hanging section 46 is wider in the left-right direction than the forward extension section 47 and the upward extension section 48 within a predetermined length range from the upper end. In addition, the left and right sides of the hanging section 46 are inclined such that the width in the left-right direction narrows continuously as it goes downwards, so that the lower part of the hanging section 46 has the same width as the forward extension section 47 and the upward extension section 48 in the left-right direction. This adjusts the impedance. The forward extension section 47 extends forward from the lower end of the hanging section 46. The upward extension section 48 has the same width as the forward extension section and extends upward from the front end of the forward extension section 47. In other words, the element connection portion 45 is a hook shape, such as a roughly U-shape or a roughly J-shape, formed by a hanging portion 46, a forward extension portion 47, and an upward extension portion 48. The hanging portion 46 may bend and hang down from the center of the rear edge of the left-right extension portion 44a of the element body portion 44. Also, although the hanging portion 46 hangs down at a roughly right angle to the element body portion 44, it may be at an acute or obtuse angle.

[0034] The ground portion 42 has a ground body portion 59 and a projection portion 57.

[0035] The ground body portion 59 is a flat plate perpendicular to the vertical direction. The ground body portion 59 and the element body portion 44 are arranged at a predetermined distance apart. The ground body portion 59 is provided with through holes 52-56 and 58. The through holes 52-56 are provided for the support portions 22-26 of the base 10 to pass through. A part of the element connection portion 45 is located within the through hole 52. Two through holes 58 are provided for the boss portion 28 to pass through. Two projections 57 bend from the ground body portion 59 and protrude upward.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, the two connecting parts 43 connect the element body 44 and the ground body 59 in the vertical direction. One connecting part 43 connects the left side of the element body 44 to the left side of the ground body 59. The other connecting part 43 connects the right side of the element body 44 to the right side of the ground body 59. The element part 41, the ground part 42, and the connecting part 43 are preferably made of a single sheet metal part. In this embodiment, the connecting part 43 extends at approximately right angles to the element body 44 and the ground body 59, but it may also be at an acute or obtuse angle. In this case, it is possible to shorten the vertical length of the antenna device 1, and further thinning of the antenna device 1 becomes possible.

[0037] The element ground plate 14 is attached to the upper surface of the bottom surface 21 of the base 10 using double-sided tape 13. At this time, the support parts 22 to 26 of the base 10 are passed through the through holes 52 to 56 of the ground body 59, the boss part 28 of the base 10 is passed through the through hole 58 of the ground body 59, and the boss part 27 of the base 10 is passed through the through hole 49 of the element body 44. Support part 22 supports the central part of the left-right extension part 44a of the element body 44 from below. Support part 23 supports the rightward extension part 44e of the element body 44 from below. Support part 24 supports the left side of the left-right extension part 44a of the element body 44 from below. Support part 25 supports the leftward extension part 44d of the element body 44 from below. The support portion 26 supports the right portion of the left-right extension portion 44a of the element body portion 44 from below.

[0038] Figure 6 is a view from above of the base 10 with the element ground plate 14 attached. Figure 7 shows the base 10 with the pad 15, coaxial cable 16, and circuit board 17 further assembled in the state shown in Figure 6.

[0039] The pad 15 is fitted into the space between the first side wall portion 29 and the second side wall portion 30 of the base 10 (the groove portion 31 shown in Figure 4).

[0040] The substrate 17 is assembled to the element ground plate 14 from above. At this time, the upper extension 48 of the element connection portion 45 is passed through the through hole 66 of the substrate 17 shown in Figure 1 and electrically connected to the electrode portion 61 by soldering or the like. The projection 57 of the ground portion 42 is passed through the through hole 67 of the substrate 17 shown in Figure 1 and electrically connected to the electrode portion 62 by soldering or the like. The substrate 17 is positioned between the element body portion 44 and the ground body portion 59. When viewed from above, it is preferable that the substrate 17 is located outside the outer edge of the element body portion 44. In the left-right direction, the substrate 17 is within the range of the element body portion 44, and in the front-rear direction, its range of presence overlaps with that of the element body portion 44 at least partially. The area where the element body portion 44 exists is the region formed by the rear edge of the left-right extension portion 44a, the left edge of the front extension portion 44c and the right extension portion 44e, and the right edge of the front extension portion 44b and the left extension portion 44d. In this embodiment, this region is approximately rectangular.

[0041] The coaxial cable 16 is passed through the holding portion 82 of the pad 15, and the outer conductor 73 is positioned along the guide portion 65 shown in Figure 1 of the substrate 17. At this time, the tip of the outer conductor 73 is abutted against the back of the guide portion 65. As a result, the inner conductor 71 of the coaxial cable 16 is positioned on the electrode portion 63 of the substrate 17. In this state, the inner conductor 71 is electrically connected to the electrode portion 63 by soldering or the like, and the outer conductor 73 is electrically connected to the electrode portion 64 by soldering or the like.

[0042] By fixing the case 19 shown in Figure 3 and the base 10 shown in Figure 7 with screws 12, the antenna device 1 shown in Figures 8 to 10 is completed.

[0043] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the antenna device 1 with a case 19 removed.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 11, three convex portions 83 (ribs) are provided on the inner circumferential surface of a holding portion 82 of a pad 15. Each convex portion 83 extends circumferentially around the entire inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 82. Each convex portion 83 elastically contacts the outer circumferential surface of a coaxial cable 16 to waterproof the interior of the holding portion 82. A front end portion of the holding portion 82, that is, an end portion on the inlet side of the coaxial cable 16, has an increased diameter, which prevents the end portion from being turned over when the coaxial cable 16 is inserted.

[0045] The element connecting portion 45 extends from the element main body portion 44 toward the lower surface side of a substrate 17, and is folded back toward the upper surface side of the substrate 17 on the lower surface side of the substrate 17. A hanging portion 46 of the element connecting portion 45 extends downward from the element main body portion 44 located above the substrate 17, and reaches a position below the substrate 17. A forward extending portion 47 extends forward from the lower end of the hanging portion 46, and faces or contacts the lower surface of the substrate 17. An upward extending portion 48 passes through a through hole 66 of the substrate 17, and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the substrate 17.

[0046] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating principle of the antenna device 1. Since the antenna device 1 is an antenna compatible with Wi-Fi, the length from the distal end of the element connecting portion 45 (feeding point) to the distal end of the element main body portion 44 is approximately 1 / 4 wavelength of the 2.5 GHz band, which is the frequency band supported by Wi-Fi, and resonance for the 2.5 GHz band is achieved. The 2.5 GHz band is configured as an inverted-F antenna including the connecting portion 43. In the antenna device 1, the length from the distal end of the element connecting portion 45 (feeding point) to the ground portion 42 via the element main body portion 44 and the connecting portion 43 is approximately 1 / 2 wavelength of the 5 GHz band, which is the frequency band supported by Wi-Fi, and resonance for the 5 GHz band is achieved. For the 5 GHz band, the antenna device 1 is a bent monopole antenna of a shorted-end type in which the distal end and the ground portion 42 are short-circuited, and high impedance can be achieved while maintaining a low-profile configuration. In the present embodiment, the antenna device 1 is an antenna compatible with Wi-Fi, and the supported frequency band is the frequency band supported by Wi-Fi. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark). Furthermore, the antenna device 1 is an antenna compatible with linearly polarized waves. For linearly polarized waves, for example, when the polarization plane is perpendicular to the ground, it is called vertical linearly polarized wave, and when the polarization plane is horizontal relative to the ground, it is sometimes called horizontal linearly polarized wave. Furthermore, the antenna device 1 may be compatible with communication by telematics, V2X (Vehicle to Everything), and MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), and may be an antenna compatible with keyless entry or smart entry.

[0047] The present embodiment produces the following effects.

[0048] (1) The element connecting portion 45 extends from the element main body portion 44 toward the lower surface side of the substrate 17, is folded back toward the upper surface side of the substrate 17 on the lower surface side of the substrate 17, and is electrically connected to the substrate 17 on the upper surface side of the substrate 17. Therefore, the electrical connection portions between the element portion 41, the ground portion 42, the coaxial cable 16, and the substrate 17 can be gathered on the upper surface side of the substrate 17, resulting in good workability for electrical connection such as soldering.

[0049] (2) The element-ground plate 14 consists of a single sheet metal part in which the element section 41 and the ground section 42 are connected by a connecting section 43. Therefore, the element section 41 and the ground section 42 can be treated as a single part, and the assembly man-hours of the antenna device 1 can be reduced compared to when they are separate parts. In addition, the substrate 17 is assembled to the element-ground plate 14 in a single step, from above, in which both the assembly to the element section 41 and the assembly to the ground section 42 are completed. Therefore, the assembly man-hours of the antenna device 1 can be reduced compared to the conventional method in which the element section is assembled to the substrate from above and the ground section is assembled to the substrate from below.

[0050] (3) The support parts 22 to 26 of the base 10 support the element body 44 from below. Therefore, even if the element body 44 is thin, for example, with a plate thickness of about 0.4 mm and easily deformed, the support from the support parts 22 to 26 can suppress deformation of the element body 44, and the characteristics of the antenna device 1 can be stabilized. The support parts 22 to 26 have a cross shape in the vertical and perpendicular directions, which allows for longer lengths in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions compared to a cylindrical shape, and effectively suppresses deformation of the element body 44.

[0051] (4) The substrate 17 has a guide portion 65 on which a part of the coaxial cable 16 is positioned. This makes it easy to align the coaxial cable 16 with respect to the substrate 17.

[0052] (5) The circuit board 17 is located outside the outer edge of the element body portion 44 when viewed from above. Therefore, compared to the case where the element body portion 44 covers the top of the circuit board 17, the workability of assembling the circuit board 17 to the element ground plate 14 from above is improved, and the workability of electrically connecting the element portion 41, ground portion 42, and coaxial cable 16 to the upper surface of the circuit board 17 by soldering or the like is also improved.

[0053] (6) The substrate 17 is located within the range of the element body 44 in the left-right direction, and its range of presence in the front-back direction overlaps with that of the element body 44 at least partially. Therefore, the substrate 17 does not cover the upper part of the element body 44, while still improving space efficiency within the antenna device 1, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the antenna device 1.

[0054] (7) The elastic member 18 is positioned between the upper surface 85 of the case 19 and the element ground plate 14, and presses the element ground plate 14 toward the base 10. This stabilizes the position of the element ground plate 14 inside the base 10 and case 19, and stabilizes the characteristics of the antenna device 1.

[0055] The embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, but these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0056] The number of double-sided tapes 11, screws 12, double-sided tapes 13, the number of each of the electrode portions 61 to 64, the number of through holes 36 and screw holes 88, the number of protrusions 37 and through holes 38, the number of through holes 58, the number of convex portions 83, etc., which are exemplified as specific numbers in the embodiment, do not limit the scope of the invention and can be arbitrarily changed. The antenna device 1 is not limited to a Wi-Fi antenna, and the frequency band targeted by the antenna device 1 can be arbitrarily changed. The element ground plate 14 is not limited to a single sheet metal part. For example, the connecting portion 43 may be replaced with a conductive screw, and the element portion 41 and the ground portion 42 may be connected by a conductive screw. The element ground plate 14 may also have an asymmetrical shape. As an example of an asymmetrical shape, one can refer to a shape in which the forward extension portion 44b is replaced by a rearward extension portion extending from the right end of the leftward extension portion 44a, and a leftward extension portion 44d extends to the left from the rear end of this rearward extension portion.

[0057] According to this specification, antenna devices in the following embodiments are provided.

[0058] (Aspect 1) An antenna device comprising: an element portion; a ground portion disposed at a predetermined distance from the element portion; and a substrate disposed between the element portion and the ground portion, wherein the substrate has a first surface facing the ground portion and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the element portion has an element body portion located on the side of the second surface, and an element connection portion extending from the element body portion toward the side of the first surface and being folded back toward the side of the second surface on the side of the first surface, a hole or notch formed in the substrate, a part of the element connection portion located inside the hole or notch, and the element connection portion being electrically connected to the substrate on the side of the second surface of the substrate.

[0059] According to the above-described embodiment, in a configuration where the element body is located on the second side of the substrate, the element connection part can be assembled from the first side of the substrate, thus improving the workability of the electrical connection between the element connection part and the substrate.

[0060] (Aspect 2) The ground portion comprises a ground body and a projection that protrudes from the ground body toward the substrate, wherein the projection is electrically connected to the substrate on the side of the second surface of the substrate.

[0061] According to the above-described embodiment, the projection of the ground portion is assembled together with the element connection portion from the first side of the substrate. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which, for example, the element connection portion is assembled from the second side of the substrate and the projection of the ground portion is assembled from the first side of the substrate, the workability of assembling the element portion and ground portion with the substrate is improved. In addition, since both the projection of the ground portion and the element connection portion are electrically connected to the substrate on the second side of the substrate, the workability of the electrical connection is improved.

[0062] (Aspect 3) An antenna device wherein a part of the element connection portion faces the first surface.

[0063] According to the above-described embodiment, in a configuration where the element body is located on the second surface side of the substrate, the element connection portion is configured to wrap around to the first surface side of the substrate, enabling electrical connection to the substrate in the same way as the ground portion located on the first surface side of the substrate.

[0064] (Aspect 4) An antenna device in which the ground body portion has a hole or notch formed therein where a part of the element connection portion is located.

[0065] According to the above embodiment, the element connection portion can be extended within the thickness range of the ground body portion to improve space efficiency while avoiding interference between the element connection portion and the ground body portion.

[0066] (Aspect 5) An antenna device comprising a connecting portion that connects the ground body portion and the element body portion.

[0067] According to the above-described embodiment, the connecting portion can be used as a short-circuiting portion to short-circuit the ground main body portion and the element main body portion to configure an inverted F antenna, or a tip-short-circuit type antenna can be configured by short-circuiting the antenna tip portion to ground.

[0068] (Aspect 6) An antenna device in which the ground portion, the element portion, and the connecting portion are made of a single sheet metal part.

[0069] According to the above embodiment, the ground section and the element section can be treated as a single component, reducing the assembly man-hours for the antenna device compared to when they are separate components. Furthermore, since the circuit board is assembled to both the ground section and the element section in a single process from a predetermined direction, the assembly man-hours for the antenna device can be reduced.

[0070] (Aspect 7) An antenna device comprising a coaxial cable, wherein the inner conductor and outer conductor of the coaxial cable are electrically connected to the substrate on the side of the second surface of the substrate.

[0071] According to the above-described embodiment, since both the coaxial cable and the element connection are electrically connected to the substrate on the second surface side of the substrate, the electrical connection workability is improved.

[0072] (Aspect 8) An antenna device wherein the substrate has a guide portion on which a part of the coaxial cable is located.

[0073] According to the above-described embodiment, the workability of aligning the coaxial cable with respect to the circuit board is good.

[0074] (Aspect 9) An antenna device comprising a base for holding the ground portion, the base having a support portion that protrudes toward the element portion, and the support portion supporting the element body portion.

[0075] According to the above embodiment, deformation of the element body is suppressed by the support of the support part, thus stabilizing the characteristics of the antenna device.

[0076] (Aspect 10) An antenna device comprising: a case that, together with the base, forms a housing space for housing the element body; and an elastic member positioned between the inner surface of the case and the element body, pressing the element body toward the base.

[0077] According to the above embodiment, the position of the element body is stabilized inside the base and case, and the characteristics of the antenna device are stabilized.

[0078] (Aspect 11) An antenna device wherein the substrate is located outside the outer edge of the element body when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

[0079] According to the above-described embodiment, compared to a configuration in which the element body covers the second surface of the substrate, the element body is less likely to get in the way when electrically connecting the element connection to the second surface of the substrate, resulting in improved workability for electrical connection.

[0080] 1 Antenna device, 10 Base, 11 Double-sided tape, 12 Screw, 13 Double-sided tape, 14 Element ground plate, 15 Pad, 16 Coaxial cable, 17 Circuit board, 18 Elastic member, 19 Case, 21 Bottom part, 22-26 Support part, 27, 28 Boss part, 29 First side wall part, 30 Second side wall part, 31 Groove part, 32, 33 Notch part, 34 Outer wall part, 35 Recess, 36 Through hole, 37 Protruding part, 38 Through hole, 41 Element part, 42 Ground part, 43 Connecting part, 44 Element body part, 44a Left and right extension part, 44b, 44c Forward extension part, 44d Left extension part, 44e Right extension part, 45 Element connection part, 46 Hanging part, 47 Forward extension part, 48 Upward extension, 49 through hole, 52-56 through hole, 57 projection, 58 through hole, 59 ground body, 61-64 electrode parts, 65 guide part, 66, 67 through hole (hole or notch), 68 first surface, 69 second surface, 71 inner conductor, 72 dielectric, 73 outer conductor, 74 outer covering, 81 circumferential part, 82 holding part, 83 protrusion, 85 upper surface part, 86 outer wall part, 87 rib, 88 screw hole, 89, 90 recess.

Claims

1. An antenna device comprising: an element portion; a ground portion disposed at a predetermined distance from the element portion; and a substrate disposed between the element portion and the ground portion, wherein the substrate has a first surface facing the ground portion and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the element portion has an element body portion located on the side of the second surface, and an element connection portion extending from the element body portion toward the side of the first surface and being folded back toward the side of the second surface on the side of the first surface, the substrate has holes or notches formed therein, a part of the element connection portion is located inside the holes or notches, and the element connection portion is electrically connected to the substrate on the side of the second surface of the substrate.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the ground portion comprises a ground body portion and a projection portion that protrudes from the ground body portion toward the substrate side, and the projection portion is electrically connected to the substrate on the side of the second surface of the substrate.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a part of the element connection portion faces the first surface.

4. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the ground body portion has a hole or notch formed in which a part of the element connection portion is located.

5. The antenna device according to claim 2, further comprising a connecting portion that connects the ground body portion and the element body portion.

6. The antenna device according to claim 5, wherein the ground portion, the element portion, and the connecting portion are made of a single sheet metal part.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a coaxial cable, wherein the inner conductor and outer conductor of the coaxial cable are electrically connected to the substrate on the side of the second surface of the substrate.

8. The antenna device according to claim 7, wherein the substrate has a guide portion on which a part of the coaxial cable is located.

9. The antenna device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a base for holding the ground portion, wherein the base has a support portion protruding toward the element portion, and the support portion supports the element body portion.

10. The antenna device according to claim 9, comprising: a case that, together with the base, forms a housing space for housing the element body; and an elastic member positioned between the inner surface of the case and the element body, pressing the element body toward the base.

11. The antenna device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is located outside the outer edge of the element body when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

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