External Antenna Grounding for Static Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable wireless devices, such as smart watches, often experience low reception levels of radio waves due to the influence of their casing and internal components, which can be exacerbated by static electricity, leading to potential damage and instability in signal reception.
Innovation Solution
A wireless device design featuring a casing with a through-hole for a feeder to power an external antenna element and a ground terminal that connects the antenna to the circuit board at a predetermined distance, providing a stable grounding path to reduce the influence of static electricity and maintain satisfactory signal reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the antenna is disposed inside the casing, then the device dimensions are reduced, but the reception level of radio waves deteriorates due to the influence of the casing and components
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna element is extracted from the interior of the casing and disposed on the exterior surface. This extraction removes the antenna from the harmful electromagnetic environment inside the casing, significantly improving radio wave reception level while maintaining compact device dimensions through the use of the external surface area.
2Reliability
If the antenna element is disposed on the exterior of the casing, then the reception level of radio waves is improved, but the susceptibility to static electricity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A feeder extending through the casing and a ground terminal are introduced as intermediary elements. The feeder provides an isolated electrical connection path from the communicator to the antenna element, while the ground terminal establishes a controlled grounding path at a predetermined distance from the feeding position. These intermediaries protect the antenna element from direct static electricity discharge while maintaining proper grounding for stable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground terminal is positioned at a predetermined distance from the feeding position before any static electricity discharge occurs. This preliminary arrangement of the grounding path ensures that when static electricity is discharged, the charge is safely directed to ground through the predetermined path rather than damaging the communicator or other sensitive components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a ground terminal is added to connect the antenna element to the circuit board, then the susceptibility to static electricity is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ground terminal structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the grounding path for static electricity protection, establishes the reference potential for the antenna element, and maintains the predetermined distance from the feeding position to prevent interference. By combining these functions into a single ground terminal component, the design avoids adding excessive complexity while achieving comprehensive protection and performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the stability and sensitivity of radio wave reception by grounding the antenna element, reducing the impact of static electricity and minimizing resistance in the grounding path, thus ensuring reliable acquisition of position, date, and time information without increasing the device's complexity or compromising waterproofing.
Implementation Method 1
a ground terminal extending through the through-hole in the casing and electrically connecting the circuit board to the antenna element at a ground position of the antenna element
Implementation Method 2
having low susceptibility to static electricity
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless device includes a circuit board, a communicator disposed on the circuit board, and a casing accommodating the circuit board and the communicator. The casing has a through-hole in a side face. An antenna element is disposed on the exterior of the casing. A feeder extends through the through-hole in the casing and feeds electrical power from the communicator to the antenna element at a predetermined feeding position. A ground terminal extends through the through-hole in the casing and electrically connects the circuit board to the antenna element at a ground position of the antenna element at a predetermined distance from the feeding position.