Flexible Printed Circuit Antenna for Electricity Meter Noise Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electricity meters face challenges in incorporating radios due to space constraints and interference from electrical noise, with external antennas being costly and complex, and internal antennas requiring significant board area and noise shielding.
Innovation Solution
An improved antenna configuration using a flexible printed circuit element connected to a radio, with a second printed circuit board element positioned between the main board and the flexible element to shield from noise, eliminating the need for coaxial cabling and external antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external antennas are used outside the meter housing, then antenna radiation efficiency is improved, but device complexity and installation complexity increase due to cabling requirements and isolation circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the antenna from the traditional PCB plane and implements it as a flexible printed circuit element that can be positioned independently within the meter housing. This allows the antenna to be separated from noisy electrical components while remaining integrated within the housing, eliminating the need for external cabling and isolation circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit antenna is nested within the meter housing structure, conforming to the internal geometry of the housing. This nested configuration allows the antenna to achieve optimal radiation efficiency within the constrained internal space without requiring external installation components.
2Ease of manufacture
If planar antennas are printed on the main PCB, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but sufficient board area is not available due to space constraints from other electrical components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional PCB plane to a three-dimensional flexible printed circuit structure that can be folded and positioned within the meter housing. This dimensional change allows the antenna to utilize space in multiple dimensions rather than being constrained to a single flat plane, effectively increasing available area.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna is implemented using a flexible printed circuit element that can be folded and shaped to conform to the internal geometry of the meter housing. This flexibility allows the antenna to be positioned in areas that would be inaccessible to rigid PCB-mounted antennas, maximizing space utilization.
3Device complexity
If internal antennas are placed within the meter housing, then device complexity is reduced, but electrical noise from other components interferes with antenna performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a folded flexible printed circuit structure as an intermediary between the radio circuitry and the antenna element. This folded structure can be positioned to physically separate the antenna from noisy electrical components while maintaining electrical connection, thereby reducing noise interference while keeping the antenna integrated within the housing.
4Adaptability or versatility
If discrete antennas are attached to the main board, then antenna placement flexibility is improved, but sufficient clear area and ground plane are not available to achieve usable antenna efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible printed circuit element that can be folded and shaped to create the necessary antenna structure. This flexible approach allows the antenna to be positioned in areas with available space within the housing, and the folded structure itself can provide the necessary ground plane and clear area for efficient radiation, overcoming the limitations of rigid discrete antenna mounting.
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 effectively reduces interference from electrical components, optimizes space usage, and simplifies installation by integrating the antenna within the meter housing, enhancing communication efficiency without the need for external cabling or isolation circuits.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible printed circuit element may be configured to conform to a shape of a portion of a meter housing
Implementation Method 2
The second printed circuit board element may serve to shield the antenna element on the flexible printed circuit element from noise generated by electrical components on the first printed circuit board element
Data Source
AI summary
An improved electricity meter antenna configuration is disclosed herein. An electricity meter may include, for example, a radio, a first printed circuit board element, a second printed circuit board element and a flexible printed circuit element. The first printed circuit board element may be, for example, a main printed circuit board to which one or more electrical components are attached. The flexible printed circuit element may include at least a portion of an antenna element that is connected to the radio. In some cases, the second printed circuit board element may serve to shield the antenna element on the flexible printed circuit element from noise generated by electrical components on the first printed circuit board element. In some cases, an electrical connection path between the antenna element and the radio may be configured such that it does not include any coaxial cabling.