Vehicle Antenna Device with Integrated Fixing Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle antenna devices face challenges in reducing thickness while maintaining low production costs and preventing antenna characteristic deterioration due to vehicle vibrations and connection issues between antenna elements and circuit boards.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle antenna device design featuring a flat plate-like antenna element with a power feeding line, a coil on a circuit board, an amplifier circuit, and a fixing portion formed from the same member as the antenna element, which securely attaches the circuit board to the antenna element with a gap to avoid coil coupling, along with a grounding bracket and insulating resin for protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the antenna element is made flat and connected to the circuit board to reduce thickness, then the thickness is reduced and appearance is improved, but the connection portion becomes vulnerable to contact failure due to vehicle vibrations and shaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antenna element and connection structure into a single integrated component. The antenna element includes an integrated connection structure that directly couples to the circuit board, eliminating separate connection terminals and fixing cases. This integration reduces the number of components and assembly processes while maintaining reliable electrical connection under vibration conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structure is designed with preliminary vibration resistance features. The integrated connection structure includes vibration-resistant mounting features that pre-compensate for vibration effects before assembly, ensuring reliable electrical connection without requiring additional vibration mitigation components during operation.
2Reliability
If separate connection terminals or fixing cases are provided to prevent contact failure, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but the number of components and assembly processes increases leading to higher production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antenna element and connection structure into a single integrated component. The antenna element includes an integrated connection structure that directly couples to the circuit board, eliminating separate connection terminals and fixing cases. This integration reduces the number of components and assembly processes while maintaining reliable electrical connection under vibration conditions.
3Strength
If the fixing portion is placed close to the coil to secure the circuit board, then fixing strength is improved, but the coil coupling is affected deteriorating antenna characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different functional zones within the antenna element. The fixing portion is positioned at a specific location that provides adequate mechanical support while maintaining electromagnetic isolation from the coil. This spatial differentiation allows the structure to simultaneously achieve strong fixing and preserve antenna characteristics by avoiding harmful electromagnetic coupling in the coil region.
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
The solution effectively reduces thickness while maintaining antenna performance and preventing contact failures, thus achieving a low-cost structure without compromising antenna characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a coil which is placed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the power feeding portion to which the power feeding line of the antenna element is connected so that the antenna element has an antenna length supporting a second frequency band
Implementation Method 2
an amplifier circuit which is placed on the circuit board and connected to the coil
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle antenna device includes an antenna element, a circuit board, a coil, an amplifier circuit and a fixing portion. The antenna element functions as a capacitive antenna supporting a first frequency band. The circuit board has a power feeding portion that is connected to a power feeding line of the antenna element. The coil is electrically connected to the power feeding portion so that the antenna element has an antenna length supporting a second frequency band. The fixing portion and the antenna element are formed at an edge of the antenna element in order to fix the circuit board to the antenna element at a location close to the position of the coil and far from a position of the amplifier circuit. The fixing portion is provided with a predetermined gap from the coil that is large enough to avoid the influence of coupling with the coil.