Patent Application
20080070513
The above and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention, wherein:
An antenna apparatus of the embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings.
The circuit substrate 2 is formed with a first through hole 21 through which the power supply pin 4 passes. The first through hole 21 has an inner diameter which is equal to or greater than a shaft diameter of the power supply pin 4. A conductive layer (not shown) is formed on a back surface of the circuit substrate 2, and a circuit element such as a low noise amplifier (LNA) or the like is mounted on the conductive layer.
The antenna element 3 is provided with a square main body 31 disposed at a predetermined distance from the circuit substrate 2. A second through hole 33 is formed in the main body 31 at a location opposed to the first through hole 21 of the circuit substrate 2. The power supply pin 4 passes through the second through hole 33. The second through hole 33 is formed smaller than the shaft diameter of the power supply pin 4. As shown in
The power supply pin 4 is provided with a shaft portion 41 and a large-diameter portion 42. The shaft portion 41 is longer than a distance between the circuit substrate 2 and the main body 31 of the antenna element 3. The large-diameter portion 42 has such a thickness and a diameter that the large-diameter portion 42 is accommodated in a recess 35 formed by curving of the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 in the antenna element 3. A tip end of the shaft portion 41 of the power supply pin 4 which passes through the antenna element 3 and the circuit substrate 2 is fixed by solder 5.
An effect of the embodiment will be explained next.
When the antenna apparatus 1 is to be assembled, a worker mounts the antenna element 3 on the circuit substrate 2. Then, the worker inserts the power supply pin 4 into the second through hole 33 from the antenna element 3. At that time, since the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 is curved so as to be convex toward the passing through direction of the power supply pin 4, even if the second through hole 33 is formed smaller than the shaft diameter of the power supply pin 4, the periphery 34 is deformed so that a curvature is reduced when the power supply pin 4 is inserted, and the power supply pin 4 passes through the second through hole 33. After the power supply pin 4 passes through the second through hole 33, the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 in the antenna element 3 tries to elastically restore. With this, the tip end of the periphery 34 fixedly nips the power supply pin 4.
The worker further pushes the power supply pin 4 so that the shaft portion 41 passes through the first through hole 21 of the circuit substrate 2 and a tip end thereof projects from the circuit substrate 2. The worker solders the projecting portion and fixes the power supply pin 4 onto the circuit substrate 2. At the time of the soldering operation, the worker turns the antenna apparatus 1 over so that the soldering portion is turned upward, and then the soldering operation is executed. At that time, the large-diameter portion 42 of the power supply pin 4 is directed downward, but since the shaft portion 41 is fixedly nipped by the tip end of the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 of the antenna element 3, the shaft portion 41 does not drop.
As described above, according to the embodiment, since the tip end of the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 of the antenna element 3 fixedly nips the power supply pin 4, the holding properties can be enhanced by inserting the power supply pin 4 through the second through hole 33. Since the antenna element 3 and the power supply pin 4 are always in contact with each other by the fixedly nipping state, the conductive state can always be secured.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can appropriately be changed.
The tip end of the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 of the antenna element 3 fixedly nips the entire periphery of the shaft portion 41 of the power supply pin 4 in the embodiment. Instead of this structure, the tip end of the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 may be divided into at least three, and the divided tip ends may fixedly nip the power supply pin. With this, the contact area between the tip ends of the periphery 34 and the power supply pin 4 is reduced. Therefore, the power supply pin 4 can smoothly be inserted into the second through hole 33. The reason why the tip end is divided into three or more is that positional deviation when the power supply pin 4 is fixedly nipped can be suppressed.
The tip end of the periphery 34 of the second through hole 33 of the antenna element 3 fixedly nips the power supply pin 4 and the conductive state is secured in the embodiment. Alternatively, the antenna element 3 and the large-diameter portion 42 of the power supply pin 4 may be soldered to each other. With this, more reliable conductive state can be secured.
According to a first aspect of the preferred embodiments of the present invention there is provided an antenna apparatus, comprising:
a power supply pin;
a circuit substrate having a first through hole through which the power supply pin passes; and
an antenna element having a second through hole which faces with the first through hole and through which the power supply pin passes, the antenna element being disposed at a distance from the circuit substrate; wherein
the second through hole is formed smaller than a shaft diameter of the power supply pin and is widen by the power supply pin; and
a periphery of the second through hole of the antenna element is curved to be convex toward the circuit substrate, and the power supply pin is fixedly nipped by a tip end of the periphery.
Preferably, in the antenna apparatus, the tip end of the periphery of the second through hole is divided into at least three, and the divided tip ends fixedly nip the power supply pin.
In the antenna apparatus, since the periphery of the second through hole is curved such as to be convex toward the passing through direction of the power supply pin, even if the second through hole is made smaller than the shaft diameter of the power supply pin, the periphery is deformed such that the curvature is reduced when the power supply pin is inserted, and the power supply pin passes through the second through hole. After the power supply pin passes through the second through hole, the periphery of the second through hole of the antenna element elastically tries to restore. With this, the tip end of the periphery fixedly nips the power supply pin. Thus, even if the power supply pin is not soldered, the holding properties can be enhanced only by inserting the power supply pin into the second through hole, and the conductive state can always be secured.
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-254467 filed on Sep. 20, 2006 including description, claims, drawings and abstract are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Although various exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Therefore, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited solely by the scope of the claims that follow.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-254467 | Sep 2006 | JP | national |
