Patent Application
20240304980
The present disclosure relates to a feeding structure, a plate-shaped body, and a window glass.
A structure that feeds power by a flat conductor to an antenna structure body installed inside a composite glass plate has been known (see Patent Document 1 for example) in the related art.
However, the feeding structure in the related art is configured such that the flat conductor is drawn out from a peripheral edge of the composite glass plate and thus has a likelihood of causing wiring in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the composite glass to be complicated.
The present disclosure provides a simple configuration capable of feeding power to a conductor present between a pair of dielectric plates.
The present disclosure provides a feeding structure including:
The present disclosure also provides a plate-shaped body that includes the feeding structure, and a window glass that includes the feeding structure.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a simple configuration capable of feeding power to a conductor present between a pair of dielectric plates.
An embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described below with reference to the drawings. For easy understanding of the embodiment, the scales of the individual elements in the drawings discussed in the embodiment may be represented differently from those of the actual elements. Terms representing directions, such as “parallel”, “at right angles”, “perpendicular”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “top-bottom”, and “left-right”, are not necessarily to be interpreted in an exact sense, and a certain range of deviation is allowed as long as the operations and the effects of the embodiment are not impaired. The X axis direction, the Y axis direction and the Z axis direction respectively represent a direction parallel to the X axis, a direction parallel to the Y axis and a direction parallel to the Z axis. The X axis direction, the Y axis direction and the Z axis direction are orthogonal to one another. The XY plane, the YZ plane and the ZX plane respectively represent an imaginary plane parallel to the X axis direction and the Y axis direction, an imaginary plane parallel to the Y axis direction and the Z axis direction and an imaginary plane parallel to the Z axis direction and the X axis direction.
The pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20 are plate-shaped members that contain a dielectric as a main component. One or both of the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20 may be each a glass plate. For example, when the dielectric plate 10 is a glass plate, the dielectric plate 20 may be a dielectric plate that differs from a glass plate, and, when the dielectric plate 20 is a glass plate, the dielectric plate 10 may be a dielectric plate that differs from a glass plate. When both of the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20 are glass plates, the plate-shaped body 111 is also referred to as a laminated glass. In addition, when both of the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20 are glass plates, these dielectric plates may be glass plates whose compositions are the same or glass plates whose compositions are different.
The plate-shaped body 111 is, for example, a window glass for a vehicle. Examples of the window glass for a vehicle include a windshield fixed to the front side of a vehicle, a rear glass fixed to the rear side of a vehicle, a side glass fixed to the lateral sides of a vehicle, and a roof glass fixed to the ceiling of a vehicle. The window glass for a vehicle according to the present embodiment is not limited to these examples.
The plate-shaped body 111 is a layered body that includes the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, an interlayer 30, and the conductor 52. The feeding structure 211 shares, with the plate-shaped body 111, the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, the interlayer 30, and the conductor 52. The feeding structure 211 includes the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, the interlayer 30, the conductor 52, a feeding portion 45, and a transmission line 44.
The dielectric plate 10 is an example of a first dielectric plate. The dielectric plate is a plate-shaped dielectric that has a main surface 11 facing the positive side in the Z-axis direction and a main surface 12 facing a side opposite from the main surface 11 in the Z-axis direction (the negative side in the Z-axis direction). The dielectric plate 10 may be transparent or translucent. When the plate-shaped body 111 is a window glass for a vehicle, the main surface 11 is a surface on the vehicle exterior side, and the main surface 12 is a surface on the vehicle interior side.
The dielectric plate 20 is an example of a second dielectric plate facing the first dielectric plate. The dielectric plate 20 is disposed on the side of the main surface 12 of the dielectric plate 10. The dielectric plate 20 is a plate-shaped dielectric that has a main surface 21 facing the positive side in the Z-axis direction and a main surface 22 facing a side opposite from the main surface 21 in the Z-axis direction. The dielectric plate 20 may be transparent or translucent. When the plate-shaped body 111 is a window glass for a vehicle, the main surface 21 is a surface on the vehicle exterior side, and the main surface 22 is a surface on the vehicle interior side.
The interlayer 30 is a transparent or translucent dielectric disposed between the dielectric plate 10 and the dielectric plate 20. The dielectric plate 10 and the dielectric plate 20 are bonded to each other by the interlayer 30. Examples of a material that constitutes the interlayer 30 include thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral (PVB), an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and a cycloolefin polymer (COP). Preferably, the relative dielectric constant of the interlayer 30 is 2.4 or more and 3.5 or less.
The plate-shaped body 111 may have a light-shielding film 80 at at least one of the main surface 12, the main surface 21, and the main surface 22. For example, the light-shielding film 80 may be disposed to have a predetermined width from an end portion (an end portion 30a of the interlayer 30) of the plate-shaped body 111. When the plate-shaped body 111 is a window glass for a vehicle, the light-shielding film 80 may be disposed at a peripheral edge portion of the window glass for a vehicle. In this case, the inner edge of the light-shielding film 80 corresponds to the outer edge of an opening (transmission region) of the window glass for a vehicle. The light-shielding film 80 is an opaque colored ceramic layer having a thickness of about 5 μm to 25 μm. The color of the light-shielding film 80 is optional and is preferably a dark color such as black, brown, grey or dark blue, or white, and more preferably black. When the plate-shaped body 111 has the light-shielding film 80, the transmission line 44, the feeding portion 45, and the conductor 52, which are described later, are less likely to be visually recognized, by the light-shielding film 80 overlapping at least part of the transmission line 44, the feeding portion 45, and the conductor 52.
The conductor 52 is a linear or planar conductor that is disposed between the dielectric plate 10 and the dielectric plate 20. Specific examples of the conductor 52 include a signal line, an antenna element and an electrode. In
The feeding portion 45 is a portion that is disposed on a side opposite of the interlayer 30 from the dielectric plate 10 and that sandwiches a part of the dielectric plate 20 between the conductor 52 and the portion. The transmission line 44 is an example of a first transmission line and is connected to the feeding portion 45. In this example, the feeding portion 45 and the transmission line 44 are formed at a substrate 40.
The substrate 40 is a plate-shaped component that has a main surface parallel to the XY plane. The substrate 40 includes a dielectric layer 41 that containing a dielectric as a main component, a signal line 42 formed at a surface of the dielectric layer 41 on the positive side in the Z-axis direction of the dielectric layer 41, and a ground layer 43 formed at a surface on the negative side in the Z-axis direction of the dielectric layer 41. The substrate 40 may be a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate.
The transmission line 44 is formed by at least the dielectric layer 41, the signal line 42, and the ground layer 43. The transmission line 44 transmits a high-frequency signal. The feeding portion 45 is connected to one end portion of the transmission line 44. To the other end portion of the transmission line 44, for example, a communication device, which is not illustrated is electrically connected. Specific examples of the transmission line 44 include a microstrip line, a strip line, a coplanar waveguide, a GCPW (grounded coplanar waveguide), a coplanar strip, a slot line and a waveguide pipe.
The transmission line 44 may be a coaxial cable. For example, an inner conductor of the coaxial cable is connected at an end portion of the coaxial cable to a connector provided at the feeding portion 45.
The feeding portion 45 has the dielectric layer 41 having a conductor portion (hereinafter also referred to as “facing conductor”) facing the conductor 52 on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The facing conductor of the feeding portion 45 is connected to an end portion of the signal line 42 of the transmission line 44. The facing conductor of the feeding portion 45 protrudes from an end of the ground layer 43 in plan view in the Z-axis direction. The facing conductor of the feeding portion 45 is, for example, a linear conductor formed at a surface of the dielectric layer 41, and may be a single line segment and may be bent. The facing conductor of the feeding portion may be a planar conductor formed at a surface of the dielectric layer 41.
The feeding portion 45 electromagnetically couples to the conductor 52 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the dielectric plate 10 in the Z-axis direction. The conductor 52 and the facing conductor of the feeding portion 45 are placed proximate to each other with a distance that enables electromagnetic coupling therebetween, and the feeding portion 45 thus feeds power contactlessly to the conductor 52, which is enclosed between the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, by electromagnetic coupling. It is possible to achieve the feeding structure 211 that is simple and that is capable of feeding power, even when the dielectric plate 20 is interposed between the conductor 52 and the feeding portion 45, to the conductor 52 present between the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20 by feeding power contactlessly by electromagnetic coupling. In addition, with the feeding structure 211, it is possible, even when an end portion 52a of the conductor 52 is present inside the end portion 30a of the interlayer 30 (the negative side in the X-axis direction), to feed power from the feeding portion 45 to the conductor 52 in the Z-axis direction by a simple structure.
The distance that enables electromagnetic coupling is, for example, 500 μm or less, preferably 250 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less, furthermore preferably 100 μm or less, and most preferably 50 μm or less. In
When the plate-shaped body 111 is a window glass for a vehicle, it is preferable that the dielectric plate 10 (glass plate 10) be thicker than the dielectric plate 20 (glass plate 20). In this case, the thickness of the glass plate 10 may be, for example, about 3.2 mm. While a composition of the material that constitutes the dielectric plate 20 (glass plate 20) is selectable as appropriate, tempered glass is preferably used as a glass plate having a thickness that enables electromagnetic coupling described above and having a predetermined strength. Examples of the tempered glass include thermally tempered glass and chemically tempered glass. When the plate thickness of the tempered glass is thin, it is preferable to use chemically tempered glass. When the glass plate 20 is chemically tempered glass, preferably, the glass plate 20 has a composition that can be formed and strengthened by chemical tempering treatment. Examples of the glass plate for which chemical tempering treatment can be performed include aluminosilicate glass, soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, lead glass, alkali barium glass and alumino-borosilicate glass.
Since the feeding structure 211 feeds power through contactless feeding by electromagnetic coupling, the feeding structure 211 is suitable for feeding power to the conductor 52 through which a high-frequency signal having a frequency in a relatively high band passes. For reducing a loss of the high-frequency signal, it is preferable that the dielectric plate 20 (glass plate 20) has a low dielectric tangent (tan δ). For example, the tan δ of the glass plate 20 at a frequency of 10 GHz is preferably 0.010 or less, more preferably 0.009 or less.
For example, the conductor 52 or an antenna (for example, an antenna 70 described later) connected to the conductor 52 is formed to be able to transmit and receive radio waves in a predetermined frequency band. The predetermined frequency band is a relatively high band such as UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band in a range of from 300 MHz to 3 GHZ, SHF (Super High Frequency) band in a range of from 3 GHz to 30 GHz, or EHF (Extremely High Frequency) band in a range of from 30 GHZ to 300 GHz. Specific examples of such a high-frequency band include a band (a frequency band (sub6) of 6 GHz or lower and a frequency band of 24 GHz or higher (28 GHz band, 39 GHz band, and the like)) used for the fifth generation telecommunication (5G) standard.
A wavelength of a radio wave transmitted and received through the conductor 52 or an antenna (for example, the antenna 70 described later) connected to the conductor 52 in air is represented by λ, and a wavelength shortening rate of a peripheral medium of the feeding portion 45 is represented by k. Here, when the facing conductor of the feeding portion 45 is a linear conductor having a line length L of λ/4, electromagnetic coupling to the conductor 52 is strengthened, and a loss due to contactless feeding is suppressed. For example, from the point of view of suppression of a loss due to contactless feeding,
is satisfied,
is preferably satisfied, and
is more preferably satisfied.
In
The feeding portion 45 electromagnetically couples to the conductor 52 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the dielectric plate 10 in the Z-axis direction and feeds power contactlessly to the conductor 52 by electromagnetic coupling. Consequently, it is possible to achieve the feeding structure 212 that is simple and that is capable of feeding power, even when the interlayer 30 and the dielectric plate 20 are interposed between the conductor 52 and the feeding portion 45, to the conductor 52 present between the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20. In
In
The feeding portion 45 electromagnetically couples to the conductor 52 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the dielectric plate 10 in the Z-axis direction and feeds power contactlessly to the conductor 52 by electromagnetic coupling. Consequently, it is possible to achieve the feeding structure 213 that is simple and that is capable of feeding power, even when the interlayer 32 and the dielectric plate 20 are interposed between the conductor 52 and the feeding portion 45, to the conductor 52 present between the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20. In
The plate-shaped body 101 is a layered body that includes the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, the interlayer 30, and the transmission line 50. The feeding structure 201 shares, with the plate-shaped body 101, the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, the interlayer 30, and the transmission line 50. The feeding structure 201 includes the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20, the interlayer 30, the transmission line 50, the feeding portion 45, and the transmission line 44.
The interlayer 30 includes the interlayer 31 and the interlayer 32. The interlayer 31 is an example of the first interlayer and is interposed between the dielectric plate 10 and the transmission line 50. The interlayer 32 is an example of the second interlayer and is interposed between the dielectric plate 20 and the transmission line 50.
The transmission line 50 is an example of a second transmission line and is disposed to be sandwiched between the interlayer 31 and the interlayer 32. The transmission line 50 has a dielectric layer 51 that contains a dielectric as a main component, the conductor 52 that is formed at a surface on the positive side in the Z-axis direction of the dielectric layer 51, and a ground layer 53 that is formed at a surface on the negative side in the Z-axis direction of the dielectric layer 51. The conductor 52 is a signal line of the transmission line 50.
The transmission line 50 transmits a high-frequency signal. One end portion of the transmission line 50 faces the feeding portion 45 in the Z-axis direction. The other end portion of the transmission line 50 is electrically connected to the antenna 70. In this example, the conductor 52 of the transmission line 50 is fed from the feeding portion 45 through a slot 54 formed in the ground layer 53.
The antenna 70 is a linear or planar conductor disposed between the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20 and is connected at the other end portion of the transmission line 50 to the conductor 52 in the same layer. The antenna 70 transmits and receives radio waves to and from the outside of the plate-shaped body 101. The antenna 70 may be transparent or translucent. When the antenna 70 is transparent, the antenna 70 is not easily visually recognized in a configuration in which the plate-shaped body is used as a window glass for a vehicle. In particular, when the plate-shaped body 101 (window glass for a vehicle) has the light-shielding film 80 described in the first embodiment, the antenna 70 is not easily visually recognized by an occupant, if the antenna is transparent, even when being disposed at an opening (transmission region inside the inner edge of the light-shielding film 80) separated from an end portion of the plate-shaped body 101.
The feeding portion 45 electromagnetically couples to the conductor 52 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the dielectric plate 10 in the Z-axis direction and feeds power contactlessly to the conductor 52 by electromagnetic coupling. Consequently, it is possible to achieve the feeding structure 201 that is simple and that is capable of feeding power, even when the dielectric layer 51, the interlayer 32, and the dielectric plate 20 are interposed between the conductor 52 and the feeding portion 45, to the conductor 52 present between the pair of dielectric plates 10 and 20. In
In
When the plate-shaped body 102 is a window glass for a vehicle, a glass composition of the glass plate 10 (dielectric plate 10) and a glass composition of the glass plate 20 (dielectric plate 20) may be the same, as with the plate-shaped body 111 in the first embodiment. Further, the thickness of the glass plate 10 and the thickness of the glass plate 20 may be the same. The thickness of the glass plate 10 and the thickness of the glass plate 20 may, for example, be a thickness of 2.0 mm. In this case, the glass plate 20 (excluding the recessed portion 23) can be made thick, and the glass plate 20 is thus not necessarily the tempered glass described above.
It is preferable that a side surface 23a of the recessed portion 23 is separated from an end 24 of the dielectric plate 20 by a distance of 5 mm or more toward the inner side (the negative side in the X-axis direction in this example) in a plan view of the dielectric plate 20 in the Z-axis direction. Consequently, it is possible, even when the recessed portion 23 is present, to ensure the strength of the dielectric plate 20 at a portion between the side surface 23a and the end 24. An upper limit value of the distance by which the side surface 23a is separated from the end 24 toward the inner side may be set, as appropriate, in accordance with specifications and the like of a product in which the plate-shaped body 102 is to be used.
The recessed portion 23 may be an opening that is hollowed toward the negative side in the X-axis direction with respect to the end 24 extending in the Y-axis direction. While being not particularly illustrated, this recessed portion 23 has a form in which a portion between the side surface 23a and the end 24 in the dielectric plate 20 is not present.
The recessed portion 23 may be sealed by a sealing portion 60. Consequently, the feeding portion 45 is sealed together with the recessed portion 23 by the sealing portion 60, and it is thus possible to suppress a change in the distance that enables electromagnetic coupling between the feeding portion 45 and the conductor 52. The sealing portion 60 is formed by, for example, a dielectric 61 made of a molded resin or the like. Examples of the resin material used in the sealing portion 60 include a photocurable resin, such as an ultraviolet-curable resin, and a heat-curable resin. When a photocurable resin is used, instantaneous bonding (curing) can be performed by irradiation of light, such as ultraviolet light, and it is thus possible to shorten a work time. When a heat-curable resin is used, crosslink density can be increased by adjusting the type and the ratio of the material contained in the resin, and it is thus possible to improve heat resistance, chemical resistance, and moisture resistance of the sealing portion 60 after curing.
The sealing portion 60 may be a terminal component that accommodates the feeding portion 45. When the sealing portion 60 is such a terminal component, the terminal component (sealing portion 60) to which the transmission line 44 is connected is fitted to the recessed portion 23 thereby to fix the feeding portion 45 to the conductor 52 with a distance that enables electromagnetic coupling.
The transmission line 44 includes a flexible portion that is bendable in the recessed portion 23. Consequently, the transmission line 44 is disposed in the recessed portion 23 to include a curved surface, as illustrated. Therefore, even in a form in which the feeding portion 45 is disposed in the recessed portion 23, stress is less likely to be placed on a connection part between the feeding portion 45 and the transmission line 44. When the substrate 40 is a flexible substrate, the transmission line 44 is easily bent in the recessed portion 23, and stress is less likely to be placed on the connection part between the feeding portion 45 and the transmission line 44.
The feeding portion 45 may be a member that includes a rigid substrate that is harder than the flexible portion of the transmission line 44. The feeding portion 45 that includes the hard rigid substrate can suppress a change in the distance that enables electromagnetic coupling between the feeding portion 45 and the conductor 52.
In
The shield 62 may be in contact with the ground layer 43 of the transmission line 44 but is separated in
The feeding portion 45 may include an active element 64 mounted on the rigid substrate 47. With the feeding portion 45 including the rigid substrate 47, the active element 64 is easily provided at the feeding portion 45. In the example illustrated in
The active element 64 is, for example, a RF (high frequency) device, such as a power amplifier, a mixer, a phase shifter and a switch, and a RF circuit in which RF devices are combined. For example, the active element 64 supplies to the transmission cable 49 a low-frequency signal that is obtained by down-converting a high-frequency signal that flows in the feeding pad 48. Alternatively, the active element 64 supplies to the feeding pad 48 a high-frequency signal that is obtained by up-converting a low-frequency signal that flows in the transmission cable 49.
In other words, the recessed portion 23 illustrated in
The shape that is not rotationally symmetrical in a rotation range of ±45° is not limited to an ellipse and may be another shape, such as a triangular shape and a quadrangular shape.
While the first to tenth embodiments have been described above, the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments. Various modifications and improvements including combinations and replacement with part or entirety of other embodiments are possible.
For example, the plate-shaped body in the first to tenth embodiments is not limited to a window glass and may be another plate-shaped body such as a display panel. In addition, the plate-shaped body and the window glass in the first to tenth embodiments are not limited to be for use in a vehicle and may be for use in other applications, such use in a building or an electronic device. Examples of the electronic device include portable devices including a smartphone, a portable telephone, a tablet computer, and the like.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-188889 | Nov 2021 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2022/041889, filed on Nov. 10, 2022, which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-188889 filed on Nov. 19, 2021. The contents of those applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2022/041889 | Nov 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18665960 | US |
