Patent Application
20080068268
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The directional element 24 can be positioned on an external surface of the housing 28. In some embodiments, a protective layer or shield 38 protects the directional element 24 from weather and the elements. In some embodiments, a conductive ink can be used to print the directional element 24 on one surface of the protective layer 38. In some embodiments, the conductive ink can include silver particles. In other embodiments, the directional element 24 can be formed from one or more layers of electrically-conductive material, such as a metallic tape. In further embodiments, the directional element 24 can be formed from sheet aluminum. In still other embodiments, the protective layer 38 is formed from urethane or an equivalent material. In some embodiments, the protective layer 38 is transparent. Alternatively, other embodiments can include a protective layer 38 that is substantially transparent or translucent.
With continued reference to
The protective layer 38 has a thickness H3 for limiting capacitive coupling between the directional element 24 and environmental moisture. Capacitive coupling can degrade the reception performance of the antenna assembly 20. In some embodiments, the thickness H3 is between about 0.5 millimeter and about 2.5 millimeters, inclusive. For example, one embodiment includes a thickness H3 of 0.5 millimeter. Another embodiment includes a thickness H3 of 2.5 millimeters. Still further embodiments can include a thickness H3 that is slightly less than 0.5 millimeter, slightly more than 2.5 millimeters, or somewhere in-between 0.5 millimeter and 2.5 millimeters. In some embodiments a thickness H3 of 1.43 millimeters is preferred.
Referring now to
One end of the coaxial cable 30 can include a strain relief 42 that interfaces with the chassis 34 and housing or protective cover 28. The other end of cable 30 can include a connector 44 that mates with a radio receiver (not shown).
The directional element 24 can include text, a logo, a graphic element, or other indicia. In some embodiments, the directional element 24 is printed on one surface of the protective shield 38. An adhesive is then applied to the otherwise exposed surface of the printed directional element 24. The protective shield 38, directional element 24, and the adhesive are thereby layered and form a decal that can be adhered to the protective housing or cover 28.
Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.
When introducing elements or features and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order or performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the specification and the following claims.
