Patent Grant
7755551
The present disclosure relates to antennas, and more specifically to antennas for automotive vehicles.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A wide variety of antennas have been developed for automotive vehicles. The antennas are adapted to receive signals in a variety of formats, including but not limited to AM radio, FM radio, satellite radio, global positioning system (GPS), cell phones, and citizens band (CB). Often, the antennas are designed for a specific location on the vehicle. For example, antennas for receiving circularly polarized signals, such as those associated with satellite radio and GPS, are typically mounted on the vehicle roof.
An antenna designed for installation on a vehicle body panel, such as the vehicle roof, must address a variety of issues in addition to receiving signals. First, the antenna should be aesthetically pleasing—at least to the extent possible in view of its functionality. Second, the antenna should conform closely to the body panel on which it is mounted. To achieve these goals, the antenna is shaped to match the contour of the body panel on which it will be mounted. Consequently, each antenna must be uniquely designed for the vehicle platform. An antenna designed for one platform typically will not be acceptable for mounting on a different platform having a different shape. The need to have unique antennas for unique vehicles undesirably increases design complexity, manufacturing complexity, and inventory complexity.
In an exemplary embodiment, an automotive vehicle antenna generally includes a base assembly mountable on a vehicle and a radome assembly attachable to the base assembly. The radome assembly includes a lower peripheral edge adapted to closely conform to the vehicle when the antenna is mounted on the vehicle.
Another exemplary embodiment includes an automotive vehicle having a vehicle portion and an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly includes a base assembly mounted on the vehicle portion, and a radome assembly mounted on the base assembly. The radome assembly includes a skirt terminating in a peripheral lower edge closely conforming to the vehicle portion.
Other aspects of the present disclosure provide methods relating to installation of antenna assemblies. In one exemplary method embodiment, a method generally includes attaching a base assembly to a vehicle, shipping a radome assembly with the vehicle having the base assembly attached thereto, and subsequent to shipping, attaching the radome assembly to the base assembly.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method generally includes attaching a radome assembly to a base assembly such that a lower peripheral edge of the radome assembly is in close conformance with a vehicle body wall to which the base assembly is attached, to thereby achieve a zero gap appearance.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method is provided relating to installation of antenna assemblies to vehicles having different vehicle platforms. The method may generally include attaching a first base assembly to a first vehicle and attaching a first radome assembly to the first base assembly. The first radome assembly may be configured such that a lower peripheral edge thereof fits closely against the first vehicle to thereby achieve a zero gap appearance therewith. The method may also include attaching a second base assembly to a second vehicle associated with a different platform than the first vehicle. The first and second base assemblies may have a common configuration. The method may further include attaching a second radome assembly to the second base assembly. The second radome assembly may be configured such that a lower peripheral edge thereof fits closely against the second vehicle to thereby achieve a zero gap appearance therewith.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
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. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
The specification discloses various embodiments of modular antenna assemblies for automotive vehicles. In one exemplary embodiment, an antenna generally includes a base assembly that may be used on a variety of vehicle platforms. The antenna may also include a radome assembly that is specific to a particular vehicle platform. The radome assembly may snap-fit onto the base assembly, and be installed during or after vehicle assembly. A wide variety of radome assemblies of different shapes, styles, and colors may be used in conjunction with a single base assembly.
In an exemplary embodiment, an automotive vehicle antenna generally includes a base assembly mountable on a vehicle and a radome assembly attachable to the base assembly. The radome assembly includes a lower peripheral edge adapted to closely conform to the vehicle when the antenna is mounted on the vehicle.
Another exemplary embodiment includes an automotive vehicle having a vehicle portion and an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly includes a base assembly mounted on the vehicle portion, and a radome assembly mounted on the base assembly. The radome assembly includes a skirt terminating in a peripheral lower edge closely conforming to the vehicle portion.
Other aspects of the present disclosure provide methods relating to installation of antenna assemblies. In one exemplary method embodiment, a method generally includes attaching a base assembly to a vehicle, shipping a radome assembly with the vehicle having the base assembly attached thereto, and subsequent to shipping, attaching the radome assembly to the base assembly.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method generally includes attaching a radome assembly to a base assembly such that a lower peripheral edge of the radome assembly is in close conformance with a vehicle body wall to which the base assembly is attached, to thereby achieve a zero gap appearance.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method is provided relating to installation of antenna assemblies to vehicles having different vehicle platforms. The method may generally include attaching a first base assembly to a first vehicle and attaching a first radome assembly to the first base assembly. The first radome assembly may be configured such that a lower peripheral edge thereof fits closely against the first vehicle to thereby achieve a zero gap appearance therewith. The method may also include attaching a second base assembly to a second vehicle associated with a different platform than the first vehicle. The first and second base assemblies may have a common configuration. The method may further include attaching a second radome assembly to the second base assembly. The second radome assembly may be configured such that a lower peripheral edge thereof fits closely against the second vehicle to thereby achieve a zero gap appearance therewith.
Accordingly, the aforementioned problems noted above in the Background may be overcome by one or more of the exemplary disclosed embodiments of modular antenna assemblies for automotive vehicles. As disclosed herein, various embodiments may enable a common antenna platform (the base assembly) to be utilized across a wide variety of vehicle platforms, while only the radome assembly is unique to a vehicle platform.
Exemplary embodiments of antenna assemblies are illustrated in the drawings. In such embodiments, the antenna assembly generally includes a base assembly (e.g., antenna assembly 10 shown in
An exemplary embodiment of a base assembly 10 is illustrated in
The chassis 12 is die cast of zinc, although other manufacturing processes and materials may be used. The chassis 12 includes a generally planar body 30 defining a pocket 32 in its upper surface. An attachment stud or lug 34 extends from the underside of the body 30 for attachment to a vehicle body panel in a conventional fashion. The lug 34 defines a central aperture 36 extending through the body 30 and the lug 34 for receiving electrical wires and/or leads. A groove 38 extends around the upper surface of the body 30 for receiving the base cover 16. The chassis 12 also defines a plurality of recesses or receivers 39 for receiving the catches 56 on the base cover 16.
The PC board assembly 14 includes a printed circuit (PC) board 40 and a pair of ceramic antenna elements 42a and 42b mounted thereon. In the current embodiment, each antenna element 42a, 42b is ceramic-based. The antenna elements 42a, 42b are designed for the reception of satellite radio signals and GPS signals, respectively. Other suitable antenna elements may be used. The PC board 40 is dimensioned to be received within the pocket 32 on the chassis 12. Electrical wires and/or leads (not shown in this embodiment, but shown in
The base cover 16 is fabricated of plastic as a single piece. Other suitable materials and manufacturing processes may also be used. The base cover 16 includes a generally planar body 50 having two portions 50a and 50b defining a groove 52 therebetween for receiving the radome assembly antenna element 70. A perimeter skirt or flange 54 extends downwardly from the body 50 and is received within the groove 38. A plurality of spring-loaded catches 56 extend downwardly from the body 50 to snap-fit onto the chassis 12 and specifically within the receivers 39. The body 50 defines a pair of receivers or sockets 58a and 58b. The sockets 58a, 58b receive snap fingers 64a, 64b on the radome assembly 20 as will be described.
An exemplary embodiment of a radome assembly 20 is illustrated in
The radome 80 is configured to house one or more antenna elements 70. The radome 80 may also be configured to be aesthetically pleasing and/or aerodynamic. The radome 80 includes a body portion 82 and a center fin 84 extending upwardly therefrom. A pair of locator elements 59a and 59b (
The antenna element 70 may be secured within the radome 80 using techniques known to those skilled in the art. The lower portion 72 of the antenna element 70 extends into the groove 52 in the base assembly 10 for effective coupling to the PC board assembly 14. The coupling in the current embodiment is inductive or galvanic, and other coupling techniques (such as electrically-conductive silicone) may be used. The antenna element 70 in the current embodiment is designed for cellular phone signals, but the antenna element 70 could be designed for other signals. It is envisioned that more than one element could be included in the radome. It also is envisioned that other embodiments may be configured without any antenna element in the radome, in which case the center fin 84 might be omitted.
With continued reference to
In the assembled state of the radome assembly 20 as shown in
An exemplary installation process will now be described for the base assembly 10 and radome assembly 20. In various embodiments, the base assembly 10 is not specific to a vehicle platform. Instead, the base assembly 10 may be used across a wide variety of vehicle platforms having a wide variety of body panel configurations. The base assembly 10 may be delivered to the vehicle manufacturer for installation on a vehicle during vehicle assembly in conventional fashion—typically to the vehicle roof.
The radome assembly 20 may also be delivered to the vehicle manufacturer. But the radome assembly 20 typically is not installed on the vehicle during vehicle assembly. Because of the height restrictions related to vehicle shipping, the radome assembly 20 may be shipped uninstalled with the vehicle, for example, in the glove box of the vehicle. After the vehicle is received by the dealer, the radome assembly 20 may be removed from the glove box and installed on the base assembly 10 simply by aligning the fingers 64 (
Another exemplary embodiment of a base assembly 110 is illustrated in
The chassis 112 includes a generally planar body 130 defining a pocket 132. An attachment stud or lug 134 extends from the underside of the body 130 for attachment to a vehicle body panel.
As shown in
The PC board assembly 114 includes a printed circuit (PC) board 140 and a pair of ceramic antenna elements 142a and 142b mounted thereon. In the current embodiment, each antenna element 142a, 142b is ceramic-based. The antenna elements 142a, 142b are designed for the reception of satellite radio signals and GPS signals, respectively. Other suitable antenna elements may be used in other embodiments. The PC board 140 is configured (e.g., shaped, dimensioned, etc.) to be received within the pocket 132 on the chassis 112. Electrical wires and/or leads 195 extend from the printed circuit board 140 through the hole 136 in the chassis 112.
The base cover 116 includes a generally planar body 150 having two portions 150a and 150b defining a groove 152 therebetween for receiving the radome assembly antenna element 170. A perimeter skirt or flange 154 extends downwardly from the body 150 and is received within the groove 138. A plurality of spring-loaded catches 156 extend downwardly from the body 150 to snap-fit onto the chassis 112, such as engagement with recesses, receivers, lip portions, etc. The body 150 defines receivers or sockets 158a, 158b, 158c. The sockets 158a, 158b, 158c receive snap fingers 164a, 164b, 164c on the radome assembly 120. As shown by
As shown in
Another exemplary embodiment of a radome assembly 120 is illustrated in
The radome 180 is configured to house one or more antenna elements 170. The radome 180 may also be configured to be aesthetically pleasing and/or aerodynamic. The radome 180 includes a body portion 182 and a center fin 184 extending upwardly therefrom. A locator element 159 (
The antenna element 170 may be secured within the radome 180 using techniques known to those skilled in the art. The lower portion 172 of the antenna element 170 extends through an opening in the connector piece 160 (
The antenna element 170 shown in
With continued reference to
In the assembled state of the radome assembly 120 as shown in
An exemplary installation process will now be described for the base assembly 110 and radome assembly 120. In various embodiments, the base assembly 110 is not specific to a vehicle platform. Instead, the base assembly 110 may be used across a wide variety of vehicle platforms having a wide variety of body panel configurations. The base assembly 110 may be delivered to the vehicle manufacturer for installation on a vehicle during vehicle assembly in conventional fashion—typically to the vehicle roof.
The radome assembly 120 may also be delivered to the vehicle manufacturer. But the radome assembly 120 typically is not installed on the vehicle during vehicle assembly. Because of the height restrictions related to vehicle shipping, the radome assembly 120 may be shipped uninstalled with the vehicle, for example, in the glove box of the vehicle. After the vehicle is received by the dealer, the radome assembly 120 may be removed from the glove box and installed on the base assembly 110 simply by aligning the fingers 64 (
Accordingly, the present disclosure includes various embodiments of antenna assemblies for automotive vehicles, which may include a common base assembly (e.g., 10, 110, etc.) capable of being used across a wide variety of vehicle platforms. In such embodiments, the radome assembly (e.g., 20, 120, etc.) may be customized to a vehicle platform to fit closely against the body panel to achieve a zero gap appearance. Thus, economies of scale may be realized in both design and manufacturing because the base assembly need not be redesigned for different vehicle platforms. Consequently, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may thus allow for reduced manufacturing and inventory costs. Further, a plurality of radomes of virtually unlimited styles and colors may be used in conjunction with a single base assembly.
Embodiments and aspects of the present disclosure may be used in a wide range of antenna applications, such as patch antennas, telematics antennas, antennas configured for receiving satellite signals (e.g., Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services (SDARS), Global Positioning System (GPS), cellular signals, etc.), terrestrial signals, antennas configured for receiving RF energy or radio transmissions (e.g., AM/FM radio signals, etc.), combinations thereof, among other applications in which wireless signals are communicated between antennas. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to only one specific form/type of antenna assembly.
In addition, various antenna assemblies and components disclosed herein may be mounted to a wide range of supporting structures, including stationary platforms and mobile platforms. For example, an antenna assembly disclosed herein could be mounted to supporting structure of a car, truck, bus, train, aircraft, bicycle, motorcycle, among other mobile platforms. Accordingly, the specific references to automotive vehicles herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to any specific type of supporting structure or environment.
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 of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation-in-part of allowed U.S. application Ser. No. 11/271,372 filed Nov. 10, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,333,065 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 11271372 | Nov 2005 | US |
| Child | 11962471 | US |
