This application is the U.S.-national stage of PCT application PCT/EP2014/050755 filed 16 Jan. 2015 and claiming the priority of German patent application 102014200853.0 itself filed 17 Jan. 2014.
The invention relates to a roof antenna comprising a base plate and an outer hood for mounting on a roof of a vehicle, the roof antenna having a fastening mechanism comprising a mounting screw and a fastening claw interacting therewith.
Such generic roof antennas are known that are positioned and fixed on a roof of a vehicle. The fastening claw ensures that the roof antenna is secured on the roof in a prelatched position. For this purpose, the roof antenna is guided with a portion of the fastening mechanism through an opening in the roof, so that a base plate of the roof antenna comes into a position parallel to or in contact with the roof. Then, the mounting screw is actuated from inside the vehicle to secure and immovably fix the roof antenna in the final position thereof on the roof of the vehicle.
The invention addresses the problem of providing a roof antenna for mounting on a roof of a vehicle, which is further improved in terms of installation thereof relative to known roof antennas.
This object is attained according to the invention in that the base plate of the roof antenna forms a socket in which the fastening claw is fixed, and the fastening claw forms a seat cavity for the mounting screw, the seat cavity being open prior to insertion of the mounting screw and filled by the mounting screw after insertion thereof.
This geometric and structural design first and foremost maintains the ability to position the roof antenna on the roof from above with a part of the fastening region projecting through an opening therein, and fix the roof antenna in a prelatched position by the fastening claw. After this is done, the mounting screw can be actuated to finally and immovably fix the roof antenna onto the roof of the vehicle. For this purpose, the mounting screw is advantageously brought into operative connection with the socket. The fact that the seat cavity of the fastening claw is at first not filled in by the mounting screw makes it possible for the fastening claw to be compressed on passage through the opening in the roof and then expanded. The fastening claw then engages behind the lower face of the roof such that the roof antenna is prelatched thereby. Only then is it possible to bring the mounting screw into operative connection with the socket of the base plate such that the seat cavity in the fastening claw is filled by the mounting screw. This has two advantages, namely first that the operative connection between the socket and the mounting screw fixes the roof antenna onto the roof, and second that the fastening claw is prevented from being compressed again to prevent the roof antenna from being released from the now immovably assumed position thereof on the roof. It is particularly advantageous if the mounting screw has an external thread and a screw head, and the screw head partially or completely fills in the seat cavity of the fastening claw. The socket of the base plate has an internal thread corresponding to the external thread of the mounting screw, so that this threaded connection makes it possible to quickly, easily, and simply screw the mounting screw into the socket, and then simultaneously fastens the fastening claw in the final fit thereof on the lower face of the roof and on the socket.
In one embodiment of the invention, the fastening claw has, at an open end of the seat cavity, at least one barb, preferably two barbs positioned opposite to one another. The at least one barb ensures that the roof antenna is fixed in a prelatched position relative to the roof when the fastening claw has been guided through the opening of the roof, and the at least one barb prevents the roof antenna from being pulled back out of the opening. In addition, the at least one barb then has an electrical function if both the roof and the fastening claw comprising the at least one barb are composed of metal. The operative connection of the mounting screw and socket on the base plate—in particular by screwing the mounting screw into the socket with the thread—presses the at least one barb against the lower face of the roof and causes the at least one barb to come into contact with the lower face of the roof, resulting in an electrical contact. For the case where the lower face of the roof is provided with a covering, e.g. paint, the operative connection of the mounting screw and the socket moves the at least one barb relative to the lower face, scraping through the covering and producing a direct metallic—and, therefore, electrical—contact. Such contact is required, for example, for grounding the shielding of the roof antenna.
In one embodiment of the invention, the socket of the base plate forms a cavity in which a part of the fastening claw is received. If the mounting screw is brought into operative connection with the socket (in particular, if the mounting screw is screwed into the socket), then this results in deformation of the part of the fastening claw, and, in particular, the deformed region of the fastening claw has room in which to extend in the cavity of the socket. This is especially advantageous in that this makes it possible to modify the axial extension of the fastening claw—in particular the axial extension between the contact surface of the at least one barb on the lower face of the roof and the end of the fastening claw with which it is fastened onto the socket—in order to be able to compensate for different roof thicknesses. This provides a roof antenna that can be used in a variable manner, that can be used with the fastening mechanism according to the invention on a variety of roofs (irrespective of whether made of a metal or nonmetallic material).
Further advantages:
Further essential embodiments of the roof antenna according to the invention with the advantageous fastening mechanism thereof, as well as a particularly advantageous method of installing the roof antenna onto a roof of a vehicle are described in further detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The construction of the antenna arrangement shown in
According to the embodiment shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2014 200 853 | Jan 2014 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2015/050755 | 1/16/2015 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2015/107146 | 7/23/2015 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6714171 | Haussler | Mar 2004 | B2 |
7004666 | Kozlovski | Feb 2006 | B2 |
8441401 | Steinkamp | May 2013 | B2 |
20080131199 | Hildebrand | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20110133047 | Lerchner | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110267243 | Steinkamp | Nov 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
102007013842 | Jan 2008 | DE |
2013183756 | Dec 2013 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160315379 A1 | Oct 2016 | US |