Patent Grant
11489249
This application is the US-national stage of PCT application PCT/EP2017/061295 filed 11 May 2017 and claiming the priority of German patent application 102016210170.6 itself filed 9 Jun. 2016 and German patent application 102016118629.5 itself filed 30 Sep. 2016.
The invention relates to a communication system that comprises at least one housing that has a first and a second housing part, with a circuit board with electronic components being in the housing and with at least one antenna element being outside the housing, according to the features of the respective preamble of the independent claims.
An antenna module is known from DE 10 2012 208 303 [U.S. Pat. No. 9,966,659] that is embodied in a single piece and has at least one outside receiving and/or transmitting antenna element under an outer cover, and comprises an antenna box that has no or a few inside internal antennas and encloses electronic circuits that work with the antenna elements. The outer cover is releasably fixed to the antenna box, the outer cover can be mounted so as to project out of the vehicle roof through an opening in a vehicle roof, and the antenna box is closed on all sides and can be mounted beneath the vehicle roof with a metallic top side. The metallic top side of the antenna box has feedthrough holes to the outside antenna elements, and the outside antenna elements in the outer cover are electrically are coupled via the feedthroughs with the circuits within the antenna box that is closed on all sides.
However, such an antenna module has the disadvantage, for one, that the antenna elements are beneath the outer cover, so the size of the outer cover depends on the size of the largest antenna element, meaning that space is disadvantageously wasted if a plurality of antenna elements of different sizes have to be accommodated beneath the outer cover.
For another, there is the disadvantage that the antenna box, which is closed on all sides, is in contact with the surface toward the lower face of the vehicle roof, so that solar radiation acting on the vehicle roof, which is a good conductor of heat, is routed via the metallic upper side directly into the interior of the antenna box. This results in extreme heating of the interior of the antenna box, which is compounded by the fact that the antenna box is closed on all sides. On the one hand, the heat introduced from outside via the vehicle roof into the antenna box, which is closed on all sides, and possibly also from the interior of the vehicle into the antenna box cannot be dissipated and, on the other hand, leads to a loss of power on the part of the electronic circuits that are inside the antenna box. In extreme cases, exceeding the maximum permissible temperatures may even result in a total failure of the known antenna module. This is disadvantageous, particularly when emergency call functions (“e-calls” for example) are implemented via this antenna module.
It is therefore the object of the invention to improve a communication system of this described type and to avoid the disadvantages discussed above. In particular, the resilience of the communication system at high ambient temperatures is to be increased, thereby enhancing the performance of the communication system.
This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.
An antenna support that can be connected to the housing is provided according to the invention with the at least one antenna element on the surface and/or within the antenna support. By virtue of this arrangement of the at least one antenna element on the surface of the antenna support, an especially compact design is achieved, since the at least one antenna element is also configured so as to be flat and can be mounted above the surface of the vehicle body. In addition, by virtue of the antenna support and the at least one antenna element being on the surface of the antenna support, airflow and/or heat radiation as well as heat conduction through these surfaces can be utilized to dissipate heat. Moreover, the performance of the communication system, in particular its electronics, can no longer be substantially affected by radiated heat from the outside, since it is no longer beneath an outer cover (like in the prior art described above). The antenna support is thus a three-dimensional structure that carries the at least one antenna element on its outer and/or inner surface. If the at least one antenna element is inside the antenna support, this means that the at least one antenna element is surrounded by the material that forms the antenna support. Consideration is given here to the fact that the antenna support is cast or injection-molded from an electrically nonconductive material (such as plastic), and the at least one antenna element that is made of an electrically conductive material (such as wire, wire mesh, lead frame, electrically conductive foil, electrically nonconductive support film with conductor structures or the like on it) is surrounded at least partially, preferably completely by the electrically nonconductive material during (injection) molding. That is, the electrically conductive materials can also be partially exposed on the surface of the antenna support.
Alternatively or in addition to the antenna support described above, a functional element support that can be connected to the housing and has thermal conductivity properties is provided. On the one hand, this functional element support has thermal conductivity properties that can dissipate heat from the housing into surrounding cooler regions by conduction. On the other hand, other elements (such as electronic components and circuits, but also antenna elements as an alternative or in addition, particularly a rod antenna, a GPS patch, or the like) can be on and attached to it. The functional element support is thus a three-dimensional structure having at least one thermally conductive element (such as aluminum or copper foil) on its outer and/or inner surface. If the at least one thermally conductive element is inside the functional element support, this means that the at least one thermally conductive element is surrounded by the material that forms the functional element support. Consideration is also given here to the fact that the functional element support is cast or injection-molded from an electrically nonconductive material (such as plastic), and the at least one thermally conductive element, which is made of an electrically conductive material (such as wire, wire mesh, lead frame, electrically conductive foil, or the like), is surrounded at least partially, preferably completely by the electrically nonconductive material during (injection) molding. That is, the thermally conductive materials can also be partially exposed on the surface of the antenna support. The functional element support itself can also be made of a conductive material.
This functional element support with thermal conductivity properties thus advantageously dissipates heat from the interior of the housing into cooler regions. If the communication system is embodied as a roof antenna arrangement, the heat conduction thus occurs into the cooler areas of the roof antenna, particularly upward toward the decorative cover that is on the roof of the vehicle and is visible from the outside and exposed to sunlight. While it has heretofore been assumed that heat accumulation will occur beneath the decorative cover (due to solar radiation), it has been surprisingly found that this area is cooler than the interior of the housing, which means that heat can (also) be dissipated from there toward the interior of the decorative cover (or the outer cover).
While the antenna supports and functional element supports described hitherto are independent components, their design and function can also be combined in a particularly advantageous manner in a single component. Such a support as described above thus has the at least one antenna element and the at least one thermally conductive element that can be designed and arranged as described above. It is very especially advantageous if an antenna and a heat-conductive element are combined into a single element. This is the case, for example, when an electrically conductive foil (copper, aluminum, and the like) is used that has both thermal conductivity properties and high-frequency properties. Preferably, antenna elements (foil elements) made of copper that are connected, particularly soldered to a circuit board inside the housing enable the heat to be conducted into the cooler region from below the vehicle body surface (particularly of the vehicle roof) upward to the cooler region outside the vehicle.
In a development of the invention, one housing part has at least one heat sink with high thermal conductivity. This at least one heat sink is at a suitable location in the housing or housing part in order to dissipate heat in general or heat that is produced by an electronic component within the housing, for example, from the interior of the housing to the outside. To this end, the housing part in which the at least one heat sink is provided (preferably the housing part that is arranged toward a passenger compartment of the vehicle) is made of a thermally conductive material, such as a thermally conductive metal or preferably of a thermally conductive plastic. Heat that is present at a specific location within the housing is thus dissipated in a targeted manner via the at least one heat sink from the interior of the housing to the outside. It is here that the effect of heat conduction is applied. It is therefore essential that the heat source be in direct contact with the heat sink over a maximally large surface. This advantageously reduces the internal temperature in the housing, so that electronic components cannot be damaged or destroyed by inadmissibly high temperatures or operated at higher temperatures. The housing part with the at least one heat sink can be the one that faces toward the vehicle body surface (and then referred to as the upper part, for example) and/or that faces away from the vehicle body surface (facing for example toward the passenger compartment) (and then referred to as for example the lower part).
In a development of the invention, the at least one heat sink is formed by the housing part itself and/or by a separate component that is on and fixed to the housing part in the appropriate location. If the heat sink is formed by the housing part, the manufacture of the housing part in an appropriate shape can be considered. It is for example also possible for the heat sink to be provided with a material having high thermal conductivity. In a preferred embodiment, the housing part is made of a thermally conductive plastic that is shaped for example appropriately in a plastic injection molding process in order to produce the at least one heat sink that is then also provided with a separate component or provided with a coating. This separate component or the coating is advantageously made of a metal with high thermal conductivity. If the second component that is located in the vicinity of the heat sink of the housing part is made of metal, it is aluminum. If it is a coating, anodization can be considered in the case of an aluminum alloy.
If the heat sink is a separate component, the housing can be provided with an opening into which the heat sink, which is made of suitable material, is inserted. One example of a suitable material with an appropriate geometric shape is an aluminum sheet (blank or anodized).
Normally, the communication system described above is installed through an opening in a body part (particularly the vehicle roof). In that case, the housing is beneath the roof, whereas the antenna support projects beyond the surface of the vehicle roof to the outside. It should already be noted at this juncture that the face of the body part facing toward the face of the housing is at a considerable spacing. This effectively prevents heat input from the outside onto the roof, particularly solar radiation, from being transmitted via the body part into the interior of the housing by heat conduction. Just the layer of air between the surface of the housing and the lower face of the body part of the vehicle is already sufficient for effective insulation that contributes to a reduction of the internal temperature in the housing. How this occurs will be explained below.
With its at least one antenna element on its surface, the antenna support projects beyond the upper face of the body part. This region is thus exposed to the external environmental influences of the vehicle. In order to effectively protect the surface of the antenna support with at least one antenna element thereon against these external environmental influences such as air flow, water, mechanical stresses, and the like, consideration can be given to providing a coating on the surface of the antenna support and the at least one antenna element thereon. Alternatively or in addition, in another embodiment of the invention the antenna support can be connected to a decorative cover. This decorative cover, which extends above the surface of the body part, can thus be mounted in an advantageous manner when the communication system with the housing and the antenna support thereon has already been mounted from the lower face of the body part through a recess in the body part. As a suitable connector between the decorative cover and the antenna support, locking means, adhesive connections, and the like, or even simply contact without a firm connection, can be considered. The reverse assembly sequence is also conceivable.
In a development of the invention, the antenna support has surfaces for thermal connection to the decorative cover and/or the housing. If the decorative cover is slipped over the antenna support in the final assembled state, the surfaces for thermal connection between the inside of the decorative cover and the outside the antenna support advantageously cause heat dissipation from the interior of the decorative cover and thus from the interior of the antenna support to the outer surface of the decorative cover. An air or heat flow along and/or transverse to the vertical axis of the vehicle advantageously brings about effective heat dissipation, with the heat transport from the interior of the communication system via the surfaces for thermal connection to the outside. This effect is then enhanced if the housing and the antenna support also have such surfaces for thermal connection, since heat can also be dissipated from the interior of the housing via the antenna support and the decorative cover.
The above-described surfaces for thermal connection can be considered as a standalone solution for dissipating heat from the interior of the housing and/or from the interior of the antenna support to the outside, particularly via the decorative cover. On the other hand, the heat sinks described above can also be considered as a standalone solution for dissipating heat from the interior of the housing.
It provides a very special advantage to increase the heat dissipation and thus to significantly reduce the temperature level within the communication system through the combination of heat sinks and surfaces for thermal connection.
To augment the heat dissipation, it is also advantageous if the top of the housing does not come into direct contact with the lower face of the body part, but rather if the air cushion that forms is used as additional insulation. In order to maintain this separation when mounting the housing beneath the body part, any spacer can be considered. These spacers can be separate components that are inserted between the body part and the housing during assembly. Advantageously, however, these spacers are either already on the lower face of the body part or on the corresponding upper side of the housing and fixed in position so that they can neither be lost nor shifted during assembly. The air cushion is present up to the region immediately beneath the cover on account of the necessary electrical connection (ground). In addition, tests have shown that this region is cooler than the roof panel outside the area of the cover, especially the outer cover (decorative cover). Therefore, a connection of the ground in exactly this and only this region is functional ideal, both electrically and thermally.
It is very especially advantageous if the housing has at least one spacer in a direction of support, preferably on both sides of the antenna support. The symmetrical arrangement of spacers on both sides of the antenna support ensures proper positioning of the housing relative to the body part and also that the required spacing between the housing and the body part is maintained. A rigid or elastically deformable adhesive pad can for example be considered in such a case/In addition or as an alternative, a magnet can also be used that hangs with the metal side onto a housing part, preferably the housing cover, and has foam on the upper face. If one housing part is not made of a magnetic material, the magnet can also be attached to the lower face of the body part, or it is attached, for example glued, to the housing part in question or to the lower face of the body part.
An adhesive pad can be affixed, on the one hand, to the surface of the housing or of the lower face of the body part. The other surface remains equipped with a protective cover that is removed only when the housing is mounted through removal of the antenna support together with the housing from below through an opening in the body part. These adhesive pads then not only maintain the desired spacing between the housing and the body part, but also fix the housing in its position relative to the body part. This fixation can be permanent, in which case no further attachment of the housing to the body part is required. In addition to the adhesive pad, however, other mounting options (such as locking, screwing, adhesive bonds, and the like) can be considered for the purpose of permanently fixing the housing with the antenna support in its desired position on the body part. The advantage of “adhesive pads” is that acceleration forces (“G forces”) are absorbed at several points relative to the length of the housing. This minimizes leverage forces that can occur during acceleration. Instead of an adhesive pad, any other similarly acting spacers (such as magnets) can also be used.
In a development of the invention, the housing has an upper housing part made of a metallic material and a lower housing part made of a nonmetallic material. As a result, the housing is simple to manufacture, quick to assemble, and has the desired specific properties in order to either reduce heat input into the housing (for example, as a result of solar radiation above the body surface and the upper housing part) through heat radiation (use of materials with a low absorptivity) reduce and/or to dissipate heat from the inside of the housing via heat conduction and heat radiation (use of materials with a high absorptivity) to the outside via the lower housing part into cooler regions.
In a development of the invention, the lower nonmetallic housing part is partially provided with a metallic inlay (heat sink), in particular with a coating (anodizing) in order to improve thermal radiation. The required effects for heat dissipation can thus be adjusted in a targeted manner.
Examples of materials that can be used for the upper housing part are solid aluminum or a body made of plastic that is coated with aluminum. The lower housing part is also made of plastic that is coated in the appropriate places with copper or aluminum or has inlays of aluminum or copper, for example. These inlays can also have an electrical connection to the electronics within the housing so that they can be operated as antennas. Alternatively, the body of the lower housing part can be made of thermally conductive plastic.
In a development of the invention, the housing, particularly the upper housing part, carries at least one antenna element. For instance, a GPS patch or the like can be on and/or fastened to the upper housing part, thereby also providing a grounding surface directly by virtue of the metallic material.
In the following, the particularly advantageous mode of action of the communication system according to the invention for achieving optimized thermal management is summarized again. It is assumed that a housing with electronics is present that is beneath a body part of a vehicle, particularly a vehicle roof, and that a need exists to lower the temperature within the housing. To achieve this, two aspects are taken into account individually, preferably in combination:
1. Prevention of heat input as a result of solar thermal radiation:
2. Dissipation of the heat in the interior of the housing to the outside. The following two mechanisms are used for this:
Further embodiments of the invention from which similar advantages follow are described in the subclaims. These embodiments will be explained in greater detail below with reference to specific embodiments.
Insofar as shown in detail,
According to
The antenna support 7 according to the invention is also shown in
Moreover, the lower housing part 202 is also made of an electrically conductive material such as aluminum but is preferably made of a thermally conductive plastic. A circuit board 10 is between these two housing parts 201, 202 that, when shown schematically, holds a plurality of electronic components 11. These electronic components 11 can be only on one side of the circuit board 10, or also on both sides of the circuit board 10. Connectors 12 are provided for the supplying power and/or signals and of outputting signals to and from the communication system 1. Moreover, a power supply 13 can but need not be integrated into the housing 2. As a rule, power is supplied via the connector 12 to the communication system 1 elsewhere, for example via the electrical system of the vehicle. However, if this power supply fails (in a collision, for example) but an emergency call needs to be placed, the power supply 13 acts as the power supply of the communication system 1.
The above-described adhesive pads 6 and the antenna support 7 are also shown. In addition, the optional decorative cover 3 and the optional antenna element 4 are shown.
Additional details regarding the design of the antenna elements that are on the antenna support 7 in accordance with the invention and the means for improving the thermal management of the communication system 1 are described in greater detail below in the following
In
The body part 180 has an opening 181 through which the antenna support 7, which is fastened to the housing 2, particularly the upper housing part 201, projects. geometric cross section of the antenna support 7 could be dimensioned on one side such that its outer peripheral surface is flush with and seals the border of the body opening 181. In such a case, it would not be necessary to mount the illustrated decorative cover 3. If the decorative cover 3 were not mounted, however, the antenna elements on the antenna support 7 (not shown here) would have to be also protected by a for example coating.
Reference 20 denotes at least one feedthrough hole that can be used, for example, to pass an antenna element that is arranged with its antenna base point on the circuit board 10 with its geometric extension to the outside. In addition or as an alternative, cables, plug connectors, or the like can be passed through these feedthroughs 20. The converse embodiment is also conceivable in which the antenna is mounted on the housing through the housing cover and then fixed to the circuit board at the antenna base.
Reference 21 denotes fastening formations that are shown schematically and with which the antenna support 7 can be arranged and fixed to the housing 2. Alternatively, the antenna support 7 can also be glued, caulked, riveted, welded, or otherwise fixed to the housing 2. This means that the antenna support 7 is either detachably or non-detachably connected to the housing (in the latter case, only detachable by damage or destruction).
As a second element,
Finally,
In addition, another antenna element 24 is shown that for example can be a V2-X antenna, for example. This approximately rod-shaped antenna element 24 extends from the circuit board 10 through one of the passages 20 in the antenna support 7 and, if present, through a corresponding passage in the protective cover 2 into the free area between the two domes 8 of the antenna support 7.
Particularly in looking at
It is generally important for the functioning of the communication system 11 illustrated and described herein that, if the body part is made of an electrically conductive material, the upper housing part 201 is connected to the body part for the purpose of EMC shielding. However, this connection between the housing part 201 and the associated body part for the purpose of making electrical contact must be made very small in order to ensure the previously described advantageous spacing between the upper housing part and the body part and also to minimize the contact surface of the heat conduction.
The at least one antenna element can also be embodied in the usual form as an antenna rod.
With reference to
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