Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-12-04
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C343S895000, C343S872000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326925
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates generally to the mechanical structures of antennas used in radio devices. Particularly the invention relates to an advantageous antenna structure to be attached to a small-sized radio device, and to a method for manufacturing it, as well as to a radio device provided with such an antenna.
Small-sized radio devices, such as mobile phones, must have a mechanical structure which is as simple as possible so that their manufacture in large-scale serial production will be fast and easy, and so that the structure will be mechanically robust. For the sake of simplicity it is advantageous that the structure has as few separate components as possible. On the other hand, it must be possible to dimension the antenna of the radio device very accurately so that it will operate effectively on the desired frequency band.
Traditionally whip antennas and helix antennas and their combinations have been used as antennas of radio devices.
FIG. 1
shows a partial section of a prior art mobile phone
100
, where a printed circuit board
102
is within the protective casing
101
. The casing is most often of injection moulded plastics and at one point of it there is an annular metal insert
103
having a threading on the inner surface. The metal insert is connected via a metallic conductor part
104
to the conducting connection area
105
on the surface of the printed circuit board, the area being usually called an RF pad. The antenna comprises the actual radiating antenna element, which in the structure of
FIG. 1
is a helix element
106
, and a metallic connector part
107
, to which the helix element is fastened and which has a threading on the outer surface of the bottom part which fit into the threading of the metal insert
103
. The radiating antenna element is protected by a hood
108
made of a dielectric material. In this patent application a radiating antenna element means that part of the antenna structure which is intended to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation at a so called operating frequency.
The structure shown in
FIG. 1
has relatively many separate parts. Further the received or transmitted signal has to pass via the interfaces of quite many components, which causes signal attenuation, reflection and other harmful effects.
The object of the invention is to present an antenna structure of a radio device with a simple construction. An object of the invention is also to present an antenna structure where there are only few interfaces in the signal path. A further object of the invention is to present an antenna structure of a radio device which is advantageous regarding the production techniques. A further object of the invention is to present a method to manufacture an antenna structure according to the invention and a radio device, which utilises the antenna structure according to the invention.
The objects of the invention are attained with an antenna structure, where the radiating antenna element is connected directly to the printed circuit board or to a desired point of a component on the printed circuit board, and where a dielectric protective casing acts as the mechanical connector of the antenna.
An antenna according to the invention is characterised in that in the protective casing of the antenna it comprises a fastening shape for fastening the antenna to a radio device.
A method according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises steps of
forming a radiating antenna element,
forming a dielectric protective casing and a fastening shape in the casing for the mechanical fastening of the antenna to the radio device, and
fastening the radiating antenna element and the dielectric protective casing to each other so that the dielectric protective casing substantially encloses the radiating antenna element.
A radio device according to the invention is characterised in that
the antenna is mechanically fastened to the radio device with the aid of counterpart fastening shapes located in the antenna's protective casing and in the radio device's protective casing,
the antenna is electrically connected to the radio device by a connection between a certain point of the radiating antenna element and a certain point of the radio device.
In a structure according to the invention the dielectric protective casing of the antenna is directly connected to the protective casing of the radio device, whereby there is no need for a separate connector component or a metallic insert in the protective casing. Further, a suitable dimensioning of the structure enables a desired point of the radiating antenna element to be pressed against a connection area on the printed circuit board or against another desired point of the radio device, whereby there is no need for a separate conductor component within the protective casing of the radio device. Only one component interface is formed between the connection area and the radiating antenna element.
In one embodiment of the invention the radiating antenna element is a helix. It is enclosed by a dielectric protective casing which can be for instance plastics. The helix is fastened within the protective casing, either by heating, whereby the protective casing partly melts onto the outer surface of the metallic helix, or by a suitable filler which acts as an adhesive between the helix and the protective casing.
A protective casing of a radio device means here very generally any part of the radio device which substantially encloses the electrical components of the radio device, at least in that part of the radio device where the antenna is fastened.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention there are two radiating antenna elements, of which the first one is a helix and the second one is a whip. The whip can further be movable relating the rest of the structure, whereby in a certain first extreme position it is mainly pushed within the protective casing of the radio device, and in a certain second extreme position it is mainly pulled outside the protective casing of the radio device.
The invention does not restrict the number, the form nor the mutual positioning of the radiating antenna elements. Thanks to the invention, in the simplest case the antenna and the structure fastening it to the radio device comprise only two parts, whereby the structure is very advantageous regarding the production techniques, and it is easy to make it mechanically very strong. A simple radiating element and the location of its connection point in the radio device can be easily dimensioned so that the antenna operates on the desired frequency band.
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patent: 5341149 (1994-08-01), Valimaa et al.
patent: 5745523 (1998-04-01), Dent et al.
patent: 5828342 (1998-10-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 5905475 (1999-05-01), Annamaa
patent: 5945964 (1999-08-01), DeGroot et al.
patent: 6018326 (2000-01-01), Rudisill
patent: 6031493 (2000-02-01), Tsuda et al.
patent: 6100847 (2000-04-01), Sointula
patent: 6100848 (2000-08-01), Hayes
patent: 0 831 549 (1997-03-01), None
patent: WO 97/42680 (1997-11-01), None
patent: WO 98/15028 (1998-04-01), None
Annamaa Petteri
Niemi Matti
Perkiö Yrjö
Puurunen Pertti
Alemu Ephrem
Darby & Darby
Filtronic LK Oy
Wong Don
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