US 5,515,064 AGranted

Mobile communications antenna assembly

AssigneeAllen Telecom Group, Inc.

InventorsJames A. Bacnik, James Hadzoglou

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Abstract

A window mounted antenna system having a foot or exterior support member attached to an antenna radiator or whip and typically mounted on the outside of a window or dielectric member comprised of a plastic decorative housing, a conductive foot portion which acts as the coupling capacitor and is inserted into the cover and conductively connected to the radiating member or whip, and a fastener for attaching the whip to the foot or base portion. The conductive foot includes attachment fingers insertable into the housing and retained in place upon insertion therein, and one or more flanges for receiving a fastener passed through the end of the antenna. A coupling assembly disposed on the other side of the window includes a formed or stamped conductive element which incorporates the various conductive components which make up the coupling assembly. The conductive components are overmolded with a nonconductive support material to produce an integrated structure incorporating the various components of the coupling assembly.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An antenna system usable to radiate and receive radio frequency energy generated by and received by a transceiver at frequencies in the UHF frequency range and adapted for use with and attachment to a dielectric member, comprising:

a radiating member;
a support member attached to one end of said radiating member and mountable on one surface of the dielectric member;
and
a coupling system mountable on a second surface of the dielectric member in juxtaposition with said support member and connectable to the transceiver for coupling said radio frequency energy through the dielectric member between the transceiver and said radiating member;
said support member including a non-conductive body portion and a conductive coupling member:
said non-conductive body portion having a first side positionable adjacent said one surface of the dielectric member, said body portion defining an opening formed therein through said first side thereof,
a raised portion on a second side thereof and a gap in said raised portion permitting passage therethrough of said one end of said radiating member, and a bore passing through at least a portion of said raised portion,
said bore intersecting said one end of said radiating member passing through said gap for receiving a fastener engageable with said one end of said radiating member for fastening said radiating member to said support member;
said conductive coupling member having a generally planar portion received in said opening formed in said non-conductive body portion, a plurality of fastening projections insertable into said non-conductive body portion for retaining said conductive coupling member in place with said generally planar portion thereof co-planar with the surface of said first side of said non-conductive body portion, and at least one projecting flange portion oriented transverse to the plane of said generally planar portion and extending through said opening into the raised portion of said non-conductive body portion and intersecting said bore for receiving the fastener passing through said bore and said one end of said radiating member to fasten said radiating member to said support member with said radiating member thereby being firmly connected to said conductive coupling member.

6 more elements

a radiating member;
a support member attached to one end of said radiating member and mountable on one surface of the dielectric member;
and
a coupling system mountable on a second surface of the dielectric member in juxtaposition with said support member and connectable to the transceiver for coupling said radio frequency energy through the dielectric member between the transceiver and said radiating member;
said coupling system consisting of three elements, a one-piece electrically conductive member of fixed shape, an external electrically conductive connector, and an electrically non-conductive body;
said one-piece conductive member comprised of a first generally planar central conductive portion defining a coupling plate, a second generally planar closed loop conductive portion surrounding said central portion and defining a counterpoise for said antenna system, a third intermediate conductive portion interconnecting said first central conductive coupling plate portion and said second closed loop conductive counterpoise portion, and a fourth conductive connection stub portion oriented transverse to the plane of said first central conductive coupling plate portion for connection to said external connector;
said first central conductive coupling plate portion, said third intermediate conductive portion and at least part of said second closed loop conductive counterpoise portion lying in a common plane, said second closed loop conductive counterpoise portion including a conductive peripheral portion oriented transverse to said common plane;
said conductive connector having an annular body portion electrically connected to said conductive peripheral portion of said second closed loop conductive counterpoise portion and a center conductor disposed within said annular body portion and electrically connected to said fourth conductive connection stub portion;
and
said non-conductive body being associated with and covering a substantial portion of the inner surface of said fixed shape one-piece conductive member including substantially covering said fourth conductive connection stub portion, a major portion of said center conductor of said connector, and a major portion of the inner surfaces of said connector annular body portion.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.