WO2024256576A1 - Ensemble béquet de véhicule pourvu d'un module d'antenne possédant une pluralité d'antennes - Google Patents

Ensemble béquet de véhicule pourvu d'un module d'antenne possédant une pluralité d'antennes Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024256576A1
WO2024256576A1 PCT/EP2024/066439 EP2024066439W WO2024256576A1 WO 2024256576 A1 WO2024256576 A1 WO 2024256576A1 EP 2024066439 W EP2024066439 W EP 2024066439W WO 2024256576 A1 WO2024256576 A1 WO 2024256576A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
antennas
spoiler
antenna module
antenna
enclosure
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/EP2024/066439
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Anthony Koudlanski
Hisham MOKHTAR
Jean-Charles BERTHELET
Louis Asensio
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AGC Glass Europe SA
Novares France SAS
Original Assignee
AGC Glass Europe SA
Novares France SAS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AGC Glass Europe SA, Novares France SAS filed Critical AGC Glass Europe SA
Publication of WO2024256576A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024256576A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
    • H01Q1/32—Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
    • H01Q1/325—Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles characterised by the location of the antenna on the vehicle
    • H01Q1/3275—Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles characterised by the location of the antenna on the vehicle mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a spoiler assembly for a vehicle, specifically relates to the spoiler assembly situated on exterior of the vehicle, more specifically the spoiler assembly provided with at least an antenna module having plurality of antennas. Aspects of the invention also relate to the integration of the antenna module into the spoiler assembly, more specifically providing an enclosure for the antenna module, even more specifically constitution of a waterproof enclosure in a simple way. Aspects of the invention also relate to the antenna module having plurality of antennas working in different frequencies. Aspects of the invention also relate to telematics and cellular antennas, more specifically relate to WiFi, V2X, 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G and satellite antennas and also UWB (ultra-wide-band) antennas. Aspects of the invention also relate to the antenna module mounted inside the spoiler assembly, wherein the antenna module comprises the plurality of antennas in a centralized aspect. Aspects of the invention also relate to a vehicle having a spoiler assembly.
  • antennas can be installed inside or on the glazing. Because antennas are not preferred to be installed in the visible area of glazing for not to disturb the view of the driver and/or the passengers, therefore limited antennas are found on vehicle glazing, such as broadcast antenna integrated with heating grid.
  • the shark-fin type antennas are generally considered as a viable place for most of the telematics antennas as well as satellite antennas.
  • the advantage of shark-fin type antennas is that its position is ideal for antennas without any obstruction due to the metal body of the vehicle. Locating an antenna on the roof of the vehicle in the conventional manner requires a shark-fin type-like enclosure in order to effectively protect and hide from view of the driver.
  • the antennas can also benefit from the roof of the car as a ground plane for these antennas.
  • the shark-fin size and shape is kept rather small, while hosting several antennas, i.e. usually a GPS antenna, two cellular antennas and maybe a Wi-Fi antenna.
  • the high data rates required by 4G/5G communication protocols may require multiple antennas to improve the MIMO (multi-input-multi-output) performance, meaning two shark-fin type antenna or a bigger shark-fin antenna.
  • reception of satellite antennas also benefit from being located on the roof. Having more than one cellular or satellite antenna requires either that the shark fin is increased in size or multiple roof-top antenna enclosures are provided.
  • shark fin type antenna needs to be installed on the roof of the vehicle, vehicles equipped with a panoramic sunroof or vehicles with limited height may not be equipped with the shark fin type antenna. Therefore, the shark fin antenna cannot meet the complex installation requirements of the market. Furthermore, the shark-fin cannot be used for increasing new applications, such as V2X or future 5G due to the already limited space in the case of the shark fin type antenna already comprising plurality of antennas. There has to be a compromise on which antennas should be deployed in the shark-fin type antennas. In sum, shark-fin type antennas are not the ideal solution the industry looking for.
  • the spoiler is an example for a non-metallic part provided in the exterior of the vehicle, usually provided on the rear side of the vehicle to provide aesthetic and/or aerodynamic improvements, however spoilers may also located on the other locations on the vehicle like extending over the roof. Since the spoiler is made of non-metallic material which allows radio frequencies to be transmitted through, the spoiler is a good candidate for antenna deployment. Allocating antennas inside the spoiler seems to solve many disadvantages described above, mainly the space problem because the spoiler size is large enough to allocate antennas spaced apart.
  • the spoiler has to be designed specifically to have multiple antennas located inside, i.e., the spoiler needs to have a specially designed housings inside for different antenna allocation, because antennas need to be distributed and to project in different directions to be able to radiate for achieving an all-around 360° coverage around the vehicle, i.e., coverage on the horizontal plane. Therefore, customization of the spoiler design is needed, which requires time and cost investments and on the other hand, such a distributed antenna system requires huge effort for the organization of cabling and protecting the antennas from environmental effects.
  • Deploying antennas inside the spoiler has many advantages like similar or better performance compared to shark-fin solution since the antennas are located as high as shark-fin antennas and heating up of antennas and connected circuitry eliminated since spoiler material is not as heat conductive as metallic surfaces. Benefiting from these advantages and eliminating the investment cost can be achieved by providing antennas in a module requiring a compact volume. However the integration of such an antenna module into the spoiler will also require additional manufacturing steps which increases the costs. Designing a spoiler with a suitable housing for multiple antennas and achieving such without compromising the required integrity and strength of the spoiler is another problem for the spoiler or vehicle manufacturers. Such that, every vehicle manufacturer have different designs for their spoiler assembly to have required integrity and strength for the spoiler although the same spoiler design is used for different models of the said manufacturer.
  • CN112803175 requires multiple coaxial connection to each different antennas to provide isolation between antennas.
  • CN113629409 provides a V2X antenna for spoiler, by having multiple antennas and multiple power dividers to reduce the attenuation due to metallic vehicle body.
  • EP3347944 describes how a specific space is created for an antenna by providing a recess in the rear spoiler for a motor vehicle. It is explained that the recess for the antenna is provided outside of the rear spoiler since in the interior of the rear spoiler, there is not available space for the antenna. JP4871306 gives a clear explanation about how important is the placement of antenna inside the vehicle in terms of the performance of the antennas and provides a solution to assure proper installation of the antennas.
  • [OO13]CN11O9118O3 describes how to integrate 5G and 4G antennas together in a limited space of shark-fin type antenna. It achieves such configuration by placing the antennas perpendicular to the printed circuit board and also by having a specific scheme of using 4 x 5G antenna plus 2 x 4G antenna plus 2 x V2X antenna plus 1 x dual-frequency positioning antenna. Due to limited space, such perpendicular configuration of antennas could not be preferred for spoilers. Similarly, CN216648586 offers a box provided with multiple antennas to be placed in a vehicle spoiler and the antennas are needed to align vertically on the printed circuit board and where the height of the box is 50-70 mm, which is clearly not compatible with every spoiler. [0014]EP3375670 discloses a specifically designed receptacle for an electronics module that a flange region needed to be able to deploy an electronics module like an antenna module into the spoiler.
  • the proposed prior art solutions mainly states/gives no detail about the integration that an antenna module placed inside a vehicle spoiler and even the ones with integration details include specifically designed housings/receptacles inside the spoiler for the antenna module, especially a certain height which is, as said, compromising the required integrity and strength of the spoiler and moreover increasing the integration cost which is one of the main causes behind the setback of advancement.
  • no information about protection of the antenna module from the environmental effects is given and in some prior art, to achieve such feature, a waterproof antenna box is required which means need for a bigger volume inside the spoiler.
  • a spoiler assembly comprises a spoiler housing a plurality of antenna elements; wherein the plurality of antenna elements are arranged on a surface of the spoiler housing, and the said antenna elements working at different range of frequencies.
  • the plurality of antenna elements is situated between a cover part and a lower part of the spoiler housing.
  • US202l387684 discloses a coaxial keg connector comprising a main body made of plastic and having a first inlet port and a second inlet port receiving a stem.
  • a coaxial outlet comprises an outer outlet port in communication with the first inlet port and an inner outlet port in communication with the second inlet port.
  • the stem comprises a tubular body with a main axis with an inlet and a connector for attachment to the keg at one end.
  • the second end of the stem opposite to the first end has an outlet in fluid communication with the inner outlet port and comprises a ball joint rotatably mounted in and sealed with respect to the main body so as to be rotatable about the main axis of the tubular body and rotatable to a limited extent about axes perpendicular to the main axis.
  • GB246l896 discloses an antenna assembly and a method of its installation comprises an antenna on a flexible circuit board mounted on the front surface of a support structure formed of dielectric material.
  • the rear surface of the support structure includes at least one mounting element extending away from the rear surface.
  • the mounting element is used to secure the antenna in a spaced manner relative to a motor vehicle body and a signal cable extends through the support and is connected to the circuit board.
  • the front surface of the support may be curved to conform to the space available and for a constant gap between the antenna and the vehicle body. Buttresses and bump stops and a foam sealing strip may be arranged between the antenna and an external vehicle component such as a bumper.
  • the support structure may be formed as a one piece moulding which includes web, reinforcing ribs, fins and buttresses.
  • the flexible circuit board may be covered and sealed by a film of material secured to the board by an adhesive and/or fasteners.
  • the signal cable may extend into the body of the vehicle to be connected to an amplifier which is in the proximity of the antenna assembly.
  • the present invention provides a spoiler assembly for a vehicle, especially a spoiler assembly provided on the exterior of the vehicle, said spoiler comprising at least one cover part and at least one lower part, and at least one antenna module comprising a plurality of antennas deployed on a dielectric substrate, wherein the dielectric substrate may be a regular printed circuit board and the antenna module is placed between the cover part and the lower part of the spoiler.
  • the cover part may be the external surface of the spoiler functioning as the aesthetic and/or aerodynamic part of the spoiler.
  • the lower part facilitates the fixation of the cover part to the vehicle by comprising fixation means and also structural features to ensure the structural integrity of the spoiler assembly.
  • the assembly process of the cover part and the lower part provides an enclosure forthe antenna module.
  • the enclosure encloses the antenna module such that the volume where the antenna module located is preferably waterproof which will be described below.
  • spoiler assemblies having at least one cover part and at least one lower part assembled together by different processes such as gluing, welding or with double sided adhesive tapes and due to cost and structural integrity reasons, such spoiler assemblies have free space in the inside of the spoiler, that means the spoiler is a shallow structure that there is free space inside.
  • the cover part of the spoiler joins to the lower part of the spoiler, it is usually the lower part which satisfies the mechanical integrity of the spoiler assembly.
  • the present invention takes advantage of the said spoiler feature and allocates the antenna module into the free space inside the spoiler.
  • the assembly process of the cover and lower part of the spoiler itself provides an enclosure to the antenna module.
  • the volume where the antenna module is enclosed is provided to be waterproof. Thereby the antenna module is protected from the environmental effects to ensure the longevity.
  • the lower part constitutes the free volume available for an antenna module and the present invention proposes deploying an antenna module that can fit into the said free space and taking advantage of the assembly process of the lower part and the cover part.
  • the present invention provides such said waterproof enclosure without adding complex or extra manufacturing steps, therefore decreasing the cost of integration.
  • similar approach is followed for the integration of the connection cables for the antenna module.
  • the antenna module of the present invention comprising plurality of antennas required by the major automotive manufacturers is a compact and centralized module that fits into the said free space.
  • the plurality of antennas may be any combinations of satellite antennas, telematics antennas including cellular antennas like 4G, 5G and V2X antennas and the Wi-Fi antennas, UWB antennas arranged to co-exist in the spoiler assembly while keeping their better performances, i.e., without compromising the functioning and efficiency required by the common standards.
  • the antenna module comprising the satellite antennas, telematics antennas including cellular antennas and V2X antennas, UWB antennas are arranged to be located in the spoiler assembly, i.e., the antennas are located at the uppermost position of the vehicle, meaning the effect of the metallic vehicle body is minimized.
  • the antenna module comprising the satellite antennas, telematics antennas including cellular antennas and V2X antennas, UWB antennas are arranged to be located in the spoiler assembly, i.e., the antennas are located at the uppermost position of the vehicle, meaning the effect of the metallic vehicle body is minimized.
  • Such arrangement provides a simple integration solution for mostly required antennas by the vehicle manufacturers, as well as allows the optimum usage of the spoiler assembly volume for antenna integration.
  • the antenna module may comprise plurality of antennas working at least two different range of frequencies.
  • the antennas can be configured to receive a range of different signal types or to be configured in an array to provide better transmission or reception capabilities.
  • the plurality of antennas may include a first antenna configured to receive signals in a first frequency band, a second antenna configured to receive signals in a second frequency band, a third antenna configured to receive signals in a third frequency band, a fourth antenna configured to receive signals in a fourth frequency band and so on.
  • the antennas can receive different signal types located in different frequency bands.
  • the antennas may include at least one of a 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE), 5G, GNSS, V2X, Wi-Fi, UWB and SDARs antenna. Therefore, the antenna module of the present invention provides a centralized antenna solution for antennas required by many vehicle manufacturers as standard. With such a single antenna module comprising the most standard antennas required by the manufacturers, it is provided that the necessary cabling for the antenna connection is minimized such that it may improve reducing the weight of the vehicle, therefore improving efficiency. In addition to the efficiency point of view, such an antenna module located inside the spoiler may also improve recyclability of the spoiler assembly since the whole electronic parts are gathered in one piece.
  • the antenna module of the present invention provides an universal solution for almost every vehicle on the market, henceforth the antenna module of the present invention provides a practical plug&play solution for vehicles having a spoiler assembly, and eliminated complex tailor-made antenna solutions which costs time and money.
  • the plurality of antennas formed on a dielectric substrate are covered by the spoiler itself.
  • the advantageous part of the present invention is that the spoiler protects the antennas.
  • the antenna module fits in the spoiler without needing a specially designed housing, meaning less structural modifications to integrate the antenna module, therefore the integration of the antenna module can be achieved effortlessly without needing specific measures since the enclosure provides water and dust proof volume. This allows the manufacturer to be able work more flexible, since the antenna module already fits into existing volume of the spoiler without too much constraints. Further, this arrangement allows high data throughput and connectivity to be achieved without compromising the cabin space or the appearance of the vehicle.
  • [0028]0ne of the advantage of the antenna module as proposed in the present invention is that it allows the co-existence of all described above antennas with the radio broadcast antennas, including AM/FM/DAB/TV, as such these antenna can be made of wire or foil.
  • the antennas and the module may be produced as a pre-fabricated module and placed inside the spoiler assembly of the vehicle. Such configuration of the present invention eliminates the optimization of the antennas according to car body or etc. and ensures the optimum performance for the antennas. Number of antennas on the module may be arranged according to requirements of the vehicle manufacturer and/or according to specific country regulations and/or by having more than one module provided in the spoiler assembly improves the quality as described below.
  • At least two antenna module are placed inside the spoiler assembly.
  • specifications of premium vehicles are achieved, i.e., better coverage and better performance with more antennas.
  • at least two antenna module are placed inside the spoiler, each one on each lateral side of a spoiler, respectively.
  • the modules may not necessarily be the same, they may comprise different antennas, for example only one of them may have a satellite antenna and the others may not or vice versa or any other combination of antennas.
  • the antenna module of the present invention can be placed in the spoiler assembly without the need for a specific design for it.
  • the present invention allows spoilers to be designed as such without bearing in mind the antennas because the antenna module can fit into the spoiler like a plug&play solution. Furthermore, since none or less modifications needed for the integration of the antenna module, and the centralization of common required antennas in one module allows less cable harness, and the universality of the antenna module that fits almost any vehicle allows a higher quality product with less costs.
  • One further advantage of the present invention is that in the case of a service requirement, the antenna module is easily accessible as a whole for replacement, or repair or etc. compared to the distributed antenna systems used in vehicles.
  • a vehicle including a spoiler assembly as hereinbefore described.
  • the vehicle includes a transceiver or a control unit coupled to the antennas.
  • the transceiver/control unit may be included in the spoiler assembly or located elsewhere in the vehicle.
  • Fig.l illustrates an example of the concept of the spoiler assembly
  • Fig.2 illustrates a schematic view of the antenna module
  • Fig.3 illustrates a cross-section of one of the examples of enclosures in the spoiler assembly
  • Fig.4 illustrates the same from another perspective
  • Fig.5 illustrates a perspective view of the spoiler assembly in a particular embodiment
  • Fig.6 and Fig.7 illustrate the connection fixing means in different embodiments of the spoiler assembly.
  • Fig.8 shows part of the enclosure for better understanding, for simplicity the connections from antennas to the connection fixing means is not shown.
  • Fig.9 and Fig.10 illustrate exploded views of the spoiler assembly, where in Fig.10 the lower part comprises more than one sub-parts.
  • Fig.ll illustrates the top view of the lower part in a particular embodiment where the spoiler assembly comprises two antenna modules and Fig.12 illustrates an enlarged view of the detail A' in Fig.ll with and without the cables and Fig.13 illustrates an enlarged view of the detail A" in Fig.ll with and without the cables.
  • Fig.14 illustrates the bottom view of the spoiler assembly, especially the lower part in a particular embodiment and Fig.15 illustrates the exploded view of bottom of spoiler assembly.
  • constituent element e.g., a first constituent element
  • another constituent element e.g., a second constituent element
  • the constituent element may be directly connected to the another constituent element or may be connected to the another constituent element through another constituent element (e.g., a third constituent element).
  • spoiler assembly and “assembly” and “spoiler” are used interchangeably, and also the expression “module” and “antenna module” are used interchangeably, and also the expression “cover part” and “outer surface of spoiler assembly” and “the upper surface of the spoiler assembly” are used interchangeably, and also the expression “dielectric substrate” and “printed circuit board” are used interchangeably, and also the expression “antenna” and “antenna element” are used interchangeably, and also the expression “area” and “zone” are used interchangeably.
  • the vehicle in Figure 1 is a motor vehicle that includes a rear spoiler mounted at the rear of the vehicle and extending from the trunk of the vehicle to provide an aerodynamic surface substantially aligned with the trunk of the vehicle to provide a continuous surface.
  • a motor car is shown, the invention is applicable to other types of motorized vehicle that utilize a spoiler assembly (1).
  • the spoiler assembly (1) is the rear spoiler of an automobile.
  • an antenna module (2) are located within the rear spoiler.
  • the antenna module (2) includes two or more antennas (22) distributed laterally on a dielectric substrate (21) as shown in Figure 2.
  • the present invention provides a spoiler assembly (1) for a vehicle (V) provided on the exterior of the vehicle, preferably on the rear side of the vehicle, comprising a cover part (12) having an outer surface facing outside world and a lower part (11) configured to be attached on the exterior side of the vehicle (V) and an antenna module (2) comprising a plurality of antennas (22); wherein the plurality of antennas (22) are formed on a dielectric substrate (21), and the antenna module (2) is situated between the cover part (12) and the lower part (11); wherein the assembly/joining of the cover part (12) and the lower part (11) configured to provide an enclosure (13) for the antenna module (2).
  • a spoiler assembly (1) of a vehicle (V) is mainly used for improving aesthetics or the aerodynamics performance of the vehicle, the shape/structure of the spoiler assembly (1) depends on many constraints like the vehicle body and so on. Therefore, the spoiler assembly (1) is not necessarily limited to the rear side of the vehicle, it may also extend over the roof of the vehicle or the sides of the vehicle. Moreover, the spoiler assembly (1) may comprise many parts to provide the desired effects, essentially it comprises two main parts which are the cover part (12) and the lower part (11), in the same logic, the lower (11) or the cover part (12) may comprise sub-parts.
  • the cover part (12) may be part of the spoiler (1) of the vehicle, especially the cover part (12) is the upper surface of the spoiler assembly (1) used for the aesthetic and/or aerodynamic purposes, such as the shell of the spoiler (1).
  • the cover part (12) may be uppermost part of the spoiler (1), the thickness of those cover parts (12) differs depending on the requirements, however typically ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm, and the cover part (12) is usually a flat surface having a contour.
  • Such parts of the vehicles (V) are produced in general from plastic/polymeric or alike materials so that allowing radio signals to be transmitted or received, i.e., transparent in terms of RF signal transmission.
  • a lower part (11) is provided, the lower part (11) is fixed/mounted to the vehicle body/chassis, the said fixation may accomplished by clipping, screwing or any other fixation method known and the lower part (11) may comprise sub-parts for better functioning of the said feature.
  • the lower part (11) is usually used as a base forthe cover part (12), i.e., the cover part (12) is mounted/supported over the lower part (11).
  • the assembly of the cover part (12) over the lower part (11) may be realized by welding, gluing, clipping or any efficient method known, the common practice is to glue the two parts (11, 12) together.
  • the lower part (11) may comprise a glue path (G) constructed by at least one rib (111) provided on the lower part (11).
  • the glue is applied as beads or as lines onto the glue path (G), and then the cover part (12) is placed over the lower part (11) for permanent fixation.
  • glues different adhesives may also be used, one another common practice is to apply double sided adhesive tape overthe glue path (G), i.e., assembly is not limited to glue.
  • the glue path (G) may constructed in many ways, the glue may be applied over the rib (111) and the two parts joined together, or the glue may be applied in between two adjacent ribs (111) and the two parts joined together.
  • the glue path (G) usually lies around the periphery of the inner sides of the cover/lower part (11, 12) to ensure the fixation of the cover part (12) onto the lower part (11), depending on the structure of the lower part (11) and the cover part (12), it may also cover other areas on the both parts (11, 12).
  • On top of the gluing process additionally clipping or welding of the two parts (11, 12) may also be applied in order to improve the strength of the fixation.
  • the assembled spoiler (1) there is free space or gaps inbetween the lower part (11) and the cover part (12) or in the lower part (11) itself due to its mechanical structure.
  • the antenna module (2) is mounted over the lower part (11), and then the cover part (12) joins with the lower part (11) to provide the enclosure (13) for the antenna module (2).
  • the whole spoiler assembly (1) with the antenna module (2) could be joined separately and then mounted to the vehicle (V).
  • the enclosure (13) of the present invention is large enough to accommodate the antenna module (2), preferably the enclosure (13) has dimensions of at least 100 mm x 50 mm x 5 mm (length x width x height).
  • the enclosure (13) should be understood as the free space/volume enclosed by the lower part (11) and the cover part (12), i.e., created by the assembly of the lower part (11) and the cover part (12), in other words, the top side of the enclosure (13) is comprised of the inner side of the cover part (12) and the bottom side of the enclosure is comprised of the inner side of the lower part (11).
  • the directions/positions should be understood from top to bottom as the outer surface of the cover part (12), the inner surface of the cover part (12), free available space, the inner surface of the lower part (11), the bottom surface of the lower part (11) and the vehicle body/chassis.
  • the lateral sides of the enclosure (13) are comprised of the lower part (11), i.e., the enclosure (13) is mainly made of by the lower part (11).
  • the lower part (11) in most cases has free space available to accommodate an article, in this embodiment, the enclosure (13) is made mainly from the lower part (11) except the top side of the enclosure (13) like a box with open top.
  • the antenna module (2) is housed in the available space in the lower part (11) and the assembly of the spoiler (1) ensures the closure of the enclosure (13), i.e., the installation of the antenna module (2) requires no additional production steps, which ensures significant cost/time reductions compared to the state of the art integration techniques for the antenna modules (2) for spoilers (1).
  • a glue path (G) is constructed along the periphery of the enclosure (13).
  • the glue path (G) around the periphery of the enclosure is structurally same with the glue path for the spoiler assembly process described above.
  • Periphery of the enclosure (13) should be understood as the area of the contour of the lower part (11) where the antenna module (2) located.
  • Application of glue over the glue path (G) of the enclosure (13) enables protection of dust or other environmental effects of the enclosure (13) in addition improving the strength of fixation of lower part (11) and the cover part (12).
  • the glue path (G) should be understood as an imaginary contour where the glue or the adhesives are applied. Height of such ribs (111) for the glue path are commonly in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm.
  • each of the cover part (12) and the lower part (11) comprise ribs on their joining sides, i.e., on their inner sides, the said ribs configured to be aligned with each other to provide the enclosure (13), this embodiment is not illustrated in the figures.
  • Both of the cover part (12) and the lower part (11) preferably comprise ribs on their inner sides that the ribs are substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of said components to provide the structural integrity of the spoiler (1).
  • ribs in the present invention are aligned with corresponding counter rib on the other part to provide the enclosure (13) for the antenna module (2), the side walls of the enclosure (13) in this case should be understood as the walls of the ribs of the lower part (11) and the cover part (12).
  • a sealing means (131) is applied over the glue path (G).
  • the sealing means (131) can be the same adhesive material used for the assembly of the lower part (11) and the cover part (12), i.e., the glue in the gluing process as described above.
  • the sealing means (131) may be the sealing achieved around the enclosure (13) by the vibration/ultrasonic welding used in the assembly process.
  • the sealing means (131) provides watertightness for the enclosure (13) to protect the antenna module (2) from water.
  • Providing a water-proof enclosure (13) allows the antennas (22) work seamlessly without affected by environmental conditions, i.e., allows a long lasting operation.
  • the water-proofness of the enclosure (13) should also be understood as the water-proofness of the antenna module (2).
  • the enclosure (13) comprises an outgassing means (132) for outgassing of the gas inside the enclosure (13), i.e., the outgassing means (132) provides venting for the enclosure (13).
  • the enclosure (13) is provided to be watertight, there is always the probability of condensation because of the temperature changes. And said condensation probability may damage the antenna module (2) and vacuuming the enclosure (13) is not feasible and cost-efficient.
  • it is important to maintain/manage a pressure balance between the inside and outside of the enclosure (13) due to thermal expansion.
  • the enclosure (13) may comprise a hole or alike on its surroundings and the outgassing means (132) is configured to close the hole in a watertight manner and allowing outgassing of gas like the water vapor like a membrane.
  • the outgassing means (132) may be the sealing means (131) itself, i.e., the sealing means (131) has such a porous structure that it allows gas to pass and not allowing liquid to pass to provide both watertightness and outgassing of the water vapor/gas/air.
  • the outgassing means (132) in another version of the embodiment, is an one-way membrane that it only allows the gas inside the enclosure (13) to get out and does not allow air to go into the enclosure (13).
  • the sealing means (131) and/or the outgassing means (132) is/are made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material.
  • PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
  • the material of the sealing means (131) or the outgassing means (132) is not limited to as such and may be chosen differently depending on the function needs to be realized by such element.
  • the enclosure (13) comprises a connection fixing means (133) allowing the electronic connection (C) from the antenna module (2) to be connected to the vehicle in a watertight manner.
  • the antenna module (2) inside the spoiler assembly (1) needs to be connected to the electronics inside the vehicle, i.e., telematics control unit (TCU) or alike through transmission lines, i.e., by cabling.
  • the connection fixing means (133) should be understood as the means for enabling the cables (C) coming out from the antenna module (2) to reach outside of the enclosure (13), to this end, it may be a simple hole on the enclosure (13) for cables (C) to come out.
  • the connection fixing means (133) is preferably a flexible element on the enclosure (13) allowing the cables (C) going out from the enclosure (13) in a watertight manner.
  • connection fixing means (133) may provide the watertightness per se or the water-proofness may be granted to the connection fixing means (133) with additional processes like filling/potting with a resin/silicone afterwards the cables (C) passed-through the connection fixing means (133). Below two different embodiments for the connection fixing means (133) are described in detail.
  • connection fixing means (133) is a grommet (1331) provided on the enclosure (13).
  • the enclosure (13) in this embodiment does not necessarily be like a box-shape, the grommet (1331) may be provided like an extension to the enclosure (13) that the cables (C) from the antenna module (2) lie down inside the enclosure (13) before going into the grommet (1331).
  • the grommet (1331) may provide the waterproofness per se or as described above it may be turned into waterproof state by additional steps.
  • connection fixing means (133) is made of two opposite-facing comb-like structure (1332). Similar to above embodiment, the connection fixing means (133) may be like an extension to the enclosure (13).
  • the comb-like structure (1332) has at least number of teeth equal the number of cables (C) coming out from the antenna module (2). Each cable (C) from the antenna module (2) is directed over the comb-like structure (1332) and directed to the electronics of the vehicle (V).
  • the antenna module (2) is accessible from outside without disarranging the spoiler assembly (1).
  • the lower part (11) and the cover part (12) are joined together in a permanent way by the welding or gluing process, i.e., it is usually not possible to separate the lower part (11) and the cover part (12) without breaking although this is not the case for all spoilers.
  • the antenna module (2) is accessible from the bottom side of the lower part (11), i.e., the access to the antenna module (2) is provided after the spoiler assembly (1) is demounted from the vehicle.
  • the antenna module (2) is enabled to be serviced or replaced or updated in the case of need.
  • the spoiler assembly (1) is provided to be recycled efficiently with the help of easy removal of the antenna module (2) from the spoiler assembly (1).
  • the antenna module (2) may be accessed without removing the spoiler (1) from the vehicle (V).
  • the enclosure (13) comprises an openable lid (134) provided on the bottom part of the lower part (11).
  • the lid (134) may be the base of the enclosure (13) where the antenna module (2) placed.
  • the antenna module (2) can be accessed through the lid (134).
  • the sealing means (131) is also provided around the lid (134) to seal the enclosure (13).
  • the sealing means (131) around the lid (134) may have the same functions as the sealing means (131) described above.
  • the antenna module (2) comprising a dielectric substrate (21), and the plurality of antennas (22) deployed on the dielectric substrate (21) as described in Fig. 2.
  • the antenna module (2) is manufactured as a pre-fabricated module that it can directly be installed into the spoiler assembly (1), i.e., into the enclosure (13).
  • the size of the antenna module (2) is arranged to be fitted into the enclosure (13) behind the cover part (12), i.e., the free/available volume in the lower part (11). More precisely, the antenna module (2) enjoys a predefined maximum size (length x width x height) of around 250 mm x 75 mm x 20 mm.
  • the size of the antenna module (2) is smaller than the predefined maximum size, more preferably less than 220 mm X 60 mm X 15 mm, even more preferably less than 200 mm X 50 mm x 10 mm. It is clear that the size of the antenna module (2) depends on number of antennas (22) deployed on the dielectric substrate (21), the example sizes given above are for an antenna module (2) with 4 - 6 antennas (22) deployed, for an antenna module (2) with 2 - 3 antennas (22), the size of the antenna module (2) is much smaller than the values herein, for example 100 mm X 40 mm X 5 mm.
  • the antenna module (2) is snap-fitted into the enclosure (13).
  • the antenna module (2) does not need a housing or a cover or alike to protect the antennas (22), i.e., the antenna module (2) may be the bare naked dielectric substrate (21) and antennas (22) deployed on the former (21), such formation allows the distance in between the antennas (22) to be broadened, meaning better antenna performance in the same enclosure (13) volume.
  • the antenna module (2) may have a cover/housing over the dielectric substrate
  • the antennas (22) in the antenna module (2) of the present invention can be various combinations of 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, V2X, UWB and satellite antennas, providing that at least two antennas (22) formed on the dielectric substrate (21) and in a different embodiment, there are at least two different operating frequencies. On account of at least two antennas
  • the two antennas (22) work in different frequencies, and in the case of more than two antennas (22) situated on the dielectric substrate (21), then at least two antennas (22) among the plurality of antennas (22) may work in the same frequency.
  • the antennas (22) provided on the dielectric substrate (21) may operate in the same frequency range or in different frequency ranges.
  • the frequency should also be understood as the frequency range or frequency band. In different embodiments, the said antennas (22) working at least two different range of frequencies.
  • the dielectric substrate (21) has five zones, zone 1 is the center area of the dielectric substrate (21) , i.e., in the middle of the dielectric substrate (21), zone 4 and zone 5 are the extreme sides of the dielectric substrate (21) respectively, i.e., the dielectric substrate (21) has an elongated shape and zone 4 and 5 are located on the lateral/extreme edges, zone 2 is in between zone 1 and zone 4, zone 3 is in between zone 1 and zone 5. Therefore, looking from above, the zones left to right are zone 5, zone 3, zone 1, zone 2, zone 4.
  • the zones are not necessarily divided as areas with same size, however zone 3 always stays in the middle of the dielectric substrate (21), therefore the borders of side zones (zone 1, 2, 4 and 5) are subject to change in order to arrange the size of the said zones.
  • a satellite antenna (221) is located in the zone 1, two 5G antennas (224) deployed on the dielectric substrate (21) and one located in zone 5 and the other in zone 4, a Wi-Fi antenna (222) located in zone 3 and a V2X antenna (223) located in zone 2.
  • the Wi-Fi antenna (222) can be in zone 2 and the V2X antenna (223) can be in zone 3.
  • the dielectric substrate (21) may be divided in at least five zones:
  • Zone 1 where the satellite antennas (221) are provided, at least one lateral area (zone 4 and/or zone 5) at the left and/or the right extremities of the dielectric substrate (21), where the cellular antennas (224) and/telematic antennas (224) are provided; a further area (zone 2 and/or zone 3) provided between the central area and the lateral area where V2X and/or Wifi antennas (222, 223) are provided.
  • the signal to noise ratio of the antennas (22) may be improved according to one embodiment as a particular arrangement of the present invention.
  • the dielectric substrate (21) may be rigid or flexible.
  • the dielectric substrate (21) may be rigid or flexible.
  • (21) might be a regular printed circuit board (e.g., a fiberglass-filled epoxy board such as an FR4 board), or being formed by epoxy resin, flexible print circuit, plastic-substrates, the substrate being formed by other suitable dielectrics or other suitable substrates of having filled glass fiber, or may be formed from rigid printed circuit board materials such as fiberglass-filled epoxy, flexible printed circuits (e.g., printed circuits formed from flexible sheets of polymer such as polyimide), or rigid flex circuits (e.g., printed circuits that contain both rigid portions and flexible tails), or may be formed of a flexible polymer sheet, such as a polyimide sheet or other flexible dielectrics or from PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), or from PI (polyimide resin), or from PEN (Polyethylene naphthalate) or other suitable substrate material or other dielectric substrate.
  • a flexible printed circuit board may be formed of a flexible polymer sheet, such as a polyimide sheet or other flexible dielectrics.
  • the antennas (22) may be printed over the dielectric substrate (21) or fixed/attached over it in other ways known in the art, in a preferred embodiment, the antennas (22) are provided planarly over the dielectric substrate (21).
  • the antenna module (2) may be placed vertically or horizontally with referenced to the ground, inside the enclosure (13).
  • the module (2) may be placed vertically or horizontally into the enclosure (13).
  • the module (2) may be placed vertically into the spoiler (1) depending on the nature of the intended applications. Indeed, the antenna module (2) can be placed in any orientation with respect to the ground inside the spoiler (1) provided better coverage and better performance for the application.
  • the integration process can be summarized as follows; a free volume is available in the lower part (11) of the spoiler (1) to accommodate an article, the antenna module (2) is placed over the said volume and the said volume is enclosed by the assembly of the lower (11) and cover part (12) of the spoiler (1).
  • a sealing means (131) is applied over the periphery of the said enclosure (13), and the sealing means (131) may enable the enclosure (13) to be waterproof.
  • the transmission lines/cables (C) of the antenna module (2) are connected to the electronics of the vehicle by the connection fixing means (133).
  • the integration of an antenna module (2) having multiple antennas (22) into the spoiler (1) of a vehicle (V) is realized without leading or requiring additional steps in the manufacturing process, apart from the advantages of having antennas inside the spoiler listed in the introduction.
  • the antenna module (2) is integrated into the spoiler (1) seamlessly in the conventional assembly process, providing added value with practically no expenditure.
  • the antenna module (2) is protected from environmental effects, increasing the longevity of the product.
  • the antenna module (2) may be without a cover or a housing, meaning ability to improve antenna performance in the same volume or add more antennas (22) into same volume.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Details Of Aerials (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un ensemble béquet pour un véhicule, ledit ensemble béquet comprenant : au moins une partie cache présentant une surface externe faisant face au monde extérieur et au moins une partie inférieure configurée pour être fixée sur le véhicule ; au moins un module d'antenne possédant une pluralité d'antennes ; la pluralité d'antennes étant déployées sur un substrat diélectrique ; le module d'antenne étant situé entre la partie cache et la partie inférieure.
PCT/EP2024/066439 2023-06-14 2024-06-13 Ensemble béquet de véhicule pourvu d'un module d'antenne possédant une pluralité d'antennes Ceased WO2024256576A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP23179271.4 2023-06-14
EP23179271 2023-06-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2024256576A1 true WO2024256576A1 (fr) 2024-12-19

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PCT/EP2024/066439 Ceased WO2024256576A1 (fr) 2023-06-14 2024-06-13 Ensemble béquet de véhicule pourvu d'un module d'antenne possédant une pluralité d'antennes

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Country Link
WO (1) WO2024256576A1 (fr)

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JP2003273617A (ja) 2002-03-18 2003-09-26 Asahi Glass Co Ltd 自動車用リヤスポイラアンテナ
US6927736B1 (en) 2002-05-17 2005-08-09 Mission Research Corporation System and method for integrating antennas into a vehicle rear-deck spoiler
EP1843429A1 (fr) 2006-04-03 2007-10-10 Plastal S.p.A. Déflecteur en matériau thermoplastique qui intègre des dispositifs électriques et électroniques pour automobiles
GB2461896A (en) 2008-07-17 2010-01-20 Land Rover Uk Ltd Antenna assembly for a motor vehicle
JP4871306B2 (ja) 2008-01-24 2012-02-08 小島プレス工業株式会社 車両用アンテナユニット
EP3347944A1 (fr) 2015-11-21 2018-07-18 Audi AG Becquet arrière pour véhicule automobile
EP3375670A1 (fr) 2017-03-17 2018-09-19 REHAU AG + Co Système modulaire électronique pour un véhicule automobile
CN110911803A (zh) 2019-12-02 2020-03-24 沈阳安费诺三浦汽车电子有限公司 车载天线
GB2578597A (en) 2018-10-31 2020-05-20 Dyson Automotive Res And Development Limited Vehicle spoiler assembly
US20200298916A1 (en) * 2017-09-08 2020-09-24 Compagnie Plastic Omnium Rear closure system of a motor vehicle comprising a removable module
US10879600B2 (en) 2018-12-10 2020-12-29 Lg Electronics Inc. Antenna system loaded in vehicle
CN112803175A (zh) 2021-02-03 2021-05-14 福耀玻璃工业集团股份有限公司 一种多功能车载组合天线及车辆
CN113629409A (zh) 2021-08-13 2021-11-09 沈阳安费诺三浦汽车电子有限公司 一种v2x阵列天线
CN113782970A (zh) 2021-09-13 2021-12-10 立讯精密工业（昆山）有限公司 车载天线组件及车载天线装置
US20210387684A1 (en) 2018-10-24 2021-12-16 John Guest International Limited Coaxial beverage keg connector comprising a ball joint
CN216648586U (zh) 2021-12-15 2022-05-31 惠州市德赛西威汽车电子股份有限公司 一种无鲨鱼鳍智能车载天线
WO2023281060A1 (fr) 2021-07-09 2023-01-12 Agc Glass Europe Ensemble becquet de véhicule

Patent Citations (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2003273617A (ja) 2002-03-18 2003-09-26 Asahi Glass Co Ltd 自動車用リヤスポイラアンテナ
US6927736B1 (en) 2002-05-17 2005-08-09 Mission Research Corporation System and method for integrating antennas into a vehicle rear-deck spoiler
EP1843429A1 (fr) 2006-04-03 2007-10-10 Plastal S.p.A. Déflecteur en matériau thermoplastique qui intègre des dispositifs électriques et électroniques pour automobiles
JP4871306B2 (ja) 2008-01-24 2012-02-08 小島プレス工業株式会社 車両用アンテナユニット
GB2461896A (en) 2008-07-17 2010-01-20 Land Rover Uk Ltd Antenna assembly for a motor vehicle
EP3347944A1 (fr) 2015-11-21 2018-07-18 Audi AG Becquet arrière pour véhicule automobile
EP3375670A1 (fr) 2017-03-17 2018-09-19 REHAU AG + Co Système modulaire électronique pour un véhicule automobile
US20200298916A1 (en) * 2017-09-08 2020-09-24 Compagnie Plastic Omnium Rear closure system of a motor vehicle comprising a removable module
US20210387684A1 (en) 2018-10-24 2021-12-16 John Guest International Limited Coaxial beverage keg connector comprising a ball joint
GB2578597A (en) 2018-10-31 2020-05-20 Dyson Automotive Res And Development Limited Vehicle spoiler assembly
US10879600B2 (en) 2018-12-10 2020-12-29 Lg Electronics Inc. Antenna system loaded in vehicle
CN110911803A (zh) 2019-12-02 2020-03-24 沈阳安费诺三浦汽车电子有限公司 车载天线
CN112803175A (zh) 2021-02-03 2021-05-14 福耀玻璃工业集团股份有限公司 一种多功能车载组合天线及车辆
WO2023281060A1 (fr) 2021-07-09 2023-01-12 Agc Glass Europe Ensemble becquet de véhicule
CN113629409A (zh) 2021-08-13 2021-11-09 沈阳安费诺三浦汽车电子有限公司 一种v2x阵列天线
CN113782970A (zh) 2021-09-13 2021-12-10 立讯精密工业（昆山）有限公司 车载天线组件及车载天线装置
CN216648586U (zh) 2021-12-15 2022-05-31 惠州市德赛西威汽车电子股份有限公司 一种无鲨鱼鳍智能车载天线

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