EP2940789A1

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Info

Publication number: EP2940789A1
Application number: EP14166273.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hsin-Cheng Su; Chun-Ta Liu; Shu-Chen Lin
Original assignee: King Slide Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: King Slide Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2014-04-28
Filing date: 2014-04-28
Publication date: 2015-11-04

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication device antenna including a metal housing (12) and an excitation component (22). The metal housing (12) has a first lateral side (14a), a second lateral side (14b) and a connection side (16) extended and connected between the first lateral side (14a) and the second lateral side (14b). An opening (18) is formed and located adjacent to the connection side (16) . A coupling gap (38) is defined between the excitation component (22) and the connection side (16) of the metal housing (12). The excitation component (22) is connected to the signal feed point (24) and the ground point (26). The excitation component (22) is configured to perform electromagnetic energy excitation, such that the metal housing (12) can be utilized as a radiation unit.

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a communication device antenna utilizing a metal housing for emitting and receiving radio signals of a communication device according to the pre-characterizing clause of claim 1.

Background of the Invention

During product development processes of conventional communication devices, such as mobile communication products, plastic housings are mainly used by manufacturers due to cost concerns, in order to maintain basic radiation characteristics of an antenna. However, a trend of metal housing is currently brought by Apple iPhones and Macbooks. Since the metal housing has light weight, good heat dissipation, high strength, high impact resistance, good looking, anti-electromagnetic and recyclable characteristics, the metal housing is getting more and more popular. Therefore, the metal housings are mainly used in development of new generations of the mobile communication products. For example,US patent No. 8,054,231 B2 disclosed by Ahn et al. teaches a metal case having a slot, which can be used as a slot antenna of a mobile device. But the slot may obviously ruin appearance of the metal case, and the slot needs to be arranged at a position corresponding to a specific area of the metal case. Therefore, it is important to design a proper antenna to allow electromagnetic waves to penetrate the metal case for achieving communication purposes without obviously ruining the appearance of the metal case.

Summary of the Invention

This in mind, the present invention aims at providing a communication device antenna utilizing a metal housing for emitting and receiving radio signals of a communication device.
This is achieved by a communication device antenna according to claim 1. The dependent claims pertain to corresponding further developments and improvements.
As will be seen more clearly from the detailed description following below, the claimed communication device antenna comprises a metal housing, a signal feed point, a ground point and an excitation component. The metal housing has a first lateral side, a second lateral side corresponding to the first lateral side, and a connection side extended and connected between the first lateral side and the second lateral side, wherein an opening is formed and located adjacent to the connection side. The excitation component is connected to the signal feed point and the ground point, wherein a coupling gap is defined between the excitation component and the connection side of the metal housing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the following, the invention is further illustrated by way of example, taking reference to the accompanying drawings thereof:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing arrangement of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing opening arrangement of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing antenna arrangement of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an area A inFIG. 3.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 to FIG. 4 are diagrams showing acommunication device 10 having ametal housing 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Themetal housing 12 has a firstlateral side 14a, a secondlateral side 14b located at a position corresponding to the firstlateral side 14a, and aconnection side 16 extended and connected between the firstlateral side 14a and the secondlateral side 14b.
Antenna arrangement of thecommunication device 10 comprises at least a printedcircuit board 20 and anexcitation component 22, wherein theprinted circuit board 20 comprises asignal feed point 24 and aground point 26. Please note that the printedcircuit board 20 can be arranged in other size relative to thecommunication device 10. In other words, the size of the printedcircuit board 20 is not limited by the figures.
Theexcitation component 22 comprises afirst metal part 28, asecond metal part 30, athird metal part 32, afourth metal part 34 and afifth metal part 36, wherein thefirst metal part 28 is connected to thesignal feed point 24 of the printed circuit board; thesecond metal part 30 is connected to theground point 26 of the printedcircuit board 20; thethird metal part 32 is located adjacent to theconnection side 16 of themetal housing 12, and acoupling gap 38 is defined between thethird metal part 32 and theconnection side 16 of themetal housing 12. In a preferred embodiment, the fourth metal part is substantially extended and connected between thefirst metal part 28 and thethird metal part 32 perpendicularly, and thefifth metal part 36 is substantially extended and connected between thesecond metal part 30 and thethird metal part 32 perpendicularly.
Thefirst metal part 28, thesecond metal part 30, thethird metal part 32, thefourth metal part 34 and thefifth metal part 36 of theexcitation component 22 form an approximate circular path.
In a preferred embodiment, anopening 18 is formed and located adjacent to theconnection side 16 of themetal housing 12. The opening 18 comprises afirst slit 40 and asecond slit 42 substantially perpendicular to thefirst slit 40, wherein thefirst slit 40 is formed straight along theadjacent connection side 16 of themetal housing 12, and thesecond slit 42 is located adjacent to the secondlateral side 14b of themetal housing 12. In a preferred embodiment, thefirst slit 40 and thesecond slit 42 together form an L-shaped opening, but theopening 18 is not limited by the shape and arrangement disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention.
According to the above arrangement, when thecommunication device 10 is turned on, power at thesignal feed point 24 of the printedcircuit board 20 is fed into theexcitation component 22, and the power is further coupled to theconnection side 16 of themetal housing 12 through thecoupling gap 38, such that themetal housing 12, especially theconnection side 16 of themetal housing 12 can be utilized as a radiating strip, for transmitting and receiving radio signals of thecommunication device 10. Therefore, theexcitation component 22 can work as a feeding strip for performing electromagnetic energy excitation. Please note that arrangement of theexcitation component 22 in the figures is one of preferred embodiments, the present invention can utilize other types of excitation components for performing electromagnetic energy excitation.
According to the above illustration, efficacies and advantages of the present invention are listed as follows:

a. appearance of the metal housing is not obviously ruined, and in contrast to the prior art, the metal housing has better appearance; and
b. the antenna is arranged at an edge of the metal housing, and in contrast to the prior art, the antenna occupies less space.

Claims

A communication device antenna,characterized by:
a metal housing (12) having a first lateral side (14a), a second lateral side (14b) corresponding to the first lateral side (14a), and a connection side (16) extended and connected between the first lateral side (14a) and the second lateral side (14b), wherein an opening (18) is formed and located adjacent to the connection side (16);
a signal feed point (24);
a ground point (26); and
an excitation component (22) connected to the signal feed point (24) and the ground point (26), wherein a coupling gap (38) is defined between the excitation component (22) and the connection side (16) of the metal housing (12).
The communication device antenna of claim 1,characterized in that the excitation component (22) comprises a first metal part (28), a second metal part (30), a third metal part (32), a fourth metal part (34) and a fifth metal part (36); wherein the first metal part (28) is connected to the signal feed point (24), the second metal part (30) is connected to the ground point (26), the third metal part (32) is located adjacent to the connection side (16) of the metal housing (12), the fourth metal part (34) is extended and connected between the first metal part (28) and the third metal part (32), and the fifth metal part (36) is extended and connected between the second metal part (30) and the third metal part (32).
The communication device antenna of claim 1 or 2,characterized in that the opening (18) comprises a first slit (40) and a second slit (42), the second slit (42) is substantially perpendicular to the first slit (40), the first slit (40) is formed straight along the adjacent connection side (16) of the metal housing (12), and the second slit (42) is located adjacent to the second lateral side (14b) of the metal housing (12).
The communication device antenna of claim 3,characterized in that the first slit (40) and the second slit (42) together form an L-shaped opening.