Antenna mounting method

Reference is hereby made to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/932,204, filed May 29, 2007 and entitled H-GUIDE FIXATION METHOD FOR ANTENNAS, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference and priority thereof is hereby claimed under 37 CFR 1.78(a) (4) and (5)(i).

The present invention relates to fixation of antennas, such as antennas for WiFi, WWAN and WiMAX applications, in computer apparatus, such as laptop computers.

The following publications are believed to represent the current state of the art:

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,023,387 and 7,151,493.

The present invention seeks to provide improved apparatus and methodology for fixation of antennas in computer apparatus, particularly laptop computers.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method of mounting an antenna assembly into computer apparatus including forming a mounting bracket on an interior surface of a housing of the computer apparatus, the mounting bracket including at least two upstanding surfaces defining a gap therebetween, and inserting a first portion of the antenna assembly into engagement with the mounting bracket and adhering a second portion of the antenna assembly to the interior surface.

There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention an arrangement for mounting an antenna assembly into computer apparatus including a mounting bracket formed on an interior surface of a housing of the computer apparatus, the mounting bracket including at least two upstanding surfaces defining a gap therebetween and an antenna assembly including a first portion mounted into engagement with the mounting bracket and a second portion adhered to the interior surface.

There is further provided in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention a portable computer including computer processing, data input and display functionality enclosed in a housing and an arrangement for mounting an antenna assembly into a portion of the housing, the arrangement including a mounting bracket formed on an interior surface of a housing of the computer apparatus, the mounting bracket including at least two upstanding surfaces defining a gap therebetween and an antenna assembly including a first portion mounted into engagement with the mounting bracket and a second portion adhered to the interior surface.

Preferably, the mounting bracket includes first and second generally planar mutually spaced parallel upstanding portions and a third upstanding portion extending generally perpendicularly to the first and second generally planar portions from the first upstanding portion towards the second upstanding portion and defining a gap with respect to the second upstanding portion. Additionally or alternatively, the second portion of the antenna assembly is adhered to the interior surface by means of a conductive adhesive and the interior surface defines a ground plane.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second portion of the antenna assembly is positioned with respect to the interior surface by means of a protrusion formed on the interior surface which engages an aperture formed in the second portion of the antenna assembly.

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a portion of a disassembled laptop computer having an H-guide bracket for mounting of an antenna assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A & 2B are simplified sectional illustrations of the H-guide bracket of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a simplified illustration of an antenna assembly prior to insertion into mounting engagement with the H-guide bracket of FIGS. 1-2B ;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are simplified pictorial and plan view illustrations of the antenna assembly fixed to the H-guide bracket of FIGS. 1-2B ; and

FIGS. 5A & 5B are sectional illustrations taken along lines VA-VA and VB-VB in FIG. 4A .

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 , which is a simplified illustration of a portion of a disassembled laptop computer having an H-guide bracket for mounting of an antenna assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and to FIGS. 2A & 2B , which are simplified sectional illustrations of the H-guide bracket of FIG. 1 .

As seen in FIGS. 1 , 2 A and 2 B, a typical laptop computer has a two part housing 100 , including a keyboard housing portion 102 and a display housing portion 104 . Display housing portion 104 preferably includes, inter alia, a generally planar back interior surface 106 , which is preferably conductive and defines a ground plane, and a pair of generally cylindrical attachment portions 108 .

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is integrally formed at the interior of the display housing portion 104 an H-guide bracket 110 including an upstanding planar portion 112 and an upstanding T-shaped portion 114 , including an upstanding planar portion 116 , extending generally parallel to and spaced from upstanding planar portion 112 and a perpendicularly extending portion 118 , extending perpendicularly from portion 116 , preferably at the middle thereof, towards upstanding planar portion 112 and defining a gap 120 between the end of portion 118 and upstanding planar portion 112 . The thickness of gap 120 , designated by L in FIG. 2B , is preferably 0.6 mm.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 , which is a simplified illustration of an antenna assembly prior to insertion into mounting engagement with the H-guide bracket of FIGS. 1-2B , to FIGS. 4A and 4B , which are simplified pictorial and plan view illustrations of the antenna assembly fixed to the H-guide bracket of FIGS. 1-2B , and to FIGS. 5A & 5B , which are sectional illustrations taken along lines VA-VA and VB-VB in FIG. 4A .

As seen in FIGS. 3-5B , an antenna element 130 is inserted into mounting engagement with the H-guide bracket 110 . The antenna element 130 is preferably a unitary metal element, typically formed by bending a flat piece of metal, typically of thickness 0.4 mm, and includes a generally planar portion 132 which is arranged to lie in conductive touching engagement with a double-sided adhesive attachment element 134 , which in turn is conductively and adhesively attached to surface 106 of housing portion 104 .

Antenna element 130 also includes an upstanding edge 136 , extending generally perpendicularly to planar portion 132 and including an end portion 138 which is configured to fit in gap 120 , thereby to properly position the antenna element 130 with respect to housing portion 104 . Antenna element 130 also includes a connection portion 140 , which extends from edge portion 138 in a plane generally parallel to that of planar portion 132 to a dual band radiating portion 142 , which lies in a plane generally perpendicular to that of planar portion 132 .

A protrusion 144 , extending outwardly from surface 106 of housing portion 104 , preferably engages a corresponding hole 146 in planar portion 132 to further assist in proper positioning of the antenna element 130 with respect to the housing portion 104 .

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described above. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and sub-combinations of features described and shown as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.