U.S. patent application number 11/989095 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-20 for carrier for holding an antenna amplifier of a vehicle.
Invention is credited to Helmut Haussler, David Silva, Dirk Wendt.
Application Number | 20090206219 11/989095 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36593185 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090206219 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wendt; Dirk ; et
al. |
August 20, 2009 |
Carrier for Holding an Antenna Amplifier of a Vehicle
Abstract
The invention relates to a carrier (1) for holding an electronic
device, in particular an antenna amplifier of a vehicle, having at
least one printed circuit board (9), the electronic device being
able to be attached to a vehicle component, in particular a vehicle
window (12), by means of the carrier (1) which is composed of an
electrically nonconductive material, there being provision
according to the invention for the carrier (1) to be embodied in a
planar fashion and to have latching means as well as spring means
which interact therewith and have the purpose of securing the
printed circuit board (9) to the carrier (1), as well as at least
one recess for holding a contact element in order to make
electrical contact with a contact face of the printed circuit board
(9) by means of a corresponding contact face (13) on the vehicle
component.
Inventors: |
Wendt; Dirk; (Dettingen,
DE) ; Haussler; Helmut; (Aichtal, DE) ; Silva;
David; (Nurtigen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
K.F. ROSS P.C.
5683 RIVERDALE AVENUE, SUITE 203 BOX 900
BRONX
NY
10471-0900
US
|
Family ID: |
36593185 |
Appl. No.: |
11/989095 |
Filed: |
April 10, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
April 10, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2006/003243 |
371 Date: |
May 8, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/231.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q 1/325 20130101;
H01Q 1/1271 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/231.9 |
International
Class: |
A47B 96/06 20060101
A47B096/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 19, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 033 592.6 |
Claims
1. A support for holding an electronic device having at least one
circuit board, the electronic device having the support being made
of a dielectric material that may be fastened to a vehicle part
that is also made of dielectric material, in particular a vehicle
body panel wherein the support is planar in shape and has locking
means as well as spring means cooperating therewith for fixing the
circuit board on the support as well as at least one cutout for
holding a contact for the purpose of producing an electrical
contact between a contact surface of the circuit board and a
corresponding contact surface of the vehicle panel.
2. The support according to claim 1 wherein the locking means is
locking hooks with barbs and the spring means is spring tabs
projecting from the face of the support.
3. The support according to claim 2 wherein some of the locking
hooks with barbs are movable and other locking hooks with barbs are
fixed in place or both locking hooks are movable and provided with
barbs.
4. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support has an
elongated arcuate or polygonal shape after its production, whereby
the support may be adapted to the shape of the vehicle.
5. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support has at
least one abutment, preferably a plurality of abutments, with which
the circuit board may be fixed at a predetermined shortest spacing
from the face of the support.
6. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support is shaped
to accommodate a housing, a housing half shell, or an extrusion
coating of the circuit board.
7. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support and/or the
housing for covering the circuit board is formed to shield the
electronic device from the sun or disruptive radiation.
8. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support has
adhesive on its lower face facing the vehicle part.
9. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support is formed
to accommodate more than one circuit board.
10. The support according to claim 1 wherein the support may be
produced using an injection-molding process.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a support for holding an electronic
device according to the features of the generic portion of claim
1.
PRIOR ART
[0002] EP 1 080 513 [U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,259] discloses an antenna
booster for a vehicle for receiving high-frequency signals. This
antenna booster comprises a circuit board with electronic
components, connectors, and the like provided thereon in order to
perform the function of an antenna booster. The circuit board of
the antenna booster is attached to the panel of the vehicle by way
of a support. Electrically conductive structures are located on or
in the vehicle panel that serve as antennas for receiving
high-frequency signals. These high-frequency signals are accessible
at the end of the antenna structures on contact surfaces. These
contact surfaces correspond with the associated inputs of the
antenna booster, and in the embodiment known from this European
Patent, which has also been realized in practice, spring arms
project from the lower face of the circuit boards that then come
into contact with the contact surfaces on the vehicle panel when
the circuit board is placed in the plastic support after the
plastic support has been adhered to its installation position on
the vehicle panel. Thus, an "on-glass antenna booster" is available
as well, which satisfies the requirements of installation and
functionality during operation of the vehicle to the greatest
extent possible.
[0003] However, in the embodiment realized in practice, it has been
shown that there are consistently problems with regard to the
production, storage, installation, transportation, and operation of
this system of the "on-glass antenna booster." Thus the circuit
board of the antenna booster must be placed in a groove at an edge
of the plastic support, which creates problems for the installation
process. The plastic support is formed only as a frame, such that
it does not provide the required rigidity for the circuit board
because it is subjected to a high degree of stress during operation
of the vehicle due to vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and the
like. One particularly disadvantageous problem may be seen in the
fact that the contacts that connect the signal entry of the antenna
booster to the associated contact surfaces on the vehicle panel are
formed as spring arms projecting from the lower face of the circuit
board. In the practical realization of the embodiment, these spring
arms are complexly shaped in order to achieve the necessary spring
forces and the resulting contact forces. On the one hand, such
spring arms are not only extremely hard to manufacture, they also
have the disadvantage that they are soldered to the lower face of
the circuit board and, although offset, are freestanding with their
unattached ends. This leads to the danger that, after the
production of the circuit board with the spring arms, these spring
arms may be bent or even broken off during subsequent handling,
necessitating laborious replacement because the contacts are welded
in place. Because the electronic components are provided on the
upper face of the circuit board and the contacts are provided on
the lower face of the circuit board, it is necessary for the
circuit board to be soldered in a plurality of stages, which makes
production of the antenna booster more expensive. If the lever-like
contact is only bent but not broken off, it is conceivable that it
could be bent back into place. However, it is not always possible
to do so in the manner of the initial geometry of the contact, such
that the necessary spring forces and resulting contact forces
cannot be maintained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a
support for holding an electronic device, in particular
motor-vehicle antenna booster, with which the disadvantages
mentioned at the outset will be prevented.
[0005] This object is attained by the features of claim 1.
[0006] According to the invention, provision is made for the
support to be generally planar and to have locking means as well as
spring means cooperating therewith in order to fix the circuit
board on the support as well as at least one cutout for holding a
contact for establishing electrical contact between a contact
surface of the circuit board and a corresponding contact surface on
the vehicle part, in particular a vehicle panel. Due to the planar
structure of the support (support plate), the required rigidity and
stability of the support and the circuit board accommodated therein
are improved because the support may be fastened, in particular
adhered, to the vehicle part over a large area. The locking means
as well as the spring means cooperating therewith have the
advantage that the circuit board may be fixed on the support
quickly and simply in a position relative to the support that may
be predetermined. The locking means allow the circuit board to be
held at a maximum spacing from the support, while the spring means
cooperating with the locking means allow the minimum spacing to be
set. Overall, therefore, the interaction between the locking means
and the spring means causes the circuit board to sit ("hover") at a
spacing from the support that may be predetermined, and the spring
means protect the circuit board from vibration during operation of
the vehicle. In addition, the spring means allow compensation for
play, which is advantageous in compensating for temperature
fluctuations or tolerances.
[0007] Another particularly important aspect of the invention is
the at least one cutout (as a rule, several cutouts) for holding a
contact for the purpose of establishing electrical contact between
a contact surface of the circuit board and a corresponding contact
surface on the vehicle part. In this manner, a contact with a
corresponding structure may be fixed on the support such that
soldering a contact with a complex structure onto the lower face of
the circuit board may be omitted. This also eliminates the danger
that a contact soldered there may be bent or even broken off. The
contacts fixed on the support, which may be installed even before
mounting the support, offer the advantage that they reliably create
contact between the contact surfaces of the circuit board and the
corresponding contact surfaces on the vehicle part and are no
longer components of the circuit board, but rather of the support,
whereby storage, transportation, and installation of the support as
well as of the electronic device with its circuit board are
considerably simplified and less complicated. Here, it is
particularly possible to achieve an increase in the lot size per
unit of volume, which reduces transportation capacity, which in
turn contributes to environmental protection. In addition to
simplified transportation, simpler handling, and improved
protection of contacts, it is no longer necessary to fit the
circuit board with spring-like contacts, particularly because the
soldering on the lower face of the circuit board is omitted as
well, such thermal stress to the contacts during soldering is also
unnecessary. Additional advantages may be seen in the fact that all
types of geometric shapes of contacts and contact materials may be
used. Particularly preferred are blade-shaped contacts having one
attachment end for anchoring them to the support and one free end
such that, if placed under a load, they are able to move axially
out of the direction of the vehicle part or out of the direction of
the circuit board, such that damage to the contact is prevented in
this manner as well. Moreover, the advantage of cost savings in
case of replacement should be mentioned as well because, if the
circuit board is replaced, new contacts are unnecessary. It is also
advantageous that replacement of the contacts is possible even when
the support is adhered to the vehicle part and installation (and,
if necessary, removal) of the contacts may be automated. By virtue
of the blade-shaped contact springs, although other structures are
conceivable as well, the long spring path allows a secure contact
and its closed form (arcuate toward the contact surfaces) provides
toughness when handled. Moreover, a contact spring of this type may
be produced in a more cost-effective manner because no substantial
bending operations are required (fewer bending stations in the
tool, the tool becomes considerably lighter and cheaper, a higher
number of strokes is possible, which leads to lower process costs.
There is also less use of material because virtually no waste
occurs and a significantly thinner band may be used, resulting in
further savings in weight and material).
[0008] The circuit boards or, optionally, a plurality of circuit
boards, which may be mounted on the support, may be covered by an
additional housing, to which end the support is structured to
accommodate a housing for covering the circuit board. Here, it is
advantageous for the delicate electronic components in particular
to be protected on the upper face of the circuit board. Such a
housing may be connected to the support in a detachable or
non-detachable fashion, for example, a positive or non-positive
connection, for example, locking connections, adhesive connections,
clip connections, or the like may be considered as well.
[0009] In a further development of the invention, the support
and/or the housing is structured for shielding the circuit
electronic device from the sun or disruptive radiation. By using
appropriate materials (for example, for the support, a plastic to
which electrically conductive materials have been added or that has
an electrically conductive coating, like the housing, which may
alternatively be made entirely of metal), disruptive radiation is
prevented from disrupting operation by shining onto the electrical
device. This also prevents the electronic device from emitting
disruptive radiation, in particular electromagnetic waves, that
could reach an interior space in the vehicle.
[0010] In order to improve the cost situation and simplify mounting
of the support, the support is made of a plastic that is processed
in an injection-molding process. After production of the support,
an adhesive is applied to the lower face of the support facing the
vehicle part, and in a particularly preferred embodiment the
adhesive is a double-sided adhesive film provided with a protective
before the support is mounted, which film may be removed so that
the support may be adhered to the vehicle part. As an alternative,
however, it is also conceivable to use other adhesion processes
that meet the requirements for application in vehicles, in
particular light- and temperature-resistance while providing the
necessary contact forces due to the high degree of vibration during
operation of the vehicle.
[0011] As has been mentioned above, the support may be shaped to
accommodate more than one circuit board such that a modular
structure results in an advantageous fashion, allowing one or more
electronic devices to be installed by the manufacturer, depending
on equipment variant. To this end, the support is structured in
such a way that it is able to accommodate the number of electronic
devices required by the maximum equipment variant. If the purchaser
of the vehicle desires the maximum equipment, the support is fully
outfitted with a plurality of required electronic devices, whereas
in the minimum equipment, in contrast to the maximum equipment, the
electronic devices that are not necessary are omitted. In such a
case, no electronic devices or circuit boards are placed in the
support. By constructing spring tabs directly from the support
frame, it is also possible for modules to be used that have been
produced either entirely or in large areas without contact springs.
By means of the spring tabs that are formed on the support frame,
these modules are pressed into the barb of the support space and
are thus able to resist the high degree of vibration that occurs
while the vehicle is in operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Other embodiments of the invention are described in a
non-limiting fashion below, in the dependent claims, and with
reference to the drawings. Therein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a view of a detail of a support that is basically
flat, made of plastic, and produced using an injection-molding
process;
[0014] FIG. 1a shows the shape of locking hooks with associated
barbs;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows the contact springs formed as blade-shaped
contact springs;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows the support that after manufacture has a
longitudinally bowed or polygonal shape, one view with a cover and
one without;
[0017] FIG. 4 shows the installation position of the support, with
a further construction details shown in addition to the structures
that have been described above;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a top view of the face of the support on which the
circuit board is to be mounted;
[0019] FIG. 6 shows a support with an inserted circuit board in
which a support film with conductor layers is contacted.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a section of a planar plastic support 1 made by
a plastic injection-molding process. Producing the support using
injection molding has the advantage that all of the elements of the
support 1 described below may be formed thereon such that, after
the injection-molding process has been completed, the support 1 is
complete and installable.
[0021] First, the support 1 has several locking hooks 2 for
attaching a circuit board to the support 1, the locking hooks
having barbs 3 on their end. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the
locking hooks 2 on one longitudinal edge of the support 1 are
longer than the locking hooks 4 with barbs 5 on the opposite edge
of the support 1. Thus, some of the locking hooks, namely the long
locking hooks 2, can deflect and the other locking hooks, namely
the short locking hooks 4, are rigid (stiff). This means that the
circuit board is first positioned with its longitudinal edge
engaged by the short locking hooks 4 and their barbs 5 and then is
pushed down on the barbs 3 of the long locking hooks 4, almost in
the manner of a pivoting motion, toward the support 1 and is
snapped into the support. In this manner, the barbs 3 and 5 allow
the circuit board to be fixed at a maximum spacing from the surface
of the planar support 1. However, this alone is not sufficient for
fixing the circuit board to the support 1 in a defined manner, such
that at least one, particularly several, spring tabs 6 projecting
from the face of the support 1 are provided. By applying force to
the lower face of the circuit board, these spring tabs 6 press the
circuit board upward against the barbs 3 and 5 so that the board
"floats" above the face of the support 1 in a defined position.
Bending of the spring tabs 6 compensates for loose tolerances,
thermal expansion, or movement of the circuit board relative to the
support 1 due to vibration. This means that the spring tabs 6
normally press the circuit board against the barbs 3 and 5, but
under the environmental conditions mentioned above the circuit
board may also lift away from the barbs 3 and 5. The process of
inserting the circuit board into the support 1 is particularly
advantageous because, due to the locking hooks 2 and 4 with their
barbs 3 and 5, a simple centering of the circuit board relative to
the support 1 results. Thus, a laborious insertion of the edge of
the circuit board into a groove is omitted. The locking hooks 2
(and/or the locking hooks 4 that are structured differently) may
also be present on the shorter end edges of the support 1, although
it should be mentioned that the support 1 need not necessarily be
elongated as shown in the drawing; it may also have other
rectangular shapes (such as shapes with only a slight difference
between length and width for example) or even square shapes. As a
rule, the outer edges of the support 1 are structured in such a way
that they project only slightly past the outer edges of the circuit
board to be used (or, optionally, the plurality of circuit boards
to be used).
[0022] Moreover, the planar support 1 has at least one cutout, here
in particular a plurality of cutouts 7 for holding a contact spring
8.
[0023] FIG. 1a shows a possible structure of the locking hooks 2
and 4 with their associated barbs 3 and 5.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows the contact spring 8 formed as a plurality of
spring blades. It is mounted in a fixed manner with one end fixed
on the support 1 and a free end of the contact spring 8 able to
move longitudinally of the contact spring 8 within the cutout 7,
such that it is possible for the contact spring 8 to be pressed
very flat without damage. Some of the blades of the contact spring
8 are upwardly arched toward the lower face of the circuit board
and some are arched downward toward the vehicle part and come into
contact with corresponding contact surfaces such that, after the
support 1 has been adhered to the vehicle part, contact is achieved
between the contact spring and the contact surface on the vehicle
part, while contact between the contact spring 8 and the contact
surface on the circuit board occurs when the circuit board is fixed
on the support 1.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows that, after manufacture, the support has an
arcuate or polygonal shape longitudinally, whereby the support 1
can adapt to the shape of the vehicle part. If the vehicle part is
planar, then it is enough for the support 1 to also be planar and
thus extend parallel to the vehicle part. However, if the vehicle
part is not planar, which is particularly often the case in the
case of vehicle body plates, but also in the case of other vehicle
parts such as, for example, shock absorbers or the like, it is
necessary for the shape of the support 1 (and, optionally, the
circuit board) to conform to the shape of the vehicle part. To this
end, provision has been made according to the invention for the
support 1, after production, to be able to have an arcuate (either
concave or convex, depending on the structure of the vehicle part)
or even polygonal shape longitudinally. This may be seen in FIG. 3
(upper view), where the support 1 has been produced using
appropriate shaping during the injection-molding process in such a
way that it has an arcuate shape. The realization of an arcuate
shape has the advantage that the support 1 has the necessary
stiffness that is not present in supports are straightened after
production and upon installation on the vehicle part. With regard
to the realization of an arcuate or polygonal shape of a circuit
board 9, reference is hereby made to German Patent Application DE
103 12 158.7 [US 2006/0238428]. Here, the circuit board 9 is fixed
to the support 1 without a housing or extrusion coating. The
support 1 is adhered in a fixed manner to the vehicle part
("sticker").
[0026] When a straight support is not bent correctly until its
installation weakening of the material (in particular by stretching
or compression of material) may occur, whereby the necessary shape
and rigidity is no longer present. It is also particularly
advantageous for not only the support 1 to be adaptable to the
shape of the vehicle part, but for the circuit board 9 to have an
arcuate or polygonal shape as well at the same time, as shown in
FIG. 3, which also conforms to the shape of the support 1 and thus
to the shape of the vehicle part.
[0027] The lower figure in FIG. 3 shows the circuit board 9 with an
additional covering, in particular a housing or a housing shell or
an extrusion coating, all made of plastic.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows the installation position of the support 1
where, in addition to the structures that have already been
described and shown, a further detail structure is important as
well. Thus, provision has been made for the support 1 to have at
least one abutment 10, preferably a plurality of abutments 10 and
11. These abutments 10 and 11 hold the circuit board 9 at a minimum
spacing from the face of the support 1 so that the contact springs
cannot be plastically deformed. This means that the circuit board,
with or without a housing half shell (extrusion coating), is held
between the barbs 3 and 5 and the abutments 10 and 11, but is able
to move in spite of the force of the spring tabs 6 and the force of
the contact springs 8. Moreover, it can be seen in this FIG. 4 that
the contact occurs by means of the contact springs 8 fixed in the
support 1. On one vehicle body panel (in general a dielectric
support) 12, one or more contact surfaces 13 are located that are
on the end of antenna conductor structures located in or on the
vehicle body panel 12. These contact surfaces 13 come to rest
against the contact springs 8 that are in particular formed as
blades and are premounted in the support 1 and are easily pressed
together when the support 1 is adhered to the vehicle body panel
12. The adhesive connection between the support 1 and the vehicle
body panel 12 is not shown in FIG. 4, but it should be assumed here
that this adhesive connection exists. Contact surfaces 13 are also
present on the opposite side of the contact springs 8 and located
on the lower face of the circuit board 9. These contact surfaces 13
also come into contact with the contact springs 8 that are in
particular formed as blades, such that an electrical contact is
made between the antenna conductor structure and the antenna
booster after the support 1 has been adhered to the vehicle body
panel 12 and the circuit board 9 has been inserted into the support
1 in the manner according to the invention.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the face of the support 1 from
the direction in which the circuit board 9 is mounted. Here, the
locking hooks 2 and 4, which guarantee that the circuit board 9 is
fixed on the support 1, are primarily discernible as well as the
spring tabs 6 that press the circuit board 9 against the barbs 3
and 5 of the locking hooks 2 and 4. The various abutments 10, 11,
and 14 that hold the circuit board 9 at as small a spacing as
possible from the face of the support 1 after overcoming the spring
force of the spring tabs 6, are also shown. These abutments 10, 11,
and 14 are also produced during the injection-molding process and
may be provided at various points on the face of the support 1. In
the embodiment according to FIG. 5, the abutment 10 is formed as a
projecting bump, projecting on the one side toward the lower face
of the circuit board 9 to be inserted and, on the other side,
toward the freely movable end of the contact spring 8. In plate
form, this abutment 10 has two simultaneous functions, namely an
abutment for the circuit board 8 and a guide and fixing mechanism
for the freely movable end of the contact spring 8. The same is
true of the abutment 11 that has a greater surface area and is
located at the end of the freely movable end of the contact spring
8. Beneath the abutment 11, therefore, the freely movable end of
the contact spring 8 is able to move in a slot, while the outer end
face of the abutment 8 serves to limit the path of the circuit
board 9. Moreover, domed abutments 14 are present that project from
the face of the support 1. These abutments 14 have two functions as
well. On the one hand, they serve to limit movement of the circuit
board 9 and, on the other hand, they are used to anchor in place
the fixed ends of the contact springs 8, i.e. the domed abutments
14 are also used to fix the contact spring 8 to the support 1. In
addition to the embodiments of the abutments 10, 11, and 14 that
have been shown and discussed, abutments with different shapes
provided at different points on the support 1 that serve only to
limit the path of the circuit board 9 and have no other function
are conceivable as well. Thus, projecting abutments of this kind
may also be provided in the region of the locking hooks 2 and 4,
the spring tab 6, the edge regions, the central regions, or the
like on the support 1. In dimensioning the abutments 10, 11, and 14
and/or other abutments, it is important for them to have such a
geometric shape and such a number that the circuit board 9 is able
to assume its shortest possible spacing from the support virtually
evenly over its entire extension in a planar parallel manner to the
support 1.
[0030] While the circuit board 9 is shown only schematically in the
figures, in practice it has electrical and electronic components as
well as connectors and the like in order to function as an
electronic device, in particular an antenna booster of the vehicle.
Here, in order to protect the electronic device, the circuit board
9 is provided with protection, either by extrusion coating or by
placing the circuit board 9 in a housing, for example. A circuit
board with a housing provided in this manner may then be simply
placed in the support 1 according to the invention with its locking
means and the spring means cooperating therewith, and the spring
and locking means must be adapted to the geometric shape of the
housing half shell or the extrusion coating. If the circuit board
is not protected by a housing before its insertion into the support
1, then it is conceivable to surround the circuit board 9 with a
housing at a later date, to which end the support 1 and/or the
circuit board 9 has appropriate fastening means for a retroactively
fitted housing. Here, it is conceivable for the retrofit housing to
be part of the vehicle part to which the support is fixed or for it
to be another, separate vehicle part.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows a structure in which the circuit board 9 has
been placed in the support 1 as already described. The support 1 is
directly or, as shown in FIG. 1, indirectly mounted on the vehicle
body panel 12 (or any other electrical vehicle part), for example,
via an adhesive layer 15. Contact between a conductor structure
(antenna structure) provided on the vehicle part and the contact
surface 13 occurs again by way of the contact spring 8 after the
circuit board 9 has been placed in the support 1. Here, the
conductor structure is formed as a backing film 16 carrying
electrically conductive layers 17, the backing film 16 being
provided on or at least partially in the vehicle part. The adhesive
layer 15 is extends partially between the lower face of the support
1 and the upper face of the vehicle part and may also be present
between the lower face of the support 1 and the upper face of the
backing film 16 as well as between the lower face of the backing
film 16 and the upper face of the vehicle part, although this is
not necessary. Alternately or additionally, the backing film 16 and
the conductor layers 17 may also serve for signal transmission and
power supply for the electronic device. The backing film 16 with
the conductor layers 17 may extend past the support 1 or be
completely covered by it.
[0032] Finally, it should be mentioned again in general that the
system and associated installation process may be used on plates
and on any parts of the vehicle body, particularly large parts
(roofs and trunk doors, for example). Thus, instead of vehicle body
panels, it may be used on any components of a vehicle made of a
dielectric non-conductive material (partially or completely).
TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Characters 1 Support 2 Locking
hook 3 Barb 4 Locking hook 5 Barb 6 Spring tab 7 Cutout 8 Contact
spring 9 Circuit board 10 Abutment 11 Abutment 12 Vehicle body
panel 13 Contact surface 14 Abutment 15 Adhesive layer 16 Backing
film 17 Conductive layer
* * * * *