Multi-feeds metal cover antenna for gas detection devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10658730-B2
Application number	US-201515778473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2015
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., a gas detection device) includes a housing, a printed circuit board (PCB), one or more radio modems with a switching network. The housing includes a conductive cover and the cover plays as an antenna. The PCB may be fixed in the housing and includes a ground plane and a plurality of conductive feeds. Each feed are vertically mounted directly or indirectly on the PCB. When the cover is attached to the housing, each of the feeds electrically contact a respective connection point on the antenna. The switching network is to configure which feed should be connected to the radio modem. A extra grounding resistor is mounted or not to change antenna type to enhance the performance of antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing including a conductive cover configured to function as an antenna;
a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted in the housing and including a ground plane and at least first and second conductive feeds, wherein each of the at least first and second conductive feeds is attached to and protrudes away from the PCB, and wherein when the cover is attached to the housing, each of the at least first and second conductive feeds electrically contact a respective connection point on the antenna;
a radio modem including a third conductive feed mounted on the PCB; and
a switching network mounted on the PCB and coupled to the third conductive feed of the radio modem and to the at least first and second conductive feeds;
wherein the switching network is configurable such that when the cover is attached to the housing, a selectable one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds is electrically coupled through the switching network to the radio modem.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more gas sensors, wherein the apparatus is a gas detection device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least first and second conductive feeds comprises a conductive post that protrudes away from a plane defined by the PCB at an orthogonal angle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the switching network includes a plurality of single pole single throw solid state switches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the switching network and operable to configure the switching network to selectively couple a particular one of the first, second, or third conductive feed to the radio modem.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a matching network coupled between the switching network and the radio modem and configured to adjust a resonant frequency of the antenna with respect to at least one of the first, second, and third conductive feeds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the switching network is configured to connect the radio modem to a different suitable feed whose resonant frequency can cover the radio modem's working band.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, and third conductive feeds is provided at a different location on the antenna to thereby cause the antenna to resonate at different frequencies.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is connected to the radio modem through the switching network and one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds.

10. A gas detection device, comprising:
a housing including a conductive cover, wherein the conductive cover includes an antenna;
a gas sensor configured to receive an air sample;
a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted in the housing and including a ground plane, a first conductive feed and a second conductive feed, wherein each of the first and second conductive feeds protrudes away from the PCB, and wherein when the cover is attached to the housing, each of the first and second conductive feeds electrically contact a respective connection point on the antenna;
a radio modem including a third conductive feed, where in the radio modem is mounted on the PCB;
a switching network mounted on the PCB and coupled to the radio modem and to the first second, and third conductive feeds; and
a matching network coupled between the radio modem and the switching network and configured to adjust a resonant frequency of the antenna with respect to at least one of the first, second, and third conductive feeds;
wherein the switching network is configurable such that when the cover is attached to the housing, a selectable one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds is electrically coupled through the switching network to the radio modem.

11. The gas detection device of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second conductive feeds comprises a conductive post that protrudes away from a plane defined by the PCB at an orthogonal angle.

12. The gas detection device of claim 10 , further including a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the switching network and operable to configure the switching network to selectively couple a particular one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds to the radio modem.

13. The gas detection device of claim 10 , wherein the switching network includes a plurality of single pole single throw solid state switches.

14. The gas detection device of claim 10 , wherein each of the first, second, and third conductive feeds is provided at a different location on the antenna to thereby cause the antenna to resonate at different frequencies.

15. A method for assembling a gas detection device, the method comprising:
attaching a conductive cover to a housing of the gas detection device;
using the conductive cover as an antenna for a wireless modem of the gas detection device;
connecting the conductive cover to at least one of a first, second, or third conductive feed, wherein the first and the second conductive feed are disposed on a printed circuit board and a third conductive feed is disposed on the wireless modem; and
configuring a switching network on the wireless modem such that when the cover is attached to the housing, a selectable one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds is electrically connected through the switching network to the wireless modem.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising connecting the antenna to the wireless modem through the switching network and one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein attaching the conductive cover to the housing further comprises automatically electrically contacting the first, second, and third conductive feeds to respective connection points on the antenna of the conductive cover.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the first, second, and third conductive feeds is provided at a different location on the antenna to thereby cause the antenna to resonate at different frequencies.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein configuring the switching network further comprises configuring the switching network to connect the wireless modem to one of the first, second or third conductive feeds whose resonant frequency can cover the wireless modem's working band, and
providing the first, second, and third conductive feeds at certain locations on the antenna, and obtaining the desired frequency bands for communications for the gas detection device.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising configuring, by a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the switching network, the switching network to selectively couple a particular one of the first, second, or third conductive feeds to the wireless modem.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Wang Kai
• Liu James
• Zhao Pengjun
• Kong Juan

Classifications

• H01Q5/335

  at the feed, e.g. for impedance matching · CPC title

• G08B21/14

  Toxic gas alarms (G08B21/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q9/42

  with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength · CPC title

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title