Electronic device antennas with laser-activated plastic and foam carriers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9954273-B2
Application number	US-201514676424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that includes antennas. An antenna may be formed from metal traces on a dielectric antenna carrier. The antenna carrier may be formed by molding a layer of plastic onto the surface of a foam member. The foam member may have a low dielectric constant to enhance antenna performance and may be formed from a stiff closed cell plastic foam material. Heat and pressure may be used to attach the layer of plastic to the surface of the foam member without adhesive. A laser may be used to selectively expose portions of the plastic layer to laser light. The plastic layer may include additives that sensitize the plastic layer to light exposure. Electroplated metal traces for the antenna may be formed on the exposed portions of the plastic layer while leaving other portions of the plastic layer uncovered with metal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna, comprising:
a foam member;
a layer of plastic attached to the foam member, wherein the layer of plastic includes a light-sensitive additive;
a metal trace on a laser-activated area of the layer of plastic, wherein the laser-activated area includes a light-activated portion of the light-sensitive additive; and
a transmission line that includes a signal path and a portion of the foam member that surrounds the signal path.

2. The antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the layer of plastic is laminated to the foam member without adhesive.

3. The antenna defined in claim 2 wherein the layer of plastic has a thickness of less than 0.5 mm.

4. The antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the foam member comprises a closed cell acrylic foam.

5. The antenna defined in claim 4 wherein the foam member has a dielectric constant of less than 1.25.

6. The antenna defined in claim 5 wherein the metal trace includes a resonating element and an antenna ground.

7. The antenna defined in claim 6 wherein the resonating element is formed on a first surface of the foam member and the antenna ground is formed on a second surface of the foam member.

8. The antenna defined in claim 7 wherein the first and second surfaces of the foam member are planar surfaces.

9. The antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the foam member is a hollow foam member.

10. The antenna defined in claim 1 wherein a portion of the foam member is uncovered by the plastic layer.

11. The antenna defined in claim 10 wherein the foam member has a plurality of recesses and wherein the metal trace extends over the recesses.

12. The antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the foam member has at least one curved surface.

13. The antenna defined in claim 1 wherein the layer of plastic directly contacts the foam member.

14. An electronic device, comprising:
radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;
an antenna formed from an electroplated metal trace on a laser-activated area on a plastic layer that is attached to a planar surface of a foam member without adhesive and molded to a shape of the foam member along at least the planar surface and an additional surface of the foam member adjacent to the planar surface, wherein the laser-activated area on the plastic layer is sensitized for formation of the electroplated metal trace on the laser-activated area; and
a transmission line coupled between the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and the antenna.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the foam member has a first portion that serves as a support for the antenna and has a second portion that extends from the first portion and forms part of the transmission line.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the transmission line includes an inner conductor that is surrounded by the second portion of the foam member.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising solder that attaches a metal structure in the transmission line to the electroplated metal trace.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the additional surface comprises an additional planar surface and the planar surface is perpendicular to the additional planar surface.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the planar surface is a first surface of the foam member, the additional surface is a second surface of the foam member, the foam member includes a third surface, the first and second surfaces are non-coplanar, the first and third surfaces are non-coplanar, and the plastic layer molded to the shape of the foam member along the first, second, and third surfaces of the foam member.

20. An electronic device, comprising:
radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;
an antenna formed from an electroplated metal trace on a laser-activated area on a plastic layer that is attached to a foam member without adhesive; and
a transmission line coupled between the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and the antenna, wherein the foam member has a first portion that serves as a support for the antenna and has a second portion that extends from the first portion and forms part of the transmission line and wherein the transmission line includes an inner conductor that is surrounded by the second portion of the foam member.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Shiu Boon W
• Chen Chun-Lung
• Irci Erdinc

Classifications

• H01Q9/42

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

• H01Q1/38 Primary

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title