ONE-HAND MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR FIXING AN ANTENNA MODULE ON A VEHICLE

Abstract

A one-hand mounting system for fixing an antenna module to a vehicle. The mounting system includes a slidable lever, which is configured to perform a translational movement, and a rotatable locking device, which is engaged with the slidable lever to transform the translational movement of the slidable lever to a rotational movement of the rotatable locking device, thereby fixing or releasing the antenna module to or from the vehicle.

Claims

1. One-hand mounting system for fixing an antenna module to a vehicle, the system comprising: a slidable lever, configured to perform a translational movement; a rotatable locking device, engaged with the slidable lever to transform the translational movement of the slidable lever to a rotational movement of the rotatable locking device, thereby fixing or releasing the antenna module to or from the vehicle.

2. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the slidable lever comprises a gear rack; and wherein the rotatable locking device comprises a gear, which is engaged with the gear rack of the slidable lever.

3. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the slidable lever is arranged in a cavity of a chassis of the vehicle and below a roof of the vehicle.

4. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the slidable lever further comprises a recess, configured to receive a rib of the chassis, and an end section, configured to fit in a slot of the cavity of the chassis; wherein the slidable lever and the end section of the slidable lever are configured to generate a tactile feedback for indicating accomplishment of mounting the antenna module.

5. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one supporting element, configured to mount the slidable lever to the cavity of the chassis and to prevent a movement of the slidable lever perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the slidable lever.

6. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable locking device is arranged in a first recess in the chassis and a second recess in the roof of the vehicle.

7. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable locking device comprises a cylindrical body with a protrusion at a first end of the cylindrical body, which is arranged on the roof of the vehicle.

8. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 7, wherein the protrusion of the rotatable locking device is configured to fix the antenna module on the vehicle.

9. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 7, wherein the slidable lever is configured to perform the translational movement from a first position to a second position, when fixing the antenna module onto the roof; and wherein the protrusion of the rotatable fixing device is configured to pivot from a third position to a fourth position, when fixing the antenna module onto the roof.

10. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 9, wherein a pivoting angle between the third position and the fourth position is between 90° and 180°.

11. A vehicle comprising a one-hand mounting system according to claim 1.

12. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 2, wherein the slidable lever is arranged in a cavity of a chassis of the vehicle and below a roof of the vehicle.

13. The one-hand mounting system according to claim 8, wherein the slidable lever is configured to perform the translational movement from a first position to a second position, when fixing the antenna module onto the roof; and wherein the protrusion of the rotatable fixing device is configured to pivot from a third position to a fourth position, when fixing the antenna module onto the roof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] These and other aspects will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments as per the drawing described hereinafter. In the following description exemplary embodiments are explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing in which

[0028] FIG. 1 shows schematically a rear view of a one-hand mounting system for fixing an antenna module to a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows schematically a side view of a one-hand mounting system for fixing an antenna module to a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment,

[0030] FIG. 3 shows schematically a top view of a one-hand mounting system for fixing an antenna module to a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows schematically a vehicle comprising a one-hand mounting system in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a rear view of a one-hand mounting system 100, which is configured to fix an antenna module to a vehicle.

[0033] The one-hand mounting system 100 comprises a slidable lever 110 having a region of gear rack 115, a rotatable locking device 120, which is arranged adjacent to the region of gear rack 115, and two supporting elements 130.

[0034] The slidable lever 110 is arranged in a cavity 210 of the chassis 200 and projects with an open end laterally into the outside of the chassis 200. The cavity 210 is designed as a groove with the width identical to the width of the slidable lever 110, as to prevent a transversal movement of the slidable lever 110 perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the slidable lever 110. The length of the cavity 210 is shorter than the length of the slidable lever 110 and can also be defined, so that the cavity 210 can stop the translational movement of the rotatable locking device 120, when the antenna module is fixed to the vehicle.

[0035] The rotatable locking device 120 comprises a gear, which is engaged with the gear rack 115 of the slidable lever 110.

[0036] The supporting elements 130 is fixed on the cavity 210, in which the slidable lever 110 is placed inside. The slidable lever 110 is then mounted to the cavity 210 and can be prevented from moving in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the slidable lever 110.

[0037] Furthermore, the slidable lever 110 may perform a translational movement between two positions: a first position 111 or an “off-position”, in which the open end of the slidable lever 110 is arranged distant from the cavity of the chassis and the antenna module is not fixed or can be released completely from the vehicle, and a second position 112 or an “on-position” 112, in which the open end of the slidabel lever 110 is closer to the cavity 210 and the antenna module is fixed to the vehicle. When fixing the antenna module to the vehicle, the slidable lever 110 is pushed by one-hand towards the cavity 210 and performs a translational movement from the first position 111 to the second position 112.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the one-hand mounting system 100 shown in FIG. 1. It is observable that the one-hand mounting system 100 is arranged inside and under the chassis 200, which is arranged below the roof 300 of the vehicle. The slidable lever 110 further comprises a recess 113, which can receive a rib 201 of the chassis when the slidable lever 110 is pushed to the second position 112 and the antenna module is mounted.

[0039] Additionally, the slidable lever 110 further comprises an end section 114, which is configured to fit in a slot 202 of the cavity when the slidable lever 110 is pushed to the second position 112 and the antenna module is mounted.

[0040] In FIG. 2, the rotatable fixing device 120 comprises a cylindrical body and a protrusion 126, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 3. With the cylindrical body, the rotatable locking device 120 is arranged in a first recess in the chassis 200 and a second recess in the roof 300 of the vehicle. Therefore, the rotatable fixing lever is the only component of the one-hand mounting system 100, which is arranged on the roof 300 of the vehicle and configured to be in direct contact with the antenna module by fixing it.

[0041] In FIG. 3, a top view of the one-hand mounting system 100 shows that an antenna module 160 can be fixed to the roof 300 of the vehicle by means of the rotatable fixing device 120, which further comprises a protrusion 126, arranged at a first end of the cylindrical body (also shown in FIG. 2) and on the roof 300 of the vehicle.

[0042] The rotatable locking device 120 has two positions, a third position 121, in which the protrusion 126 is not arranged on the antenna module 160 and the antenna module 126 is not fixed or can be released completely from the vehicle, and a fourth position 122, in which the antenna module 160 is fixed to the vehicle by means of the protrusion 126.

[0043] Since the translational movement of the slidable lever 110 can be transformed into a rotational movement of the rotatable locking device 120 via the engaged gear rack 115 and the gear, the third position 121 and the fourth position 122 of the rotatable locking device 120 are correlated, respectively, with the first position 111 and the second position 112 of the slidable lever 100. In other words, when fixing the antenna module 160, the slidable lever 110 is pushed by one-hand from the side of the chassis 200 and performs the translational movement from the first position 111 to the second position 112, resulting in the rotational movement of the rotatable locking device 120 and the pivoting of the protrusion 125 from the third position 121 to the fourth position 122 around a pivoting angle between 90° and 180°.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a vehicle 500, which comprises a one-hand mounting system 100, and an antenna module 160, which is fixed on the roof of the vehicle 500 by means of the one-hand mounting system 100.