Abstract
A radar system for surroundings detection of a motor vehicle. The radar system includes an antenna for sending and/or receiving radar signals, a circuit board including at least one high-frequency component and an element for sending and/or receiving high-frequency signals. At least one fastening element is situated on/at the circuit board. The antenna includes at least one connecting element. The connecting element interacts with the fastening element in such a way that the antenna is fastenable and at the same time positionable on the circuit board by being pushed onto the at least one fastening element.
Claims
1. A radar system for surroundings detection of a motor vehicle, comprising: an antenna configured to send and/or receive radar signals; a circuit board including at least one high-frequency component, an element configured to send and/or receive high-frequency signals, and at least one fastening element situated on/at the circuit board; wherein the antenna includes at least one connecting element, the connecting element interacting with the fastening element in such a way that the antenna is fastened and at the same time positioned by being pushed onto the at least one fastening element at the circuit board.
2. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening element is a claw element, and the at least one connecting element is a pin which is inserted into spring-loaded claws of the claw element and held by the pin and the spring-loaded claws.
3. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening element is situated in an opening in the circuit board.
4. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening element is situated on a side of the circuit board facing away from the antenna.
5. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fastening element is situated on a side of the circuit board facing toward the antenna.
6. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fastening element is fastened using an SMD soldering process on the circuit board.
7. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fastening element is made of one of the following materials: metal, plastic.
8. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of fastening elements and a plurality of connecting elements are provided.
9. The radar system as recited in claim 1, wherein the antenna is a waveguide antenna.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of a radar system according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 2 schematically shows an isometric view of a fastening element according to an example embodiment of the present invention in the form of a claw element.
[0024] FIGS. 3A through 3D show various options for situating a fastening element according to example embodiments of the present invention on a circuit board.
[0025] FIGS. 4A through 4B show other options for arranging a fastening element according to example embodiments of the present invention on a circuit board.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0026] The present invention is explained by way of example hereinafter on the basis of the figures.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a radar system for surroundings detection of a motor vehicle in a lateral sectional view. This radar system includes a housing 101, in which a circuit board 105 is situated. A high-frequency component 110 is situated on circuit board 105, which is connected for heat dissipation to a heat sink 114 via a layer of thermal interface materials (TIM) 112. Plug elements 120 connect the control unit situated on the circuit board to externally accessible lines and the like. As is furthermore shown in FIG. 1, electrically conductive passages, for example, in the form of copper pads 111, may lead from high-frequency component 110 through corresponding openings (vias) situated in circuit board 105 into antenna 140. Antenna 140 is designed, for example, as a waveguide antenna, as schematically shown in FIG. 1. Antenna 140 is closed on the front side by a radome 150. Radar signals 142 are emitted to the outside via radome 150 by waveguide 141.
[0028] As may furthermore be apparent from FIG. 1, antenna 140 includes, for example, two pins 145. These pins 145 engage in fastening elements 200, which are situated in corresponding openings 109 in circuit board 105. These fastening elements 200 may be designed, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, as claw elements having claws 212 opening in the shape of a tulip in the direction of pins 145. Fastening elements 200 in the form of the claw elements may be fastened, for example, by an SMD soldering process via soldering surfaces 220 on circuit board 105. The fastening elements are placed on circuit board 105 in the SMD soldering process via pick-and-place and subsequently integrally connected to circuit board 105 in the reflow process.
[0029] The coupling of the HF wave from the circuit board may take place via the air (Launcher in Package) or, as shown in FIG. 1, via above-mentioned copper pads 111. The position of high-frequency component 110, also called HF chip, does not play a role, so that high-frequency component 110 may be positioned both on the antenna side and, as shown in FIG. 1, on the side facing away from antenna 140. In the case of the positioning on the side facing away from antenna 140, the HF wave is guided with the aid of the mentioned vias and, for example, copper pads 111 through circuit board 105. In principle, holes in circuit board 105 would also be possible here, through which the wave is emitted directly from the antenna package.
[0030] Different variants of the fastening of fastening element 200 at circuit board 105 are schematically shown in FIGS. 3A-3D. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, fastening elements 200 may be fastened in corresponding openings 109 in circuit board 105 on the side of circuit board 105 facing away from antenna 140, for example, with the aid of the mentioned SMD soldering technology. The specific embodiment shown in FIG. 3A differs from the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 3B in that in FIG. 3A, the fastening element is inserted into opening 109 of circuit board 105 and thus forms a metallic path. This is not the case in the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 3B. Fastening element 200 is seated here on the surface of circuit board 105 and pin 145 engages in corresponding claws 212 of fastening element 200 on the side of circuit board 105 facing away from antenna 140. In the specific embodiments shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, fastening element 200 is situated on the side of circuit board 105 facing toward antenna 140, the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 3C again showing a fastening element 200, which engages in opening 109 and thus forms a conductive channel in opening 109 in which pin 145 is guided. The specific embodiment shown in FIG. 3D, in contrast, dispenses with such an electrically conductive channel engaging in opening 109, which guides fastening pin 145.
[0031] Other specific embodiments of the fastening of antenna 140 on a circuit board 105 are shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B. In these specific embodiments, an opening in circuit board 105 is omitted. Fastening element 200 is fastened, for example, using an SMD soldering process on the upper side of circuit board 105. In this case, on the side of circuit board 105 facing toward antenna 140. The specific embodiment of claw element 200 including claws 211 shown in FIG. 4A does not include a guide of pin 145, whereas the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 4B includes a guide 230 of pin 145 on the side facing away from claws 211 and facing toward circuit board 105.
[0032] The advantage of the above-described radar system for surroundings detection of a motor vehicle is that antenna 140 may be installed in a very simple manner at/on circuit board 105. The positioning accuracy in the construction axis (z plane, in the figures this corresponds to the direction from circuit board 105 toward antenna 140) is achieved in the installation process by joining waveguide antenna 140 flush with circuit board 105. The resulting grips of pins 145 with claw elements 211 ensure a fixed seat of waveguide antenna 140 on circuit board 105.
[0033] Fastening element 200 itself may be made of plastic or metal or another material.
