Ultra thin radio housing with integral antenna

摘要

The preferred housing includes an integrally molded thermoplastic base (102) and cover (104) assembly. The cover is joined to the base by a living hinge (106) and a peripheral wall (108) extends around the perimeter of the base. In one embodiment, the antenna is a wire loop (204), the wire being wound in an external circumferential groove (202A) in the peripheral wall or, alternatively, integrally molded into the peripheral wall. Other embodiments use printed circuit loop antenna patterns that are preferably vacuum deposited directly onto the thermoplastic base and/or cover. When the antenna pattern is disposed on both the cover and the base, a portion of the antenna (e.g., 1002K) is also disposed on the hinge to join the main portions of the antenna on the base and cover. In one embodiment of the printed circuit loop antenna, the plane of the loop lies parallel to the base and may include one or more turns or loops (e.g., 402C, E, G and J). In another embodiment, the loop includes a 90 degree bend (e.g., 504) and both planes of the loop lie perpendicular to the base. In still another embodiment, the loop includes three 90 degree bends, a crossover at one of the bends (e.g., at 704), and all four planes of the loop lie perpendicular to the base.