Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-18
2001-06-05
Phan, Tho (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With vehicle
C343S713000, C343S881000, C248S237000, C248S536000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243044
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of antenna mounts and more particularly to antenna mounting systems for vehicles wherein the antennas which are utilized present very high wind loads at highway speeds which causes extreme pressure on the antenna mounting system affixed to the vehicle. The antenna system of the present invention typically will lock and secure the antenna to the trunk lid of the vehicle by a unique stabilizing and reinforcing antenna mounting means.
II. Description of the Related Art
Historically, mobile radio operators have been forced by available mechanical support limitations to compromise the radiation efficiency of high wind load antennas typically used in the high frequency bands by mounting them on the periphery of the vehicle. Typical of such peripheral mounting mechanisms would encompass the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle, inasmuch as this is a strong point on most vehicles. However, from a radiation efficiency standpoint, the optimum location on the vehicle for any antenna is always near the horizontal center of mass of the vehicle body.
Mounting antennas on the trunk or hood of the vehicle, these being convenient locations on most vehicles, however, yields nearly the same radiation efficiency of a roof center mounting while providing cost savings and mounting ease opportunities not easily achieved with roof mounting. An important advantage of trunk lip mounting over roof center mounting for many antenna types is the increased radiating element length that is possible when the bottom of the antenna may be placed doser to the ground. This increases the physical length of the antenna without exceeding the normal legal over-the-road height limit, typically at 13′6″, for obstruction clearance. For radiation efficiency purposes, the optimum physical length of vertical antennas, which are frequently used in mobile radio service, is ¼ wave length. Any physical length for a given frequency that is less than ¼ wave length will be electrically sub-optimal. The practical limit for the physical length of a mobile radio antenna is established only by the actual overhead clearance in the area being traversed by the vehicle. However, as noted above, the legal limit for vehicles operating on public roads is typically 13′6″ from the ground to the top of the antenna.
Therefore, it will be obvious that some means of approaching the electrical equivalence of a mobile radio antenna at lower frequencies without exceeding the physical height restriction above the ground is quite desirable. In order to achieve a good radiation efficiency for an antenna, the addition of a relatively large diameter coil, called a loading coil, somewhere along the length of the antenna is required. With the addition of a loading coil, the optimum physical antenna length may now be physically constructed to a shorter form factor. It is this form factor that can produce significant wind load at highway speeds on mobile radio antenna installations, especially those operating below 14 MHz.
Not only will vertically polarized mobile radio antennas benefit by the present invention, but horizontally polarized mobile radio antennas can achieve the same physical and radiation efficiency benefits by the use of the present invention. Horizontally polarized mobile radio antennas typically yield wind loads approaching those of vertically polarized antennas and, in addition, overhead clearance questions may also be a consideration in any stacked array antenna system of any horizontally polarized antenna systems.
The prior art is replete in antenna mounting systems and such systems have been used with antennas of many different configurations. Typical of many vehicle antenna mounting systems are magnetic mounts such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,584 to Leer which disclose a horizontally disposed triangular mounting system having magnets at the distal ends of the mount legs for securing to a metal portion of a vehicle. This type of mount, however, will not support a high wind load antenna.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,275 to Wagman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,182 to Rupley, clamp-on antenna mounts are shown which are typically clamped to a rearview mirror which is in turn attached to the side of the vehicle cab. While these antenna mounts show a multi-leg attachment system, the mounts are not designed to support high wind load antenna systems.
A typical truck lid mounting system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,706 to Dolle, but, again, the system is quite flimsy and will not sustain high wind loading stresses.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention and the contemplated problems which have existed and continue to exist in this field, the objectives of this invention are to provide a multi-legged antenna mounting system for vehicles which may typically be mounted to the vehicle trunk wherein at least three mounting legs are positioned along the periphery of the trunk lid by suitable clamping members and thence terminate at an insulated antenna connecting assembly unit. The legs of the antenna mount system are capable of being positioned with respect to the insulated antenna connecting assembly unit in a variety of angular dispositions to enable the legs to be affixed to the vehicle trunk lid. Each leg at the distal end thereof terminates in a deck mounting unit which is designed to fixedly mount each leg to the lid. It is anticipated that prior art mounting systems for this purpose will be utilized with the present invention. For stability sake, the antenna is incorporated as one of the mounting legs. All of the legs, including the antenna, will be incorporated into the insulated antenna connecting assembly unit to provide the structural stability needed for the high wind loading capabilities of the present invention.
The invention does not block access to either the trunk interior of the vehicle or to the hood interior if the unit is mounted on the hood of the vehicle, inasmuch as the antenna system simply moves to a more or less horizontal position when the trunk lid or the hood is opened. The various components of the invention are commonly used materials and the vehicle deck mounting units are standard off-the-shelf components. By using at least three mounting legs to support the unit, one of the legs being the antenna itself, there is a certain amount of functionality, endurance and resilience which occurs that exceed that of the sum of the mounts by orders of magnitude. Antennas of any reasonable size may be mounted as part of the system disclosed herein and will be fully supported during normal high wind load conditions. The present invention also contemplates the use of magnetic foot mounts for securing the legs of the assembly to the vehicle, as opposed to mechanical lid mounts, and it has been found that such magnetic mounts, properly sized, will perform adequately in high wind load conditions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2891748 (1959-06-01), Winegard
patent: 3452956 (1969-07-01), Reed
patent: 3734232 (1973-05-01), Shepherd
patent: 3967275 (1976-06-01), Wagman
patent: 4028705 (1977-06-01), Loyd
patent: 4028706 (1977-06-01), Dolle
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patent: 4249182 (1981-02-01), Rupley
patent: 4510502 (1985-04-01), Hovland et al.
patent: 4543584 (1985-09-01), Leer
patent: 4748451 (1988-05-01), Edwards
patent: 5259612 (1993-11-01), Matherne et al.
patent: 5308029 (1994-05-01), Bingham
patent: 5829724 (1998-11-01), Duncan
patent: 5999139 (1999-12-01), Benjamin et al.
Hinkle & Associates, P.C.
Maximum Mobile, Inc.
Phan Tho
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