Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With support for antenna – reflector or director
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-20
2002-10-08
Phan, Tho G. (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With support for antenna, reflector or director
C343S757000, C343S765000, C343S882000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06462718
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an antenna assembly and, more particularly, to a collapsible, steerable antenna assembly configured for rapid deployment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditionally, to receive an adequate signal from a communication satellite, an antenna had to be securely fitted to a rigid mount which was adjustable in both azimuth and elevation. Later, antennas began being mounted on moving vehicles. These antenna systems were required to be adjustable in elevation sufficiently to suit the latitude of the vehicle. In addition, portable antenna systems also began to develop. These portable systems were also required to be adjustable in elevation sufficient to suit the latitude of the ground at which they were located.
The use of portable antenna systems and other electronic equipment in the field today often requires the positioning of an antenna of substantial size, in order to prevent terrestrial interference and interference from other satellites with signal beings radiated or received by the antenna. In addition, the antenna and its support should be sufficiently compact in the stowed position, so as to not interfere with mobility of the antenna in the field.
Portable antenna systems of the general type mentioned above have been built in the past, but suffer from several disadvantages. These include excessive assembly time, a large number of separate pieces, complex assembly procedures which lead to a loss of parts and unreliability, difficulty of assembly, and the requirement of multiple operators to assemble and disassemble the system.
In addition, these systems have been designed with the primary goal of breaking the unit down into multiple light-weight shipping containers that meet the maximum standards for lower lobe airline shipping. This increases the complexity and lengthens the assembly time of the antenna.
Further, past systems have proved inadequate in their ability to minimize distortion in the antenna dish of the system, due to either assembly technique or parametric distortion under the weight of the dish and other system components.
It is desirable for antenna system components to be as adjustable as possible for positioning and alignment efficiency. There is a continuing need for an antenna system that is highly accurate, yet has high modularity and portability, while remaining simple to assembly.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art have long recognized the need for a collapsible, steerable antenna assembly configured for rapid deployment. The present invention clearly fulfills these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention resolves the above and other problems by providing a collapsible, steerable antenna assembly configured for rapid deployment. In the present invention, the antenna assembly includes a base mount, a steering controller assembly, an antenna dish, a back frame assembly, a feed leg assembly, a horn mount assembly, and a horn assembly. The base mount supports and positions the steering controller assembly. The controller assembly positions the back frame assembly and includes a plurality of tombstone-shaped steering members that are attached to one another. Hereafter, these steering members will be referred to as tombstone controllers. Each steering member rotates the controller assembly about a separate axis. The back frame assembly includes a center frame, a template assembly, and a feed leg mount. The center frame selectively engages the controller assembly and the antenna dish. The template assembly selectively attaches to the center frame, and includes a plurality of leaves that engage the antenna dish and hinge at an intersection point. The plurality of leaves have a folded transportation state and an unfolded operational state. The feed leg mount attaches to the center frame.
Additionally, in the antenna assembly of the present invention, the antenna dish is supported by the back frame assembly and is utilized for sending and receiving transmission signals. The feed leg assembly includes a main feed leg and side feed legs. The main feed leg connects to and is supported by the feed leg mount of the back frame assembly in order to minimize distortion of the antenna dish due to the weight of the main feed leg. The side feed legs attach to the main feed leg and the template assembly, and facilitate the positioning of the main feed leg with respect to the back frame assembly. The horn mount assembly selectively engages the horn assembly with the main feed leg. The horn assembly is adjustably positioned by the horn mount assembly with respect to the antenna dish.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base mount comprises a pod mount assembly that includes a plurality of ground engaging support legs, a central shaft, and a telescopic shaft. The pod mount assembly preferably maintains a collapsed state for transportation and a deployed state for operation. Preferably, the central shaft of the pod mount assembly is rotatable between a folded horizontal position and an unfolded vertical position. The central shaft also preferably includes a base and an extendable telescopic shaft that is movable between a stored retracted position and an operational extended position.
Further, in a preferred embodiment, the plurality of ground-engaging support legs rotatably attach to the base of the central shaft. The plurality of ground-engaging support legs have both a folded and deployed position. The central shaft of the mount assembly is configured to rotatably lift the steering controller assembly away from the folded horizontal position to the unfolded vertical position. The telescopic shaft is configured to lift the steering controller assembly away from the stored retracted position to the operational extended position.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the steering controller assembly includes three tombstone-shaped steering members, a horizontal tombstone controller, a vertical tombstone controller, and a transmission beam tombstone controller. The horizontal tombstone controls the azimuth of the antenna dish; the vertical tombstone controls the elevation of the antenna dish; and the transmission beam tombstone controls the polarization of the antenna dish.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the side feed legs connect to the main feed leg and to the template. The side feed legs act as long turnbuckles. The turnbuckle adjustments are used to modify the effective length of the side feed legs, and thereby adjust the elevation angle of the main feed leg and the associated position of the horn assembly with respect to the antenna dish. Preferably, the side feed legs each include telescoping extensions housed within the side feed legs. The telescoping extensions each have a stored retracted position and an operational extended position.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the main feed leg includes an amplifier frame, a feed strut, a quick release latch, an uplink amplifier, a flexible wave guide, a signal cable, and a wave guide quick disconnect assembly. The feed strut is selectively attachable to the amplifier frame via the quick release latch. The uplink amplifier is secured to the amplifier frame where it amplifies the transmission signal. The flexible wave guide attaches to the uplink amplifier and directs the transmission signal to the horn assembly. The signal cable attaches to the amplifier and carries the transmission signal to the amplifier. The wave guide quick disconnect assembly selectively separates the wave guide from the amplifier. In this manner, the quick release latch and wave guide quick disconnect assembly allow the main feed leg components to quickly and efficiently separate for increased modularity and transportability without the use of tools. In other embodiments of this invention the amplifier (and thus, the signal cable) might reside at other locations on the invention other than on the amplifier frame, but this would not affect the ability of the main feed l
Ehrenberg Robert G.
Sorensen Michael
Brown & Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner LLP
NeTune Communications, Inc.
Phan Tho G.
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