CN117832806A

CN117832806A - Surrounding antenna

Info

Publication number: CN117832806A
Application number: CN202211188117.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王世达; 刘茂生; 唐普亮; 闻杭生
Original assignee: Commscope Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Outdoor Wireless Network Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-09-28
Filing date: 2022-09-28
Publication date: 2024-04-05
Also published as: WO2024073216A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a wraparound antenna, comprising: two or more housings pivotably connected, each housing having a signal transmission and/or reception assembly disposed therein, wherein an interior space is disposed between the housings for extending through the support structure to enable the antenna to be mounted about the support structure; a top mount assembly comprising two or more top mount elements, each top mount element configured to be secured to a top of a respective housing; and a bottom mounting assembly comprising two or more bottom mounting elements, each bottom mounting element configured to be secured to a bottom of a respective housing; wherein the two or more top mounting elements of the top mounting assembly are configured to be pivotally connected to each other and the two or more bottom mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly are configured to be pivotally connected to each other, thereby effecting a pivotable connection of the housing of the antenna.

Description

Surrounding antenna

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communication technology. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a wraparound antenna that can be easily installed around a support structure.

Background

Wireless operators are using more spectral bands and more spectrum within each spectral band to accommodate increased user traffic and to deploy new radio access technologies. Attempts have been made to meet these traffic demands using macrocell base station antennas that serve large areas.

A newer trend involves the addition of small cell base station antennas, which are particularly useful in urban areas. Conventionally, small cell base station antennas may be mounted on top of or to the side of a support structure (e.g., a pole). However, there are some drawbacks to this type of mounting. For example, when small cell base station antennas are mounted on top of a support structure, it is often difficult to mount due to the heavy assembly load. In addition, the top of the support structure is often not available due to real estate limitations. It may also be undesirable to mount the small cell base station antennas on the sides of the support structure. On the one hand, mounting the small cell base station antennas on the sides of the support structure requires a large number of overhead operations, which are not safe and easy to implement; on the other hand, mounting small cell base station antennas on the sides of the support structure may be aesthetically unattractive, and may also cause the support structure to interfere with some radiated Radio Frequency (RF) signals, resulting in potential scattering of RF signals and negatively impacting the performance of the antenna.

It is desirable to provide a wrap-around antenna that can be easily installed around a support structure, not only to radiate desired RF signals from the support structure, but also to be easily installed around the support structure in any suitable location of the support structure (e.g., in a middle location of the support structure).

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present disclosure to overcome at least one of the deficiencies in the prior art and to achieve other additional advantages.

The present disclosure provides a surround antenna, comprising: two or more housings pivotably connected, each housing having a signal transmission and/or reception assembly disposed therein, wherein an interior space is disposed between the two or more housings for a support structure to extend therethrough to enable the antenna to be mounted about the support structure; a top mount assembly disposed on top of the antenna, the top mount assembly comprising two or more top mount elements, each top mount element configured to be secured to a top of a respective housing; and a bottom mounting assembly disposed at a bottom of the antenna, the bottom mounting assembly comprising two or more bottom mounting elements, each bottom mounting element configured to be secured to a bottom of a respective housing; wherein the two or more top mounting elements of the top mounting assembly are configured to be pivotally connected to one another and the two or more bottom mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly are configured to be pivotally connected to one another, thereby effecting pivotable connection of the two or more housings of the antenna.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each top mounting element comprises a generally planar body including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end of the body being bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end of the body is at a different height than the first end.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and second ends of each top mounting element comprise a first aperture and a second aperture, respectively, the first end of one top mounting element extending below the second end of the other top mounting element when the top mounting assembly is assembled, and the first aperture of the first end of the one top mounting element being aligned with the second aperture of the second end of the other top mounting element to enable the pivot element to extend therethrough to effect a pivotable connection between the respective top mounting elements by means of the pivot element.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each top mounting element further comprises one or more overhang portions located between the first and second ends of the body and extending from one side of the body in a direction perpendicular to the body, by means of which overhang portions each top mounting element can be fixed on the respective housing of the antenna.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the two or more top mounting elements comprises a lifting portion for facilitating lifting of the antenna, the lifting portion being arranged at a substantially intermediate position of the body and extending in a direction perpendicular to the body.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pivoting member is constituted by a bolt and a nut which can be tightened to fasten the two top mounting members together to limit their pivoting and which can also be loosened to enable the two top mounting members to pivot relative to each other about the bolt.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each bottom mounting element comprises a generally planar body including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end of the body being bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end of the body is at a different height than the first end.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and second ends of each bottom mounting element comprise a first hole and a second hole, respectively, the first end of one bottom mounting element extending below the second end of the other bottom mounting element when the bottom mounting assembly is assembled, and the first hole of the first end of the one bottom mounting element being aligned with the second hole of the second end of the other bottom mounting element to enable the pivoting element to extend therethrough, whereby a pivotable connection between the respective bottom mounting elements is achieved by means of the pivoting element.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each bottom mounting element further comprises one or more overhang portions located between the first and second ends of the body and extending from one side of the body in a direction perpendicular to the body, by means of which overhang portions each bottom mounting element can be fixed on the respective housing of the antenna.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pivoting member is constituted by a bolt and a nut which can be tightened to fasten the two bottom mounting members together to limit their pivoting and which can also be loosened to enable the two bottom mounting members to pivot relative to each other about the bolt.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the end of each signal transmission and/or reception assembly comprises at least one or more radio frequency connectors extending beyond the bottom of the respective housing; and wherein each bottom mounting member further comprises one or more recesses for receiving the one or more radio frequency connectors.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the radio frequency connector is configured as a cluster connector.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna includes one main housing and two sub-housings, wherein the main housing is provided with three bundle connectors, and the two sub-housings are respectively provided with one bundle connector, and the bundle connector of each sub-housing is connected with one corresponding bundle connector of the main housing through a jumper wire.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the three cluster connectors of the main housing are communicatively connected to each other within the main housing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna further comprises a fastening device comprising a top fastening assembly and a bottom fastening assembly for use with the top mounting assembly and the bottom mounting assembly, respectively.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the top fastening assembly comprises two or more top fastening supports and a top binding element for binding the two or more top fastening supports to the support structure.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each top fastening support comprises a first section and a second section substantially perpendicular to the first section such that each top fastening support is generally "L" -shaped, wherein the first section of each top fastening support is configured to abut the top mounting element of the top mounting assembly and the second section is configured to abut the support structure such that the top tie-down element is capable of tie-down each top structural support to the support structure by tie-down the second section of each top fastening support.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the top restraint element is configured in the form of a restraint strap.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first section of each top fastening support comprises one or more slots to enable each top fastening support to be adjusted in a radial direction to accommodate support structures of different diameters.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom fastening assembly comprises two or more bottom fastening supports and a bottom tie-down element for tie-down the two or more bottom fastening supports to the support structure.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each bottom fastening support comprises a first section and a second section substantially perpendicular to the first section such that each bottom fastening support is generally "L" -shaped, wherein the first section of each bottom fastening support is configured to abut the bottom mounting element of the bottom mounting assembly and the second section is configured to abut the support structure such that the bottom tie-down element is capable of tie-down each bottom structural support to the support structure by tie-down the second section of each bottom fastening support.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom restraint element is configured in the form of a restraint strap.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first section of each bottom fastening support comprises one or more slots to enable each bottom fastening support to be adjusted in a radial direction to accommodate support structures of different diameters.

It is noted that aspects of the present disclosure described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated into other and different embodiments, although not specifically described with respect to the other and different embodiments. In other words, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment may be combined in any way and/or combination, provided that they are not mutually contradictory.

Drawings

The various aspects of the disclosure will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wrap-around antenna according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 1A is a schematic view of an antenna column housed inside a housing of the wrap-around antenna shown in fig. 1, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of a top mount assembly for a wrap-around antenna according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are top and side views, respectively, of the top mount assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first top mounting element for forming the top mounting assembly shown in FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6-8 are top, side and expanded views, respectively, of the first top mounting element shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second top mounting element for forming the top mounting assembly shown in FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 10-12 are top, side and expanded views, respectively, of the second top mounting element of FIG. 9;

fig. 13 is a perspective view of a bottom mounting assembly for a wrap-around antenna according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are bottom and side views, respectively, of the bottom mounting assembly of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a first bottom mounting element for forming the bottom mounting assembly shown in FIG. 13, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 17-19 are a bottom view, a side view and an expanded view, respectively, of the first bottom mounting element shown in fig. 16.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a second bottom mounting element for forming the bottom mounting assembly shown in FIG. 13, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 21-23 are a bottom view, a side view and an expanded view, respectively, of the second bottom mounting element shown in fig. 20.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a third bottom mounting element for forming the bottom mounting assembly shown in FIG. 13, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 25-26 are a bottom view and an expanded view, respectively, of the third bottom mounting member of FIG. 24;

fig. 27 and 28 are bottom views of the bottom of a surround antenna according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a cluster connector mounted at the bottom of the surround antenna and jumpers for connecting the corresponding cluster connectors, respectively;

fig. 29 illustrates a fastening support for a fastening assembly used with a top mounting assembly and a bottom mounting assembly of a wrap-around antenna according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 30 illustrates a binding element for binding the fastening support shown in FIG. 29 to a support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 31 and 32 illustrate the mounting of a wrap-around antenna according to the present disclosure on support structures of different diameters;

fig. 33 to 35 specifically illustrate various steps of mounting a loop antenna according to the present disclosure on a support structure.

It should be understood that throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In the drawings, the size of some of the features may be altered and not drawn to scale for clarity.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure may be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; indeed, the embodiments described below are intended to more fully convey the disclosure to those skilled in the art and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide yet additional embodiments.

It should be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The use of the terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" in the specification mean that the recited features are present, but that one or more other features are not excluded. The use of the phrase "and/or" in the specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In the description, an element is referred to as being "on," "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" to, "contacting" or the like another element, and the element may be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to or contacting the other element or intervening elements may be present.

In the description, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used for ease of description only and are not intended to be limiting. Any feature expressed as "first," "second," "third," etc. is interchangeable.

In the specification, spatial relationship words such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", and the like may describe the relationship of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatial relationship words comprise, in addition to the orientations shown in the figures, different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, when the device in the figures is inverted, features that were originally described as "below" other features may be described as "above" the other features. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial relationship will be explained accordingly.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a wrap-around antenna that can be easily mounted around a support structure (e.g., a pole) at any desired location of the support structure (e.g., a middle location of the pole) to provide various antenna patterns for a communication system. The surround antennas according to the present disclosure may take the form of macrocell base station antennas or small cell base station antennas. The surround antennas according to the present disclosure may include omni-antenna (omni-antenna) and quasi-omni-antenna (quasi-omni antenna).

Referring to fig. 1, a wrap-around antenna 100 is shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The antenna 100 may include two or more housings 101 (e.g., two or more radomes) to seal and protect the antenna components from adverse environmental conditions. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the antenna 100 comprises three housings 101. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The antenna 100 may also comprise two, four or even more housings 101. Each housing 101 may house signal transmission and/or reception components. For example, each housing 101 may house an antenna column (antenna column) 102 as shown in fig. 1A, which may include an array of one or more radiating elements 103 configured to radiate one or more antenna patterns. In some embodiments, each antenna column 102 may include a plurality of radiating elements 103, which may be arranged in a linear array, for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals in a desired frequency band. The ends of the signal transmission and/or reception components (e.g., antenna array 102) may include various components, such as one or more of one or more Radio Frequency (RF) connectors 104, a downtilt adjuster, a tilt indicator, and other desired components. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the end of each signal transmission and/or reception assembly includes at least one or more radio frequency connectors 104. Each rf connector 104 may extend beyond the bottom of the housing 101 to facilitate connection of each rf connector 104 with a jumper 107 to connect signal transmitting and/or receiving components within each housing 101.

In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, an interior space 105 for a support structure 200 (e.g., a rod, as shown in fig. 29-32) to extend through is provided between two or more housings 101 of the antenna 100 to enable the antenna 100 to be mounted around the support structure 200. Two or more housings 101 of the antenna 100 may be configured to be pivotably connected to one another and to enable at least two of the two or more housings 101 to pivot away from one another, thereby forming a side opening 106. The wraparound antenna 100 may be moved toward the support structure 200 in such a manner that the side openings 106 are aligned with the support structure 200 such that at least a portion of the support structure 200 enters the interior space 105 of the antenna 100 via the side openings 106, thereby wrapping the antenna 100 around the support structure 200.

To achieve pivotable connection of two or more housings 101 of the antenna 100, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the antenna 100 may include a top mount assembly 110 disposed at a top of the antenna 100 and a bottom mount assembly 120 disposed at a bottom of the antenna 100. The top mounting assembly 110 and the bottom mounting assembly 120 may each be configured to include two or more mounting elements, which may be configured to be pivotally connected to one another. The number of mounting elements of the top mounting assembly 110 and the number of mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly 120 may each correspond to (e.g., be equal to or greater than) the number of housings 101 of the antenna 100 such that at least one mounting element may be secured to each of the top and bottom of each housing 101.

Referring to fig. 2-4, a specific structure of a top mount assembly 110 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The top mount assembly 110 may include two or more top mount elements (e.g., three top mount elements 111, 112, and 113 shown in fig. 2-4). Each top mounting element may be secured to the top of a respective one of the housings 101. The first end of each top mounting element may be pivotably connected to the second end of the other top mounting element via a pivot element 114 to enable the respective housing 101 fixedly connected to each top mounting element to pivot relative to the other housing 101 to open and/or close the side opening 106 of the antenna 100. For ease of manufacture, the two or more top mounting elements of top mounting assembly 110 may have substantially the same or similar structures, as will be described in detail below.

Referring to fig. 5-8, a specific structure of a first top mounting element 111 of a top mounting assembly 110 is shown, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The first top mounting element 111 may include a generally planar body 1110. The body 1110 can include a first end 1111 and a second end 1112 opposite the first end 1111. The second end 1112 of the body 1110 may be bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end 1112 of the body 1110 is at a different height than the first end 1111 of the body 1110. The first and second ends 1111 and 1112 of the body 1110 may include first and second apertures 1113 and 1114, respectively, for the pivoting member 114 to extend through. The first top mounting element 111 may also include one or more overhang portions 1115 located between the first and second ends 1111, 1112 of the body 1110 and extending from one side of the body 1110 in a direction perpendicular to the body 1110. Overhang portion 1115 can include a third aperture 1116 for extending a securing element (e.g., a screw) therethrough. In mounting the first top mounting element 111 to the respective housing 101 of the antenna 100, the body 1110 of the first top mounting element 111 may be placed against the top surface of the housing 101 and the overhang portion 1115 of the first top mounting element 111 placed against the vertical side surface of the housing 101, and then the first top mounting element 111 may be secured to the respective housing 101 using a securing component (e.g., a screw) extending through the third aperture 1116 of the overhang portion 1115. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the first top mounting element 111 may not include the overhang 1115. In this embodiment, the first top mounting element 111 may be secured to the top surface of the corresponding housing 101 of the antenna 100 directly through the body 1110 using a securing member (e.g., a screw).

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the first top mounting element 111 may be formed from a plate-like piece as shown in fig. 8. The sheet material may first be formed into a plate-like member as shown in fig. 8 by a suitable process (e.g., stamping, casting, machining, etc.), and then a generally "L" -shaped second end 1112 and overhang 1115 extending in a direction perpendicular to the body 1110 are formed by bending or folding a corresponding portion of the plate-like member to form a first top-mounting element 111 according to the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 9-12, a specific structure of a second top mounting element 112 is shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The second top mounting element 112 may have substantially the same structure as the first top mounting element 111. For example, the second top mounting element 112 may include a generally planar body 1120. The body 1120 may include a first end 1121 and a second end 1122 opposite the first end 1121. The second end 1122 of the body 1120 may be bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end 1122 of the body 1120 is at a different height than the first end 1121 of the body 1120. The first and second ends 1121, 1122 of the body 1120 may include first and second apertures 1123, 1124, respectively, for the pivoting element 114 to extend through. The second top mounting element 112 may also include one or more overhang portions 1125 located between the first and second ends 1121, 1122 of the body 1120 and extending from one side of the body 1120 in a direction perpendicular to the body 1120. The overhang portion 1125 can include a third aperture 1126 for a securing element (e.g., a screw) to extend through.

Unlike the first top mounting element 111, the second top mounting element 112 may also include a lifting portion 1127. The hanging portion 1127 is disposed at a substantially intermediate position of the body 1120 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the body 1120 of the second top mounting element 112, e.g., in a direction perpendicular to the body 1120 of the second top mounting element 112 and opposite the overhang portion 1125 of the second top mounting element 112. When the second top mounting element 112 is secured on top of the respective housing 101 of the antenna 100, the antenna 100 may be hoisted via the hoisting portion 1126 in order to secure the antenna 100 on a support structure. The lifting portion 1126 may include an aperture 1127 that mates with a lifting element (e.g., a hook) of a lifting device.

The third top mounting element 113 may have substantially the same or similar structure as the first top mounting element 111 and/or the second top mounting element 112 and will not be described in detail herein. It is noted that although in the illustrated embodiment only the second top mounting element 112 comprises a lifting portion, a lifting portion may also be comprised in the first top mounting element 111 and/or the third top mounting element 113. In addition, the second top mounting element 112 and the third top mounting element 113 may be formed in substantially the same manner as the first top mounting element 111.

Returning to fig. 2, when two or more top mounting elements are assembled into top mounting assembly 110, top mounting assembly 110 may form a generally annular ring-shaped structure. The first end of one top mounting element may at least partially coincide with the second end of the other top mounting element and the first aperture of the first end of the one top mounting element may be aligned with the second aperture of the second end of the other top mounting element such that the pivot element 14 may extend through both the one top mounting element and the other top mounting element to enable the one top mounting element to pivot about the pivot element 14 relative to the other top mounting element.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, the first end 1121 of the second top mounting element 112 can extend below the second end 1112 of the first top mounting element 111 and the first aperture 1123 of the first end 1121 of the second top mounting element 112 and the second aperture 1114 of the second end 1112 of the first top mounting element 111 are aligned with each other such that the pivot element 14 can extend through both the first aperture 1123 of the second top mounting element 112 and the second aperture 1114 of the first top mounting element 111. Before mounting the antenna 100 to the support structure 200, a first end of one of the first top mounting element 111 to the third top mounting element 113 and a second end of an adjacent other top mounting element are kept from extending through by the pivoting element 14 in order to form a side opening 106 between the two top mounting elements.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the pivot element 14 may include a bolt and a nut. The bolts may extend through respective holes of respective ends of each top mounting element, and the nuts may fasten the respective ends of the two top mounting elements to each other pivotally. When it is desired that the two or more top mounting elements be pivotable relative to each other (e.g., prior to securing the antenna 100 to the support structure 200), the nuts may be loosened appropriately to enable the two or more top mounting elements to pivot relative to each other about the bolts; and when it is not desired that two or more top mounting elements be able to pivot relative to one another (e.g., after securing the antenna 100 to the support structure 200), the respective ends of adjacent top mounting elements may be tightly secured together by tightening nuts to prevent the two or more top mounting elements from pivoting relative to one another.

Referring to fig. 13-15, a specific structure of the bottom mounting assembly 120 is shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the top mount assembly 110, the bottom mount assembly 120 may include two or more bottom mount elements (e.g., three bottom mount elements 121, 122, and 123 shown in fig. 13-15). Each of the bottom mounting elements may be secured to the bottom of a corresponding one of the housings 101, respectively. The first end of each bottom mounting element may be pivotably connected to the second end of the other bottom mounting element via a pivot element 114 to enable the respective housing 101 fixedly connected to each bottom mounting element to pivot relative to the other housing 101 to open and/or close the side opening 106 of the antenna 100. For ease of manufacture, the two or more bottom mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly 110 may have substantially the same or similar structures.

Referring to fig. 16-19, a specific structure of a first bottom mounting element 121 of a bottom mounting assembly 120 is shown, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The first bottom mounting element 121 has a similar structure to the first top mounting element 111. For example, the first bottom mounting element 121 may include a generally planar body 1210. The body 1210 may include a first end 1211 and a second end 1212 opposite the first end 1211. The second end 1212 of the body 1210 may be bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end 1212 of the body 1210 is at a different height than the first end 1211 of the body 1210. The first end 1211 and the second end 1212 of the body 1210 may include a first aperture 1213 and a second aperture 1214, respectively, for the pivoting member 114 to extend therethrough. The first bottom mounting element 121 may also include one or more overhang portions 1215 located between the first end 1211 and the second end 1212 of the body 1210 and extending from one side of the body 1210 in a direction perpendicular to the body 1210. The overhang portion 1215 can include a third aperture 1216 for extending a securing element (e.g., a screw). When mounting the first bottom mounting element 121 to the respective housing 101 of the antenna 100, the body 1210 of the first bottom mounting element 121 may be placed against the bottom surface of the housing 101 and the overhang portion 1215 of the first bottom mounting element 121 placed against the vertical side surface of the housing 101, and then the first bottom mounting element 121 may be secured to the respective housing 101 using a securing means (e.g., a screw) extending through the third aperture 1216 of the overhang portion 1215. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the first bottom mounting element 121 may not include the overhang portion 1215. In this embodiment, the first bottom mounting element 121 may be fixed to the bottom surface of the corresponding housing 101 of the antenna 100 directly through the body 1210 using a fixing member (e.g., a screw).

Unlike the first top mounting element 111, the first bottom mounting element 121 may also include a recess 1217 for receiving the radio frequency connector 104. The number of recesses 1217 may correspond to the number of radio frequency connectors 104 that the recesses 1217 are to accommodate. The radio frequency connector 104 may extend through the recess 1217 to protrude from the bottom of the housing 101 of the antenna 100 to facilitate connection (e.g., insertion) of the patch cord 107 to the radio frequency connector 104. In the embodiment shown in fig. 16-19, the first bottom mounting element 121 includes only one recess 1217 disposed near the second end 1212 of the first bottom mounting element 121.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the first bottom mounting element 121 may be formed from a plate-like piece as shown in fig. 19. The sheet material may first be formed into a plate-like member as shown in fig. 19 by a suitable process (e.g., stamping, casting, machining, etc.), and then a generally "L" -shaped second end 1212 and depending portion 1215 extending in a direction perpendicular to the body 1210 are formed by bending or folding a corresponding portion of the plate-like member, thereby forming the first bottom mounting member 121 in accordance with the present disclosure.

Fig. 20 to 23 illustrate specific structures of the second bottom mounting element 122 of the bottom mounting assembly 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 24 to 26 illustrate specific structures of the third bottom mounting element 123 of the bottom mounting assembly 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The second and third bottom mounting elements 122 and 123 have substantially the same structure as the first bottom mounting element 121 and are not described in detail herein. Unlike the first bottom mounting member 121, the notch 1227 of the second bottom mounting member 122 is disposed adjacent the first end 1221 of the second bottom mounting member 122, and the third bottom mounting member 123 includes three notches 1237, the three notches 1237 being disposed between the first end 1231 and the second end 1232 of the third bottom mounting member 123. The number and location of the notches of each bottom mounting element 121, 122, 123 may be adjusted according to the number and location of the rf connectors 104 disposed at the bottom of each housing 101 of the antenna 100 to better accommodate the rf connectors 104. In addition, the second and third bottom mounting elements 122 and 123 may be formed in substantially the same manner as the first bottom mounting element 121.

Likewise, two or more bottom mounting elements may be assembled into a bottom mounting assembly 120 and secured to the bottom of antenna 100 in a manner similar to that described above for assembly of top mounting assembly 110, and will not be described in detail herein.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 27 and 28, the radio frequency connector 104 may be configured as a cluster connector, such as an M-LOC cluster connector developed by compu corporation. The cluster connector can effectively reduce the number of rf connectors 104 used, thereby enabling quick connection between the individual rf connectors 104. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 27 and 28, the antenna 100 includes only five radio frequency connectors 104 configured as a bundle connector, wherein three bundle connectors are provided on the main housing 101' of the antenna 100 and one bundle connector is provided on each of the two sub-housings 101″ of the antenna 100. Three cluster connectors provided on the main housing 101 'of the antenna 100 may be communicatively connected to each other within the main housing 101'. In forming the omni-directional or quasi-omni-directional antenna 100, only two bundle connectors provided on the main housing 101' are connected with two bundle connectors provided on the sub-housings 101″ by using jumpers, respectively, which can be achieved by a simple push-and-lock operation, thereby greatly saving installation time. For example, when the M-LOC cluster connector is adopted, connection of a plurality of 5 networks can be realized by only one pushing and locking operation, and the installation time can be shortened by more than 75%.

The antenna 100 according to the present disclosure may be secured to the support structure 200 using any suitable fastening means, for example, the antenna 100 according to the present disclosure may be secured to the support structure using various suitable clamps or other fastening mechanisms.

Referring to fig. 29 and 30, a fastening device of an antenna 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fastening devices according to the present disclosure may include top and bottom fastening assemblies for use with top and bottom mounting assemblies 110 and 120, respectively, of antenna 100. The top and bottom fastening assemblies may have substantially the same or similar configurations, and thus, only the specific configuration of the bottom fastening assembly will be described.

As shown in fig. 29 and 30, the bottom fastening assembly 130 may include two or more bottom fastening supports 131 and a bottom tie-down element 132 for tying the two or more bottom fastening supports 131 to the support structure 200. The number of bottom fastening supports 131 may correspond to the number of bottom mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly 120 such that each bottom fastening support 131 may be disposed below a respective bottom mounting element.

The bottom fastening support 131 may include a first section 1311 and a second section 1312 substantially perpendicular to the first section 1311 such that the bottom fastening support 131 is generally "L" shaped. In use, the first section 1311 of the bottom fastening support 131 may be disposed against the body of the bottom mounting element, while the second section 1312 of the bottom fastening support 131 may be disposed against the support structure 200. The first sections 1311 of the two or more bottom fastening supports 131 may be secured to the body of the bottom mounting element using bolts and nuts, while the second sections 1312 may be tethered by the bottom tethering element 132, thereby securing the antenna 100 to the support structure. As shown in fig. 30, the bottom binding element 132 may be configured in the form of a binding strap.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the bottom fastening support 131 may be configured to be adjustably secured to the body of the bottom mounting element in a radial direction to accommodate support structures of different diameters. In particular, each bottom fastening support 131 may include one or more slots 1313 for adjusting the radial distance of the bottom fastening support 131 relative to the bottom mounting element and/or support structure 200. When each bottom fastening support 131 is secured to the body of the bottom mounting member, the fastening member (e.g., bolt) may be extended through slot 1313 and secured in place in slot 1313 to accommodate support structures of different diameters. Fig. 31 shows the use of the bottom fastening support 131 on a support structure 200 having a larger diameter H, while fig. 32 shows the use of the bottom fastening support 131 on a support structure 200 having a smaller diameter H.

As described above, the top fastening assembly has substantially the same or similar structure as the bottom fastening assembly 130, and will not be described again. It should be noted that all descriptions of the bottom fastening assembly 130 are equally applicable to the top fastening assembly.

Next, with reference to fig. 33 to 35, a process of mounting the antenna 100 according to the present disclosure onto the support structure 200 is described. As shown in fig. 33, first, each top mounting element of the top mounting assembly 110 may be secured to the top of the respective housing 101 of the antenna 100 and each bottom mounting element of the bottom mounting assembly 120 may be secured to the bottom of the respective housing 101 of the antenna 100, wherein at least a portion of the two or more top mounting elements of the top mounting assembly 110 are pivotably connected to each other with the pivot element 114 and at least a portion of the two or more bottom mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly 110 are also pivotably connected to each other with the pivot element 114; second, the antenna 100 mounted with the top and bottom mounting assemblies 110 and 120 may be hoisted to a predetermined mounting height relative to the support structure 200 and the respective housings 101 of the antenna 100 pivoted to open the side openings 106 of the antenna 100; third, the side opening 106 is aligned with the support structure 200 and the antenna 100 is moved toward the support structure 200 until the support structure 200 is received in the interior space 105 of the antenna 100, at which time the side opening 106 of the antenna 100 is closed to surround the antenna 100 around the support structure 200; finally, the antenna 100 is fixed to the support structure 200 using fastening means. After the antenna 100 is secured to the support structure 200, the radio frequency connectors 104 provided on the respective housings 101 may be connected using jumpers 107.

When the fastening device is a fastening device including a top fastening assembly and a bottom fastening assembly as shown in the embodiments according to the present disclosure, the first section of each top fastening support and the first section of each bottom fastening support of the top fastening assembly of the fastening device may be respectively fixed on the body of the corresponding top mounting element of the top mounting assembly and the body of the corresponding bottom mounting element of the bottom mounting assembly before lifting the antenna 100, and the second sections of all top fastening supports of the top fastening assembly and the second sections of all bottom fastening supports of the bottom fastening assembly are respectively bound on the support structure 200 with the top binding element and the bottom binding element after moving the antenna 100 around the support structure 200, thereby fixing the antenna 100 on the support structure 200.

When the top and bottom fastening supports include slots for adjusting the radial distance, the radial distance of both the top and bottom fastening supports relative to the support structure 200 may be adjusted to accommodate support structures 200 of different diameters prior to constraining the top and bottom fastening supports. This improves to some extent the ability of the antenna 100 of the present disclosure to accommodate support structures 200 of different diameters.

Exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. All changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The disclosure is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims

1. A wraparound antenna comprising:

two or more housings pivotably connected, each housing having a signal transmission and/or reception assembly disposed therein, wherein an interior space is disposed between the two or more housings for a support structure to extend therethrough to enable the antenna to be mounted about the support structure;

a top mount assembly disposed on top of the antenna, the top mount assembly comprising two or more top mount elements, each top mount element configured to be secured to a top of a respective housing; and

a bottom mounting assembly disposed at a bottom of the antenna, the bottom mounting assembly comprising two or more bottom mounting elements, each bottom mounting element configured to be secured to a bottom of a respective housing;

Wherein the two or more top mounting elements of the top mounting assembly are configured to be pivotally connected to one another and the two or more bottom mounting elements of the bottom mounting assembly are configured to be pivotally connected to one another, thereby effecting pivotable connection of the two or more housings of the antenna.

2. The wrap-around antenna of claim 1, wherein each top mounting element comprises a generally planar body including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end of the body being bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end of the body is at a different height than the first end.

3. The wrap-around antenna of claim 2, wherein the first and second ends of each top mounting element include first and second apertures, respectively, the first end of one top mounting element extending below the second end of the other top mounting element when the top mounting assembly is assembled, and the first aperture of the first end of the one top mounting element being aligned with the second aperture of the second end of the other top mounting element to enable the pivot element to extend therethrough to effect a pivotable connection between the respective top mounting elements by means of the pivot element.

4. The wrap-around antenna of claim 2, wherein each top mounting element further comprises one or more overhangs located between the first and second ends of the body and extending from one side of the body in a direction perpendicular to the body by means of which each top mounting element can be secured to a respective housing of the antenna.

5. The wrap-around antenna of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more top mounting elements includes a lifting portion to facilitate lifting of the antenna, the lifting portion being disposed at a generally intermediate location of the body and extending in a direction perpendicular to the body.

6. A wraparound antenna according to claim 3, wherein the pivot element is constituted by a bolt and a nut which can be tightened to fasten the two top mounting elements together to limit their pivoting and also loosened to enable the two top mounting elements to pivot relative to each other about the bolt.

7. The wrap-around antenna of claim 1, wherein each bottom mounting element comprises a generally planar body including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end of the body being bent into a generally "L" shape such that the second end of the body is at a different height than the first end.

8. The wrap-around antenna of claim 7, wherein the first and second ends of each bottom mounting element include first and second apertures, respectively, the first end of one bottom mounting element extending below the second end of the other bottom mounting element when the bottom mounting assembly is assembled, and the first aperture of the first end of the one bottom mounting element is aligned with the second aperture of the second end of the other bottom mounting element to enable the pivot element to extend therethrough to effect a pivotable connection between the respective bottom mounting elements by means of the pivot element.

9. The wrap-around antenna of claim 7, wherein each bottom mounting element further comprises one or more overhang portions located between the first and second ends of the body and extending from one side of the body in a direction perpendicular to the body, by means of which each bottom mounting element can be secured to a respective housing of the antenna.

10. The wrap-around antenna of claim 8, wherein the pivot element is comprised of a bolt and a nut that can be tightened to secure the two bottom mounting elements together to limit their pivoting and also loosened to enable the two bottom mounting elements to pivot relative to each other about the bolt.

11. The wrap-around antenna of claim 7, wherein an end of each signal transmission and/or reception assembly includes at least one or more radio frequency connectors extending beyond a bottom of the respective housing; and is also provided with

Wherein each bottom mounting member further includes one or more recesses for receiving the one or more radio frequency connectors.

12. The wrap-around antenna of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency connector is configured as a cluster connector.

13. The wrap-around antenna of claim 12, wherein the antenna comprises a main housing and two sub-housings, wherein the main housing is provided with three bundled connectors and the two sub-housings are each provided with one bundled connector, the bundled connector of each sub-housing being connected to a corresponding one of the bundled connectors of the main housing by a jumper.

14. The wrap-around antenna of claim 13, wherein three bundled connectors of the main housing are communicatively connected to each other within the main housing.

15. The wrap-around antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna further comprises a fastening device comprising a top fastening assembly and a bottom fastening assembly for use with the top mounting assembly and the bottom mounting assembly, respectively.

16. The wrap-around antenna of claim 15, wherein the top fastening assembly comprises two or more top fastening supports and a top tie-down element for tying the two or more top fastening supports to the support structure.

17. The loop antenna of claim 16, wherein each top fastening support includes a first section and a second section substantially perpendicular to the first section such that each top fastening support is generally "L" -shaped, wherein the first section of each top fastening support is configured to abut a top mounting element of the top mounting assembly and the second section is configured to abut the support structure such that the top tie-down element is capable of tie-down each top structural support to the support structure by tie-down the second section of each top fastening support.

18. The wrap-around antenna of claim 16, wherein the top tie-down element is configured in the form of a tie-down strap.

19. The wrap-around antenna of claim 17, wherein the first section of each top-fastening support includes one or more slots to enable each top-fastening support to be adjusted in a radial direction to accommodate support structures of different diameters.

20. The wrap-around antenna of claim 15, wherein the bottom fastening assembly comprises two or more bottom fastening supports and a bottom tie-down element for tying the two or more bottom fastening supports to the support structure.

21. The loop antenna of claim 20, wherein each bottom fastening support includes a first section and a second section substantially perpendicular to the first section such that each bottom fastening support is generally "L" -shaped, wherein the first section of each bottom fastening support is configured to abut a bottom mounting element of the bottom mounting assembly and the second section is configured to abut the support structure such that the bottom tie-down element is capable of tie-down each bottom structural support to the support structure by tying down the second section of each bottom fastening support.

22. The wrap-around antenna of claim 20, wherein the bottom tie-down element is configured in the form of a tie-down strap.

23. The loop antenna of claim 21, wherein the first section of each bottom fastening support includes one or more slots to enable each bottom fastening support to be adjusted in a radial direction to accommodate support structures of different diameters.