CN210111025U

CN210111025U - Mounting bracket and preassembled cell sector radio assembly

Info

Publication number: CN210111025U
Application number: CN201921331742.7U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 殷美华; 唐普亮; 王一丁; 高倩
Original assignee: Commscope Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Commscope Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2019-08-16
Filing date: 2019-08-16
Publication date: 2020-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-16

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a mounting bracket and a pre-assembled cellular sector radio assembly. The mounting bracket is used to pre-assemble a base station antenna and at least one radio thereon to form a cellular sector radio assembly. The mounting bracket includes an elongate member and at least one mounting block secured to the elongate member, the base station antenna being removably mountable on the elongate member and the radio device being removably mountable on the mounting block. The mounting block includes a cantilevered frame including a first recess between two ends of the cantilevered frame for receiving the mast of the tower such that the base station antenna and the radio are respectively located on opposite sides of the mast of the tower when the cellular sector radio assembly is mounted on the tower, and a mounting panel. By means of the mounting bracket, the cellular sector radio assembly can be pre-assembled and tested in the factory, avoiding complex operations in the field, reducing installation time and reducing the risk of installation errors.

Description

Mounting bracket and preassembled cell sector radio assembly

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a mounting bracket for pre-assembled cell sector radio components, and pre-assembled cell sector radio components.

Background

A radio network system that may be mounted on top of a tower typically includes a base station antenna and one or more radios associated with the base station antenna. Traditionally, these base station antennas and radios have been mounted separately on the tower top in the field and then connected together by cables for passing radio frequency signals therebetween. These installation operations are complex and time consuming and present a risk of installation errors.

For example, the installer needs to first mount the base station antenna and the radio unit separately on the tower top and then properly connect the base station antenna and the radio unit together with the aid of a schematic or wiring diagram. These installation operations are quite difficult on the tower top and there is a possibility of cables being installed in the wrong place, cables of the wrong length being installed, connectors being incorrectly assembled to the cables, and other installation errors. In addition, once the base station antenna or radio device needs to be replaced, an installer needs to disassemble it on site and then repeat the installation operation to install a new base station antenna or radio device. Currently, it takes about 3 days to perform the installation or replacement operation in the field.

In addition, installation or replacement operations in the field can negatively impact interconnect quality and overall system performance under variable temperature and humidity conditions.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a mounting bracket is provided. The mounting bracket is used to pre-assemble a base station antenna and at least one radio thereon to form a cellular sector radio assembly. The mounting bracket includes an elongate member and at least one mounting block secured to the elongate member, the base station antenna being removably mountable on the elongate member and the radio device being removably mountable on the mounting block. The mount includes a cantilevered frame and a mounting panel. The cantilevered frame includes a first notch between two ends of the cantilevered frame. The first recess is for receiving a pole of a tower such that the base station antenna and radio are located on opposite sides of the pole of the tower when the cell sector radio assembly is mounted on the tower.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the elongate element comprises at least one cable management component for managing a cable connecting the base station antenna and the radio device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cable management component includes a pole.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the elongated element is provided with a through hole for the rod, the rod being mounted in the through hole and both ends of the rod protruding from the through hole.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the elongated element further comprises a ground wire fixation element for fixing a ground wire.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the ground wire fixation element is configured as a plate comprising a plurality of holes.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cantilevered frame is provided with a second notch at one end adapted to receive the elongated element to secure the cantilevered frame to the elongated element.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the other end of the cantilevered frame is provided with a lug and the mounting panel is provided with an opening for receiving the lug, such that the mounting panel can be mounted on the cantilevered frame by means of a positive fit of the lug and the opening.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cantilevered frame has a cross-section in the shape of a general "C".

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the top end of the elongated element is provided with a lifting lug.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the lifting lug comprises a horizontal plate welded to the top end of the elongated element and a vertical plate welded to the horizontal plate, the vertical plate being provided with a lifting lug eye.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal plate includes at least one positioning slot, and the vertical plate includes at least one leg insertable into the positioning slot.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the bottom of the elongated element is provided with a pivoting member.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pivot member comprises a pivot shaft, the bottom of the elongated element is provided with a pivot hole, the pivot shaft is mounted in the pivot hole and both ends of the pivot shaft protrude from the pivot hole.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the elongated element is configured as a hollow tube.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mounting bracket includes a plurality of mounts having the same orientation.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an inner surface of the first recess is configured as a non-smooth surface.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an inner surface of the first recess is configured as a serrated surface.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the radio device includes a tower mounted amplifier and/or a radio remote unit.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a pre-assembled cell sector radio assembly. The cellular sector radio assembly comprises: a mounting bracket according to the present disclosure; a base station antenna mounted on the mounting bracket; at least one radio mounted on the mounting bracket; and a cable connecting the base station antenna and the radio device.

Drawings

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 mounting bracket according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the mounting bracket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cantilevered frame of a mount according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mounting panel of a mount according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mounting panel of a mount according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

figure 6 is a perspective view of a horizontal plate of a shackle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vertical plate of a shackle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 8 is a perspective view of a ground wire fixation element according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

figure 9 is a front view of a cellular sector radio assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments described below are intended to provide a more complete disclosure of the present disclosure, and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

It is to 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 meaning 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 content clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features. The term "and/or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In the description, spatial relationships such as "upper", "lower", "above", "below", "top", "bottom", and the like may be used to describe one feature's relationship to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatial relationship terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, features originally described as "below" other features may be described as "above" other features when the device in the figures is inverted. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial relationships may be interpreted accordingly.

The present disclosure relates to a mounting bracket for pre-assembling a base station antenna and at least one radio associated with the base station antenna, such as a Tower Mounted Amplifier (TMA), a Radio Remote Unit (RRU), and any other suitable radio, thereon to form a cellular sector radio assembly. The cellular sector wireless assembly can be pre-assembled, cabled, and performance tested in the factory before being shipped to the field, thereby avoiding complex installation operations in the field, reducing installation time and reducing the risk of installation errors. The mounting bracket may form part of a cellular sector radio assembly.

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate a mounting bracket 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure in perspective and front views, respectively. The mounting bracket 10 may include an elongated member 11 and at least one mounting block 12 secured to the elongated member 11. The base station antenna can be detachably mounted on the elongated element 11 and the radio device associated with the base station antenna can be detachably mounted on the mounting 12. The base station antenna and the radio device may be mounted on opposite sides of the elongate member 11 respectively. The base station antenna and the radio are connected together by a cable for passing radio frequency signals therebetween.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2, the mounting bracket 10 includes a plurality of mounting sockets 12 secured at various locations along the length of the elongate member 11 for removably mounting a plurality of radios. When the mounting bracket 10 includes a plurality of mounts 12, the plurality of mounts 12 may have the same orientation.

The elongated element 11 may be of solid construction or may be a hollow tube. The cross-section of the elongated element 11 may be circular or non-circular (for example quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.).

The top end of the elongate element 11 may be provided with a lifting lug 13 to facilitate lifting of the pre-assembled cell sector radio assembly for mounting it to the tower top. The bottom of the elongated element 11 may be provided with a pivoting member. Pre-assembled cell sector radio assemblies can be erected by means of the pivoting members to facilitate the hoisting operation. The pivoting member may comprise a pivot such that the elongate element 11 can pivot about the pivot. The bottom of the elongated element 11 is provided with a pivot hole 14 in which the pivot shaft can be mounted and from which both ends of the pivot shaft can protrude. Of course, the present disclosure is not so limited and the pivot may be welded directly to the elongated member 11 to form the pivoting member. The lifting lug 13 and pivoting member facilitate the suspension and lifting of the pre-assembled cell sector radio assembly, reducing the risk of damage to the base station antenna and radio during suspension and lifting.

The elongated element 11 may also comprise at least one cable management component for managing the cables connecting the base station antenna and the radio device. The cable management component may include a rod, and the cable may be wound or secured around the rod of the cable management component. The elongated element 11 is provided with a through hole 15 for said rod. The rod of the cable management member may be mounted in the through hole 15 and both ends of the rod may protrude from the through hole 15. Of course, the present disclosure is not so limited and the rods may be welded directly to the elongated elements 11 to form the cable management components. As another example, the cable management component may be a cable hanger such as shown in U.S. patent application nos. 9,866,004 and 10,253,906, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2, the elongate element 11 comprises a plurality of cable management components disposed at different locations along the length of the elongate element 11 at the elongate element 11.

The elongated element 11 may further comprise a ground fixation element 16 for fixation of a ground wire. As shown more clearly in fig. 8, the ground fixation element 16 may be configured as a plate comprising a plurality of holes 161. The ground wire may be fixed in the hole 161. The ground fixation element 16 may be welded to the elongated element 11.

Referring to fig. 3-5, a specific structure of mount 12 is shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The mounting 12 may comprise a cantilevered frame 121 that can be fixed to the elongated element 11 and a mounting panel 122 at one end of the cantilevered frame 121. The radio may be removably mounted to the mounting panel 122.

Specifically, one end of the cantilever frame 121 may be provided with a notch 123. The notch 123 is configured and adapted to receive the elongated member 11 to facilitate securing the cantilevered frame 121 to the elongated member 11 by welding or the like. The other end of the cantilevered frame 121 may be provided with a lug 124. Accordingly, the mounting panel 122 may be provided with an opening 126 for receiving the lug 124, such that the mounting panel 122 can be mounted on the cantilevered frame 121 by means of a positive fit of the lug 124 and the opening 126. Preferably, after the lugs 124 are inserted into the openings 126, the mounting panel may be further secured to the cantilevered frame by welding the lugs 124 and openings 126 together by welding.

The cantilevered frame 121 may also include a notch 125 between the two ends of the cantilevered frame. The recess 125 is used to receive the pole of the tower so that pre-assembled cell sector radio components can be mounted on the tower using fixing elements such as U-bolts and so that the base station antenna and radio are located on both sides of the pole of the tower. The inner surface of the recess 125 may be configured as a non-smooth surface to increase the friction and contact force between the recess and the pole so that the pre-assembled cell sector radio assembly can be more securely mounted on the pole. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the inner surface of the recess 125 is configured as a serrated surface.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the cantilevered frame 121 may have a generally "C" shape in cross-section, including two sidewalls extending horizontally in a lateral direction and a vertical wall between and connecting the two sidewalls. A notch 123 may be provided at one end of each side wall and a lug 124 may be provided at the other end of each side wall. Likewise, a notch 125 may be provided between the two ends of each sidewall.

The mounting panel 122 may also be provided with a plurality of holes 127 for securing a radio. The holes 127 may be threaded holes. However, the aperture 127 may not include threads and a threaded clip may be attached to the aperture 127 for securing the radio. In addition, the opening 126 and the hole 127 may be provided at different positions of the mounting panel 122 according to actual needs. Fig. 4 and 5 show the opening 126 and the hole 127 of the mounting panel 122 disposed at different positions, respectively.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, a specific structure of the shackle 13 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The lifting lug 13 may include a horizontal plate 131 and a vertical plate 132. The horizontal plate 131 may be welded to the top end of the elongated element 11. The vertical plate 132 may be welded to the horizontal plate 131. The vertical plate 132 is provided with a lug eye 133.

To more easily position the vertical plate 132 during welding, the horizontal plate 131 may include at least one positioning slot 134. Accordingly, the vertical plate 132 may include at least one leg 135. The legs 135 may be inserted into the positioning grooves 134 of the horizontal plate 131 so that the vertical plate 132 can be easily positioned. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6 and 7, horizontal plate 131 is provided with two positioning slots 134 and vertical plate 132 is provided with two legs 135, respectively.

Next, referring to fig. 9, a pre-assembled cellular sector radio assembly 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The cellular sector radio assembly 20 may include a mounting bracket 10, a base station antenna 21 mounted on the elongate member 11 of the mounting bracket 10, a remote radio unit 22 mounted on one of the mounting sockets 12 of the mounting bracket 10, and a tower mounted amplifier 23 mounted on the other mounting socket 12 of the mounting bracket 10. The base station antenna 21 is located on one side of the mounting bracket 10 and the remote radio unit 22 and tower mounted amplifier 23 are located on the opposite side of the mounting bracket 10. The base station antenna 21 is connected to the remote radio unit 22 and the tower amplifier 23 by cables for transmitting radio frequency signals therebetween. In addition, when the cellular sector radio assembly 20 is mounted on the mast 24 of the tower, the mast 24 will be received in the notch 125 of the cantilevered frame 121 of the mounting base 12 such that the mast 24 is located between the base station antenna 21 and the remote radio unit 22 and the tower top amplifier 23.

In embodiments according to the present disclosure, the elongated element 11, the mounting seat 12, the lifting lug 13, the pivoting member 14, the cable management member 15, and the ground fixation element 16 of the mounting bracket 10 may all be made of steel. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the elongated element 11, the mounting seat 12, the lifting lug 13, the pivoting member 14, the cable management member 15, and the ground wire fixing element 16 of the mounting bracket 10 may be made of a lightweight material (e.g., aluminum) according to actual needs.

Although not shown, different types and numbers of radios may be mounted on the mounting sockets of the mounting bracket 10 as desired. This enables a flexible combination of base station antennas and radio devices associated with the base station antennas. In addition, the cellular sector radio assembly 20 can be pre-assembled, cabled, and performance tested in the factory before being shipped to the site, thereby avoiding complex installation operations in the field, reducing installation time, reducing installation errors, and ensuring the quality of the interconnection between the base station antenna and the radio and the overall performance of the overall system. In particular, by forming the base station antenna and its associated radio into a cellular sector radio assembly by means of a mounting bracket according to the present disclosure, the time taken to replace the base station antenna and its associated radio on the tower can be reduced from the conventional 3 days to about 3 hours, significantly improving efficiency and saving labor costs. In addition, with the mounting bracket according to the present disclosure, the base station antenna and the radio device that best matches the base station antenna can be sold as a cellular sector radio assembly, thereby avoiding the user from compromising the overall performance of the entire wireless communication system by selecting a radio device that does not match the base station antenna.

Exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure are described above with reference to the 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 of the disclosure. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein 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 mounting bracket for pre-assembling a base station antenna and at least one radio thereon to form a cellular sector radio assembly, the mounting bracket comprising an elongate element and at least one mounting block secured to the elongate element, the base station antenna being removably mountable on the elongate element and the radio being removably mountable on the mounting block;

wherein the mounting base comprises a cantilevered frame and a mounting panel, the cantilevered frame comprising a first recess between two ends of the cantilevered frame for receiving a pole of a tower such that the base station antenna and radio are located on opposite sides of the pole of the tower when the cell sector radio assembly is mounted on the tower.

2. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the elongated element comprises at least one cable management component for managing a cable connecting the base station antenna and the radio.

3. The mounting bracket of claim 2, wherein the cable management component comprises a pole.

4. A mounting bracket according to claim 3, characterised in that the elongate element is provided with a through hole for the rod, the rod being mounted in the through hole and both ends of the rod protruding from the through hole.

5. The mounting bracket of claim 1 wherein the elongated member further comprises a ground wire securing element for securing a ground wire.

6. The mounting bracket of claim 5 wherein the ground wire fixation element is configured as a plate comprising a plurality of apertures.

7. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein one end of the cantilevered frame is provided with a second notch adapted to receive the elongated element to secure the cantilevered frame to the elongated element.

8. The mounting bracket of claim 7, wherein the other end of the cantilevered frame is provided with a lug and the mounting panel is provided with an opening for receiving the lug such that the mounting panel can be mounted on the cantilevered frame by means of a positive fit of the lug and the opening.

9. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered frame has a cross-section that is generally "C" shaped.

10. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the top end of the elongated element is provided with a lifting lug.

11. The mounting bracket of claim 10, wherein the lifting lug comprises a horizontal plate welded to the top end of the elongate element and a vertical plate welded to the horizontal plate, the vertical plate being provided with a lug eye.

12. The mounting bracket of claim 11 wherein the horizontal plate includes at least one detent and the vertical plate includes at least one leg insertable into the detent.

13. A mounting bracket according to claim 10, characterised in that the bottom of the elongate element is provided with a pivoting member.

14. A mounting bracket according to claim 13, wherein the pivot means comprises a pivot shaft, the base of the elongate member being provided with a pivot hole in which the pivot shaft is mounted and from which both ends of the pivot shaft project.

15. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the elongated element is configured as a hollow tube.

16. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket comprises a plurality of mounting sockets, the plurality of mounting sockets having the same orientation.

17. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the first recess is configured as a non-smooth surface.

18. The mounting bracket of claim 17, wherein an inner surface of the first recess is configured as a serrated surface.

19. The mounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the radio comprises a tower mounted amplifier and/or a radio remote unit.

20. A pre-assembled cell sector radio assembly, the cell sector radio assembly comprising:

a mounting bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 19;

a base station antenna mounted on the mounting bracket;

at least one radio mounted on the mounting bracket; and

a cable connecting the base station antenna and the radio.