EP1403961A2 - Tower for radio broadcasting device - Google Patents

Abstract

The pylon includes an HF amplifier mounted in the top section, and a parallelogram linkage to maintain angular position. The radio transmitting mast comprises a pylon supporting at least one aerial, with equipment including an HF amplifier mounted in the upper part of the pylon. This equipment is mounted in a profiled box which is solidly attached to the pylon, and provided with power by photoelectric cells mounted on the upper part. The upper part of the pylon includes a rotary inertial mass, giving gyroscopic stabilization to the top of the pylon. At least a part of the upper pylon structure includes a deformable parallelepiped linkage, arranged so that the spars on which the aerials are mounted remain parallel to the ground, even when the overall structure of the pylon flexes. The parallelepiped linkage may be sustained by at least two tensioned cables.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of radio broadcasting equipment.

Such equipment is deployed in the field for remote transmissions, both in terms of telecommunications such as antennas for the GSM system (in English Global System for Mobile Communications) and PCS (Personal Communications Services), and more generally for radio relay stations, than other present or future technologies, which would require air links.

In the state of the art, various mast and pylon solutions intended for television broadcasting are known.,

Telescopic masts are known in particular, the essential merit of which is to allow a structure to gradually become lighter in height while retaining optimum resistance to the wind.

For example, French patent FR2745423 describes an antenna support comprising two parallel fasteners articulated close to one another by one end at the base of a rigid support, and fixed to a vertical mast for form a deformable quadrilateral in the vertical plane to adjust the tilt of the antenna.

PCT patent WO9858420 relates to a cell site mast assembly, which is integrated with different antennas and components so that the assembly is easy to install on a cell site without the need for extensive wiring or the like. The set also includes a light fiberglass housing, which surrounds the antenna without disturbing its operation. The set presents a balancing system intended to raise or lower the housing in order to access the antenna.

PCT patent WO9966589 describes an antenna configuration intended to be used in particular with a cell phone system and in a rural environment. This antenna device comprises a hollow steel support column covered with a hollow sheath made of plastic reinforced with glass fibers, for example. The support column and the sheath are designed so as to have an external appearance simulating the bark of a tree, such as a Scots pine. The column is bolted to a concrete base placed below ground level, and has a cover simulating the roots of the tree. The sheath carries and encloses a omnidirectional antenna connected to a feed line passing through the column and through a pipe located inside the concrete base. The equipment compartment of a cell phone system base station is connected to the antenna power line.

European patent EP106069, entitled "telescopic mast intended to support an antenna" provides for the pneumatic adjustment of the telescopic tubes, the advantage of which is the very rapid assembly on site, and the high compactness.

European patent EP57002, entitled "Telescopic antenna mast", describes a device whose interest is only to highlight a telescopic system for lifting devices to high heights.

In these support systems, the greatest rigidity is generally sought, so as to maintain the most perfect pointing, a characteristic which is all the more important the higher the frequency of transmissions and the greater the distance from the supports. In in fact, an increase in frequency means greater directivity of the radiation (propagation tending towards "optical" behavior) and consequently the requirement for greater precision in transmission. In the absence of this precision, communications coverage is imperfect, the network even being able to be faulty.

The consequence is that a high rigidity of the supports usually results in a more robust constitution, and consequently in the use of more better materials.

To offset the costs entailed by the need for larger and heavier pylons, it is currently the practice, particularly in the case with which we are concerned, typically for support pylons for GSM, to use a system in trellis, therefore made up of portions of metal profiles riveted and / or welded together. The calculations for this metal construction are based on specifications which in particular specify weather resistance, including deformation in the wind, so as to guarantee the functioning of the network and the coverage of transmissions.

As an indication, for the GSM, the value of the depointing should not exceed 1 °, even 20 ', in case of strong wind.

The current generalization of the mobile telephone system and of the services which are and will be associated with it (access to databases and the Internet for example) mean that the needs for antenna support towers are becoming greater, but that simultaneously arise the problems of material and manufacturing costs of these supports, of preparation times, as well as that of their transport, assembly and their installation. In urban areas in particular, in order to provide users with perfect coverage, installers are required to install their antennas on the roofs of the tallest buildings, which poses many fixing problems, when we know that current supports , due to the required rigidity, require a substantial guying.

Finally, from an environmental standpoint, the current proliferation of GSM pylons of a certain volume is likely to disfigure the landscape.

The state of the art in terms of antenna support pylons reveals, in addition to the wish to lighten these systems, other fundamental needs such as speed of assembly, reduction in drag, faster fastenings, immunity to vandalism (case isolated posts).

The impact of a reduction in weight is reflected in the cost of raw materials, but also in the cost of transport and the equipment necessary for implementation.

In what follows, and after having mentioned these difficulties of acquisition and exploitation of the current antenna support pylons, we will endeavor to expose the advantages brought by the present invention.

We will deal more specifically below with an antenna support tower solution for the transmission of GSM signals.

The present invention therefore aims to remedy the drawbacks mentioned.

• . Faible traînée au vent
• . Poids et encombrement au sol réduits
• . Conservation du pointage des antennes malgré une flexibilité contrôlée
• . Faible coût à la production, au transport/installation et à l'exploitation
• . Facilité de montage sur site
• . Esthétique

It aims to obtain a new design of antenna support towers providing the following advantages:

• . Low wind drag
• . Reduced weight and footprint
• . Preservation of antenna pointing despite controlled flexibility
• . Low production, transport / installation and operating costs
• . Easy assembly on site
• . Aesthetic

The present invention thus relates to the production of a high-performance antenna support pylon, with reduced acquisition and operating costs, contributing to better environmental management and greater convenience and quality for users.

Thus, the multiple applications that arise from these possibilities open up new perspectives in terms of standard antenna support towers.

The invention relates, in its most general sense, to a pylon characterized in that it comprises at least one flexible rod having at its upper part a head in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rod, transverse spars and non-extensible means of connection , said transverse spars being articulated relative to said rod and forming with said connecting means deformable cells substantially retaining the parallelism of said spars.

According to a variant, the connecting means consist of at least two inextensible stays arranged on either side of the rod, fixed at one end at the base of the pylon, at the other end at the head, to form a deformable parallelogram keeping the head in a substantially constant plane.

Preferably, the shrouds are integral with each of the spars, to form cells whose bases and tops are maintained in parallel planes.

According to a particular embodiment, the spars are connected to the rod by a recessed joint along the axis of the rod, free in at least one transverse direction and pivoting relative to at least one transverse axis.

According to another variant, the spars consist of substantially planar elements, and in that the connecting means comprise three guy lines.

According to a particular embodiment, the spars consist of substantially planar elements, and the connecting means by a plurality of flexible rods.

Preferably, the head has a faired part which can be oriented along a vertical axis.

According to an advantageous variant, the head is mounted free to rotate and has aerodynamic drive means to create gyroscopic stabilization.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rod is formed by a plurality of built-in elements.

The invention also relates to a radio broadcasting device comprising at least one pylon as defined above.

• installer ledit élément conique inférieur,
• équiper l'extrémité supérieure dudit élément conique d'un treuil,
• hisser un élément de sommet jusqu'à une hauteur permettant son emboîtement sur un élément intermédiaire,
• hisser le tronçon formé dudit élément de sommet et dudit élément intermédiaire jusqu'à une hauteur permettant l'emboîtement dudit tronçon sur un nouvel élément intermédiaire, et ainsi de suite jusqu'à l'emboîtement d'un tronçon formé dudit élément de sommet et d'une pluralité d'éléments intermédiaires sur l'élément inférieur conique.

The invention also relates to a method for installing a pylon as defined above comprising a conical lower element, the steps of the method for mounting said pylon consisting of:

• install said lower conical element,
• equip the upper end of said conical element with a winch,
• hoist a crown element up to a height allowing it to fit onto an intermediate element,
• hoisting the section formed from said crown element and said intermediate element to a height allowing the interlocking of said section on a new intermediate element, and so on until the interlocking of a section formed from said crown element and d 'a plurality of intermediate elements on the conical lower element.

• la figure 1 représente un schéma d'une antenne classique en déformation, où l'on constate le dépointage caractérisé par un angle w ;
• la figure 2 représente un schéma de la déformation d'un parallélogramme vertical contenu dans un plan ;
• la figure 3 représente un schéma de profil du pylône-support, conformément à l'invention, montré en déformation ;
• la figure 4 représente une vue d'un étage du tendeur ou étoile déformable ;
• la figure 5 représente l'étoile supérieure monobloc support des antennes ;
• la figure 6 représente une articulation préférentielle par cardan ;
• la figure 7 représente un autre exemple de réalisation.
  Si l'on envisage de réaliser un pylône-support flexible permettant de conserver le pointage des antennes selon l'invention, et plus spécialement selon celui de ses modes d'application ainsi que ceux des modes de réalisation de ses composants auxquels il semble qu'il y ait lieu de donner la préférence, on procède de la manière qui suit ou d'une manière analogue.
  On constitue un pylône-support flexible selon les modalités ci-après
• Le corps principal central est constitué du pylône proprement dit, soit sous forme de treillis classique, ou encore en tronçons tubulaires ou, pour les dimensions plus réduites, en tube unique (monotube). Dans notre option préférentielle illustrée, les tronçons sont des portions de cônes emboîtés télescopiques.
• A la partie inférieure, une base - par exemple circulaire ou plus simplement carrée - est soit boulonnée sur une structure solidement établie, soit directement encastrée ou enterrée.
• A la partie supérieure, une étoile rigide centrale à trois branches dont les extrémités servent de points d'accrochages supérieurs aux tendeurs (Fig 5).
• A différents niveaux intermédiaires, l'étoile à trois branches qui sert de tendeur, est constituée de bras horizontaux (les bielles) articulés, chacun selon un axe horizontal tangent à un cercle concentrique avec le support central. Ces bras rigides sont constitués de façon monobloc ou en structure tridimensionnelle du type treillis. Les bras successifs sont verticalement coplanaires, de telle sorte que seulement trois plans verticaux concourant à 120°C suffisent à contenir tous les plans de symétrie des branches supérieures et intermédiaires (Fig. 3, Fig. 4).
• De façon à bien définir les parallélogrammes élémentaires constitués des tronçons de pylône, des bielles et des segments de tendeurs, ces derniers sont immobilisés au niveau des extrémités des bras par des pièces du type presse-étoupe dans lequel passe le tendeur de section circulaire - tel qu'un câble par exemple. Le serrage à volonté de l'écrou permet de solidariser ces éléments.
• L'articulation de l'étoile supérieure dans l'option préférentielle est agencée comme suit le berceau inférieur du cardan de liaison est solidaire de l'extrémité du pylône-support et simultanément bloque en rotation. Le berceau supérieur est lui, solidaire du support des antennes de diffusion et réception, quelle que soit la forme de ce support d'antennes, et est également bloqué en rotation de ce fait, le cardan ne tourne pas à la façon d'un élément de transmission de mouvement entre arbres. Les mouvements possibles pour le cardan sont seulement ceux de pivotement autour des axes du croisillon horizontal (Fig. 5). Un système mécaniquement équivalent est celui d'une rotule dont l'embout serait confondu avec l'axe de l'extrémité du pylône-support.
• Lorsque certains pylônes-supports comportent un abri (dénommé en anglais shelter), habituellement utilisé pour les appareillages, deux possibilités s'offrent : installation directe sur le corps du pylône ou bien solidairement avec la cage-support d'antennes de telle façon que ce shelter puisse également conserver son orientation horizontale dans toutes les conditions de flexion.
  Une possibilité tendant à diminuer la traînée de l'ensemble est celle prévoyant le positionnement du shelter dans une position nettement plus basse, sans toutefois être telle que l'appareillage puisse être exposé au vandalisme.
• Haubanage : dans l'option préférentielle, l'invention permet la suppression des haubans. Cependant, même si dans certains cas il était nécessaire de prévoir des haubans - par exemple pour des raisons de sécurité insuffisantes des fondations, ou de limitation recherchée de la flexion - l'invention permet d'en limiter l'importance, et de réduire la surface couverte au sol, ainsi que le nombre des points d'attache.

As a simple non-limiting example, set out to facilitate understanding of the principles, means and methods capable of enabling the invention to be carried out, we give in diagrammatic illustration some particular embodiments in the attached plates in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a diagram of a conventional antenna in deformation, where one notes the depointing characterized by an angle w;
• FIG. 2 represents a diagram of the deformation of a vertical parallelogram contained in a plane;
• FIG. 3 represents a profile diagram of the support pylon, in accordance with the invention, shown in deformation;
• FIG. 4 represents a view of a stage of the deformable tensioner or star;
• FIG. 5 represents the one-piece upper star supporting the antennas;
• FIG. 6 represents a preferred articulation by cardan;
• Figure 7 shows another embodiment.
  If we plan to make a flexible support pylon to keep the pointing of the antennas according to the invention, and more particularly according to that of its modes of application as well as those of the embodiments of its components which it seems preference should be given, the procedure is as follows or in a similar manner.
  A flexible support pylon is formed in the following manner
• The central main body consists of the pylon itself, either in the form of a conventional trellis, or in tubular sections or, for smaller dimensions, in a single tube (monotube). In our preferred option illustrated, the sections are portions of telescopic nested cones.
• At the bottom, a base - for example circular or more simply square - is either bolted to a solidly established structure, or directly embedded or buried.
• At the upper part, a rigid central star with three branches, the ends of which serve as attachment points above the tensioners (Fig 5).
• At different intermediate levels, the three-pointed star which serves as a tensioner, is made up of horizontal arms (the connecting rods) articulated, each along a horizontal axis tangent to a concentric circle with the central support. These rigid arms are made in a single piece or in a three-dimensional structure of the trellis type. The successive arms are vertically coplanar, so that only three vertical planes competing at 120 ° C are sufficient to contain all the planes of symmetry of the upper and intermediate branches (Fig. 3, Fig. 4).
• In order to properly define the elementary parallelograms consisting of pylon sections, connecting rods and tensioner segments, the latter are immobilized at the ends of the arms by pieces of the cable gland type through which the tensioner of circular section passes - such than a cable for example. Tightening the nut at will allows these elements to be secured.
• The articulation of the upper star in the preferential option is arranged as follows: the lower cradle of the connecting gimbal is secured to the end of the support pylon and simultaneously blocks in rotation. The upper cradle is itself secured to the support of the broadcasting and reception antennas, whatever the shape of this antenna support, and is also locked in rotation thereby, the gimbal does not rotate like an element. of transmission of movement between trees. The possible movements for the gimbal are only those of pivoting around the axes of the horizontal spider (Fig. 5). A mechanically equivalent system is that of a ball joint whose end piece would coincide with the axis of the end of the support pylon.
• When certain support pylons include a shelter (usually called shelter), two possibilities are offered: direct installation on the body of the pylon or solidly with the antenna support cage so that shelter can also maintain its horizontal orientation in all flexion conditions.
  One possibility tending to reduce the drag of the assembly is that providing for positioning the shelter in a significantly lower position, without however being such that the apparatus can be exposed to vandalism.
• Guying: in the preferential option, the invention allows the removal of guy lines. However, even if in certain cases it was necessary to provide shrouds - for example for reasons of insufficient security of the foundations, or desired limitation of bending - the invention makes it possible to limit its importance, and to reduce the surface covered on the ground, as well as the number of attachment points.

Furthermore, the attachment points to the pylon could be limited to a lower level, instead of being distributed over the entire height.

Behavior of the antenna support pylon with the wind:

From the above, it is easy to understand that the invention, going beyond the previous need for rigidity of the pylons, while guaranteeing pointing in all conditions, will be best applied when the flexibility of the latter is well known, which can result from usual material strength calculations. The three tensioning cables, which will have well-defined mechanical characteristics, will be calculated so as to maintain a prestress on the body of the support pylon. In this way, any bending of the latter will allow the tensioner downwind to bring the antenna cage into a horizontal position, the other two not having the possibility of being really relaxed while exerting a permanent stabilizing effect.

It goes without saying that only careful calculation makes it possible to determine the values to be given to the prestresses according to the operating conditions. However, we note the simplicity of setting up the procedure.

• des bras légers, robustes, munis de presse-étoupes rapportés,
• des portions tronconiques dont nous nous proposons de définir les rapports ainsi que les modes de fixation particuliers,
• des articulations sans usure lubrifiées à vie.

Regarding the components, the invention is distinguished by the use of special elements ensuring the precision and safety of assembly and lasting operation:

• light, robust arms, fitted with cable glands,
• frustoconical portions of which we propose to define the relationships as well as the particular methods of fixation,
• wear-free joints lubricated for life.

The invention presents the possibility, compared to integral trellis systems, of placing the conductive cables inside the tubes sheltered from the weather.

In addition, the procedures for obtaining and using this set are themselves subject to several transpositions, particularly depending on the general dimensions, location, and foreseeable climatic conditions.

Thus, for support pylons of current dimensions close to twenty meters, a simple design of the central body is that in two or three superposed sections, bolted to each other by means of external flanges. Even more simply, a one-piece body can be designed when the transport conditions are not an unfavorable or unacceptable factor.

It should also be noted that the preferred arrangement of the invention allowing the internal passage of the cables increases the shielding of the latter.

The invention is naturally conceivable in several variants, depending in particular on the materials, environmental conditions, aesthetics, etc..

A probably advantageous design allowed by the invention is that already mentioned consisting of a central body arranged in several frustoconical telescopic sections, of which a particularly simple and interesting arrangement is that consisting of a robust assembly by flanges or, for a given junction: flange attached to the outside of the lower part of the upper section, and flange attached to the inside of the lower tube in its upper part.

Another variant relates to a device having a lower lattice part, surmounted by a frustoconical upper part made of an envelope such as a tube.

At the level of the upper star, two devices can also be applied to ensure free articulation: the first consists of an articulated cone, a sort of planar ring arranged on concurrent inclined feet, and the second in a similar elastic ball joint in its training in certain joysticks or joysticks in English.

FIG. 6 represents a preferred articulation by cardan.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pylon comprising a bearing rod having a lower section (100) formed by a conical wire mesh extended by a plurality of section (101 to 104) nested one inside the other.

The rod supports at its upper end a head (105) articulated in pivoting and in transverse displacement.

Guy lines (110, 111) ensure the parallelism of the head (105) with the base of the device, and the maintenance of the head in a substantially constant plane, even when the rod bent under the action of the wind.

Spars (120 to 123) are articulated with respect to the rod and form with the shrouds deformable cells, retaining the parallelism of the spars.

The upper part has several platforms (130, 131) held parallel by the shrouds (110, 111) and articulated in pivoting and transverse displacement like the spars. These platforms allow the antennas (132) to be placed.

The rod also supports a housing (140) containing the electronic equipment. This avoids online losses caused by the cables connecting the antennas to electronic equipment usually placed at the base of the pylon.

This case has a double skin to improve heat exchange.

The assembly is done by first installing the conical lattice structure (100).

A winch is then installed at the upper end of this structure (100).

The upper section (103) equipped with the head is then hoisted, using the winch, until its base reaches a height allowing it to fit into the lower section (102). This operation is repeated by hoisting the newly introduced section with the winch to place the next section, and so on until the rod is raised.

The shrouds are fixed on the head at the start of the operation, and serve as guying in the provisional phase and are then subjected to a slight stress to balance the rod.

Claims (12)

Pylon characterized in that it comprises at least one flexible rod having at its upper part a head (105) in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rod, transverse spars (120 to 123) and non-extensible means of connection, said spars transverse (120 to 123) being articulated relative to said rod and forming with said connecting means deformable cells substantially maintaining the parallelism of said spars. Pylon according to claim 1, characterized in that said connecting means consist of at least two inextensible stays (110, 111) arranged on either side of the rod, fixed at one end at the base of the pylon , at the other end to the head (105), to form a deformable parallelogram keeping the head (105) in a substantially constant plane. Pylon according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said connecting means are integral with each of the spars (120 to 123), to form deformable cells whose bases and vertices are maintained in parallel planes. Pylon according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spars are connected to the rod by a recessed joint along the axis of the rod, free in at least one transverse direction and pivoting relative to at least a transverse axis. Pylon according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the spars (120 to 123) are constituted by substantially planar elements, and in that the connecting means comprise three guy lines. Pylon according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the spars (120 to 123) are constituted by substantially planar elements, and in that the connecting means consist of a plurality of flexible rods. Pylon according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the head (105) has a faired part which can be oriented along a vertical axis. Pylon according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the head (105) is mounted free to rotate and has aerodynamic drive means to create gyroscopic stabilization. Pylon according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rod consists of a plurality of built-in elements (100 to 103). Pylon according to claim 9, characterized in that the lower element (100) is of conical shape. Radio broadcast device comprising at least one pylon according to any one of the preceding claims. Method for mounting a pylon according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises the successive steps consisting in: - install said lower conical element (100), - equipping the upper end of said conical element (100) with a winch, - hoisting a crown element (103) up to a height allowing it to fit onto an intermediate element (102), - hoisting the assembly formed of said crown element (103) and of said intermediate element (102) to a height allowing the nesting of said assembly on a new intermediate element, and so on until the nesting of a assembly formed by said crown element (103) and a plurality of intermediate elements on the conical lower element (100).

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