EP1403961B1 - Tower for radio broadcasting device - Google Patents

Description

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

Such equipment is deployed on the field for teletransmissions, both at the level of telecommunications as antennas for the system GSM (in English Global System for Mobile Communications) and PCS (Personal Communications Services), and more generally to radio relay telephony, that the other technologies present or future, which would require air links.

We know in the state of the art, different mast solutions and pylons for the broadcasting.,

We know including telescopic masts, whose essential merit is to allow a structure gradually lightening in height while maintaining optimum wind resistance.

For example, the French patent FR2745423 describes an antenna support having two fasteners articulated parallels close to each other by a end at the base of a rigid support, and attached to a mast vertical to form a deformable quadrilateral in the plane vertical to adjust the inclination of the antenna.

US-A-3605 108 discloses a pylon comprising a flexible rod with a head, parallel cable stays and transverse spars connecting the rod and shrouds.

PCT patent WO9858420 relates to a set of cell-site masts, which is integrated with different antennas and constituents so that the whole is easy to install on a cell site without having use of extensive cabling or the like. All also includes a lightweight fiberglass housing, which surrounds the antenna without disturbing its operation. The set features a balancing system designed to raise or lower the dwelling to access the antenna.

PCT patent WO9966589 discloses a Antenna configuration for use in particular with a cell phone system and in a rural environment. This antenna device includes a hollow steel support column dressed with a sheath hollow fiberglass reinforced plastic, for example. The support column and the sheath are designed in order to present an external appearance simulating the bark of a tree, such as a Scots pine. The column is bolted to a concrete base placed below the level soil, and has a cover simulating the roots of the tree. The sheath carries and encloses an antenna equidirective connected to a passing power line through the column and through a pipe located at inside the concrete base. The equipment compartment from a cell phone system base station is connected to the antenna power line.

European patent EP106069 having the title "Telescopic mast for supporting an antenna" provides pneumatic adjustment of the telescopic tubes, whose interest is very fast editing on the site, and high compactness.

The European Patent EP57002 having the title "Telescopic antenna mast" describes a device of which the interest is only to put forward a system telescopic to lift devices to heights high.

In these systems of supports, one seeks generally the greatest rigidity, so as to maintain the most perfect score, characteristic all the more important that the frequency of transmissions is higher high and the distance of the supports more important. In effect, an increase in the frequency means a plus high directivity of radiation (spreading towards "optical" behavior) and consequently the requirement for greater precision in the transmission. In the absence of this precision, the coverage of communications is imperfect, the network can even be find faulty.

The consequence is that high rigidity of supports usually drives a constitution more robust, and as a consequence an implementation of more than better quality materials.

To offset the costs incurred by the need for larger pylons and more it is currently used, particularly in the case we are dealing with here, typically for the support towers for GSM, to use a system in lattice, thus consisting of portions of profiles riveted and / or welded together. Calculations of this metal construction start from a notebook of which specifically specifies the resistance to bad weather, including deformation under the wind, so guarantee the functioning of the network and the coverage of transmissions.

As an indication, for GSM, the value of the misalignment must not exceed 1 ° or 20 ', in case of Strong wind.

The current generalization of the system of mobile phone and services that are and will be still associated (access to databases and the Internet for example) make the need for support pylons antennas become more important, but that At the same time, the problems of material and manufacturing of these supports, preparation times, as well as that of their transport, assembly and their installation. In urban areas especially, so to provide users with perfect coverage, installers are brought to implant their antennas on the roofs of the tallest buildings, which raises many fixation problems, when we know that the current supports, because of the rigidity required, require significant guying.

Finally, on the environmental front, the current multiplication of GSM pylons by a certain number of volume is likely to disfigure the landscape.

The state of the art in pylons antenna supports reveals, besides the wish to lighten these systems, other basic needs such as speed mounting, less drag, more fasteners fast, immunity to vandalism (isolated poles).

The impact of a decrease in weight affects the cost of raw materials, but also in the cost of transport and the equipment needed to Implementation.

In what follows, and after mentioning these Difficulties of acquisition and exploitation of the pylons current antennas, we will focus on to explain the advantages provided by the present invention.

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

The present invention therefore aims to remedy the disadvantages mentioned.

• Faible traínée 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 the antenna support towers providing the following advantages:

• Low drag to the wind
• Reduced weight and footprint
• Preservation of antenna pointing despite controlled flexibility
• Low cost to production, transportation / installation and operation
• Easy installation on site
• Aesthetic

The present invention thus aims at the production a high-performance antennas pylon acquisition and operating costs, contributing to a better environmental design and a more great convenience and quality for users.

Thus, the multiple applications that flow These possibilities open new perspectives in material of standard antenna support towers.

According to its meaning, the invention more general an antenna support pylon characterized in that it comprises at less a flexible rod having at its upper part a head in a plane substantially perpendicular to the said stem, transverse spars and non-extensible means linkage, said transverse spars being articulated by relative to said rod and forming with said means of binding of the deformable cells substantially retaining the parallelism of said spars, characterized in that the spars are connected to the stem by a recessed joint along the axis of the stem, free in at least one direction transverse and pivoting with respect to at least one axis transverse.

According to one variant, the connection means are consisting of at least two inextensible stays arranged on both sides of the stem, attached to one end at the base of the pylon, at the other end to the head, for form a deformable parallelogram holding the head in a substantially constant plane.

Preferably, the stay cables are integral with each of the spars, to form cells whose bases and the vertices are held in parallel planes.

According to another variant, the spars are constituted by substantially planar elements, and in that that the connecting means comprise three stays.

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

Preferably, the head has a portion steerable fairing along a vertical axis.

According to an advantageous variant, the head is free rise in rotation and presents means aerodynamic training to create a stabilization gyroscopic.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stem is constituted by a plurality of recessed elements.

The invention also relates to a device for radio broadcast comprising at least one pylon such as previously defined.

• 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 emboítement sur un élément intermédiaire,
• hisser le tronçon formé dudit élément de sommet et dudit élément intermédiaire jusqu'à une hauteur permettant l'emboítement dudit tronçon sur un nouvel élément intermédiaire, et ainsi de suite jusqu'à l'emboítement 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 of mounting said pylon consisting of:

• install said lower conical element,
• equipping the upper end of said conical element with a winch,
• hoisting a crown element to a height allowing it to interlock with an intermediate element,
• hoisting the section formed of said crown element and said intermediate element to a height allowing the fitting of said section on a new intermediate element, and so on until the interlocking of a section formed of said top element and 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.

By way of non-limiting example, presented to facilitate the understanding of the principles, means and methods likely to allow the realization of the invention, we give a schematic illustration of some particular embodiments in the appended plates in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a diagram of a conventional deformation antenna, where the misalignment characterized by an angle w is found;
• 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, according to the invention, shown in deformation;
• FIG. 4 represents a view of a stage of the deformable tensioner or star;
• FIG. 5 represents the upper monoblock star supporting the antennas;
• Figure 6 shows a preferred articulation by cardan;
• Figure 7 shows another embodiment.

If we plan to build a support tower flexible to keep pointing antennas according to the invention, and more particularly according to that of its modes of application as well as those of the embodiments components that seem to require give preference, proceed in the following manner or in a similar way.

• 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 emboítés 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 traínée 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.

A flexible support tower is formed according to the following modalities

• The central main body consists of the pylon itself, either in the form of conventional trellis, or in tubular sections or, for smaller dimensions, in single tube (monotube). In our illustrated preferential option, the sections are portions of cones fitted telescopic.
• At the bottom, a base - for example circular or more simply square - is bolted to a solidly built structure, or directly embedded or buried.
• At the top, a rigid central star with three branches whose ends serve as points of attachment higher than the tensioners (Fig 5).
• At different intermediate levels, the three-pointed star that serves as a tensioner, consists of articulated horizontal arms (the connecting rods), each along a horizontal axis tangential to a concentric circle with the central support. These rigid arms are formed integrally or three-dimensional structure of the lattice type. The successive arms are vertically coplanar, so that only three vertical planes 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 define the elementary parallelograms consisting of tower sections, connecting rods and tensioner segments, the latter are immobilized at the ends of the arms by gland-type parts in which the circular section tensioner passes. than a cable for example. The tightening at will of the nut makes it possible to secure these elements.
• The articulation of the upper star in the preferred option is arranged as follows: the lower cradle of the connecting gimbal is integral with the end of the support pylon and simultaneously blocks in rotation. The upper cradle is secured to the support of the antennas of diffusion and reception, whatever the shape of this antenna support, and is also locked in rotation thereby, the gimbal does not rotate in the manner of an element of motion transmission 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 tip would coincide with the axis of the end of the pylon-support.
• When certain support towers comprise a shelter (denominated in English shelter), usually used for the equipment, two possibilities are offered: direct installation on the body of the pylon or in solidarity with the support cage of antennas so that this shelter can also maintain its horizontal orientation in all bending conditions. One possibility tending to reduce the drag of the set is that providing the positioning of the shelter in a much lower position, but not be such that the equipment can be exposed to vandalism.
• Haubanage: in the preferential option, the invention allows the removal of shrouds. However, even if in certain cases it was necessary to provide guying - 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 covered floor area, as well as the number of attachment points.

In addition, the points of attachment to the pylon could be limited to a lower level, instead of spread over the entire height.

Behavior of the antenna support tower with the wind:

From the above, it is easy to understand that the invention, exceeding the previous need in rigidity pylons, while guaranteeing a point in all conditions, will be best applied when flexibility of these will be well known, which may result from usual calculations of resistance of materials. The three tensioning cables, which will be of mechanical characteristics determined, will be calculated in such a way 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 back the antenna cage into horizontal position, the other two not having the opportunity to be truly released while exercising a permanent stabilizing effect.

It goes without saying that only the careful calculation allows to determine the values to be given to prestressing in depending on the operating conditions. Nevertheless, notes 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 implementation of special elements ensuring the accuracy and safety of assembly and sustainable operation:

• light, sturdy arms with added cable glands,
• frustoconical portions of which we propose to define the ratios and the particular modes of fixing,
• wear-free joints lubricated for life.

The invention presents the possibility, by compared to the integral trellis systems, to arrange the conductive cables inside the tubes protected from severe weather.

Moreover, the procedures for obtaining and of this set are themselves susceptible several transpositions, especially in function of the general dimensions, the implantation, and Predictable weather conditions.

Thus, for the support pylons of dimensions current twenty meters, a simple design of the central body is the one in two or three sections superimposed, bolted to each other for external flanges. More simply, a monobloc body can be designed when transport conditions do not not a factor that is too unfavorable or crippling.

It should be noted again that the provision preferred embodiment of the invention allowing the passage The inside of the cables increases the shielding of the latter.

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

A design undoubtedly advantageous allowed by the invention is that already mentioned consisting of a central body arranged in several frustoconical sections telescopic, including a particularly simple arrangement and interesting is that consisting of an assembly robust by flanges, for a given junction: flange reported on the outside of the lower part of the top section, and attached flange inside the tube from below in its upper part.

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

At the level of the upper star, two devices can also be applied to ensure the free articulation: the first consists of a cone articulated, sort of plane ring arranged on inclined legs concurrent, and the second into a similar elastic kneecap in its form to some game controllers or "joysticks" in English.

Figure 6 shows an articulation preferential by gimbal.

Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pylon with a load-bearing rod presenting a lower section (100) formed by a wire mesh conical extended by a plurality of sections (101 to 104) nested within each other.

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

Stay cables (110, 111) ensure 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 stem bent under the action of the wind.

Spars (120 to 123) are articulated by relative to the stem and form with the shrouds of the cells deformable, keeping the parallelism of the spars.

The upper part has several platforms (130, 131) kept parallel by the stay cables (110, 111) and articulated in pivoting and displacement transversal like spars. These platforms allow to place the antennas (132).

The stem also supports a housing [shelter] (140) enclosing the electronic equipment. We avoid and online losses caused by cables connecting antennas to placed electronic equipment usually at the base of the pylon.

This case has a double skin for improve heat exchange.

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

We then install a winch at the end superior of this structure (100).

We then hoist the upper section (103) equipped with the head, using the winch, until its base reaches a height allowing it to fit into the lower section (102). We renew this operation hoisting with the winch the newly introduced to place the next stretch, and so on until the stem is raised.

The stays are fixed on the head at the beginning of the operation, and serve as a temporary bridging are then subjected to a slight constraint to balance the stem.

Claims (11)

1. An antenna support pylon of the type comprising at least one flexible rod which has at its upper part a head (105) in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rod, transversal spars (120 to 123) and non-extensible linking means, said transversal spars (120 to 123) being articulated relative to said rod and forming with said linking means deformable cells substantially retaining the parallelism of said spars, characterised in that the spars are connected to the rod by flush-mounted articulation according to the axis of the rod, free in at least one transversal direction and pivoting relative to at least one transversal axis.
2. The pylon as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that said linking means are constituted by at least two inextensible bracing wires (110, 111) positioned on either side of the rod, fixed to one of the ends at the base of the pylon, and at the other end to the head (105), to form a deformable parallelogram keeping the head (105) in a substantially constant plane.
3. The pylon as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that said linking means are solid with each of the spars (120 to 123) to form deformable cells whereof the bases and the vertices are kept in parallel planes.
4. The pylon as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the spars (120 to 123) are constituted by substantially plane elements, and in that the linking means comprise three bracing wires.
5. The pylon as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the spars (120 to 123) are made up of substantially plans elements, and in that the linking means are made up of a plurality of flexible rods.
6. The pylon as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the head (105) has a faired part orientable according to a vertical axis.
7. The pylon as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the head (105) is mounted to rotate freely and has aerodynamic drive means to create gyroscopic stabilisation.
8. The pylon as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the rod is made up of a plurality of flush-mountable elements (100 to 103).
9. The pylon as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that the lower element (100) is conical in shape.
10. A hertzian diffusion device comprising at least one pylon as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
11. A method for mounting a pylon as claimed in Claim 9, characterised in that it comprises the successive steps, consisting of:

    installing said lower conical element (100),

    equipping the upper end of said conical element (100) with a winch,

    hoisting a vertex element (103) up to a height allowing it to be fitted onto an intermediate element (102),

    hoisting the ensemble formed by said vertex element (103) and said intermediate element (102) to a height enabling said ensemble to be fitted onto a new intermediate element, and so on until an ensemble formed by said vertex element (103) and a plurality of intermediate elements is fitted onto the lower conical element (100).

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