GB2321343A

GB2321343A - Antennas

Info

Publication number: GB2321343A
Application number: GB9726693A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Chalmers
Original assignee: LENSON HEATH TRIAX Ltd
Current assignee: LENSON HEATH TRIAX Ltd
Priority date: 1996-12-17
Filing date: 1997-12-17
Publication date: 1998-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-17
Also published as: GB2321343B; AU7740198A; GB9726693D0; GB9626144D0; WO1998027608A1

Abstract

A dish-reflector 2 is hooked to a fixing-bracket 1 by engaging slots 11 in the reflector 2 on ears 10 of the bracket 1. The ears 10 lie flat with the reflecting surface 13 within pressed-out pockets 12, and a fitting 16 plugs into a socket 15 of the bracket 1 to secure the reflector 2 from unhooking. A nose-portion 18 of the fitting 16 having resilient barbs 20, extends through an escutcheon plate 19 and an aperture 14 of the reflector 2 to latch in the socket 15; abutment face 17 of the fitting 16 then bears on the plate 19 to urge the reflector 2 back firmly onto the bracket 1. The near-end of a feed-arm 3 plugs into the fitting 16 with a tongue 24 of the nose-portion 18 engaging an edge 23 of the arm 3, to secure the arm 3 to the reflector 2 and bracket 1 and block release of the fitting 16 from the socket 15. A microwave-horn receiver 4 and converter unit 5 are carried by a fitting 25 that plugs resiliently into the far-end of the arm 3.

Description

Antennas This invention relates to antennas and is concerned with antennas of the kind having a dish-reflector.

Antennas of the above-mentioned kind are very commonly used for reception of satellite television transmissions and in this context especially, are often supplied in kit form for assembly by the installer. The installer is required in these latter circumstances to assemble the antenna from the component parts supplied in the kit, using nuts, bolts and screws.

Component parts of the antenna, which for reasons of mechanical integrity or convenience, cannot be readily assembled together at the installation site, may be riveted or otherwise secured together during manufacture, so that the kit may already be part-assembled before reaching the installer. But in any event, the work of installation is normally made somewhat more timeconsuming and tedious by the need for the installer to carry out a significant degree of assembly of the antenna and to do so with dexterity to engage and secure the nuts, bolts and screws appropriately, and ensure that nothing goes astray. The operation of assembly cannot normally be eased to any significant extent with current forms of antenna, without adding to manufacturing costs and, usually, also to the costs of packaging and transportation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an antenna having a dish-reflector, of a form facilitating assembly.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an antenna which includes a dish-reflector for attachment to a bracket or other mounting means, wherein the reflector and mounting means hook together for attachment to one another, and a part is adapted to engage with the reflector and the mounting means for restraining them from relative movement unhooking one from the other.

The mounting means may have a plurality of spaced, substantially-parallel ears or other projections onto which the reflector hooks. The reflector may be slotted to receive the projections, and in this respect the reflector may have spaced slots therethrough located in respective pocket-depressions in the reflecting surface of the reflector. In this case, the reflector may hook on the mounting means with each projection extending through an individual one of the slots to lie within the respective pocket-depression substantially in conformity with the reflecting surface.

The said part, which may extend into the mounting means through the reflector to restrain relative movement between them, may have a nose-portion for extending through an aperture in the reflector to plug resiliently into a socket of the mounting means. The nose-portion may have barb means for latching said part resiliently within the socket.

A feed-arm of the antenna may plug into said part, and may in this respect latch resiliently in said part for retention therein.

The antenna of the invention may be provided assembled or in kit form. In the latter respect and according to another aspect of the invention an antenna in kit form comprises a dish-reflector having slots therein, a bracket or other mounting means having ears or other projections to engage in the slots for hooking the reflector to the mounting means, the reflector having an aperture therein that aligns with a socket of the mounting means when the reflector is hooked on the projections as aforesaid, and feed-arm means for supporting a receiver of the antenna at the focus of the reflector, said feed-arm means comprising a component for plugging into the socket through the aperture to restrain the reflector from movement unhooking it from the projections.

An antenna in accordance with the present invention for use in satellite television reception, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear of the assembled antenna according to the present invention, when installed; Figure 2 shows in side elevation a portion of the antenna of Figure 1 with components of the antenna, including a dish-reflector, a feed-arm and a mounting bracket, separate from one another ready for assembly; Figure 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of Figure 1 illustrating the manner in which the dish-reflector hooks onto the mounting bracket; Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1 illustrating details of engagement of the near-end of the feed-arm with the mounting bracket of the antenna of the invention in the assembled antenna; Figure 5 is a sectional plan view showing components of the antenna of Figure 1 before assembly, the section corresponding to that after assembly, on line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a part-sectional side elevation of the farend of the feed-arm as fitted with a microwave-horn receiver and a receiver-converter unit of the antenna of Figure 1; and Figure 7 is a view in the direction of the arrow VII of Figure 6, of the far-end of the feed-arm omitting the microwave-horn receiver and receiver-converter unit.

Referring to Figure 1, the antenna comprises an elongate mounting-bracket 1 of plastics, a metal dish-reflector 2 attached to the bracket 1, and a tubular-metal feed-arm 3 that carries a microwave-horn receiver 4. The receiver 4, which is located by the arm 3 at the focus of the reflector 2 for reception of the satellite television signal, carries a receiver-converter unit 5 for amplifying and changing the frequency of the received signal before passing it on via coaxial cable 6.

The antenna is installed with the bracket 1 substantially upright on a mount 7 which in the present example is clamped to a post 8. The bracket 1 is pivoted to the mount 7 to allow for adjustment, using wing-nuts 9, of the elevation of the reflector 2 for optimum signalreception.

Referring now also to Figures 2 and 3, attachment of the reflector 2 to the bracket 1 involves engagement of two substantially-parallel ears 10 that are upstanding from the top of the bracket 1, within two horizontal slots 11 in the reflector 2. The reflector 2 is in this regard simply hooked onto the bracket 1 with the ears 10 inserted from the back of the reflector 2 through the slots 11. Each slot 11, as shown in Figure 3, is located at the base of a pocket-depression 12 that is pressed into the front, reflecting surface 13 of the reflector 2.

The ears 10 lie flat within their respective pocket depressions 12 so as to maintain general conformity with the overall parabolic configuration of the surface 13.

As illustrated in Figure 2, movement of the reflector 2 downwardly of the bracket 1 in hooking it onto the upwardly-projecting ears 10, brings a rectangular aperture 14 of the reflector 2 into alignment with a socket 15 at the bottom of the bracket 1. A mouldedplastics fitting 16 for retaining the feed-arm 3 plugs into this socket 15 through the aperture 14 in further assembly of the antenna, and in so doing firmly blocks any upward movement of the reflector 2 that could unhook it from the bracket 1. The reflector 2 is in this way very simply and firmly attached to the bracket 1 without the use of nuts and bolts or screws.

Referring now also to Figures 4 and 5, the fitting 16 has an abutment face 17 and a nose-portion 18 projecting from it for establishing the plug-engagement with the socket 15 in the assembled antenna. The nose-portion 18, which is inserted through an escutcheon plate 19 during assembly, is partially split to give it resilience and has lateral-barbs 20 for latching firmly in slots 21 within the socket 15. With the fitting 16 plugged into the socket 15 in this way, the face 17 bears hard on the plate 19 to exert force urging the reflector 2 firmly back against the bracket 1.

The fitting 16 is hollow and the near-end of the tubular arm 3 plugs into it to retain the arm 3 as one with the bracket 1 and reflector 2. In this regard, a tongue 22 that is pressed in from the metal of the arm 3 leaves an abutment edge 23 in the underside of the arm 3, and an upwardly-sprung tongue 24 within the fitting 16 engages the edge 23 (as shown in Figure 4) when the arm 3 is pushed fully home. The engagement of the tongue 24 with the edge 23 holds the arm 3 against withdrawal from the fitting 16. Moreover, the presence of the arm 3 within the fitting 16 precludes release of the barbs 20 from the slots 21, so the fitting 16 cannot be withdrawn, leaving the arm 3 firmly locked to the bracket 1 and the reflector 2.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the microwave-horn receiver 4 and the converter unit 5 carried by it, are mounted at the far-end of the arm 3 on a moulded-plastics fitting 25. The fitting 25 has two limbs 26 that are hinged together in the two halves of a ring 27 that close round the receiver 4. Closing the ring 27 round the receiver 4 (as shown in Figure 6) presses the limbs 26 together resiliently, allowing them to be inserted in the far-end of the tubular arm 3. Lugs 28 on the limbs 26 engage resiliently with holes 29 in the arm 3 so as to latch the fitting 25 firmly within the arm 3 and thereby hold the receiver 4 and unit 5 in place.

The antenna described above is well adapted for supply in kit form for assembly on installation, since the principal components, namely the reflector 2 and the feed-arm 3, are attached to the main mounting bracket 1 without the use of nuts and bolts or screws, but rather with simple hook-on and plug-in actions.

Although the reflector 2 is shown in the drawings as being of simple sheet-metal construction it may be of metal-mesh or other form.

Claims

Claims:

1. An antenna which includes a dish-reflector for attachment to a bracket or other mounting means, wherein the reflector and mounting means hook together for attachment to one another, and a part is adapted to engage with the reflector and the mounting means for restraining them from relative movement unhooking one from the other.

2. An antenna according to Claim 1 wherein the reflector hooks onto the mounting means.

3. An antenna according to Claim 2 wherein the mounting means has a plurality of spaced, substantially-parallel ears or other projections and the reflector hooks onto these projections for attachment to the mounting means.

4. An antenna according to Claim 3 wherein the reflector is slotted to receive the projections for hooking the reflector onto the mounting means.

5. An antenna according to Claim 4 wherein the reflector has spaced slots therethrough located in respective pocket-depressions in the reflecting surface of the reflector, and the reflector hooks on the mounting means with each projection extending through an individual one of the slots to lie within the respective pocket-depression substantially in conformity with the reflecting surface.

6. An antenna according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein said part extends into the mounting means through the reflector to restrain said relative movement.

7. An antenna according to Claim 6 wherein said part has a nose-portion for extending through an aperture in the reflector to plug resiliently into a socket of the mounting means.

8. An antenna according to Claim 7 wherein the noseportion has barb means for latching said part resiliently within the socket.

9. An antenna according to any one of Claims 6 to 8 wherein a feed-arm of the antenna plugs into said part.

10. An antenna according to Claim 9 wherein the feed-arm latches resiliently in said part for retention therein.

11. An antenna according to Claim 9 or Claim 10 wherein a resilient tongue of said part engages with the feed-arm to retain it within said part.

12. An antenna according to any one of Claims 9 to 11 wherein a microwave receiving device of the antenna is carried by a fitting that latches to the feed-arm.

13. An antenna according to any one of Claims 6 to 12 wherein said part has an abutment face to exert force urging the reflector against the mounting means when said part extends into the mounting means as aforesaid.

14. An antenna in kit form comprising a dish-reflector having slots therein, a bracket or other mounting means having ears or other projections to engage in the slots for hooking the reflector to the mounting means, the reflector having an aperture therein that aligns with a socket of the mounting means when the reflector is hooked on the projections as aforesaid, and feed-arm means for supporting a receiver of the antenna at the focus of the reflector, said feed-arm means comprising a component for plugging into the socket through the aperture to restrain the reflector from movement unhooking it from the projections.

15. An antenna in kit form substantially as hereinbefor described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. An antenna in kit form according to Claim 14 wherein said component is hollow and the feed-arm means includes an arm that plugs into said component.

16. An antenna substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. An antenna in kit form substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been fled as follows 1. An antenna which includes a dish-reflector attached to a bracket or other mounting means, wherein the reflector-dish has slotting therethrough and is hooked onto the mounting means through the slotting for attachment of the reflector to the mounting means, and a part is adapted to engage with the reflector and the mounting means for restraining them from relative movement unhooking the reflector from the mounting means, 2. An antenna according to Claim l wherein the mounting means has a plurality of spaced, substantially-parallel ears or other projections and the reflector hooks onto these projections through the slotting, for attachment to the mounting means.

3. An antenna according to Claim 2 wherein the reflector-dish has spaced slots therethrough located in respective pocket-depressions in the reflecting surface of the reflector, and the reflector hooks onto the mounting means with each projection extending through an individual one of the slots to lie within the respective pocket-depression substantially in conformity with the reflecting surface.

4. An antenna according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said part extends through the reflector to restrain said relative movement.

5. An antenna according to Claim 4 wherein said part is retained within the mounting means and by abutment exerts force that acts via the reflecting surface of the reflector to urge the reflector back against the mounting means.

6. An antenna according to Claim 5 wherein said part has a nose-portion for extending through the reflector to plug resiliently into a socket of the mountihg means.

7, An antenna according to Claim 6 wherein the noseportion has barb means for latching said part resiliently within the socket.

8. An antenna according to any one of Claims 4 to 7 wherein a feed-arm of the antenna plugs into said part.

9. An antenna according to Claim 8 wherein the feed-arm latches resiliently in said part for retention therein.

10. An antenna according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein a resilient tongue of said part engages with the feed-arm to retain it within a part.

11. An antenna according to any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein a microwave receiving device of the antenna is carried by a fitting that latches to the feed-arm.

12. An antenna in kit form comprising a dish-reflector having slots through the reflector-dish, a bracket or other mounting means having ears or other projections to engage through the slots for hooking the reflector onto the mounting means, the reflector having an aperture therein that aligns with a socket of the mounting means when the reflector is hooked onto the projections as aforesaid, and feed-arm means for supporting a receiver of the antenna at the focus of the reflector, said feedarm means comprising a component for plugging into the socket through the aperture to restrain the reflector from movement unhooking it from the projections.

13. An antenna in kit form according to Claim 12 wherein said component is hollow and the feed-arm means includas an arm that plugs into said component.

14. An antenna substantially as hereinbeforo described with reference to the accompanying drawings.