Nozzle cap multi-band antenna assembly

• US 10,283,857 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Jorge Isaac, Dunn, David James Carlos, Li, Yanlong, Faunce, Jesse Alvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jennifer F
• Application Number:
  US15/043,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 9/06 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system

Abstract

An antenna assembly includes a curved printed circuit board (PCB) configured to mount around a curved surface. The curved PCB can include an outward-facing first side and an inward-facing second side with a plurality of antenna structures disposed on one of the first side and second side of the PCB. The plurality of antenna structures can be configured to provide directional radiation in at least one frequency band.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly comprising:

a curved printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first side and a second side;

a first antenna structure disposed on the first side of the curved PCB and configured to provide radio coverage for a first set of frequency bands;

a second antenna structure disposed on the first side of the curved PCB and configured to provide radio coverage for a second set of frequency bands; and

a third antenna structure disposed on the first side of the curved PCB and configured to provide radio coverage for a third set of frequency bands; and

wherein the curved printed circuit board is positioned between a spacer and a cover of a nozzle cap, wherein the spacer, the curved printed circuit board, and the cover extend around a curved surface of the nozzle cap, and wherein the curved printed circuit board and the spacer are positioned within an antenna cavity defined between the cover and the curved surface of the nozzle cap.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first antenna structure is a one of a plurality of antenna structures disposed on the first side of the curved PCB and configured to provide radio coverage for the first set of frequency bands;

the second antenna structure is a one of a plurality of antenna structures disposed on the first side of the curved PCB and configured to provide radio coverage for the second set of frequency bands; and

the third antenna structure is a one of a plurality of antenna structures disposed on the first side of the curved PCB and configured to provide radio coverage for the third set of frequency bands.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide radio coverage for the first set of frequency bands are spaced along the curved PCB to provide 360 degree radio coverage in at least one frequency band of the first set of frequency bands around a circumference of the curved surface;

the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide radio coverage for the second set of frequency bands are spaced along the curved PCB to provide 360 degree radio coverage in at least one frequency band of the second set of frequency bands around a circumferences of the curved surface; and

the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide radio coverage for the third set of frequency bands are spaced along the curved PCB to provide 360 degree radio coverage in at least one frequency band of the third set of frequency bands around a circumferences of the curved surface.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 3, wherein:

each of the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide radio coverage for the first set of frequency bands is configured to provide a 120 degree section of radio coverage around the circumference of the curved surface;

each of the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide radio coverage for the second set of frequency bands is configured to provide a 120 degree section of radio coverage around the circumference of the curved surface; and

each of the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide radio coverage for the third set of frequency bands is configured to provide a 120 degree section of radio coverage around the circumference of the curved surface.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the first set of frequency bands comprise frequency bands ranging from 600 MHz to 6 GHz, wherein the second set of frequency bands comprise frequency bands ranging from 600 MHz to 6 GHz, and wherein the third set of frequency bands comprise frequency bands ranging from 1.5 GHz to 5.0 GHz.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly is configured to maintain at least one of the first antenna structure, the second antenna structure, and the third antenna structure facing upwards relative to the nozzle cap.

7. A nozzle cap assembly comprising:

a nozzle cap configured to mount on a nozzle of a node of an infrastructure system, the nozzle cap defining a curved surface;

a curved printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first side and a second side, the curved PCB mounted around the curved surface of the nozzle cap with the second side of the curved PCB facing the curved surface of the nozzle cap;

a plurality of antenna structures disposed on the first side of the curved PCB, the plurality of antenna structures configured to provide directional radiation in at least one frequency band;

a spacer mounted on the curved surface of the nozzle cap between the curved PCB and the curved surface of the nozzle cap; and

an antenna cover defining an antenna cavity, the antenna cover configured to receive the nozzle cap, the curved PCB, the plurality of antenna structures, and the spacer within the antenna cavity.

8. The nozzle cap assembly of claim 7, wherein the spacer comprises a cylindrical body defining a top end and a bottom end, wherein the spacer defines a top lip extending radially inward at the top end towards an axis of rotation of the spacer, and wherein the spacer defines a bottom lip extending radially inward at the bottom end towards the axis of rotation of the spacer.

9. The nozzle cap assembly of claim 7, wherein:

a first one of the plurality of antenna structures is a configured to operate within a first set of frequency bands; and

a second one of the plurality of antenna structures is configured to operate within a second set of frequency bands.

10. The nozzle cap assembly of claim 7, wherein each one of the plurality of antenna structures are disposed on the first side of the curved PCB such that each one of the plurality of antenna structures provides a 120 degree section of radio coverage, and wherein the plurality of antenna structures are configured to provide 360 degree directional radiation around a circumference of the curved surface of the nozzle cap.