Antenna and radio interface

• US 20040136778A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hathaway, Robert, Utrilla, Adrian T., Rosenfeld, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,006,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/350
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4941 Deformation occurs simultaneously with action of separate, diverse function, joint component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4949 Deforming component is inserted section
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7005 Lugged member, rotary engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7009 Rotary binding cam or wedge

Abstract

A novel locking mechanism for mounting a radio to an antenna. The mounting face of a radio is secured to the mounting portion of an antenna. The mounting portion of the radio has a locking ring on which a plurality of radio locking tabs are located at equally spaced positions. The ring can be fixed to the radio, or in another embodiment, is still secured to the radio but can rotate independently. The mounting portion of the antenna has a corresponding number of equidistantly spaced tension springs, which have a plurality of spring fingers. To mount the radio to the antenna, the radio locking ring with radio locking tabs is twisted so that each antenna tension spring is deflected by a corresponding radio locking tab. The engagement of the radio locking ring to the antenna spring fingers secures the radio to the antenna. The deflection force also produces a friction force. The spring fingers allow the deflection and friction forces between the tension spring and radio locking tab to increase step-wise when the radio locking ring is brought into contact with each additional spring finger. This step increase in forces allows a user, when turning the radio, to overcome the forces of each spring finger individually, instead of having to initially overcome both sum forces of one solid spring. When the adaptation of the rotating ring is used and additional polarization feature, is possible that prevents the incorrect polarization installation of the radio and antenna assembly by the user.

Claims

1. A mounting device, comprising:

a first housing with a first mounting face, including at least one locking tab displaced from the first mounting face; and

a second housing with a second mounting face, including at least one tension spring displaced from the second mounting face, wherein the tension spring comprises a plurality of cantilever spring fingers;

wherein upon a movement of the at least one locking tab into contact with the tension spring, the at least one tension spring is positioned between the first housing and the at least one locking tab, and the at least one tension spring is deflected toward the first mounting face to provide deflection and friction forces against the at least one locking tab.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the movement of the at least one locking tab into contact with the tension spring first causes a first of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the locking tab to provide the forces, and next causes a second of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the locking tab to provide a step increase in the deflection and friction forces.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one radio locking tab comprises:

a ramp portion, which begins at a position a distance from the first mounting face and extends to a position nearer to the first mounting face; and

a main portion, which begins at the nearer position of the ramp portion and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the first mounting face to an end;

wherein the spring fingers first make contact with the ramp portion and then make contact with the main portion.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the at least one locking tab further comprises a stop portion, which extends from the end of the main portion toward the first mounting face at a direction substantially perpendicular to the first mounting face.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the movement of the at least one locking tab into contact with the tension spring is a rotation of the first housing.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first housing includes a locking ring attached to the first mounting face, wherein the at least one locking tab is attached to the locking ring.

7. The device of claim 6, the movement of the at least one locking tab is a rotation of the locking ring, which first causes a first of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the locking tab to provide the forces, and next causes a second of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the locking tab to provide a step increase in the deflection and friction forces.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one locking tab comprises:

a ramp portion, which begins at a position a distance from the first mounting face and extends to a position nearer to the first mounting face; and

a main portion, which begins at the nearer position of the ramp portion and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the first mounting face to an end;

wherein the spring fingers first make contact with the ramp portion and then make contact with the main portion.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one radio locking tab further comprises a stop portion, which extends from the end of the main portion toward the first mounting face at a direction substantially perpendicular to the first mounting face.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one locking tab is a plurality of radio locking tabs, and the at least one tension spring is a plurality of tension springs.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the locking ring is fixed to the first housing.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the locking ring is rotatably attached to the first housing.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of ring tabs attached to the first mounting face and displaced from the first mounting face that extend radially out away from a center of the first mounting face,

wherein the locking ring has a channel shape with an opening that faces radially toward the center of the first mounting face, and is rotatably attached to the first housing by the plurality of ring tabs, which extend into the opening.

14. A mounting device comprising:

a radio housing with a radio mounting face including

a radio nose, and

at least one radio locking tab displaced from the radio mounting face; and

an antenna housing with an antenna mounting face, including;

an antenna feed input, and

at least one tension spring displaced from the mounting face of the antenna housing, wherein the tension spring comprises a plurality of cantilever fingers;

wherein the radio nose engages the antenna feed input, and

wherein upon a movement of the at least one radio locking tab into contact with the tension spring, the at least one tension spring is positioned between the radio housing and the at least one radio locking tab and is deflected toward the radio mounting face to provide deflection and friction forces against the at least one radio locking tab.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the movement of the at least one radio locking tab into contact with the tension spring first causes a first of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the radio locking tab to provide the deflection and friction forces, and next causes a second of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the radio locking tab to provide a step increase in the deflection and friction forces.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one radio locking tab comprises:

a ramp portion, which begins at a position a distance from the radio mounting face and extends to a position nearer to the radio mounting face; and

a main portion, which begins at the nearer position of the ramp portion and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the radio mounting face to an end;

wherein the spring fingers first make contact with the ramp portion and then make contact with the main portion.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one radio locking tab further comprises a stop portion, which extends from the end of the main portion toward the radio mounting face at a direction substantially perpendicular to the radio mounting face.

18. The mounting device of claim 17, wherein the movement of the at least one radio locking tab into contact with the tension spring is a rotation of the radio housing.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the radio housing includes a locking ring attached to the radio mounting face, wherein the at least one locking tab is attached to the locking ring.

20. The device of claim 19, the movement of the at least one locking tab is a rotation of the locking ring which first causes a first of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the locking tab to provide the deflection and friction forces, and next causes a second of the plurality of spring fingers to make contact with the locking tab to provide a step increase in the deflection and friction forces.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the at least one radio locking tab comprises:

a ramp portion, which begins at a position a distance from the radio mounting face and extends to a position nearer to the radio mounting face; and

a main portion, which begins at the nearer position of the ramp portion and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the radio mounting face to an end;

wherein the spring fingers first make contact with the ramp portion and then make contact with the main portion.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the at least one radio locking tab further comprises a stop portion, which extends from the end of the main portion toward the radio mounting face at a direction substantially perpendicular to the radio mounting face.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the at least one radio locking tab is a plurality of radio locking tabs, and the at least one tension spring is a plurality of tension springs.

24. The device of claim 20, wherein the locking ring is fixed to the radio housing.

25. The device of claim 20, wherein the locking ring is rotatably attached to the radio housing.

26. The device of claim 25, further comprising a plurality of ring tabs attached to the radio mounting face and displaced from the radio mounting face that extend radially away from a center of the radio mounting face,

wherein the locking ring has a channel shape with an opening that faces radially toward the center of the radio mounting face, and is rotatably attached to the radio housing by the plurality of ring tabs, which extend into the opening of the channel.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the radio mounting face has a center around which the locking ring rotates and includes a first pinhole located at a first distance from the radio mounting face center and a second pinhole located at a second distance from the radio mounting face center,

wherein the antenna mounting face has a center around which the locking ring rotates and includes a first pinhole located at the first distance from the antenna mounting face center and a second pinhole located at the second distance from the antenna mounting face center, and

wherein the placement of a pin in the first holes positions the antenna for a first polarization direction and placement of the pin in the second holes positions the antenna for a second polarization direction.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the radio mounting face has a circumference and the antenna mounting face has a circumference;

the first radio pinhole is located at a position that is 90 degrees, with respect to the circumference of the radio mounting face, from the position where the second radio pinhole is located; and

the first antenna pinhole and the second antenna pinhole are located at the same circumferential position with respect to the circumference of the antenna mounting face.

29. A mounting device comprising:

a radio housing with a radio mounting face including;

a radio nose, and

a locking ring that is rotatably attached to the radio mounting face; and

an antenna housing with an antenna mounting face, including an antenna feed input,

wherein the radio nose is aligned with the antenna feed input, and the locking ring is secured to the antenna mounting face.

30. The mounting device of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of ring tabs attached to the radio mounting face that are displaced from the radio mounting face;

wherein the radio mounting face has a center,

wherein the locking ring is channel-shaped and is positioned adjacent to the radio mounting face, and the channel shaped locking ring has an opening that faces radially toward the center of the first mounting face, and

wherein the ring tabs extend radially away from the center of the radio mounting face and into the opening to hold the locking ring next to the radio mounting face.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the radio mounting face has a center around which the locking ring rotates and includes a first pinhole located at a first distance from the radio mounting face center and a second pinhole located at a second distance from the radio mounting face center, and

the antenna mounting face has a center around which the locking ring rotates and includes a first pinhole located at the first distance from the antenna mounting face center and a second pinhole located at the second distance from the antenna mounting face center,

wherein the placement of a pin in the first holes positions the antenna for a first polarization direction and placement of the pin in the second holes positions the antenna for a second polarization direction.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the radio mounting face has a circumference and the antenna mounting face has a circumference;

the first radio pinhole is located at a position that is 90 degrees, with respect to the circumference of the radio mounting face, from the position where the second radio pinhole is located; and

the first antenna pinhole and the second antenna pinhole are located at the same circumferential position with respect to the circumference of the antenna mounting face.

33. The device of claim 30, wherein the radio mounting face has a center around which the locking ring rotates and includes a first pinhole located at a first distance from the radio mounting face center and a second pinhole located at a second distance from the radio mounting face center, and

the antenna mounting face has a center around which the locking ring rotates and includes a first pinhole located at the first distance from the antenna mounting face center and a second pinhole located at the second distance from the antenna mounting face center,

wherein the placement of a pin in the first holes positions the antenna for a first polarization direction and placement of the pin in the second holes positions the antenna for a second polarization direction.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the radio mounting face has a circumference and the antenna mounting face has a circumference;

the first radio pinhole is located at a position that is 90 degrees, with respect to the circumference of the radio mounting face, from the position where the second radio pinhole is located; and

the first antenna pinhole and the second antenna pinhole are located at the same circumferential position with respect to the circumference of the antenna mounting face.