Universal dipole

• US 20050264464A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Rankin, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,116,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/820
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/10 for coupling balanced lines or devices with unbalanced lines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/20 Two collinear substantially straight active elements; Substantially straight single active elements H01Q9/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/22 Rigid rod or equivalent tubular element or elements

Abstract

Described is a universal dipole which may include a feed line coupled to a first fitting; a balun coupled to a second fitting; a first variable length antenna element coupled to the first fitting; a second variable length antenna element coupled to the second fitting; a support plate holding the feed line and the balun at a fixed spacing, the support plate including a short circuit path between the feed line and the balun; and a sliding short assembly attachable between the feed line and the balun to create a short circuit at variable distances along the feed line and the balun.

Claims

1. A universal dipole, comprising:

a feed line coupled to a first fitting;

a balun coupled to a second fitting;

a first variable length antenna element coupled to the first fitting;

a second variable length antenna element coupled to the second fitting;

a support plate holding the feed line and the balun at a fixed spacing, the support plate including a short circuit path between the feed line and the balun; and

a sliding short assembly attachable between the feed line and the balun to create a short circuit at variable distances along the feed line and the balun.

2. The universal dipole of claim 1, wherein each of the variable distances along the feed line and the balun correspond to a receiving frequency band of the universal dipole.

3. The universal dipole of claim 2, wherein the receiving frequency is one of an Advanced Mobile Phone System frequency band, a Global System for Mobile Communication frequency band, a Digital Cellular System frequency band, a Personal Communication Services frequency band and an Industrial, Scientific and Medical frequency band.

4. The universal dipole of claim 1, wherein each of the variable antenna lengths of the first and second antenna elements correspond to a receiving frequency band of the universal dipole.

5. The universal dipole of claim 1, wherein the first antenna element includes a plurality of releaseably connectable conducting segments, the variable lengths of the first antenna elements being created by connecting a set of the plurality of conducting segments.

6. The universal dipole of claim 5, wherein each of the segments is an aluminum hexagonal standoff having a length of substantially 1 inch.

7. The universal dipole of claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is constructed of a conducting material including one of aluminum, brass and copper.

8. The universal dipole of claim 1, wherein the first fitting and the second fitting are coupled and the feed line is further coupled to the second fitting.

9. The universal dipole of claim 1, wherein the feed line is one of a semi-rigid coaxial cable and a rigid coaxial cable.

10. The universal dipole of claim 1, further comprising:

a spacer holding the feed line and the balun at the fixed spacing.

11. A universal dipole, comprising:

a set of variable length antenna elements;

a feed line;

a balun;

a short circuit assembly creating short circuits at variable distances along the feed line and the balun, wherein each of the variable distance short circuits and each of the variable length antenna elements correspond to a receiving frequency of the universal dipole.

12. The universal dipole of claim 11, wherein the short circuit assembly includes a sliding short assembly which is releaseably connected between the feed line and the balun at the variable distances.

13. The universal dipole of claim 11, wherein the short circuit assembly includes fixed switch elements at each of the variably distances, each of the fixed switch elements including a switch which closes to create the short circuit at the variable distance.

14. The universal dipole of claim 11, wherein the universal dipole conducts a received signal to a connected device.

15. The universal dipole of claim 11, further comprising:

a support plate holding the feed line and the balun at a fixed spacing and creating a permanent short circuit between the feed line and the balun.

16. The universal dipole of claim 11, wherein a first variable distance corresponds to one of an Advanced Mobile Phone System frequency band and a Global System for Mobile Communication frequency band, a second variable distance corresponds to one of a Digital Cellular System frequency band and a Personal Communication Services frequency band, and a third variable distance corresponds to an Industrial, Scientific and Medical frequency band.

17. The universal dipole of claim 11, wherein each of set of antenna elements includes a plurality of releaseably connectable conducting segments, the variable lengths of the antenna elements being created by connecting a set of the plurality of conducting segments.

18. The universal dipole of claim 17, wherein the set of the segments includes two segments for one of an Advanced Mobile Phone System frequency band and a Global System for Mobile Communication frequency band, the set of segments includes one segment for one of a Digital Cellular System frequency band and a Personal Communication Services frequency band, and the set of segments includes zero segments for an Industrial, Scientific and Medical frequency band.

19. A dipole antenna connectable to a device for receiving and transmitting signals, the dipole antenna comprising:

an antenna element to receive signals transmitted to the device;

a feed line to conduct the received signals to the device; and

a signal balancing element to optimize the dipole antenna performance for a plurality of frequency signals.

20. The dipole antenna of claim 19, wherein the signal balancing element includes:

a balun; and

a short circuit assembly creating variable length short circuits between the feed line and the balun.