Antenna cover

• US 20080062067A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laird Connectivity Inc.
• Original Assignee: Antenex, Inc. (Laird Limited)
• Inventors: Cislo, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/872
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material

Abstract

An antenna cover that can be fitted onto an existing antenna spring assembly. The antenna cover is constructed of a flexible and resilient material, with a base layer adapted to wrap around the bottom of an antenna spring assembly, the interior of said base layer defining an attachment aperture, a side wall coupled with the base layer and adapted to cover the spring section of an antenna spring, and a top portion coupled with the side wall and adapted to cover the top of the antenna spring assembly, the interior of said top portion defining a whip aperture. The antenna cover is fitted onto an existing spring assembly by inserting the spring into one of the cover'"'"'s apertures and forcing the cover over the spring assembly until the cover is fully in place. Alternatively, some or all of the cover may be composed of heat shrinkable material, so that when the cover is moved into place on the spring assembly, heat is applied to shrink the cover to closely fit the spring assembly.

Claims

1. An antenna cover, comprising:

a side wall adapted to cover the spring section of an antenna spring assembly,

a base layer having a diameter and coupled with the sidewall, said base layer adapted to wrap around the bottom of an antenna spring assembly,

an attachment aperture having a diameter defined by the interior of said base layer, wherein the ratio of the attachment aperture diameter to the base layer diameter ranges from approximately 0.20 to approximately 0.80,

a top portion coupled with the side wall and adapted to tightly surround the top of a spring assembly, the interior of said top portion defining a whip aperture,

wherein at least the side walls are composed of a resilient, flexible, and durable material whose average thickness ranges from approximately 0.020 inches to approximately 0.100 inches.

2. The antenna cover of claim 1, further comprising

ribs integrated into the side walls.

3. The antenna cover of claim 2 wherein the ribs are in a stacked configuration.

4. The antenna cover of claim 1 wherein the resilient, flexible, and durable material is comprised of polyurethane.

5. An antenna cover, comprising

a substantially cylindrical side wall, adapted to cover at least the spring section of an antenna spring assembly,

corrugated ribs integrated into said sidewall, said corrugated ribs having a stacked configuration,

a base layer having a diameter and coupled with the sidewall, said base layer adapted to wrap around the bottom of an antenna spring assembly,

an attachment aperture having a diameter defined by the interior of said base layer, wherein the ratio of the attachment aperture diameter to the base layer diameter ranges from approximately 0.35 to approximately 0.55,

a top portion coupled with the sidewall, said top portion adapted to tightly surround the top of the antenna spring assembly, and

a whip aperture defined by the interior of said top portion,

wherein the antenna cover is comprised of a resilient, flexible, and durable material whose average thickness ranges from approximately 0.020 inches to approximately 0.100 inches, and when the antenna cover is fully formed it is adapted to be installed over an existing antenna spring assembly.

6. The antenna cover of claim 5 wherein the ratio of the attachment aperture diameter to the base layer diameter ranges from approximately 0.40 to approximately 0.50.

7. The antenna cover of claim 5 wherein the average thickness of the cover ranges from approximately 0.035 inches to approximately 0.065 inches.

8. The antenna cover of claim 7 wherein the average thickness of the cover ranges from approximately 0.045 inches to approximately 0.055 inches.

9. A cover for a spring assembly, comprising

a side wall,

a base layer coupled with the side wall, and

a top portion coupled with the side wall,

wherein at least a portion of the base layer is comprised of heat shrinkable material.

10. The cover for a spring assembly of claim 9, wherein such the heat shrinkable material is designed such that when heat is applied to said base layer it adapts to wrap around the bottom of the spring assembly.

11. The cover for a spring assembly of claim 9, wherein the side wall and top portion are also comprised of heat shrinkable material.

12. The cover for a spring assembly of claim 11, wherein the base layer, side wall, and top portion have heat shrinkable material that is specifically adapted to shrink to fit the portions of the spring assembly each of those elements is designed to cover.

13. The cover for a spring assembly of claim 9, wherein the side wall has ribs.

14. The cover for a spring assembly of claim 13, wherein the ribs are corrugations of the side wall and have a stacked configuration.

15. A method of installing a cover for a spring assembly, comprising

using a flexible and resilient spring cover,

inserting either the top of the spring assembly into the attachment aperture of the base layer of the spring cover, or the bottom of the spring assembly into the whip aperture of the top portion of the spring cover, and

forcing the spring cover over the spring assembly by grasping the side wall of the spring cover and pushing in the appropriate direction until the base layer wraps around the bottom of the spring assembly and the top portion surrounds the top of the spring assembly.

16. The method of installing a cover for a spring assembly of claim 15, further comprising

placing an installation guide over the spring assembly, and

placing the spring cover over the installation guide.

17. The method of installing a spring cover of claim 16, further comprising

removing the installation guide.

18. A method of installing a cover for a spring assembly, comprising

using a spring cover, at least a portion of which is composed of heat shrinkable material,

pushing the spring cover over the spring assembly by grasping the side wall of the spring cover and pushing in the appropriate direction until the base layer is in position at the bottom of the spring assembly, and

applying heat to the heat shrinkable material.

19. A method of installing a cover over a spring assembly, comprising

using a spring cover made of resilient and flexible material, equipped with a side wall and a base layer, said base layer having an attachment aperture,

inserting the top of the spring assembly into the attachment aperture,

pushing the spring cover over the spring assembly,

pulling up on the spring cover to unfold the base layer from beneath the side wall, and

moving the spring cover down the spring assembly to complete the installation.

20. The method of installing a cover over a spring assembly of claim 19, wherein the moving the spring cover down the spring assembly comprises rotating the spring assembly relative to the spring cover such that the spring coils thread the cover downward onto the assembly.

21. A method of installing a cover over a spring assembly, comprising

using a spring cover made of resilient and flexible material, equipped with a side wall and a base layer, said base layer having an attachment aperture,

fitting the spring cover into a die contoured to the outer shape of the spring cover, said die connected with a linear movement mechanism that moves the die along an axis parallel to the long axis of the spring cover,

attaching a spring assembly to a mechanism aligned with the axis of the die,

inserting the spring assembly into the die holding the spring cover.

22. The method of installing a cover over a spring assembly of claim 21, further comprising

rotating the spring assembly relative to the die holding the spring cover.