Mobile antenna mounting assembly

• US 4,173,761 A
• Filed: 12/13/1977
• Issued: 11/06/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Antenna Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Antenna Corporation
• Inventors: Liautaud, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Application Number:
  US05/860,237
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 343/711-715, 343/749, 343/750, 343/745, 343/850, 343/900, 343/901, 343/880, 343/882, 343/906, 343/888
• US Class Current: 343/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/12 Supports; Mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3258 using the gutter of the vehicle; Means for clamping a whip aerial on the edge of a part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/12 adapted for adjustment of angle between elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

An angularly adjustable antenna mounting assembly for mounting a mobile antenna to the exterior surface of a motor vehicle includes a semi-hemispherical mounting shell. The antenna base is secured to the exterior surface of the shell by a pin member which extends through the shell and is retained therein by a retaining plate biased against the interior surface of the shell. The antenna is connected to the other end of the pin member by a quick-release bayonet connection which also serves to establish electrical connection to the antenna. The mounting angle of the antenna is adjusted by adjusting the location of the bridging plate within the shell.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for affixing a mobile antenna to an exterior mounting surface comprising, in combination:

a semi-hemispherical mounting shell including retaining means for fixedly attaching the shell to the mounting surface, and having an elongated aperture extending therethrough;

a skirt member movably positioned on the spherical outer surface of said shell, said skirt being fixedly attachable to said antenna;

a mounting pin extending through said aperture and said skirt, said pin having connecting means at the end beyond said aperture for engaging said antenna, and further including projecting means for connecting said skirt to said pin,

locking means at the other end of said pin for drawing said pin away from the inside surface of said shell whereby said skirt member is drawn against the outside surface of said shell to maintain the antenna in a desired angular position with respect to said mounting surface.

2. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means include a locking plate having ends bridging said aperture to engage the inside surface of said shell on either side of said aperture, and an aperture in said locking plate intermediate the ends thereof for receiving said mounting pin, and flange means at said other end of said pin for preventing said pin from being drawn through said aperture in said locking plate.

3. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said locking plate includes

an adjustable stop member mounted at one end of said locking plate and engaging said inner surface of said shell to adjust the spacing between said one end of said plate and said inside surface of said shell.

4. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the other end of said plate member includes a detent surface for engaging the interior surface of said shell.

5. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said interior surface of said shell includes a plurality of recesses for engaging said detent position.

6. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated aperture in said shell is a slot having a pair of substantially flat opposed sides, and

said pin member includes a body portion having a pair of opposed flat surfaces thereon adapted for sliding engagement with respective ones of said flat surfaces to prevent rotation of said pin within said slot.

7. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said aperture in said locking plate includes a pair of substantially flat opposed surfaces complimentarily spaced with respect to said pin surfaces to prevent rotation of said locking plate with respect to said pin.

8. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said connecting means are releasable to enable said antenna to be removed from said pin.

9. An antenna mounting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting pin includes means for establishing an electrical connection with the antenna therewith.

10. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said shell member and said locking means are electrically conductive and in an electrically conductive relationship, and said mounting pin includes an electrically non-conductive body portion, and means at said other end thereof for receiving a coaxial cable, and wherein said locking means establish an electrical grounding contact between the shield of said coaxial cable and said shell member.

11. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said shell and retaining means are formed from a single piece of metal.

12. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said shell member and said locking plate are electrically conductive, and said mounting pin includes an electrically non-conductive body portion extending through said aperture in said shell, and means at said other end thereof for receiving a coaxial cable, and wherein said flange means are electrically conductive and in electrical contact with the shield of said coaxial cable whereby said locking plate establishes a grounding electrical contact between said shield and said shell member.

13. A mounting assembly for adjustably securing a mobile antenna to a generally flat mounting surface comprising, in combination:

a hollow generally skirt-shaped base member;

a hollow dome-shaped shell member dimensioned to receive said base member in supporting relationship on the outer surface thereof, and including a generally flat bottom adapted to rest on said mounting surface, and an aperture extending through said dome at a portion of the top of said dome;

a mounting pin extending through said shell aperture and said base member, said pin including quick-release means at the end beyond said base member for engaging said antenna and further including projecting means for connecting said skirt to said pin;

a locking plate within said shell member including a central aperture therein for receiving said mounting pin, said locking plate being pivoted against the interior surface of said shell at one end and including adjustable stop means at its other end for adjustably spacing said other end from said interior surface; and

said other end of said mounting pin including a cap portion preventing said pin from being withdrawn through said aperture of said plate whereby said antenna base is drawn against said shell as said stop means is tightened to space said plate away from said interior surface.

14. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein

said dome-shaped hollow shell member includes a clip extending from the bottom thereof for securing said assembly to the edge of a body panel.

15. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 13 including a plurality of recesses on the inside surface of said shell member for engaging said one end of said locking plate.

16. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein the antenna includes a portion removable from the base member, and said quick-release means include means for engaging said removable portion and said base member.

17. An angularly adjustable antenna for mounting on a generally flat surface comprising, in combination:

a radiating antenna portion,

an antenna base portion on which said radiating portion is removably secured;

an angularly adjustable antenna mounting assembly adapted to be fixed to the supporting surface, and having a releasable mounting with said antenna, said antenna mounting assembly including a semi-hemispherical shell including retaining means for affixing the shell to the surface and an aperture extending through the shell across the topmost portion thereof, a skirt adapted to be movably positioned on said shell, a connecting pin extending through said shell aperture and further including projecting means for releasably engaging said base portion and said skirt, and means for drawing said connector pin into said shell whereby said antenna is fixedly attached to said shell member.

18. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 17 wherein said shell and said drawing means are electrically conductive, and said mounting pin includes an electrically non-conductive body portion, and means at said end of said pin internal of the shell for receiving a coaxial cable, and wherein said drawing means establish an electrical grounding contact between the shield of said coaxial cable and said shell.

19. A mounting assembly as defined in claim 17 wherein said shell and retaining means are formed from a single piece of metal.