Cam lock antenna mounting assembly

• US 5,157,409 A
• Filed: 08/07/1991
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Radio Frequency Systems Incorporated (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Radio Frequency Systems Incorporated (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamin, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wise, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US07/741,840
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/715
• US Class Current: 343/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• 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

Abstract

A removable antenna mounting device is adapted to receive an antenna such as that used for a mobile cellular telephone. The antenna is mounted to an antenna mounting member which operationally engages a trunk lid clamp member secured to the trunk lid of the vehicle. In order to provide positive engagement between the antenna mounting member and the trunk lid clamp member, an eccentric cam connection is provided. The eccentric cam connection is designed to facilitate the removal of the antenna from the trunk lid for storage in the trunk.

Claims

1. An assembly for mounting an antenna on a trunk lid of a motor vehicle comprising:

an antenna mounting member having means for mounting an antenna thereon and cam means movable between an unlocked position and a locked position;

a clamp member releasably securable to the trunk lid and having means dimensionally sized to accept and cooperate with said cam means to hold said clamp member and said antenna mounting member in assembly when said cam means is in said locked position.

2. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dimensionally sized means is a surface on said clamp member engageable by said cam means to bias said clamp member and said antenna mounting means into locking engagement when said cam means is in said locked position.

3. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 2 wherein said surface of said dimensionally sized means is defined as an inner surface of a cam lock loop on said clamp member.

4. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 3 wherein said cam means is dimensionally sized for insertion into said cam lock loop and said cam means engages said inner surface of said cam lock loop as said cam means is moved from its unlocked position to its locked position to move said clamp member and said antenna mounting member into locking engagement.

5. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 4 wherein said cam means is a cylindrical pin eccentrically mounted for rotation in said antenna mounting member.

6. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 5 wherein said cam means includes a stop pin for limiting rotation of said cylindrical pin.

7. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 5 wherein said cam means includes a user actuated handle for controlling the rotation of said cylindrical pin.

8. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 2 wherein said surface of said dimensionally sized means is a surface defining an opening in said clamp member.

9. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 8 wherein said cam means is dimensionally sized for insertion into said opening and said cam means engages said opening defining surface as said cam means is moved from its unlocked position to its locked position to move said clamp member and said antenna mounting member into locking engagement.

10. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clamp member defines an indexing opening and said antenna mounting means has an alignment tab dimensionally sized to snugly fit within said indexing opening thereby aligning said antenna mounting means with said clamp member.

11. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clamp member is a U-shaped channel having upper and lower leg portions joined by a central portion.

12. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 11 wherein said lower leg portion has locking screws thereon for clamping an edge of the trunk lid.

13. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 11 wherein said central portion of said clamp member defines an indexing opening and said antenna mounting means has an alignment tab dimensionally sized to snugly fit within said indexing opening thereby aligning said antenna mounting means with said clamp member.

14. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 11 wherein said dimensionally sized means is a surface on said upper leg of said clamp member engageable by said cam means to bias said clamp member and said antenna mounting means into locking engagement.

15. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 14 wherein said surface of said dimensionally sized means is defined as an inner surface of a cam lock loop extending upwardly from said upper leg of said clamp member.

16. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 15 wherein said cam means is dimensionally sized for insertion into said cam lock loop and said cam means engages said inner surface of said cam lock loop as said cam means is moved from its unlocked position to its locked position to move said clamp member and said antenna mounting member into locking engagement

17. The assembly for mounting an antenna in accordance with claim 1 wherein said antenna mounting member is a platform with a downwardly extending flange around the periphery thereof.