Reflector antenna with a stator portion and a rotor portion rotatable relative to the stator

• US 6,417,814 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RR Elektronische Gerate GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: RR Elektronische Gerate GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Rümmeli, Bernd, Hupka, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/704,226
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 343/757, 343/765, 343/766, 343/840, 343/872, 343/906, 343/882
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole

Abstract

A reflector antenna is disclosed with a stator portion and a rotor portion which is supported for rotation relative to the stator portion about a rotation axis. A reflector that is connected by an electrical connection with the stator portion, is secured to the rotor portion. The electrical connection is formed as a flexible connecting cable, wherein one end of the cable is attached to the rotor portion and the other end is attached to the stator portion. A segment of the connecting cable rotates with half the rotation speed of the rotor portion and with the same rotation direction as the rotor portion.

Claims

1. A reflector antenna, comprising:

a stator portion;

a rotor portion supported for rotation relative to the stator portion about at least one rotation axis;

a reflector secured to the rotor portion; and

an electrical connection for connecting the rotor portion with the stator portion, said electrical connection formed as a flexible connecting cable, with a first end of the connecting cable being attached to the rotor portion and immovable relative to the rotor portion, and a second end of the connecting cable being attached to the stator portion and immovable relative to the stator portion, wherein the first end and the second end face one another in the direction of a vertical rotation axis, with the first end and second end being connected by a rotatable segment of the connecting cable that is capable of rotating in a rotation direction identical to a rotation direction of the rotor portion with a rotation speed that is half of a rotation speed of the rotor portion.

2. The reflector antenna according to claim 1, and further comprising a drive wheel that has a first guide and is driven with half the rotation speed of the rotor portion, wherein the rotatable segment of the connecting cables passes through the first guide, and wherein the connecting cable is connected to the stator portion before entering the first guide and is connected with the rotor portion after exiting the first guide.

3. The reflector antenna according to claim 2, wherein the first guide is a channel extending from a center of the drive wheel outwardly towards a circumference of the drive wheel.

4. The reflector antenna according to claim 3, wherein the channel is formed as a bore which surrounds the rotatable segment with enough clearance so that the connecting cable is movably supported in the bore.

5. The reflector antenna according to claim 3, wherein the drive wheel is rigidly connected with a center portion that is rotatably supported for rotation relative to both the stator portion and the rotor portion and includes a center bore extending therethrough, and further including a mounting sleeve surrounded by the center bore, with the connecting cable that passes through the stator portion projecting into the center bore and being secured in the mounting sleeve, wherein the mounting sleeve is rigidly connected with the stator portion and deflected from the stator portion in the direction of the channel.

6. The reflector antenna according to claim 3, and further comprising a tube connected to the drive wheel, wherein the connecting cable, after exiting the channel, is guided to an attachment point of the rotor portion through the tube.

7. The reflector antenna according to claim 6, wherein the tube is bent in the shape of a gallows that is curved from an exit of the channel of the drive wheel towards a rotation point formed on the rotor portion, with the connecting cable passing through the rotation point and extending towards a connecting point formed on the rotor portion, with the ends of the connecting cable connected to the connecting point.

8. The reflector antenna according to claim 6, and further including a guide tube connected to the rotor portion, wherein the tube is bent in the shape of a gallows that is curved from an exit of the channel of the drive wheel towards an attachment point formed in the guide tube, with a strand of the connecting cable that exits from the gallows being guided in the guide tube towards the rotor portion.

9. The reflector antenna according to claim 8, wherein a section of the guide tube adjacent to the attachment point has a curvature that extends approximately parallel to that of the gallows and is connected to the rotor portion by a connecting element.

10. The reflector antenna according to claim 6, wherein the tube has a cross-section suitable for receiving at least one connecting cable.

11. The reflector antenna according to claim 3, and further including a tube connected to the drive wheel, wherein the connecting cable, after exiting the channel, is guided to an attachment point of the stator portion through the tube.

12. The reflector antenna according to claim 11, wherein the attachment point of the stator portion is formed as an apex of a dome which is rigidly connected with the stator portion, with the connecting cable extending along a walls of the dome from the attachment point to a connecting point.

13. The reflector antenna according to claim 2, wherein the first guide is a slot formed as a channel and extending in a radial direction, and wherein the rotatable segment extends through the slot which surrounds the rotatable segment with ample clearance.

14. The reflector antenna according to claim 2, and further comprising drive means disposed on the drive wheel for driving the rotor portion.

15. The reflector antenna according to claim 14, wherein the drive means are formed as a shaft extending through the drive wheel parallel to the vertical rotation axis of the rotor portion, and further including a plurality of drive pinions meshing with teeth disposed on respective ends of the shaft that protrude from opposing surfaces of the drive wheel and also including an additional pinion, wherein the teeth are connected to the stator portion and also by the additional pinion to the rotor portion, and wherein the drive pinions increase the rotation speed of the rotor portion relative to the drive wheel by a ratio 2:

1, while converting the rotation direction of the rotor portion to the same rotation direction as that of the drive wheel.

16. The reflector antenna according to claim 15, wherein the drive means include two toothed belts having a common drive formed by the drive pinions supported in the drive wheel.

17. The reflector antenna according to claim 15, wherein the drive means include at least one toothed belt, with the at least one toothed belt encircling a toothless outer circumference of the drive wheel and engaging with a drive pinion.

18. The reflector antenna according to claim 17, and further comprising a motor, wherein the drive pinion is driven by the motor, with the drive pinion secured to a driven shaft of the motor.

19. The reflector antenna according to claim 18, wherein the motor is rigidly connected with the stator.

20. The reflector antenna according to claim 18, wherein the motor is rigidly connected with the rotor.

21. The reflector antenna according to claim 17, wherein the drive wheel includes a concentric gearing and wherein the toothed belt which drives the drive pinion engages with the gearing.

22. The reflector antenna according to claim 21, wherein the drive pinion is secured to the shaft that extends through the drive wheel, and further including a driven pinion secured to an end of the shaft.

23. The reflector antenna according to claim 22, wherein a toothed belt having a respective set of teeth disposed on each side of the toothed belt is guided with the set of teeth disposed on the inner side on the driven pinion, with the set of teeth disposed on the outer side engaging with a pinion driving the rotor portion.

24. The reflector antenna according to claim 23, wherein the toothed belt having the sets of teeth on each side is deflected on a pinion supported on the drive wheel.

25. The reflector antenna according to claim 24, wherein the toothed belt having the sets of teeth on each side is tensioned by a belt tightener that is supported on the drive wheel.

26. The reflector antenna according to claim 15, wherein the stator portion and the rotor portion each include a section formed as a hollow cylinder, with the teeth being disposed on an outer surface of the respective hollow cylinder and a center segment supported on an inner surface of the respective hollow cylinder.

27. The reflector antenna according to claim 26, wherein the drive wheel is supported for rotation relative to the respective hollow cylinder.

28. The reflector antenna according to claim 27, wherein the teeth are disposed on a portion of the respective hollow cylinders facing the drive wheel and the respective portions of the hollow cylinders face one another relative to the drive wheel.

29. The reflector antenna according to claim 26, wherein the respective hollow cylinders are identical to one another.

30. The reflector antenna according to claim 26, and further comprising an aligning antenna that can be connected to the hollow cylinder of the rotor portion.

31. The reflector antenna according to claim 14, wherein the drive means include a motor and at least one toothed belt driven by the motor.

32. The reflector antenna according to claim 31, wherein the toothed belt meshes with teeth disposed on the drive wheel and also with teeth disposed on the rotor portion.

33. The reflector antenna according to claim 32, wherein the toothed belt engages with the teeth of the rotor portion and—

after a turn—

with the teeth of the drive wheel.

34. The reflector antenna according to claim 31, wherein the drive means include two toothed belts, with a first toothed belt engaging with the rotor portion and the second toothed belt engaging with the drive wheel.

35. The reflector antenna according to claim 34, wherein one of the two toothed belts has teeth formed on an outside surface, whereas the other toothed belt has teeth formed on an inside surface.

36. The reflector antenna according to claim 34, wherein the two toothed belts have a common deflection roller.

37. The reflector antenna according to claim 36, wherein the deflection roller has pinions associated with the drive wheel and the rotor and having an identical number of teeth.

38. The reflector antenna according to claim 2, wherein the rotor portion includes a first motor that drives the rotor portion relative to the drive wheel, and wherein the drive wheel is in addition driven by a second motor disposed on the stator portion.

39. The reflector antenna according to claim 38, wherein the first motor is controlled with an angular ratio of 2:

1 relative to the second motor.

40. The reflector antenna according to claim 38, wherein the first and second motors include gears to couple the first and second motors to the rotor portion and the drive wheel, respectively.

41. The reflector antenna according to claim 38, wherein the first and second motors include toothed gears to couple the first and second motors to the rotor portion and the drive wheel, respectively.

42. The reflector antenna according to claim 38, wherein the first and second motors include toothed belts to couple the first and second motors to the rotor portion and the drive wheel, respectively.

43. The reflector antenna according to claim 38, wherein one of the first and second motors is coupled by a toothed belt and the other motor is coupled by a toothed gear to the rotor portion and the drive wheel, respectively.

44. The reflector antenna according to claim 43, wherein the rotor portion is driven by gear wheels and the drive wheel is driven via a toothed belt.

45. The reflector antenna according to claim 43, wherein the rotor portion is driven by a toothed belt and the drive wheel is driven by gear wheels.

46. The reflector antenna according to claim 38, and further including a controller with a comparator circuit and a third motor that controls antenna movements in a vertical plane, wherein the first, second and third motors are controlled by the controller and wherein movement of the antenna about the vertical and horizontal axis is controlled by control signals produced by the comparator circuit.

47. The reflector antenna according to claim 46, wherein the control signals are produced by detecting a deviation from a largest possible signal received by the reflector antenna.

48. The reflector antenna according to claim 47, wherein the control signals are produced in the event that a ship deviates from a predetermined course.

49. The reflector antenna according to claim 46, wherein the control signals for controlling the third motor that controls antenna movements in the vertical plane, are produced by a pulse generator that detects movements of a ship.

50. The reflector antenna according to claim 49, wherein the pulse generator responds to a signal received from a compass.

51. The reflector antenna according to claim 1, and further comprising a guide tube disposed between the rotatable segment and the rotor portion, wherein the connecting cable includes a section adjacent to the rotatable segment and passing through the guide tube.

52. The reflector antenna according to claim 1, and further including a flexible spiral surrounding the connecting cable and rotating motion together with the connecting cable.