Adjustable horn mount assembly

• US 6,466,175 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Media Networks LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Media Networks LLC
• Inventors: Sorensen, Michael, Ehrenberg, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/813,359
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.112, H01/Q.316, 343/840, 343/757, 343/758, 343/761, 343/762, 343/763, 343/878, 343/839, 343/880
• US Class Current: 343/761
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1235 Collapsible supports; Means for erecting a rigid antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/132 Horn reflector antennas; Off-set feeding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/18 wherein the primary active element is movable and the reflecting device is fixed

Abstract

A horn mount assembly 160 attaches a horn assembly 180 to a main feed leg 122 and provides adjustment on the Y-Z tilt axis and along the z-axis axis. The horn mount assembly includes a wave guide mount circular clamp 162, a flexible wave guide mount 163, a horn circular clamp 164, a feed strut attachment plate 166, a Y-Z tilt jack screw 170, and a Z-axis jack screw 172. The feed strut attachment plate attaches to the main feed leg, while the horn assembly is secured by the horn circular clamp. The flexible wave guide mount is secured by the wave guide mount circular clamp, and a flexible wave guide connects to the flexible wave guide mount. The z-axis jack screw allows the horn assembly to move along the horn transmission beam axis towards and away from the centerpoint of illumination 110 of a dish assembly 100. The Y-Z tilt jack screw allows the horn assembly to pivot in a vertical plane. A polarization drive assembly 190 is used to remotely adjust the polarity of the horn assembly via the horn mount assembly while the antenna system is actively transmitting a signal. The polarization drive assembly 190 includes a worm drive 192, a torque plate 193, a flex drive torque cable 194, an adjustment knob 196, and a cable disconnect 198. The worm drive connects to the horn mount assembly. The torque cable connects the adjustment knob to the worm drive. The torque cable allows an operator to stand behind the dish, and use the adjustment knob to manually adjust the polar orientation of the horn assembly while the antenna system is operating and microwaves are being generated. Furthermore, a laser alignment device 250 is utilized to facilitate aligning the horn mount assembly 160 with the dish assembly 100. The device 250 includes an alignment wave guide mount 252, an alignment horn end mount 254, and an elongated shaft 256.

Claims

1. A horn mount assembly for adjustably positioning a horn assembly with respect to an antenna dish having a centerpoint of illumination in an antenna system, the axis from the horn assembly to the centerpoint of illumination of the antenna dish being defined as the horn transmission beam axis, the horn mount assembly having a proximal end near the antenna dish and a distal end away from the antenna dish, the horn mount assembly comprising:

a feed strut attachment plate;

a wave guide mount that provides a connection bracket for a wave guide;

a wave guide mount circular clamp located at the distal end of the horn mount assembly, wherein the wave guide mount circular clamp selectively secures the wave guide mount;

a horn circular clamp located at the proximal end of the horn mount assembly, wherein the horn circular clamp selectively secures the horn assembly;

a Z-axis jack screw that facilitates translation of the horn mount assembly and connected horn assembly along the horn transmission beam axis to modify the focal length with respect to the centerpoint of illumination of the antenna dish; and

a Y-Z tilt jack screw that facilitates rotation of the horn mount assembly and connected horn assembly in a vertical plane defined by the horn transmission beam axis and a vertical axis.

2. The horn mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the horn mount assembly secures the horn assembly to a feed legs assembly, the feed legs assembly including a main feed leg assembly having a head and a base.

3. The horn mount assembly of claim 2, wherein the feed strut attachment plate is selectively securable to the head of the main feed leg assembly.

4. The horn mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the wave guide mount provides a connection bracket for a horn mounted polarization drive assembly to adjust the polar orientation of the horn mount assembly.

5. The horn mount assembly of claim 1, wherein an orthomode transducer is selectively attachable to the horn mount assembly.

6. The horn mount assembly of claim 1, wherein a laser alignment device is selectively attachable to the horn mount assembly, and wherein the laser alignment device facilitates alignment of the horn assembly with respect to the centerpoint of illumination of the dish assembly without the antenna system actively transmitting by projecting a laser beam towards the antenna dish.

7. The horn mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the horn mount assembly adjustably positions the horn assembly with respect to the antenna dish in operative association with a feed leg assembly of the antenna system, the antenna system further including a back frame assembly, the feed leg assembly comprising:

a main feed leg having a base and a head, wherein the base of a main feed leg attaches to the back frame assembly and the head of the main feed leg attaches to the horn mount assembly; and

side feed legs each having a base and a head, wherein the base of the side feed legs attach to the back frame assembly and the head of the side feed legs attach to a main feed leg;

wherein the side feed legs include adjustment members for modifying the elevation angle of the main feed leg and associated position of the horn mount assembly.

8. The horn mount assembly of claim 7, wherein the base of the main feed leg rotatably attaches to the back frame assembly, and wherein the back frame assembly supports the weight of the main feed leg.

9. The horn mount assembly of claim 7, wherein the side feed legs attach to the main feed leg and act as long turnbuckles.

10. The horn mount assembly of claim 9, wherein the side feed legs have longitudinal axes, and wherein rotation of the side feed legs along the longitudinal axes modifies the effective length of the turnbuckles which, in turn, adjusts the elevation angle of the main feed leg and associated position of the horn mount assembly.

11. A polarization drive assembly for adjusting the polar orientation of an operatively associated horn assembly in an antenna system having an antenna dish, the drive assembly comprising:

a manual drive that is securable to a horn mount assembly;

a torque plate for applying torque to a wave guide mount that is operatively associated with the horn assembly; and

a flex drive torque cable having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the torque cable connects to the manual drive, and wherein the second end of the cable terminates in an adjustment knob;

wherein manipulation of the adjustment knob facilitates manual polarization adjustment of the horn assembly from a remote location.

12. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the manual drive comprises a manual worm drive.

13. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the torque cable is selectively attachable to the manual drive through a cable disconnect.

14. The polarization drive assembly of claim 13, wherein the cable disconnect provides for quick disengagement of the torque cable from the manual drive without the use of tools.

15. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly facilitates remote manual polarity adjustment of the horn assembly while the antenna system is actively transmitting a signal for increased signal alignment efficiency.

16. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the manual drive is selectively secured with respect to a main feed leg of the antenna system, thereby facilitating polarization adjustment of the horn assembly with respect to the position of the main feed leg.

17. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein horn transmission signals from the antenna system are free from interference due to attachment of the manual worn drive to the horn mount assembly.

18. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein manipulation of the adjustment knob in a first manner produces manual polarization adjustment of the horn assembly in a clockwise direction and manipulation of the adjustment knob in a second manner produces manual polarization adjustment of the horn assembly in a counter-clockwise direction.

19. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the flex drive torque cable has a length sufficient to facilitate manual polarization adjustment of the horn assembly from behind the antenna dish.

20. The polarization drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly adjustably positions the horn assembly with respect to the antenna dish in an antenna system in operative association with the horn mount assembly, the horn mount assembly comprising:

a feed strut attachment plate;

a wave guide mount providing a connection bracket for a wave guide;

a wave guide mount circular clamp selectively securing the wave guide mount;

a horn circular clamp selectively securing the horn assembly;

a Z-axis jack screw that facilitates translation of the horn mount assembly and connected horn assembly along the horn transmission beam axis to modify the focal length with respect to the centerpoint of illumination of the antenna dish; and

a Y-Z tilt jack screw that facilitates rotation of the horn mount assembly and connected horn assembly in a vertical plane defined by the horn transmission beam axis and a vertical axis.

21. A laser alignment device for positioning a horn mount assembly to which a horn assembly will attach, with respect to an antenna dish in an antenna system, the antenna dish having a centerpoint defined as a centerpoint of illumination, the horn mount assembly providing a mount for a horn assembly to transmit a signal along an axis towards the antenna dish, the axis defined as a horn transmission beam axis, the laser alignment device comprising:

an elongated body including first and second attachment mounts for attaching to the horn mount assembly;

a laser emitter contained within the body that projects a laser beam along the horn transmission beam axis;

whereby the laser alignment device facilitates aligning the horn mount assembly to which the horn assembly will attach, with respect to the centerpoint of illumination of the antenna dish by using the laser beam projection along the horn transmission beam axis instead of having the antenna system actively transmitting.

22. The laser alignment device of claim 21, wherein the laser alignment device is selectively attachable to the horn mount assembly.

23. The laser alignment device of claim 21, wherein the horn mount assembly includes a feed strut attachment plate, a wave guide mount, a wave guide mount circular clamp, a horn circular clamp, a Z-axis jack screw, and a Y-Z tilt jack screw.

24. The laser alignment device of claim 23, wherein the first attachment mount of the laser alignment device is shaped and sized to correspondingly mate with the wave guide mount circular clamp of the horn mount assembly, and the second attachment mount of the laser alignment device is shaped and sized to correspondingly mate with the horn circular clamp of the horn mount assembly, wherein the laser alignment device is positioned and oriented to project a laser beam along the horn transmission beam axis by inserting the laser alignment device into the wave guide mount circular clamp and horn circular clamp of the horn mount assembly.

25. The laser alignment device of claim 21, wherein the laser alignment device is permanently affixed to a horn mount assembly.

26. The laser alignment device of claim 21, wherein the laser alignment device includes a power switch for the laser beam emitter.

27. The laser alignment device of claim 21, wherein the antenna system further includes an alignment jig for positioning the horn with respect to the antenna dish, the alignment jig comprising:

a central hub;

a plurality of jig arms connecting at the central hub, wherein the plurality of jig arms are selectively securable to the antenna dish; and

a reference ring suspending from the central hub, wherein the reference ring is positioned and oriented with respect to the antenna dish to provide a target for the horn to correspondingly mate against when the horn has been properly positioned and oriented; and

wherein the laser alignment device further includes a mock horn disc that corresponds dimensionally to the horn assembly in both size and position when the laser sighting device is mounted on the horn mount assembly, wherein the mock horn disc of the laser alignment device allows the alignment jig to be used simultaneously with the laser alignment device.