Method and apparatus for connection to a rotatable antenna

• US 6,469,668 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Prestwich, Sy, Johnson, Thomas A., Jones, Jeffrey L., Lo Forte, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alemu, Ephrem
• Application Number:
  US09/488,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.124, 343/702, 343/906, 343/905, 455/90
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/06 over a restricted angle

Abstract

A hinged or rotatable antenna working in conjunction with a ground plane element which discloses a coaxial cable connection that maintains electrical contact between the ground plane element and the coaxial cable shielding through the use of a compression retainer block or plate. Some embodiments of the present invention also disclose channel geometry for establishing and maintaining an electrical connection between cable shielding and a ground plate element.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

an antenna hingeably attached to an electronic apparatus such that said antenna hinges about an axis of rotation;

an aperture in said antenna for connecting to an antenna radiator in said antenna;

a coaxial cable having a longitudinal axis, a shielding layer, and a primary conductor, said primary conductor entering said aperture and being a radiator in said antenna, and wherein said aperture is aligned with said longitudinal axis; and

a channel for receiving and securing said cable and for maintaining an electrical connection between a shielding layer of said cable and a ground plane element.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said aperture is axial to said axis of rotation and said cable axially extends through said aperture.

3. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a retainer block for receiving and retaining said coaxial cable and maintaining electrical contact between said shielding layer and said ground plane.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said channel has a v-shaped cross-section sized to cause mild compression of said cable between said block and said channel.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said channel narrows at a point to increase compression on said cable and further secure said cable.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said antenna is a modified monopole antenna.