Rapid disconnect system for cellular tower transmissions

• US 7,830,045 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vinculums Services, Inc. (QualTek LLC)
• Original Assignee: Vinculums Services, Inc. (QualTek LLC)
• Inventors: Boulger, Andrew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amrany; Adi
• Application Number:
  US12/413,501
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 307/326
• US Class Current: 307/326
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/002 Protection against seismic waves, thermal radiation or other disturbances, e.g. nuclear explosion; Arrangements for improving the power handling capability of an antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations

Abstract

A safety disconnect system for a cellular antenna array on a support structure includes an enclosure mountable to a support structure. A fixed connector secured within the enclosure has contacts connected to conductors of at least a first digital data and control cable. A moveable connector within the enclosure includes corresponding contacts connected to conductors of a second digital data and control cable. The two connectors are selectively mated to engage the contacts of the two connectors. When the connectors are mated, transceivers within a base transceiver station (BTS) receive signals from a base station controller (BSC) and transmit RF energy via an array of antennas. A gripping handle secured to the moveable connector has a size and configuration selected to be grasped by a gloved hand to move the moveable connector away from the fixed connector in a rapid and safe manner to disable further transmissions by the transceivers.

Claims

1. A safety disconnect system for a cellular antenna array on a support structure comprising:

an enclosure mountable to a support structure having at least one antenna mounted thereon;

a fixed connector secured within the enclosure, the fixed connector comprising a plurality of contacts electrically connected to a first cable for data and control signals between a base system controller and a base transceiver station;

a moveable connector positioned within the enclosure proximate to the fixed connector, the moveable connector comprising a corresponding plurality of contacts electrically connected to a second cable for data and control signals between the base station controller and the base transceiver station, the moveable connector selectively mateable with the fixed connector to engage the plurality of contacts of the moveable connector with the plurality of contacts of the fixed connector to connect the first cable and the second cable in series between the base system controller and the base transceiver station to enable the base system controller to communicate with the base transceiver station to cause the base transceiver station to selectively generate RF energy to the antenna on the support structure; and

a gripping handle secured to the moveable connector, the gripping handle having a size and configuration selected to be grasped by a gloved hand to move the moveable connector away from the fixed connector to disconnect the first cable from the second cable to interrupt communication between the base station controller and the base transceiver station and thereby prevent the base transceiver station from transmitting RF energy via the antenna.

2. The safety disconnect system as defined in claim 1, wherein the fixed connector and the moveable connector are connectors having multiple pins, each of the first cable and the second cable comprises multiple pairs of conductors within a common outer covering, the conductors in each pair of conductors twisted together, the respective ends of the conductors in each cable connected to the pins of the respective connectors.

3. The safety disconnect system as defined in claim 1, wherein the gripping handle provides a larger surface area for grasping than a surface area provided by the moveable connector.

4. The safety disconnect system as defined in claim 1, wherein the gripping handle is displaced from the connector by a sufficient distance to allow at least the tips of a person'"'"'s fingers to be inserted between the connector and an inner surface of the gripping handle.

5. A method of safely disabling the radiation of radio frequency energy from cellular base station antennas mounted on a support structure shared with other utilities, comprising:

routing data and control signals from a cellular base station controller to a disconnect system mounted proximate to the support structure via a first cable;

routing the data and control signals from the disconnect system to a cellular base transceiver station via a second cable, the cellular base transceiver station responsive to the data and control signals to radiate radio frequency energy from the cellular base station antennas;

providing a fixed mating connector and a moveable mating connector within the disconnect system that are engageable to electrically connect the first cable and the second cable; and

providing a gripping handle attached to the moveable mating connector to provide additional surface area to grasp in order to pull the moveable mating connecter out of engagement with the fixed mating connector to electrically disconnect the first cable and the second cable to block the data and control signals to the cellular base transceiver station to thereby terminate the radiation of radio frequency energy.