EP1585186A2

EP1585186A2 - Pivotable antenna bracket

Info

Publication number: EP1585186A2
Application number: EP05102745A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bengt Martensson; Jan Gustafsson
Original assignee: Bema Martensson & Co Hb
Current assignee: Bema Martensson & Co Hb
Priority date: 2004-04-08
Filing date: 2005-04-07
Publication date: 2005-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 2025-04-07
Also published as: EP1585186A3; SE0400927L; EP1585186B1; DE602005002775D1; SE525638C2; ATE375606T1; SE0400927D0

Abstract

An antenna device, suitable for receiving television signals at a caravan comprising an antenna (8), a mast (4), a roof entrance (14) for said mast (4) and a set of fittings, characterized in that a hinge joint is provided between the antenna (8) and the mast (4) and in that the said set of fittings comprises a runner fitting (5) and a stay (6), where said stay (6) is jointly attached to the antenna (8) and at the runner fittings (5), where the runner fitting (5) can run along the mast in such a way that when the mast is pulled downwards, the antenna (8) will be pivoted from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position and the reversed, when the mast (4) is brought upwards, the antenna (8) will be pivoted from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position.

Description

Field of invention

The present invention relates to antenna devices, more particularly antenna brackets and most particularly antenna brackets for television antennas for use at/on vehicles such as caravans.

Background

Television antennas for use with caravans are known in the art. Such antennas can be of the dipole type having directional elements. Such an antenna is directed towards the transmitter by means of a rotateable antenna mast, which can be rotated manually from inside the caravan by means of a roof entrance in the roof of the caravan. The roof entrance also allows the mast to be shifted upwards to obtain better reception as well as downwards to obtain reduced influence of the wind and reduced risk of damage during ride, particularly when passing below bridges and viaducts with reduced free passage height.
During reception of analogue TV-signals these antennas have worked satisfactorily. After the introduction of digital transmissions the inventors have by practical trials been able to show that lattice antennas, also called vertical net antennas, are to prefer to dipole antennas and omni-directional antennas, when it comes to digital transmissions.
A drawback with lattice antennas has hitherto been that the they extend principally vertically, which has exposed them to the wind and thereby they have become prone to damage on vehicles, such as caravans.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device that reduces or totally eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks with lattice antennas for use with vehicles.
A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, easy to handle and resource saving device.

Summary of the invention

The above objects are fulfilled by means of a device according to the present invention.
By providing an antenna that is easy to fold, the above objects are fulfilled. This is accomplished by providing an antenna device which is provided with a hinge joint between a mast head and an antenna, which allows the antenna to be pivoted between a horizontal position, mainly perpendicularly to the mast and a vertical position, principally parallel to the mast, and which further comprises means to automatically, having its origin in the upward motion of the mast, pivoting the antenna towards the vertical position, when the mast is raised, and means for automatically, having its origin in the mast movement downwards, pivoting the antenna towards to the horizontal position, when the mast is lowered.
Further, the above mentioned objects are fulfilled by providing a set of fittings, comprising a runner fitting, capable of running along a vertically adjustable mast of the kind often found in caravans. To the runner fittings is attached a stay which in its other end is jointly attached to the antennas main or central beam, in the following called antenna beam. An antenna beam fitting is attached to the antenna beam at a certain distance from the position where the stay is jointly attached to said beam. Further, the antenna beam fitting is jointly attached to a mast head fitting, which is mounted at the top of said mast, forming a hinge joint. By elevating the mast the antenna will be elevated and pivoted from a horizontal to a vertical position. In the vertical position the antenna will work most properly, because the antenna is preferably a lattice type antenna. By lowering the mast the antenna is folded and lowered. With reference to the above reasoning it is most proper to move the caravan, or which ever vehicle, when the antenna is in this horizontal position.
The function of the stay and the runner fittings is in principle to relay pressure forces in order to pivot the antenna to a horizontal position, when the mast is lowered.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a device according to an embodiment of the invention seen from the side.
Fig. 2 shows in detail an antenna beam fitting from fig. 1 from the side and in cross section.
Fig. 3 shows in detail a mast head fitting from fig. 1 from the side and in cross section.
Fig. 4 shows in detail a runner fitting from fig. 1 from the side and from above.
Fig. 5 shows in detail a stay fitting from fig. 1 from the side and in cross section.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Fig. 1 shows an antenna bracket from the side according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. An antenna beam fitting 1 is fixedly attached to an antenna beam 8. The antenna beam fitting 1 is close to its first end, by a joint 10, jointly attached to a mast head fitting 2. The mast head fitting 2 is fixedly attached to the top of the mast 4, possibly by means of a mast head adjustment fitting 3.
Further, a runner fitting 5 is mounted to the mast 4 in such a way that this fitting 5 can run freely along the mast 4, when this is elevated and lowered and rotated. The runner fitting 5 is preferably angularly formed with a hole 43 insignificantly bigger than the diameter of the mast 4.
At the runner fitting 5 is jointly attached a first end of a stay 6. The other end of the stay 6 is jointly attached to a stay fitting 7, which stay fitting 7 is fixedly attached to the antenna beam 8. The stay fitting 7 is attached to the antenna beam 8 having a suitable distance to the antenna beam fitting 1 to allow the function below to be accomplished.
To put the antenna in the receiving position, i.e. a vertical position, the mast 4 is elevated.
The antenna beam fitting 1 is so mounted to the antenna beam 8 that the centre of gravity 12 of the antenna will be positioned on the stay fitting side of the antenna beam in relation to the joint 10. This position of the centre of gravity 12 entails that, when the mast 4 is elevated, the antenna beam 8 and the associated antenna elements, not shown, will be angularly rotated to a more vertical position, as the mast is elevated. If the mast is further raised after that a vertical position has been taken by the antenna beam 8, the whole antenna will be elevated to a higher position.
To place the antenna in a transport position, i.e. a horizontal position, the mast 4 is lowered. The runner fitting will then come into contact with the roof entrance 14 (in the roof of the vehicle), which will cause a pressure force in the stay 6 to arise, which is propagated to the antenna beam 8 through the stay fitting 7, which fitting in turn interfere with the antenna beam 8 to pivot around the joint 10 to a gradually more horizontal position. When the antenna beam 8 is horizontal, the design of the antenna beam fitting 1 and the mast head fitting entails that a end position is reached, se further below.
Fig. 2 shows the antenna beam fitting 1 from the side and in profile. The fitting 1 is preferably devised having with an H-formed profile forming two elongated indentations 21, 22. The upper indentation 21 is intended to house the antenna beam 8. The lower indentation 22 is intended to house the mast head fitting 2, when the antenna is positioned in the folded, i.e. the horizontal position. The advantage having the mast head fitting 2 positioned in the indentation 22 is that the antenna bracket including the antenna gets a stable and safe construction, having large resistance against the speed wind and such, which would otherwise rotate and damage the construction.
The antenna beam fitting is further provided with a bore 20 for a joint bolt (not shown).
Fig. 3 shows the mast head fitting 2 from the side and in cross section. The fitting 2 has a rectangular cross section and can be designed within tapering in its end facing away from the joint 36. The fitting 2 is provided with a bore for the joint bolt described above, which also passes through the bores 20.
Mounting holes 31, 32 are provided to attach to the mast or the mast head adjustment fitting 3.
Fig. 4 shows the runner fitting 5, which is provided with a hole 43, through which hole the antenna mast 4, preferably of a circular cross section, can run. Further, the runner fitting 5 is provided with a notch 44 at its periphery to articulate towards the stay 6. Holes 41 are provided next to the notch 44 for a joint bolt (not shown).
Fig. 5 shows the stay fitting 7 from the side and in cross section. The stay fitting 7 is provided with two notches, 51, 52; an upper notch 51 adapted to be attached to the antenna beam 8 by means of a bolt (not shown) through the holes 53 and through the antenna beam 8, and a low notch 52, which is intended to jointly attach the stay fitting 7 to the end close to the antenna beam of the stay 6.
In another preferred embodiment the antenna bracket is provided with spring means, mounted to divide the antenna beam fitting and the mast head fitting in the initial phase of an unfolding from the horizontal position. Said spring means can for example be a pressure spring, positioned between said fittings or a coil spring, positioned around the joint bolt in the joint 10 with a first spring arm bearing against the antenna beam fitting 1 and a second spring arm bearing against the mast head fitting 2.
In a further preferred embodiment the running part corresponding to the part 5 has been mounted in a rail (not shown) on the antenna beam, while the fixed part of the stay is mounted at the mast, preferably close to the roof entrance 14.

Claims

An antenna device, suitable for receiving television signals at a caravan comprising an antenna (8), a mast (4), a roof entrance (14) for said mast (4) and a set of fittings, characterized in that a hinge joint is provided between the antenna (8) and the mast (4) and in that the said set of fittings comprises a runner fitting (5) and a stay (6), where said stay (6) is jointly attached to the antenna (8) and at the runner fittings (5), where the runner fitting (5) can run along the mast in such a way that when the mast is pulled downwards, the antenna (8) will be pivoted from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position and the reversed, when the mast (4) is brought upwards, the antenna (8) will be pivoted from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position.
An antenna device according to claim 1, charactereized in that said set of fittings further comprises an antenna beam fitting (1), a mast head fitting (2) and a stay fitting (7), where the antenna fitting is formed to be rigidly attached to the antenna beam (8) of the antenna and the mast head fitting is designed to be attached to in the mast head and in that the stay fitting (7) is designed to be attached to the antenna beam (8) at a certain distance from the antenna beam fitting and where the antenna beam fitting and the mast head fitting form the hinge joint mentioned above.
An antenna device according to claim 2, characterized in that said antenna beam fitting (1) is designed having an H-formed cross section, comprising an upper (21) and a lower (22) elongated indentation and in that the mast head fitting (2) is designed with substantially rectangular profile, where said fittings (1, 2) are adapted such that the lower, elongated indentation of the antenna beam fitting (1) and the mast head fitting fit into each other.
An antenna device according to claim 3, characterized in that said upper, elongated indentation (21) is so designed that an antenna beam fits therein.
A set of fittings suitable for a television antenna and a mast belonging thereto, characterized in that said set of fittings comprises a runner fitting (5) and a stay (6) where said stay (6) can be jointly attached to the runner fitting (5).
A set of fittings according to claim 5, characterized in that said set of fittings further comprises an antenna beam fitting (1), a mast head fitting (2) and a stay fitting (7), where the antenna fitting is designed to be rigidly attached to the antenna beam (8) of the antenna and in that the mast head fitting is designed to be attached to the mast head and in that the stay fitting (7) is designed to be attached to the antenna beam (8) at a certain distance from the antenna beam fitting and where the antenna beam fitting and the mast head fitting form a joint.
A set of fittings according to claim 6, characterized in that said antenna beam fitting (1) is designed with an H-formed cross section, comprising an upper (21) and a lower (22) elongated indentation and in that the mast head fitting is designed with a substantially rectangular profile, where said fittings (1, 2) are so adapted that the lower elongated indentation (22) of the antenna beam fitting (1) and the mast head fitting (2) fit into each other.
A set of fittings according to claim 7, characterized in that said, upper elongated indentation (21) is designed such that an antenna beam fits therein.
A set of fittings according to one of the claims 5-8, characterized in that the runner fitting is designed to run along the mast.
A set of fittings according to claim 5, characterized in that said set of fittings further comprises a rail and that said rail can be attached to the antenna (8) and that the end, close to the antenna, of the stay (6), can be brought to run in said rail.
A set of fittings according to one of the claims 6-8, further comprising a spring device, assisting the division of the antenna beam fitting (1) and the mast head fitting (2), when the set of fitting is mounted on an antenna (8) and a mast (4) and the antenna is positioned in a horizontal or close to horizontal position.