Abstract:
A fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna is disclosed herein. This mechanism disposed in the elevation and azimuth fine tuning device includes a plurality of fine tuning elements, which include a plurality of rollers, a bushing and a bearing. By this mechanism, it is easy to tune to the needed angle with high accuracy. The user can use the handle to easily tune the right elevation and azimuth.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to a fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna, and more particularly to an elevation and azimuth fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Parabolic satellite antenna is a high-directional receiving antenna. The center of the parabolic antenna should be accurately aligned to the satellite in the aerospace. At present, the signal frequency of the satellite is rising from KU to KA. This leads to a higher sensitivity on the directionality of the satellite signals. (Also means narrower Antenna Radiation Lobes Beamwidth). The traditional satellite antennas are without the fine tuning mechanisms. The fine tuning for the azimuth is all done by hand. This suffers the disadvantages of time-wasting and hard to accurately receive the single from the satellite. By using this method to fine tuning the antenna, the step, lock-down, is usually generating a displacement from the position of the original angle.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to improve the fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna such that it is able to work without the lock-down step after fine tuning and avoids generating the displacement. This also makes the fine tuning procedure smoothly, decreasing the tuning forces, and increasing the sensitivity of azimuth fine tuning.  
         [0006]     A further object of the present invention is to provide a fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna, in which the fine tuning angle is able to highly accurate alignment, and easily to align to the precise positions for the elevation and azimuth.  
         [0007]     According to one embodiment of the present invention, in order to increase the sensitivity of the azimuth and reduce the gaps during fine tuning procedure, a screw bolt was fastened into a bearing between the azimuth bracket and mount base of this mechanism. This makes the fine tuning of the azimuth smoother. By using this mechanism, the screw force during fine tuning procedure is lowered by eliminate the gaps among rotation center. In order to recognize the properties and the functions, the details are described as the following sections. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a perspective view, revealing the layout of the fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a top cross-sectional view of the roller arrangement of the fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates the side cross-sectional view, showing the position relationship of the mount base and azimuth bracket of the fine tuning mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates the position relationship of the parts of the fine tuning mechanism, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     This invention is a fine tuning mechanism of the satellite antenna. Based on the prior conventional mechanism, this invention introduces the new parts, that comprising rollers, bearings and bushings. The objectives of the rollers are to increase the sensitivity, decrease the wear and tear of the mechanism during the fine tuning procedure. The objectives of the bearings and bushings are in order to smooth the rotation and to avoid to get stuck by the abrasion among the materials of the parts. By combination of these parts into this mechanism, the stability is able to enhance during the fine tuning procedure.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates the perspective view of the fine tuning apparatus  10  of the satellite antenna, in which the basic structure of the fine tuning apparatus includes an elevation fine tuning bolt  110 , an elevation fine tuning shaft  120 , an elevation bracket  130 , an azimuth fine tuning shaft  140 , an azimuth bracket  150 , a hollow column  160 , a mount base  170 , a handle  180  etc. The function of the apparatus  10  is on fine tuning the elevation and azimuth of the satellite antenna. The objectives of this invention is disposed a fine tuning mechanism between the azimuth bracket  150  and mount base  170 , by which, the sensitivity will be increased, the friction will be decreased, and the case of parts-locked by the abrasion of materials will be avoided.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is the top cross-section view of the fine tuning mechanism  20 , showing the arrangement of the rollers  220 . These rollers are fixed on the mount base  210  and arranged in a circular formation between the mount base  210  and the azimuth bracket  150 . The azimuth bracket  150 , which is fixed by the screws on the corners, and the mount base  210  are inter-rotating with each other during the fine tuning procedure. By the surface contact and the induced action between the rollers  220  and the azimuth bracket, this design is not only decreasing the unnecessary friction, but also efficiently increasing the sensitivity of the fine tuning mechanism, and help to lower the rotating forces during the fine tuning procedure. The number of the roller  220  in the embodiments is either two, four, six, or eight and so on, as long as the mechanism is able to maintain in balance and increasing the sensitivity.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates the side cross-section view of the part of the assembly  30  that fixed on the mount base  310 . The mount base  310  has a room where the rollers  320  are disposed and the azimuth bracket  330  is then dispose on top of the rollers  320 , using top washer  340  and the bottom washer  350  clipping these parts, and the screws  360  fixing the parts together. When the azimuth bracket  330  is under a normal applying force, it is higher compared with the mount bracket  320  by the design and an interval, A, between these two parts is about 0.02-0.05 mm in length. When the azimuth bracket  330  and the mount base  310  are fixing by the screw and under an applying force, because of the interval A, the washer will not generate a huge friction by tightly locked, and the sensitivity of the azimuth fine tuning will not be affected.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates the perspective view of the fine tuning mechanism  40 , comprising a mount base  410 , a plurality of the rollers  420 , a pillar  430 , a bushing  440 , an azimuth bracket  450 , a thrust bearing  460 , a nut  470 , and a bolt  480 . A plurality of the rollers  420  are disposed on the mount base  410  and arranged in a circular formation. The pillar is disposed in the center of the mount base. The bushing  440  is put between the mount base  410  and the azimuth bracket  450 . The thrust bearing  460  is on the azimuth bracket  450  and just below the nut  470  and the bolt  480 .  
         [0017]     According to the  FIG. 4 , in order to increase the sensitivity of the fine tuning mechanism, between the mount base  410  and the azimuth bracket  450 , the bushing  440 , which is tightly fixing on the mount base  410 , and the thrust bearing  460 , which is connected with the azimuth bracket  450 , are combined with the designed rollers  420  to increase the stability of the fine tuning of the azimuth.  
         [0018]     In this invention, the introduced rollers are to improve the sensitivity during the fine tuning procedure. Besides the detailed description of the previous embodiment, it is appreciated that the quantity of the rollers may be greater or less than that disclosed, or the arrangement of the rollers may be changed but complies with the principle of symmetry to achieve the expectant objectives of the invention. The function of the thrust bearing is to smooth the action of the mechanism. If the bearing is omitted, the function of the rollers is still working by slightly increasing the applying forces, as well as the function of the fine tuning mechanism. Otherwise, the quantity of the bushings may be greater or less than that disclosed, by partially modified to achieve the objectives.  
         [0019]     As the invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of essential characteristics therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes that fall within meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.