Antenna mounting enclosure

An apparatus for mounting antennas is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes an enclosure having at least three adjoining side walls defining an interior space. Each of the walls includes an exterior surface and means on the exterior surfaces for mounting a plurality of antennas to the walls. The enclosure defines at least one opening to allow access to said interior space. The antennas may thus be mounted to the enclosure to be pointed in at least three opposing directions approximately 120 degrees apart, while the interior space and exterior walls of the enclosure provides a convenient and substantially weatherproof area to store support equipment for operation of the antennas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 This invention relates to directional antennas and radio communications,
 and more particularly to an apparatus for mounting directional antennas.
 Wireless telecommunications systems utilize radio signals to exchange
 information between fixed-wire base stations and free-standing mobile
 stations. In cellular communications applications, for example, each base
 station transmits from an antenna over a fixed-area range called a "cell."
 In order to provide service to mobile telephones over a large geographic
 area, many cells are positioned over the area to provide complete
 coverage.
 In typical cellular configurations, base station antennas create large,
 hexagonal or circular-shaped macrocells with the main antennas located at
 the center of the cell. The transmissions from the base station ideally
 propagate outward 360 degrees from the antennas. These cells are often
 referred to as "omni-directional." These omni-directional cells require
 the base station antennas to be mounted in an array that allows them to be
 pointed in a plurality of directions to provide 360 degrees of coverage.
 In order to provide this wide range of unobstructed coverage, the antennas
 must be mounted in a clear area, often located high above the ground on
 antenna towers.
 In most cellular applications in densely occupied urban areas, the cellular
 antennas are mounted more closely to street level on towers projecting
 from the rooftops of buildings. These towers have proven to be unsightly,
 especially where the towers mount several antennas and their associated
 circuitry, cabling and other necessary equipment within the plain view of
 persons on the ground. The unsightliness of these structures can result in
 the unwillingness of building owners to allow necessary cellular antennas
 to be installed on their buildings.
 Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus for mounting
 directional antennas and related equipment in a fashion that allows
 omni-directional propagation while maintaining a pleasant appearance.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention provides an apparatus for mounting a plurality of
 antennas via a convenient, visibly pleasing, self-contained structure. The
 present invention may be embodied in an apparatus that includes an
 enclosure having three adjoining side walls defining an interior space.
 Each of the walls includes an exterior surface and means on the exterior
 surfaces for mounting a plurality of antennas to the walls. The enclosure
 defines at least one opening to allow access to the interior space. The
 antennas may thus be mounted to the enclosure to be pointed in at least
 three opposing directions approximately 120.degree. apart to provide
 360.degree., omni-directional coverage. The interior space of the
 enclosure provides a convenient weatherproof area to store support
 equipment for operation of the antennas.
 In another aspect of the invention, each of the three main side walls of
 the enclosure are positioned approximately 120.degree. to each other,
 thereby creating a structure having a horizontal cross-section
 corresponding to an equilateral triangle. The upstanding walls allow sets
 of antennas to be mounted along each wall and pointed in a direction
 generally perpendicular to the plane of each wall. This allows a
 360.degree. range of coverage for the antennas arrayed on the apparatus.
 In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus is adapted for
 positioning on a rooftop in an unobtrusive fashion. The upstanding walls
 of the structure allow for camouflaging and provide a convenient enclosed
 space for enclosing and mounting electronic support equipment and cables
 out of sight.
 The present invention may be further embodied in an apparatus that includes
 mounting means to allow antennas to be mounted to the enclosure along at
 least three planes angled approximately 120 degrees to each other. This
 structure allows antennas to be mounted to an enclosure having a variety
 of shapes.
 Thus, the present invention provides a convenient apparatus for
 inconspicuously mounting directional antennas. The present invention may
 be used to mount antennas such as directional cellular antennas to the
 rooftops of buildings or other vertical structures, while providing an
 area for storage and mounting of related support equipment within the
 apparatus.
 It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the
 following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are
 intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. The
 invention, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will
 best be understood by reference to the following detailed description,
 taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the
 enclosure apparatus 10. Taken in conjunction with the side and top views
 shown at FIGS. 2 and 3, the enclosure 10 includes upstanding side walls
 12, 14 and 16. Preferably, each of the walls 12, 14 and 16 meets with an
 adjacent wall at an angle of approximately 120.degree., thereby forming an
 enclosure having cross-section similar to an equilateral triangle. A
 unitary, triangular roof structure 17 having a slightly domed
 configuration is mounted over the walls 12, 14 and 16.
 In the preferred embodiment, side wall 14 defines an opening or doorway 18
 to allow passage into the interior of the enclosure 10. Doorway 18 may be
 sealably closed by a door 20 mounted to the wall 14 by hinges 24.
 Preferably, the door is tall enough for a person to comfortably pass
 through. The door 20 also preferably includes a latch 22 of conventional
 design.
 In the preferred embodiment, a fiberglass, molded composite laminate is
 used to form the walls 12, 14 and 16 of the enclosure 10. Preferably, the
 composite material is approximately 11/2 inches thick. The interior of the
 walls also preferably are covered with 3/4-inch polyurethane insulating
 foam sheeting. The floor of the enclosure 10 preferably comprises an
 18-gauge steel sheeting base and a cover layer of 3/4-inch plywood. This
 material is weatherproof and lightweight, yet strong enough to support the
 mounting of heavy antenna hardware. Additional stability at the joints
 between walls 12, 14 and 16 may be added by mounting reinforced corner
 braces 40. The exterior dimensions of the preferred embodiment of the
 enclosure 10 are preferably 12 feet wide for each of walls 12, 14 and 16,
 and 11 feet in height. In the alternative, the walls 12, 14 and 16, the
 door 20, and roof 17 preferably may also be constructed from sheet metal
 approximately 18-gauge.
 The enclosure 10 may be mounted to rooftop surfaces via mounting brackets
 30. The brackets 30 can receive mounting bolts (not shown) to hold the
 brackets 30 and the enclosure 10 flush to the rooftop surface.
 A possible configuration of the enclosure 10 incorporating antenna hardware
 and related equipment is illustrated in FIG. 4. As shown in the figure,
 three directional cellular antennas 50 are mounted on each of the side
 walls 12, 14 and 16 via mounting brackets 52. The brackets 52 can be of a
 structure known to those skilled in the art as sufficient to mount various
 forms of antennas. Each of the antennas 50 are positioned in this
 embodiment to be pointing slightly downwardly as shown. This configuration
 provides improved cellular range on the ground when the enclosure 10 is
 mounted to a high surface such as a rooftop.
 Miscellaneous hardware, such as the power boxes 60 and electrical
 switchboxes 62, may be mounted to the walls 12, 14 and/or 16 of the
 enclosure 10 as shown in FIG. 4. The walls may be drilled and grommetted
 to provide weatherproof passage means as shown for cables 64 to link the
 exterior surfaces of the walls 12, 14 and 16 with the interior of the
 enclosure 10. Other electrical or antennas support equipment may be stored
 inside the enclosure 10 to shield the equipment from weather.
 The preferred embodiment provides 360.degree. of coverage for cellular
 antennas with the 120.degree. angled wall configuration shown. However,
 other configurations may be appropriate while remaining within the scope
 of the invention. For example, the walls 12, 14 and 16 may not necessarily
 define an equilateral triangle, but may define an irregular triangular
 structure to more attractively blend in with architecture or surroundings
 of a particular rooftop. The three angled main walls 12, 14 and 16 will
 still provide a wide range of coverage. Furthermore, variously shaped
 mounting brackets may be utilized to mount the antennas 50 to the
 structure so that the antennas 50 mounted in an array on the enclosure 10
 may be pointing in various directions to provide 360.degree. of coverage.
 In the alternative, the three main walls 12, 14 and 16 may be separated by
 other spacing walls rather than meeting at the corners to produce a
 triangle. Thus, a triangular structure such as in the preferred embodiment
 is not necessary to provide 360.degree. of coverage, and various shapes
 may be utilized.
 The enclosure of the present invention advantageously provides a secure,
 stable and convenient structure on which to mount antennas and related
 equipment. The structure also encloses and hides unsightly equipment and
 may be further camouflaged with paint or other materials to make a more
 attractive enclosure. Furthermore, the contained structure of the
 enclosure can be easily pre-manufactured off-site and pre-fitted with the
 antennas. This greatly simplifies installation on building locations.
 Of course, it should be understood that a wide range of changes and
 modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments described above.
 For example, the enclosure described herein should not be limited to the
 precise structure and orientation shown in the drawings and described in
 the specification. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed
 description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it
 be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents,
 which are intended to define the scope of this invention.