ANTENNA DEVICE FOR MOBILE TELEPHONY

Abstract: The antenna device for mobile telephony comprises an antenna mast, at least one antenna connected to the antenna mast, and means for placing the antenna on a building. The antenna device comprises fastening means to connect the antenna mast to an upright wall of a building, and a platform connected to the antenna mast above the fastening means, the antenna mast being directed approximately perpendicularly to the platform. The platform is arranged to be supported on a horizontal surface of the outside of the building without a fixed connection between the building and the platform having been effected.

Description: Title: Antenna device for mobile telephony. This invention relates to an antenna device for mobile telephony, comprising an antenna mast, at least one antenna connected to the antenna mast, and means for placing the antenna on a building. The known antenna devices are connected with the building in different ways, depending on the situation. If the antenna device is placed on a flat roof of a building, the antenna device is fixedly connected to the roof by means of fastening means, such as bolts and nuts. It is also known to attach the antenna device to an upright sidewall of a building by means of a plurality of brackets. A disadvantage of the known antenna device is that it is experienced as highly objectionable that the antenna device must be connected to the building at various points. For this purpose, various holes must be made in a roof. These may give rise to leakage. Moreover, the holes are objectionable when at a later time it is decided to remove the antenna device again. When the holes are closed by means of, for instance, a bolt, this also entails a risk of leakage. Furthermore, it can easily happen that persons walking over the roof stumble over them. The object of the invention is to meet the disadvantages outlined. Accordingly, the invention is characterized in that the antenna device comprises fastening means for connecting the antenna mast to an upright wall of a building and a platform connected to the antenna mast above the fastening means, the antenna mast being directed approximately perpendicularly to the platform and the platform being arranged to be supported on a horizontal surface on the outside of the building without a fixed connection between the building and the platform having been effected. The antenna device according to the invention has as an advantage that it can be connected to a building particularly firmly. Moreover, to obtain this particularly firm connection, a connection between the upright external wall of the building and the antenna mast is necessary only at one position. Accordingly, this building needs to undergo only a minimal number of operations for installing the antenna device. In particular, it holds that the platform is provided with at least one receiving space in which at least one weighting element can be received. The weighting elements have as an advantage that installing the antenna device on a building does not entail any unduly heavy work. This is because the weighting elements can be provided one by one without it being necessary to install a very heavy platform in one go. According to a particular embodiment of the antenna device, the antenna device further comprises a horizontal mast which extends above the plane of the platform and to which, in use, at least one dish antenna is attached. The platform thus obtains a dual function. Not only is the platform used to place the antenna device firmly on the building, but also dish antennas can be attached to the platform. The elevation of the dish antennas can then be adjusted by rotating them about the horizontal mast and then clamping them in a manner known per se. According to a highly advantageous embodiment according to the invention, the antenna comprises a phased-array antenna extending in vertical direction, which is pivotably connected to the antenna mast for pivoting motion about a horizontal axis, while adjacent a lower side of the phased-array antenna adjusting means are arranged for setting the angle included between the phased-array and the antenna mast, the horizontal axis being located above the adjusting means. In this way, the elevation of the phased-array antenna can be set by a person by operating the adjusting means which are arranged at the lower side of the phased-array antenna. The advantage is that typically no ladder or stairs are needed to set this elevation. The invention will presently be further explained with reference to the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of an antenna device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a part of the antenna device according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the antenna device according to Fig. 1 which additionally comprises a number of dish antennas; Fig. 4 shows a top plan view of a part of the antenna device according to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a portion of the antenna device according to Fig. 3 in an exploded condition; Fig. 6 shows the antenna device according to Fig. 3, without it comprising a phased-array antenna; Fig. 7 shows a top plan view of a part of the antenna device according to Fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows an alternative use of the antenna device according to Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 shows an alternative use of the antenna device according to Fig. 6. In the appended figures, corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numeral. The antenna device according to Fig. 1 for mobile telephony comprises an antenna mast 2, and a phased-array antenna 4 which is connected to the antenna mast. The antenna device further comprises a platform 6 which is connected to the antenna mast at a point approximately halfway the antenna mast 2 by means of a bracket 8. The platform 6 stands loose on a roof 10 of a building without a fixed connection with the roof 10 having been effected. In this example, between the platform 6 and the roof 10 a planking 12 is arranged. Adjacent the lower side of the antenna mast 2, fastening means 14 are arranged which fixedly connect the antenna mast 2 to an upright wall 16 of the building. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the platform 6 comprises a number of receiving spaces 18 which are open at the top and which are filled up in this example with metal tiles 20. The metal tiles 20 form weighting elements for the platform 6. The antenna device 1 of Fig. 1 is therefore fixedly connected to the building at one position only. This connection involves the fastening means 14 which can consist, for instance, of a bracket which has been mounted on the wall 16 by means of screws. The platform is provided with two upright plates 22 which extend upwards from the platform. Mounted on the upright plates 22 (see Fig. 5) is the mounting bracket 8. The mounting bracket 8 in turn can be mounted on the antenna mast 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Between the upright plates 22 in this example a horizontal antenna mast 26 is provided. On the horizontal antenna mast 26, dish antennas 28 can be mounted. All this is shown in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 5. The elevation of the dish antennas 28 can be adjusted by rotating the dish antennas 28 about the horizontal antenna mast 26 and subsequently securing them by means of a fastening means 30. The platform thus has a dual function. The platform is used to support the antenna device in its entirety on the roof of the building and the platform is used to accommodate the dish antennas 28. The phased-array antenna such as it is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 extends in vertical direction. Viewed in vertical direction, the phased-array antenna is connected approximately halfway to the antenna mast 2 for pivotal motion about a horizontal axis 31. Adjacent a lower side of the phased-array antenna, adjusting means 32 are arranged for adjusting the angle α included between the phased-array antenna and the antenna mast (see Fig. 3). The axis 31 is therefore located above the adjusting means 32. The adjusting means 32 can be operated by a person who, for instance, is standing on the platform, without making use of stairs or a ladder. The adjusting means 32 can, for instance, consist of an extending arm known per se. As shown in Fig. 4, in this example three dish antennas 28 can be connected to the horizontal antenna mast 26. The dish antennas in the example are received in a housing 34 which is connected with the upright plates 22 (see Fig. 4). As shown in Fig. 6, it is also possible to use the platform 6 without the phased-array antenna 4 being present. To that end, use is made of a mast 36 which at its lower end is again connected by means of fastening means 14 to the external wall 16 of the building. Adjacent the upper end of the mast 36, the mast 36 is connected to the platform 6 through the brackets 8 discussed earlier. Further, the platform 6 is fitted with the dish antennas 28 and the housing 34 as discussed in relation to Fig. 4 (see also Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 for the mast 36). Finally, it is noted that in the device according to Fig. 6, if the platform 6 is sufficiently weighted by means of weighting elements 20, the mast 36 can be omitted. In that case, the platform 6 is used only to install the dish antennas 28. If a roof edge 40 is relatively high, the upright plates 22 can be made of extended design as shown in Fig. 9, so that the horizontal antenna mast 26, and hence the dish antennas 28, still project above the roof edge 40. Such variants are each understood to fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An antenna device for mobile telephony, comprising an antenna mast, at least one antenna connected to the antenna mast, and means for placing the antenna on a building, characterized in that the antenna device comprises fastening means for connecting the antenna mast to an upright wall of a building and a platform connected to the antenna mast above the fastening means, the antenna mast being directed approximately perpendicularly to the platform, and the platform being arranged to be supported on a horizontal surface on the outside of the building without a fixed connection between the building and the platform having been effected. 2. An antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that the platform is connected to the antenna mast through at least one bracket. 3. An antenna device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the platform comprises at least one receiving space in which at least one weighting element can be received. 4. An antenna device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the antenna device further comprises a horizontal mast extending above the plane of the platform and to which, in use, at least one dish antenna is attached. 5. An antenna device according to claim 4, characterized in that the antenna device further comprises at least two upright plates which are mounted on the platform, the horizontal mast being connected to the plates and extending between these plates. 6. An antenna device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the antenna comprises a phased-array antenna extending in vertical direction, which is connected to the antenna mast so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, while adjacent a lower side of the phase-array antenna adjusting means have been arranged for adjusting the angle included between the phased-array and the antenna mast, the horizontal axis being located above the adjusting means.

Inventors: KOUTERS LUCAS JOHANNES CORNELI, VAN DER MAST HENDRICUS LEONARD, WITTE JOHANNES HENDRICUS, KOUTERS, LUCAS, JOHANNES, CORNELIS, VAN DER MAST, HENDRICUS, LEONARDUS, MARIA, WITTE, JOHANNES, HENDRICUS
Applicants: KOUTERS LUCAS JOHANNES CORNELI, LIBERTEL NETWERK BV, MAST HENDRICUS LEONARDUS MARIA, WITTE JOHANNES HENDRICUS, KOUTERS, LUCAS, JOHANNES, CORNELIS, LIBERTEL NETWERK B.V., VAN DER MAST, HENDRICUS, LEONARDUS, MARIA, WITTE, JOHANNES, HENDRICUS
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H01Q1
IPC codes: H01Q1