Abstract:
Systems and methods of protecting service personnel and electronics in an antenna hub from inclement weather are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of an antenna hub shelter has an attachment member secured to a hub, wherein the attachment member is located above an access door of the hub and a top portion defined by a first edge and a second opposing edge. The first edge is attachable to the attachment member. The second edge is secured to a handrail of an access platform of the antenna.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Relatively large antennas are used to transmit and receive signals between a ground station and a satellite. As electronic circuits and components become increasingly smaller and more rugged, they are being mounted in an enclosure, or antenna hub, located at the back of the antenna. However, the electronic circuits and components require maintenance from time to time. Access is provided through an enclosure access door or the like. Thus, the electronic circuits and components are protected from the weather when the access door is closed. 
     From time to time, access to the electronic circuits and components in the enclosure is required. When weather conditions are favorable, access to the electronic circuits and components via the access door is easy and convenient. The service person(s) simply climb up the stairs or a ladder to a service platform that is in proximity to the access door. Once the access door is open, the service person(s) have access to the electronic circuits and components of the antenna. 
     However, during inclement weather, such as snow, rain, hail or the like, there is a risk that potentially damaging moisture, in the form of rain, snow or fog, may enter through the access door and cause damage to the electronic circuits and components when the access door is open. In many situations, it is not possible for the service person(s) to wait for the passing of the inclement weather. Rather, access to the electronic circuits and components is required immediately. 
     One solution is to build protective enclosures that protect both the service person(s) and the electronic circuits and components. There are difficulties in building an enclosure that is large enough to shelter the service person(s). For example, since the antenna is typically configured to be moved about to point in different directions, an enclosure that is sufficiently large to accommodate the service person(s) may have to be attached to the moving structure of the antenna dish. Alternatively, the enclosure must be large enough to accommodate independent movement of the antenna dish. Such enclosures, which may not be often used by service personnel, is expensive to install, operate and/or maintain. 
     SUMMARY 
     Systems and methods of protecting service personnel and electronics in an antenna hub from inclement weather are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of an antenna hub shelter has an attachment member secured to a hub, wherein the attachment member is located above an access door of the hub and a top portion defined by a first edge and a second opposing edge. The first edge is attachable to the attachment member. The second edge is secured to a handrail of an access platform of the antenna. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred and alternative embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view an embodiment of a portable antenna hub shelter attached to a hub of an antenna; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged portable antenna hub shelter; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  deployed on the hub  102 ; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a pattern for the material used to make an exemplary portable antenna hub shelter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view an embodiment of a portable antenna hub shelter  100  attached to a hub  102  of an antenna  104 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged portable antenna hub shelter. 
     Inclement weather poses a safety hazard to service personnel when working on electronic circuits and components residing in the hub  102 . The electronic circuits and components are accessed by opening the access door  106  located on the backside of the hub  102 . Further, the inclement weather may potentially damage the sensitive electronic circuits and components when they are being worked on. Embodiments of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  solve this problem by providing a temporary shelter to the service personnel and to the exposed electronic circuits and components. Since a permanent shelter is not required to protect the service personnel and/or the electronic circuits and components, the construction, maintenance and operating costs are reduced since the antenna hub shelter  100  provides temporary shelter to the service personnel and to the electronic circuits and components when the access door  106  is opened ( FIG. 2 ). 
     The antenna  104  has a relatively large antenna dish. For example, but not limited to, diameters of an antenna dish may be 9 meters or 13 meters. One or more service persons may access electronic equipment in the hub  102  by climbing the stairs  108  and standing on the access platform  110 . Handrails  112  are provided for safety. 
     In one embodiment, the portable antenna hub shelter  100  is configured to attach to the an attachment member  114  that has been affixed to the hub  102  above the access door  106 . The attachment member  114  may be any suitable structure, or structures, configured to physically couple with and secure an edge of a top portion  116  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  to the hub  102 . Non-limiting examples of the attachment member  114  include a cut-to-length piece of metal, such as, but not limited to, a length of angle iron. For example, the attachment member  114  may include a plurality of holes located along its length configured to receive hooks or the like. The hooks or the like are attached to the edge of the top portion  116  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  and located at positions corresponding to the holes in the attachment member  114 . 
     In some embodiments, an opposing edge of the top portion  116  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  is configured to attach to the handrails  112 . Thus, when the top portion  116  is extended between the hub  102  and the handrails  112 , the top portion  116  provides a shelter from the weather to the service personnel and the electronic equipment in the hub  102 . 
     In some embodiments, a weather skirt  118  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100 , extends downward from the handrails  112  to provide further protection from the weather. The weather skirt  118  may be attached to the top portion  116  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  using any suitable means, such as by sewing, snaps, zippers, hook and loop fabric fasteners (e.g.; Velcro®), or the like. In some embodiments, the portable antenna hub shelter  100  is made of a single piece of fabric or plastic with the weather skirt  118  and the top portion  116  separated by a fold or bend. 
     The top portion  116  and the optional weather skirt  118  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  may be made of any suitable material. In some embodiments, the top portion  116  and the weather skirt  118  are made of a suitable material such as canvass, cloth, flexible plastic, or the like. In other embodiments, the top portion  116  and the weather skirt  118  may be made of rigid plastic or metal. If the top portion  116  and the weather skirt  118  are separate, they may be made of different materials. For example, the weather skirt  118  may be made of a rigid or semi-rigid plastic and attached to a canvass top portion  116  using hook and loop fabric fasteners. 
     An optional support member  202  ( FIG. 2 ), such as a relatively long piece of metal, wood, or plastic, may be secured to the handrails  112  or the access platform  110  to secure the top portion  116 . For example, an elevation jack  120  or other device may be positioned between the hub  102  and the handrails  112 , thus making it difficult to affix the edge  314  to the handrails  112 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  deployed by coupling to edge  302  of the top portion  116  to the attachment member  114 . The attachment member  114  is attached to the hub  102  (not shown). Here, the attachment member  114  is illustrated as an L-shaped piece of angle metal or the like with a first edge that is affixed to the hub  102  via a plurality of bolts  304 . Alternatively, or additionally, the attachment member  114  may be affixed to the hub  102  using any suitable method or apparatus, such as, but not limited to, screws, nuts, adhesives, or the like. 
     The edge  302  of the top portion  116  may be secured to the attachment member  114  using any suitable attachment device. For example, but not limited to, a pin  306 , a snap  308 , or the hook and loop fabric fastener  310  may be used to secure the edge  302  of the top portion  116  to the hub  102 . 
     Alternatively, a small attachment device, such as the illustrated hook  312 , or alternatively a hook ring, may be affixed to the hub  102 . The attachment device may be used to secure the edge  302  of the top portion  116  to the hub  102 . Other embodiments may employ snaps, hook and loop fabric fastener tabs, pins, buttons or the like to secure the edge  302  of the top portion  116  to the hub  102 . 
     An edge  314 , opposing to the edge  302 , is secured to the handrail  112 . Alternatively, the opposing edge  314  may be is secured to support member  202  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     In some embodiments, a length of looped fabric  316  may be used to couple the edge  314  to the handrail  112 . In such embodiments, the fabric  316  may be affixed to the edge  314  along one edge such that the fabric  316  may be looped around the handrail  112 . Snaps, hook and loop fabric fastener tabs, pins, buttons or the like may be used to secure the opposing side of the fabric to secure the edge  314  of the top portion  116  to the handrail  112 . Or, the ties or ropes  317  may be secured to the edge  324  and tied together around the handrail  112 . Alternatively, or additionally, hooks  318  or the like may be used to secure the edge  314  of the top portion  116  to the handrail  112 . 
     To provide additional protection from the weather, an optional weather skirt  118  may hang downwardly from the handrail  112 . In other embodiments, an optional first side weather skirt  320  and an optional second side weather skirt  322  (hidden from view) may hang down from the side edges  324  of the top portion  116 . The side weather skirts  320 ,  322  may be attached to the top portion  116  of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  using any suitable means, such as by sewing, snaps, zippers, hook and loop fabric fastener, or the like. In some embodiments, the portable antenna hub shelter  100  is a single piece with the side weather skirts  320 ,  322  and the top portion  116  separated by a fold or bend at edge  324 . 
     In some embodiments, apertures  326  along the edge  328  of the weather skirt  118  and the edge  330  of the side weather skirts  320 ,  322  are provided to secure the edges  328 ,  330 . Apertures  326  may be holes, grommets, or the like. For example, bungee cords, ropes, clamps, or the like may be used to secure the weather skirt  118  and the side weather skirts  320 ,  322  to other handrails, to the access platform  110 , weights, or to another structure. 
     In some embodiments, supporting structures  332  are used to provide additional support and rigidity to the deployed portable antenna hub shelter  100 . The supporting structures  332  may be detachable from the portable antenna hub shelter  100 , or may be affixed to the material of the portable antenna hub shelter  100 . Further, the ends of the supporting structures  332  may be configured to attach to the handrails  112  and/or the access platform  110 . In some embodiments, a plurality of supporting structures  332  are configured to be assembled into a frame, wherein the portable antenna hub shelter  100  is stretched over the frame. 
     In some embodiments, supplemental attachment members  334  may be used to secure the edges  336  of the weather skirts  320 ,  322  to the hub  102 . The edges  336  of the weather skirts  320 ,  322  may be affixed to the supplemental attachment members  334  using any of the above described means. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary material pattern  402  for the material used to make an exemplary portable antenna hub shelter  100 . The pattern includes the top portion  116 , the optional weather skirt  118 , and the optional weather skirts  320 ,  322 . It is appreciated that any suitable material pattern  402  may be used depending upon the size and dimensions of the work area that is to be sheltered by embodiments of the portable antenna hub shelter  100 . During manufacture, the material pattern  402  may be used to cut a single piece of material. Or, portions of the material pattern  402  may be used to separately cut separated portions of material, which are then later sewn together or otherwise attached to a unitary body of material. Or, the individual pieces of material may be kept separate for later attachment (using snaps, zippers, buttons, pins, hook and loop fabric fasteners or the like) when the portable antenna hub shelter  100  is affixed to the hub  102 . 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the portable antenna hub shelter  100  are merely possible examples of implementations of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.