Abstract:
The present invention relates to a system for shielding an edge of a satellite antenna from a surface of a vehicle on which the satellite antenna is installed. The system includes a signal reflecting device including a satellite antenna having an edge portion. The edge portion includes a substantially straight edge segment and an edge guard structured to surround the edge segment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/180,203, filed Feb. 4, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to an edge guard for a signal receiving device that is deployably mounted to a vehicle.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    With the increased popularity and availability of satellite-based information and entertainment transmissions, such as satellite-based television programming and internet, satellite antenna&#39;s (e.g., dish antennas) for receiving satellite signals are being mounted on mobile vehicles, such as recreational vehicles and semi tractors, to provide satellite signal access for the mobile vehicle.  
           [0006]    There are at present a number of commercially available mechanisms for mounting satellite antennas to vehicles. One such mechanism for deployably mounting a satellite antenna to a back surface of a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,092, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, and is commercially available from Satellite Mobile Systems, Incorporated of Madison, Ala. under the trade name Polekat™. Another mechanism for deployably mounting a satellite antenna to a vehicle is commercialized by Winegard, Inc. of Burlington, Iowa. Another commercially available mechanism for mounting a satellite antenna to a vehicle has been commercialized by Datron, a division of Transco, Inc. which is based in Simi Valley, Calif., under the trademark “DBS-3000”, “DBS-4000” and “CruiseTV.” Finally, one other commercially available mechanism for mounting a satellite antenna to a vehicle has been commercialized by KVH Industries, Inc., which is based in Middletown, R.I., under the trademark “TracVision”.  
           [0007]    Satellite antennas are typically stamped from metal or hard plastic and are coated with a weather resistant material. The hard edges of the antenna are rather sharp and can scratch the expensive surface finish of the vehicle to which the antenna is attached, especially when the satellite antenna is moved with respect to the vehicle surface as it is repeatedly deployed and undeployed or stowed, or due to vibration while the vehicle is in transit.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    There is subsequently a need for a mechanism to prevent the hard edges of the satellite antenna from scratching the surface finish of the vehicle to which the antenna is attached.  
           [0009]    Consistent with the principles of the present invention as embodied and broadly described herein, an exemplary embodiment includes a signal receiving device. The device comprises an antenna having a marginal edge, and an edge guard around the marginal edge. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, explain the objects, advantages, and principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mechanism for deployably mounting a satellite antenna to a vehicle, with the antenna in a stowed position;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 illustrates the mechanism of FIG. 1 after deployment of the satellite antenna;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a satellite antenna having an edge guard according to the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a side view of the satellite antenna illustrated in FIG. 3; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a cross-section along line  5 - 5  in FIG. 4. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    The following detailed description of the present invention refers to the accompanying drawings that illustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with this invention. Other embodiments are possible and modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not meant to limit the invention.  
         [0017]    With reference to FIGS.  1 - 5 , an embodiment of an edge guard for a deployable, vehicle-mounted satellite antenna will now be described.  
         [0018]    A vehicle, generally indicated at  20 , is partially shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the exemplary embodiments of the Figures, the vehicle is shown as a semi tractor. A satellite antenna  50  is deployably attached to a back surface  22  of the vehicle  20  by means of a deployable mounting mechanism  30  attached to the back surface  22  of the vehicle  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the deployable mounting mechanism  30  comprises a telescopic pole assembly as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,092 incorporated above. It will be understood, however, that the edge guard of the present invention can be used in conjunction with any mechanism for deployably mounting a satellite antenna to a vehicle.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 shows the mounting mechanism  30  arranged so that the satellite antenna  50  carried thereby is in a stowed position. That is, the satellite antenna  50  is positioned below a top portion  24  of the vehicle  20 . By being stowed below the top portion  24  of the vehicle  20 , the satellite antenna  50  is protected from wind and debris during forward movement of the vehicle  20 .  
         [0020]    In FIG. 2, the mounting mechanism  30  is shown holding the satellite antenna  50  in a deployed position. In the deployed position, the satellite antenna  50  carried by the deployable mounting mechanism  30  is disposed above a top portion  24  of the vehicle  20 , so that the antenna  50  is able to receive satellite signals  40 .  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 3, the satellite antenna  50  typically includes a focusing/reflecting antenna  52  and a receiver element  54  operatively positioned on a receiver arm  56  so as to be able to receive satellite signals reflected and focused by the antenna  52 . The focusing/reflecting antenna  52  includes a curved signal receiving surface  66  and a peripheral portion  64 . As will be described in more detail below, an edge guard element  80  covers an edge of the peripheral portion  64 .  
         [0022]    As shown in FIG. 4, the focusing/reflecting antenna  52  is attached to a antenna mounting bracket  58  by means of a series of fasteners  44 . In the illustrated embodiment, fasteners  44  comprise carriage bolts and associated nuts. Antenna  52  could also be attached to the bracket  58  by other well-known means such as by rivets, welding, or brazing.  
         [0023]    A mechanism by which the elevation angle of the focusing/reflecting antenna  52  can be adjusted is preferably provided. In the illustrated embodiment, a threaded rod (not shown) secured to a portion  74  of the antenna mounting bracket  58  that is fixed with respect to the deployable mounting mechanism  30  extends through an arcuate slot  62  formed in an outer surface of a pivoting portion  78  of the bracket  58 . A manually operable threaded element  60  cooperates with the threaded rod extending through the arcuate slot  62 . By tightening the threaded element  60 , the pivoting portion  78  and the antenna  52  are fixed with respect to the deployable mounting mechanism  30 . When the element  60  is loosened, the pivoting portion  78  of the antenna mounting bracket  58  is able to pivot with respect to the deployable mounting mechanism  30  about a pin  76  so that the elevation angle of the antenna  52  can be adjusted. The element  60  can then be retighten to fix the focusing/reflecting antenna  52  in the desired angle. Further details regarding the antenna mounting bracket  58  and the illustrated mechanism for permitting adjustment of the elevation angle of the antenna  52  are disclosed in my copending application entitled “Manually Operable Mechanism for Permitting Elevation Angle Adjustment of the Satellite Antenna”, the contents of which Are hereby incorporated by reference.  
         [0024]    Details of the edge guard element  80  are shown in FIG. 5. As shown in the Figure, the peripheral portion  64  of the focusing/reflecting antenna  52  comprises a flange  68  turned transversely rearwardly from the curved signal receiving surface  66 . A marginal edge portion of the transversely turned flange  68  includes an outwardly bent, substantially straight segment  70  terminating in a marginal edge  72 . Marginal edge  72  includes relatively sharp edges that can scratch the surface finish of the back surface  22  of the vehicle  20  when the satellite antenna  50  is moved between the stowed position shown in FIG. 1 and the deployed position shown in FIG. 2. To prevent such scratching, an edge guard element  80  is protectively positioned over the marginal edge  72 .  
         [0025]    As shown in cross-section, the edge guard element  80  comprises a generally U-shaped structure having an inner leg  84  and an outer leg  86  connected by a curve portion  82 . The edge guard element  80  is preferably formed of a relatively soft material, such as rubber or an equivalent man-made material. A resilient lip  88  projects outwardly from the inner leg  84  toward the outer leg  86 , and a resilient lip  90  projects inwardly from the outer leg  86  toward the inner leg  84  of the edge guard element  80 . The resilient lips  88  and  90  are positioned and configured so that they are resiliently compressed when the edge guard element  80  is installed by sliding it over the marginal edge  72  and onto the outwardly bent segment  70  of the peripheral portion  64  of the antenna  52 . Being resiliently compressed and being formed from a relatively soft, high friction material, the resilient lips  88  and  90  help secure the edge guard element  80  onto the segment  70  of the antenna  52 .  
         [0026]    As can be appreciated from FIG. 5, both of the resilient lips  88  and  90  project generally toward the curved portion  82  of the U-shaped edge guard element  80 . This shape facilitates installation of the edge guard element  80  over the marginal edge  72  and onto the outwardly bent segment  70  while providing resistance to relative movement of the outwardly bent segment  70  away from the curved portion  82 . Thus, the edge guard element  80  can be installed onto segment  70  relatively easily, but cannot as easily be removed from segment  70 .  
         [0027]    The edge guard element  80  preferably includes a plurality of spaced apart embedded u-shaped clips  92 . Clips  92  are preferably formed from a pliable metal material. By squeezing the inner leg  84  and outer leg  86  inwardly toward the outwardly bent segment  70 , the clips  92  help retain the edge guard element  80  in this position with the resilient lips  88  and  90  compressed.  
         [0028]    The edge guard element  80  may comprise a linear strip of flexible material wrapped around the marginal edge  72  with opposite ends thereof meeting each other. Alternatively, the edge guard element  80  may comprise a formed, continuous loop of material of a size conforming to the diameter of the focusing/reflecting antenna  52 . In the preferred embodiment, the edge guard element  80  comprises a length of automotive weather stripping material commercially available from Standard Products Company, Specialty Products Group, of Dearborn, Mich., customer part no. 75000341.  
         [0029]    The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments provides an illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible consistent with the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention.