Patent Publication Number: US-8531347-B2

Title: Nonconductive antenna mount

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     With the introduction of direct-to-home satellite broadcast television systems, such as Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) systems, a multitude of television programs, audio channels, and the like previously unknown with terrestrial (“over-the-air”) broadcast systems was made accessible to millions of potential subscribers. One aspect of such systems that allows such wide accessibility is the use of a small (e.g., less than one meter in diameter) and inexpensive satellite antenna, or “dish”. To effectively employ such an antenna, a subscriber merely provides direct line-of-sight between the dish and the satellites of interest, and supplies a stable mounting platform or base to which the antenna is mounted, such as the exterior of the subscriber&#39;s home. The latter requirement helps prevent the antenna from becoming misaligned or misdirected as the result of strong winds or other meteorological conditions, which may cause disruption of the satellite signal carrying the programming. 
     While the limited size of the antenna has resulted in a large potential subscriber base, significant numbers of potential users remain substantially incapable of deploying a satellite antenna due to the environment surrounding their home. For example, multi-dwelling units (MDUs), such as apartment buildings, condominiums, and townhouses, are often associated with strict rules or covenants regarding private use of the common areas and the building exteriors. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily depicted to scale, as emphasis is instead placed upon clear illustration of the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also, while several embodiments are described in connection with these drawings, the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a satellite dish, nonconductive mast, and nonconductive foot. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a nonconductive antenna mast. 
         FIG. 3  is a first elevation of a nonconductive antenna mounting foot. 
         FIG. 4  is a second elevation of a nonconductive antenna mounting foot. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation of a nonconductive antenna mounting foot. 
         FIG. 6  is perspective view of a nonconductive antenna mounting foot. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The enclosed drawings and the following description depict specific embodiments of the invention to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive principles, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations of these embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple embodiments of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below, but only by the claims and their equivalents. 
     In addition, directional references employed below, such as “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “back”, “front”, “upper”, “lower”, and so on, are provided to relate various aspects of the structures to each other, and are not intended to limit the embodiments disclosed herein to a particular orientation with respect to their surrounding environment. 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a satellite dish, nonconductive mast, and nonconductive foot. A satellite dish assembly  100  comprises parabolic reflector  110  and low noise amplifier/block converter (LNB)  111  mounted forwardly of reflector  110  on a mounting bar  112 . Typically, a coaxial cable (not shown) is connected to LNB  111  and runs through mounting bar  112  to a receiver (not shown). Reflector  110  and mounting bar  112  are fixed to a mounting bracket  113 . Mounting bracket  113  includes pivot pin  114 , pivot pin hole (not shown), slot pin  115 , arc slot  117 , and sleeve  116 . 
     A substantially nonconductive mast  120  includes a dish end section  121 , an elbow section  122 , a tapered section  123 , and a foot end section  124 . The dish end section  121  is configured to have a circular cross-section of a diameter that corresponds to the inner diameter of sleeve  116 . Thus, when sleeve  116  is loose, satellite dish assembly  100  may be rotated around dish end section  121 . Mounting bracket  113  may be pivotally rotated about pivot pin  114  to orient reflector  110  with respect to dish end section  121 . The angle of reflector  110  with respect to dish end section  121  may be secured by slot pin  115 . Thus, if the longitudinal direction of dish end section  121  is oriented substantially vertical, reflector  110  may be rotated about dish end section  121  of mast  120  and tilted relative to mast  120  in order to point satellite dish assembly  100  at a desired location (or satellite) in the sky. 
     Mast  120  is mounted to a foot  130  for pivotal movement. This pivotal movement allows dish end section  121  of mast  120  to be oriented substantially vertical. Mast  120  is mounted to foot  130  for pivotal movement about pivot pin (not shown) that is disposed through pivot pin hole  135  and the angle is secured by a fastener that is disposed through arc slot  137 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a nonconductive antenna mast. In  FIG. 2 , mast  120  includes dish end section  121 , elbow section  122 , tapered section  123 , and foot end section  124 . Foot end section  124  includes pivot pin hole  125  and fastener hole  126 . Foot end section  124  is configured to be securely attached to foot  130 . This attachment may be by means of first and second fasteners that are disposed through at least one part of foot  130 , and pivot pin hole  125  and fastener hole  126 . 
     In an embodiment, one or more of dish end section  121 , elbow section  122 , tapered section  123 , and foot end section  124  may be constructed substantially free of electrically conductive elements. For example, one or more parts of mast  120  may be fabricated from a nonconductive or dielectric type material. Examples of nonconductive materials that may be used to fabricate one or more (or all) of the parts of mast  120  include, but are not limited to: glass-fiber composite, fiberglass, injection-mold resin, and thermoforming materials. A glass-fiber composite is typically several layers of a resin with a glass-fiber weave forming a laminate material that can be heated, rolled, and formed to make mast  120  or its parts. 
     In an embodiment, dish end section  121  has a circular cross-section. The circular cross-section may have a tubular composition having both an inner and outer diameter formed by the thickness of tube wall. The circular cross-section may be solid. Thus, sleeve  116  may have a circular interior cross-section in order to receive dish end section  121 . In an embodiment, dish end section  121 , elbow section  122 , tapered section  123 , and foot end section  124  all have circular cross-sections. In an embodiment, one or more of dish end section  121 , elbow section  122 , tapered section  123 , and foot end section  124  may have non-circular cross-sections. 
     Foot end section  124  may have a circular cross-section. The circular cross-section may have a tubular composition having both an inner and outer diameter formed by the thickness of a tube wall. The circular cross-section may be solid. The outer diameter of foot end section  124  may roughly correspond to the width of channel  134 . This diameter may not correspond to the diameter of dish end section  121 . 
     In an embodiment, the diameter of tapered section  123  may transition from a first diameter where tapered section  123  meets with foot end section  124  to a second diameter where tapered section  123  meets with elbow section  122 . In another embodiment, elbow section  122  may transition from a first diameter where elbow section  122  meets with tapered section  123  to a second diameter where elbow section  122  meets with dish end section  121 . In another embodiment, the diameter of tapered section  123  may transition from a first diameter where tapered section  123  meets with foot end section  124  to a second diameter where tapered section  123  meets with elbow section  122  and elbow section  122  may transition from this second diameter where elbow section  122  meets with tapered section  123  to a third diameter where elbow section  122  meets with dish end section  121 . 
     Foot end section  124  and/or tapered section  123  may have a non-circular cross-section. In an embodiment, tapered section  123  may transition the non-circular cross-section to a circular cross-section with a desired diameter. This transition may be abrupt or gradual. For example, a rectangular cross-section may be gradually transitioned to a circular cross-section along the length of tapered section  123 . In another example, both foot end section  124  and tapered section  123  may have non-circular cross-sections and elbow section  122  may transition a non-circular cross-section to a circular cross-section. This transition may be abrupt or gradual. 
       FIGS. 3-5  are elevations of a nonconductive antenna mounting foot.  FIG. 6  is perspective view of a nonconductive antenna mounting foot. In  FIGS. 3-6 , foot  130  comprises planar section  131 , flanges  132  and  133  forming channel  134 , pivot pin holes  135  and  136 , and arc slots  137  and  138 . Flanges  132  and  133  are connected to, and oriented substantially perpendicular to, planar section  131  and parallel to each other so as to form channel  134 . In the elevation shown in  FIG. 4 , planar section  131  is shown to have an hourglass shape with flanges  132 - 133  forming the narrow portion of the hourglass. Planar section  131  is adapted to be secured to a stationary mounting surface. Various holes in planar section  131  may provide locations for screws, bolts, or other fasteners that may be used to secure foot  130  to a stationary mounting surface. 
     Channel  134  is adapted to receive foot end section  124 . Flanges  132 - 133 , holes  135 - 136 , and hole  125  are adapted to have a first fastener or pivot pin disposed through them to secure mast  120  to foot  130  and provide a pivot point for mast  120 . Flanges  132 - 133 , arc slots  137 - 138 , and fastener hole  126  are adapted to have a second fastener disposed through them to secure mast  120  to foot  130  and to secure mast  120  at a particular pivot position. Examples of fasteners that may be disposed through flanges  132 - 133  to secure mast  120  include screws, bolts, rivets, and pins. These fasteners may be made of conductive material such as a metal. In an embodiment, foot  120  and/or mast  130  is not made substantially conductive by the use of conductive fasteners to secure mast  120  to foot  130  and/or the use of conductive fasteners to secure mast  120  to satellite dish assembly  100 . 
     In an embodiment, foot  130  may be constructed substantially free of electrically conductive elements. For example, foot  130  may be fabricated from a nonconductive or dielectric type material. Examples of nonconductive materials that may be used to fabricate foot  130  include, but are not limited to: glass-fiber composite, fiberglass, injection-mold resin, and thermoforming materials. 
     Because one or more parts of mast  120  and foot  130  are substantially free of electrically conductive elements, satellite dish assembly  100  may not need to be grounded by way of a large ground wire driven several feet into the earth. Thus, in multi-dwelling units, such as an apartment building, where installing such grounding is problematic, nonconductive mast  120  and foot  130  may provide a solution. In this situation, a grounding block may be installed on the signal wire and near the signal wires entrance to a building to bleed off static charge. 
     While several embodiments of the invention have been discussed herein, other implementations encompassed by the scope of the invention are possible. For example, mast  120  or foot  130  may be constructed from dielectric type materials, or combinations of materials not specifically listed previously. In addition, aspects of one embodiment disclosed herein may be combined with those of alternative embodiments to create further implementations of the present invention. Thus, while the present invention has been described in the context of specific embodiments, such descriptions are provided for illustration and not limitation. Accordingly, the proper scope of the present invention is delimited only by the following claims and their equivalents.