Patent Publication Number: US-10770779-B2

Title: Stackable antenna enclosure

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is based on and claims priority to the Applicant&#39;s U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/637,086, entitled “Stackable Antenna Enclosure,” filed on Mar. 1, 2018. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates the field of enclosures for antennas. More specifically, the present invention is a stackable antenna enclosure that protects the antenna mounted on the interior top surface of the enclosure during shipping. 
     Statement of the Problem 
     A wide variety of domes and other enclosures have been used in the past to house and protect antennas. For example, domes are often used to house movable satellite dish antennas, but enclosures are also used to protect fixed antennas. The elements of the antenna can be secured to the interior of the enclosure for structural support as well as protection from the surrounding environment. Since the enclosure is typically made of a dielectric material, such plastic or a composite, it can provide a stand-off distance between the antenna and a metal tower or vehicle carrying the enclosure, to thereby enhance the performance of the antenna. 
     The antenna elements can be a thin metallic film or layer of various shapes that are bonded directly to the interior surface at the top of the enclosure. A pre-amplifier and associated electrical connectors can also be placed inside the top of the enclosure. But, this configuration raises a number of concerns. Packaging and shipping each unit separately is not particularly economical due to the assembly&#39;s dimensions and relatively light weight. Stacking a plurality of units together reduces packaging and shipping costs, but creates a risk of damage to the antenna and associated electronic components if they contact the top of the adjacent enclosure when stacked. In addition, when domed or hemispherical parts are stacked and then shipped, vibration experienced during shipment can cause these parts to settle together and ‘lock’, making separation of adjacent parts difficult. 
     Solution to the Problem 
     The present invention addresses these concerns by providing a stackable enclosure with stops on the side wall of the enclosure that limit the degree to which adjacent enclosures can be nested together. These stops protect the antenna and associated electronic components from contacting the top of the adjacent enclosure. This also helps to protect the visible surfaces of the enclosure from physical damage and ensures no friction lock occurs between adjacent parts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides a stackable antenna enclosure generally having a dome shape with a top and a side wall tapering inward from its base. An antenna and associated electronic components are mounted on the interior top surface of the enclosure. A series of enclosures can be stacked together for storage or shipment, but the side wall of the enclosure includes a number of stops that limit how far the enclosure can be inserted into the interior cavity of an adjacent enclosure. This protects the antenna and related electronic components from coming into contact with the top of the adjacent enclosure and helps to prevent damage. For example, the stops can be a series of vertical ribs extending radially outward from the side wall of the enclosure. The upper ends of these ribs will abut the base of an adjacent enclosure when stacked and prevent contact against the antenna and related electronic components. 
     These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top axonometric view a stackable antenna enclosure  10 . 
         FIG. 2  is side cross-sectional view of the stackable antenna enclosure  10  corresponding to  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the stackable antenna enclosure  10  corresponding to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top axonometric view of two antenna enclosures  10   a  and  10   b  stacked together. 
         FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of two antenna enclosures  10   a,    10   b  corresponding to  FIG. 4   
         FIG. 6  is a bottom axonometric view of an alternative embodiment of an antenna enclosure  10  with slots  15 ,  17  on its interior side wall  14  for mounting a second antenna  25 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom axonometric view corresponding to  FIG. 6  after the second antenna  25  has been mounted in the slots  15 ,  17 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-3  illustrate an embodiment of a stackable antenna enclosure  10  in accordance with the present invention. Preferably, the enclosure  10  is generally dome-shape with a top  12  and a side wall  14  tapering inward from the base  16  to define a cavity within the enclosure  10 . The overall shape of the enclosure  10  can be generally hemispherical or it can have a truncated conical shape. However, the enclosures  10   a,    10   b  should capable of being stacked or nested together, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , so that the top  12  and upper portion of the side wall  14  of an enclosure  10   b  can be inserted into the cavity of an adjacent enclosure  10   a  above. 
     An antenna  20  and its associated electronic components  22  (e.g., a pre-amplifier, electrical connectors and wiring) are mounted to the interior surface of the top  12  of the enclosure  10 , as shown in the bottom view provided in  FIG. 3 . The antenna has a relatively flat profile, but does extend downward by a small distance into the interior cavity of the enclosure  10  as shown in  FIG. 2 . When installed on a structure or vehicle, the enclosure  10  protects the antenna  20  and associated electronic components  22  from the elements and also provides a cover for any roof penetrations of the vehicle or structure that the enclosure  10  is mounted to. The enclosure  10  provides additional height above the mounting surface (i.e., a stand-off distance) to separate the antenna  20  from the vehicle or structure, and thereby enhances the performance of the antenna  20 . 
     The enclosure  10  is equipped with a number of stops  18  that extend from side wall  14  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Preferably, these stops  18  extend outward from the exterior of the side wall  14  at intervals around its periphery at a predetermined elevation above the base  16 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , these stops  18  limit how far the enclosure  10   b  can be inserted into the interior cavity of an adjacent enclosure  10   a  when these enclosures  10   a,    10   b  are nested together. This protects the antenna  20  and related electronic components  22  by preventing them from coming into contact with the top  12  of the adjacent enclosure  10   b.    
     In the embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings, the stops  18  are a set of at least three vertical ribs or protrusions on the outside of the sidewall  14  of the enclosure  10  adjacent to its base  16 . Preferably, each stop  18  has a substantially horizontal upper edge. When two enclosures  10   a  and  10   b  are stacked, the base  16  of the upper enclosure  10   a  rests against the tops or upper edges of the ribs  18  of the lower enclosure  10   b  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The vertical height of the ribs  18  defines a maximum depth of insertion for nesting the enclosures  10   a,    10   b  and thereby maintains a minimum vertical separation between the antenna  20  (and its related components  22 ) and the top of an adjacent enclosure  10   b  below, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Thus, the antenna  20  and related components  22  are protected within the upper part of the cavity remaining between the stacked enclosures  10   a  and  10   b.  The sloping sidewall  14  of the enclosure  10   a  also prevents contact with the outer parts of the enclosure  10   b  nested within. 
     Other possible embodiments of the stops  18  include a series of ribs or protrusions on the inside of sidewall  14  to contact the top or upper sidewall of an adjacent enclosure. Alternatively, a circumferential lip could extend outward or inward from the sidewall  14  of the enclosure  10 . If the lip extends outward, this lip would contact the base of an adjacent enclosure above. If the lip extends inward, the lip would contact the top or upper sidewall of the adjacent enclosure below. A circumferential lip could also extend inward from the base  16  of the enclosure  10  to contact the sidewall of an adjacent enclosure. 
       FIGS. 6-7  show an embodiment of the present invention that includes slots  15 ,  17  for mounting electronic devices on the interior side wall  14  of the enclosure. For example, a second antenna  25  can be equipped with opposing ears or projections that slide into these slots  15 ,  17  to mount the antenna  25  (e.g., an AM loop antenna) within the interior cavity of the enclosure, as shown in  FIG. 7 . The slots  15 ,  17  could also be employed for mounting other types of electronics modules (e.g., a 4G or wi-fi module) within the enclosure. Multiple sets of such slots could be used to mount multiple antennas or other electronics devices within the enclosure. 
     The above disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments of the present invention described in detail with respect to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, other structural arrangements, and other embodiments could be practiced under the teachings of the present invention without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims.