Abstract:
A positive contact antenna push pin, an antenna push pin assembly that includes a positive contact antenna push pin, and an antenna that includes an antenna push pin assembly with a positive contact antenna push pin are provided. The positive contact antenna push pin can include a head and a shaft adjacent to the head, the shaft having a major axis along a length thereof and a minor axis along a width thereof, wherein a surface of a base of the shaft is non-parallel and non-perpendicular to both the major axis and the minor axis of the shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/881,187 filed Sep. 23, 2013 and titled “Positive Contact Antenna Push Pin”. U.S. Application No. 61/881,187 is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to antennas. More particularly, the present invention relates to a positive contact antenna push pin. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Push pins for contacts in antennas have a component of arbitrary impedance due to the randomness of the true point of electrical contact in the push pin assembly. At low frequencies, this is a small problem. However, at higher frequencies, this problem can cause significant performance changes as the antennas are mechanically shocked during normal operation. 
         [0004]    For example,  FIG. 1A  is an exploded view of an antenna push pin assembly  100  known in the art, and  FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of the antenna push pin assembly  100 . As seen, the antenna push pin assembly  100  includes a housing  110 , a spring  120 , a pin retainer  130 , and a contact pin  140 . The spring  120  and at least a portion of the contact pin  140  can be disposed within the housing  110  and retained in place within the housing  110  by disposing the pin retainer  130  in the housing  110  and around at least a portion of the contact pin  140  in the housing  110 . When assembled, the spring  120  and the contact pin  140  can be compressed and released to move within the housing. 
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an antenna  150  that includes an antenna push pin assembly  100  known in the art engaged by an antenna mount  160 . When the contact pin  140  is not engaged, neither the spring  120  nor the contact pin  140  is compressed within the housing  110 , and the contact pin  140  fails to contact the side wall of the housing  110 . However, when the contact pin  140  is engaged, for example, by the antenna mount  160  pressing and/or pushing on the base  145  of the contact pin  140 , the contact pin  140  compresses the spring  120  and moves within the housing  110 . 
         [0006]    As seen in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  2 , the base of known contact pins, for example, base  145  of contact pin  140 , has a substantially straight, flat surface that is perpendicular to a dominant axis of the pin  140 . Accordingly, when the antenna mount  160  engages the contact pin  140 , the entire surface of the base  145  is flush with the antenna mount  160 . However, as discussed above, when the antenna pin  140  is engaged, the contact point between the antenna pin  140  and the side wall of the housing  110  is random and sometimes, the antenna pin  140  may not even directly contact the side wall of the housing  110 . Indeed, the antenna pin  140  may only contact the housing  110  via the spring  120 . Accordingly, the contact point between an antenna pin  140  known in the art and the housing  110  in which the pin  140  is disposed is random and arbitrary and cannot be repeated each time the antenna pin  140  is engaged. Such randomness creates an unpredictable and unreliable antenna. 
         [0007]    The problems with known antenna push pin assemblies discussed above have been largely ignored. Accordingly, performance degradation has been tolerated in the industry. However, as communication systems are moving toward higher frequencies, and multiple carriers are being placed on a single antenna, the arbitrary contact point in known antenna push pin assemblies is a sizeable problem that can no longer be ignored. Therefore, the situation must be addressed. 
         [0008]    In view of the above, there is a need for an improved antenna push pin assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded view of an antenna push pin assembly known in the art; 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of an antenna push pin assembly known in the art; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an antenna that includes an antenna push pin assembly known in the art engaged by an antenna mount; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of an antenna push pin assembly that includes a positive contact antenna push pin in accordance with disclosed embodiments; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view of an antenna push pin assembly that includes a positive contact antenna push pin in accordance with disclosed embodiments; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a positive contact antenna push pin in accordance with disclosed embodiments; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an antenna that includes an antenna push pin assembly with a positive contact antenna push pin engaged by an antenna mount in accordance with disclosed embodiments; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an antenna that includes an antenna push pin assembly with a positive contact antenna push pin engaged by an antenna mount in accordance with disclosed embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    While this invention is susceptible of an embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention. It is not intended to limit the invention to the specific illustrated embodiments. 
         [0018]    Embodiments disclosed herein include a positive contact antenna push pin, an antenna push pin assembly that includes a positive contact antenna push pin, and an antenna that includes an antenna push pin assembly with a positive contact antenna push pin. 
         [0019]    In accordance with disclosed embodiments, a positive contact antenna push pin can include a base with a surface that is angled and/or mitered so as to be slightly offset of 90 degrees. Angling and/or mitering the base of the positive contact antenna push pin can bias the positive contact antenna push pin and/or an antenna push pin assembly of which the positive contact push pin is a part so that the positive contact antenna push pin contacts the side wall of the assembly housing at a known and repeatable electrical contact point, thereby eliminating and/or substantially reducing the randomness observed in known antenna push pin assemblies. For example, when assembled in an antenna push pin assembly and engaged, for example, by another portion of an antenna of which the assembly is a part pressing and/or pushing on the angled and/or mitered surface of the base, the positive contact antenna push pin can move within the housing and contact the side wall of the housing at a known contact point that can be repeated over time. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of an antenna push pin assembly  200  that includes a positive contact antenna push pin  240  in accordance with disclosed embodiments, and  FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view of the antenna push pin assembly  200 . Furthermore,  FIG. 4  is a side view of a positive contact antenna push pin  300  in accordance with disclosed embodiments identifying major (X) and minor (Y) axes of the push pin  300 . As seen in  FIG. 4 , the X axis of positive contact antenna push pins disclosed herein can be a central, major, longitudinal, dominant axis of the push pin, and the Y axis of positive contact antenna push pins disclosed herein can be a minor axis of the push pins. 
         [0021]    The antenna push pin assembly  200  can include a housing  210 , a spring  220 , a pin retainer  230 , and the positive contact antenna push pin  240 . A surface of the base  245  of the positive contact antenna push pin  240  can be angled and/or mitered as described and disclosed above and herein. 
         [0022]    The spring  220  and at least a portion of the positive contact antenna push pin  240  can be disposed within the housing  210  and retained in place within the housing  210  by disposing the pin retainer  230  in the housing  210  and around at least a portion of the positive contact antenna push pin  240  in the housing  210 . When assembled, the spring  220  and the positive contact antenna push pin  240  can be compressed and released to move within the housing. 
         [0023]    When the positive contact antenna pin  240  is not engaged, neither the spring  220  nor the positive contact antenna push pin  240  is compressed within the housing  220 , and the positive contact pin  240  fails to contact the side wall of the housing  210 . However, when the positive contact antenna push pin  240  is engaged, for example, by another portion of an antenna of which the assembly  100  is a part pressing and/or pushing on the base of the positive contact antenna push pin  210 , the positive contact antenna push pin  240  can compress the spring  220 , move within the housing  210 , and contact the side wall of the housing  210  at a repeatable and predictable contact point. That is, in some embodiments, because the surface of the base  245  of the positive contact antenna push pin  240  is angled, when the other portion of the antenna presses or pushes on the positive contact antenna push pin  240 , the other portion of the antenna is not flush with the entire surface of the base  245 , thereby biasing the positive contact antenna push pin  240  and the movement thereof within the housing  210  and thereby causing the positive contact antenna push pin  240  to contact the housing  210  of the assembly  200  at the predictable contact point each time the positive contact antenna push pin  240  is engaged. 
         [0024]    It is to be understood that the exact angle and shape of the surface of the base of the positive contact antenna push pin disclosed herein are not limitations of the disclosed embodiments. Instead, the surface of the base of the positive contact antenna push pin disclosed herein can have any shape and/or angle that would cause the positive contact antenna push pin to be biased within the antenna push pin assembly and to contact the side wall of the antenna push pin assembly housing at a repeatable contact point when engaged. 
         [0025]    For example,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are cross-sectional views of antennas  400 ,  500  that include antenna push pin assemblies  405 ,  505  with positive contact antenna push pins  440 ,  540  engaged by respective antenna mounts  460 ,  660  in accordance with disclosed embodiments. As seen in the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , a surface of the base  445  of the positive contact antenna push pin  440  can be angled and/or mitered at a degree that is greater than or less than  90  degrees relative to the X axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  440  and/or from the Y axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 . That is, the surface of the base  445  of the positive contact antenna push pin  440  need not be perpendicular to the side walls and/or the X axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  440  and need not be parallel to the Y axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 . Indeed, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , a first side of the positive contact antenna push pin  440  can be longer than a second side of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 , and a middle portion of the positive contact antenna push pin  440  can be longer than the second side, but shorter than the first side. 
         [0026]    Similarly, as seen in the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the base  545  of the positive contact antenna push pin  540  can be angled and/or mitered at a plurality of angles, where the degree of each angle is greater than or less than 90 degrees relative to the X axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  540  and/or from the Y axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  540 . That is, the surface of the base  545  of the positive contact antenna push pin  540  need not be perpendicular to the side walls and/or the X axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  540  and need not be parallel to the Y axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  540 . Indeed, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , a middle portion of the positive contact antenna push pin  540  can be longer than first and second sides of the positive contact antenna push pin  540 , which can either have the same or different lengths as one another. 
         [0027]    Other exemplary embodiments include a middle portion of the base of the positive contact antenna push pin being shorter than first and second sides of the base, and the first and second sides of the base having lengths that are different from one another and from the middle portion. Indeed, exemplary embodiments of the positive contact antenna push pin disclosed herein can include the base of the positive contact antenna push pin having any shape in which at least one portion and/or side of the base is longer than the remaining portions and/or sides of the base so that, when pushed or pressed by another object, the other object only engages the longest one side or portion of the base. 
         [0028]    For example, in embodiments disclosed herein, when the antenna mount  460 ,  560  engages the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540 , the antenna mount  460 ,  560  is not flush with the surface of the base  345 ,  545  of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540  and only makes contact with a portion, for example, the longest side or portion of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540 . Indeed, in the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the antenna mount  460  only makes contact with the first side of the base  445  of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 , and in the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the antenna mount  560  only makes contact with the middle portion of the base  545  of the positive contact antenna push pin  540 . Accordingly, the angle and shape of the base  445 ,  545  of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540  can cause the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540  and the movement thereof to be biased when the antenna mount  460 ,  560  engages the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540 . That is, the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540  can move within the housing  410 ,  510  in a direction that is not parallel to the X axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540 . Accordingly, when engaged, the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540  can move in the same predictable and repeatable direction that is not parallel to the X axis of the positive contact antenna push pin  440 ,  540  and contact the housing  410 ,  510  at the same predictable and repeatable electrical contact point, for example, contact point  470 . 
         [0029]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific system or method illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.