Abstract:
A system for mounting an antenna through the aperture of a surface. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are apparatuses comprising a housing with an interior cavity comprising a first end, a circular second end, a plurality of fingers that extend from the circular second end, and a compression member that threadingly couples to the circular second end, the compression member configured to compress the plurality of fingers.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    A residence or a small office may comprise various audio, video and communications systems (e.g., High Definition Television (HDTV) system, intercom system, telephone system, or home computer networking) that may be installed throughout out the residence or the small office. Structured wiring is a wiring system enabling a centralized distribution of the various audio, video and communication systems. A structured wiring enclosure is installed in a service area (e.g., air-conditioned closets or an unconditioned space such as a garage, an attic or a basement) of the residence, and the structured wiring enclosure provides the central distribution point for the audio, video and communication system. 
         [0002]    The structured wiring enclosure is a metallic enclosure that comprises components for the various audio, video and communication systems. For example, a computer networking wireless router may be installed within the structured wiring enclosure as a part of home computer networking system. However, installing the wireless router within a metallic structured wiring enclosure attenuates the signals transmitted and received from the wireless router. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  shows a structured wiring system in accordance with some of the embodiments; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2A  shows an antenna mount in accordance with some of the embodiments; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2B  shows an antenna mount in accordance with some of the embodiments; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  shows an antenna mount in accordance with some of the embodiments. 
       
    
    
     NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE 
       [0008]    Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. 
         [0009]    In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . . ” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    The following discussion is directed to various embodiments. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a structured wiring system  100  in accordance with at least some of the embodiments. The structured wiring system  100  comprises a structured wiring enclosure  102  and an antenna mount  110 . The antenna mount  110  may be placed at any suitable location of the structured wiring enclosure  102 . For example, the antenna mount may be placed in the top panel, the bottom panel or the side panels of the structured wiring enclosure. In some structured wiring enclosures, the antenna mount  110  is placed on the side panel  106  of the structured wiring enclosure  102 , and the antenna mount  110  is coupled to the structured wiring enclosure  102  through an aperture in the structured wiring enclosure  102 . In the various embodiments, the aperture in the structured wiring enclosure  102  is a pre-punched knockout, but other apertures may be equivalently used. The antenna mount  110  retains an antenna  108 , with the antenna  108  protruding externally from the structured wiring enclosure  102 . In at least some embodiments, the antenna  108  is electrically coupled to an electronic device  104  (e.g., a computer networking device such as a modem, a router, or a switch) within the structured wiring enclosure  102 . The antenna  108  communicates in a wireless communication protocol (e.g., IEEE 802.11 standard or IEEE 802.15.4 standard). 
         [0012]      FIG. 2A  illustrates an antenna mount  110  in accordance with at least some of the embodiments. In particular,  FIG. 2  illustrates the antenna mount  110  comprising members  201 ,  202  and  203  separated from each other. Each of the members  201 ,  202  and  203  defines an interior cavity  204  about a central axis  205 . The member  201  comprises an end  206  of the antenna mount  110 , and the member  201  comprises a circular segment  207  that extends from the end  206  towards the second member  202 . In the particular embodiment, the outside diameter of the end  206  is in the form of a polygon and the circular segment  207  is threaded. In other embodiments, the outside diameter of the end  206  may be of any shape such as a circle, a square or a rectangle and the circular segment  207  may comprise a snap-fit interface. The member  201  couples to the aperture of the structured wiring enclosure by way of the circular segment  207  (e.g., a threaded connection or a snap-fit connection). When the member  201  couples to the aperture, the end  206  abuts the inside of a panel of the structured wiring enclosure and the circular segment  207  protrudes outside of the panel of the structured wiring enclosure. 
         [0013]    In at least some of the embodiments, the member  202  telescopes within the member  201 . In particular, the member  202  is telescoped within the member  201  by way of a snap-fit connection using the snap-fit interface  210 . In other embodiments, the member  202  telescopes within the member  201  by way of a threaded connection. The member  202  and the member  201  rotate relative to each other. The relative rotation between the member  201  and the member  202  is utilized to point the antenna in any suitable direction. In the particular embodiment, the relative rotation between the member  201  and the member  202  is facilitated by the notch  211 . The member  202  comprises an end  208  of the antenna mount  110 . In the particular embodiment, the end  208  is circular, threaded, and the outside diameter of end  208  is smaller than the outside diameter of the end  206 . A plurality of fingers  209  extend from the end  208 , and each of the plurality of fingers  209  defines an axis that is substantially parallel with the central axis  205 . 
         [0014]    A compression member  203  couples to the end  208  of the member  202 . The compression member  203  compresses the distal ends of each of the plurality of fingers  209  towards the central axis  205 . The compressing of the plurality of fingers  209  retains the antenna as the antenna protrudes from end  208  of the antenna mount  110 . In the particular embodiment, the compression member  203  is coupled to the end  208  by way of a threaded connection. In other embodiments, the compression member  203  may be coupled to the end  208  in any suitable way, such as by way of a snap-fit connection. 
         [0015]    Combined the members  201 ,  202  and  203  retain an antenna within the antenna mount  110 , and couple the antenna mount  110  with the antenna to the aperture of the structured wiring enclosure. In at least some of embodiments, an antenna is slidably disposed along the central axis  205  in the interior cavity  204  defined by the members  201  and  202 . The compression member  203  couples to the member  202  to retain the antenna along the central axis  205 . As previously discussed, the antenna electrically couples to an electronic device to communicate in a suitable wireless communication protocol. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2B  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the antenna mount  110 . In particular,  FIG. 2B  illustrates an antenna mount  110  with the member  202  telescoped within the member  201 , and the compression member  203  coupled to the member  202 . The member  201  comprises a circular segment  207  that extends from a shoulder  221 , and the circular segment  207  is threaded. A fastening member  220  defines an interior cavity about the central axis  205 , and the fastening member  220  couples to the member  201  of the antenna mount  110 . In the particular embodiment, the fastening member  220  is threadingly coupled to the circular segment  207  of the member  201 . In other embodiments, the fastening member  220  may be coupled to the circular segment  207  of the member  201  using a snap-fit connection. In at least some embodiments, the antenna mount  110  is disposed through an aperture of a structure wiring enclosure, and the fastening member  220  is coupled to the member  201  of the antenna mount  110  to fasten the antenna mount  110  to the structured wiring enclosure. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates a yet still another embodiment of the antenna mount  300  comprising a cylindrical body  301  and a compression member  304 . The cylindrical body  301  defines an interior cavity about the central axis  305 . The cylindrical body comprises an end  302  and a circular end  303 . In the particular embodiment, the outside diameter of the end  302  is in the form of a polygon. In other embodiments, the outside diameter of the end  302  may be of any shape such as a circle, a square or a rectangle. The cylindrical body  301  is coupled to an aperture of structure wiring enclosure by way of the segment  306  (e.g., a threaded connection or a snap-fit connection). A plurality of fingers  307  extend from the circular end  303 , and each of the plurality of fingers  307  defines an axis that is substantially parallel with the central axis  305 . In at least some embodiments, a compression member  304  couples to the circular end  303 , and the compression member  203  compresses the distal end of each of the plurality of fingers  209  towards the central axis  205 . 
         [0018]    The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. For example, the wiring enclosure may be any enclosure that requires an externally mounted antenna. Moreover, the antenna  108  may communicate in any wireless communication protocol such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), or Code division multiple access (CDMA). It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.