Patent ID: 7791553

Claim:
In a satellite antenna system having a base, a dish member with front and back portions, and an elevation mechanism connected between the base and dish member to selectively move the dish member between a stowed position with the front portion of the dish member facing downwardly and a deployed position with the front portion of the dish member facing upwardly, the improvement wherein said elevation mechanism includes: at least one elongated tilt arm with an inner end portion mounted to said base for pivotal movement relative thereto about a first substantially horizontal axis and an outer end portion mounted to the back portion of the dish member for pivotal movement relative thereto about a second substantially horizontal axis spaced from and substantially parallel to said first horizontal axis, at least one elongated lift link with an inner end portion mounted to said base for pivotal movement about a third substantially horizontal axis spaced from and substantially parallel to said first horizontal axis and an outer end portion mounted to the back portion of said dish member for pivotal movement relative thereto about a fourth substantially horizontal axis spaced from and substantially parallel to said second horizontal axis, and a linear actuator with a motor and an elongated, adjustable length arrangement selectively movable between an extend portion of a first length and a retracted position of a second length less than said first length, said adjustable length arrangement having an inner end portion mounted to said base for pivotal movement relative thereto about a fifth substantially horizontal axis spaced from and substantially parallel to said first and third horizontal axes, said adjustable length arrangement further having an outer end portion mounted for pivotal movement relative to said back portion of the dish member and said lift link about a substantially horizontally linear axis, said substantially horizontally linear axis being located closer to the back portion of said dish member than said third horizontal axis is to said back portion with said dish member in said deployed position, said adjustable length arrangement in said extended position causing the dish member to move to said stowed position facing downwardly and said adjustable length arrangement in said retracted position causing said dish member to move to said deployed position facing upwardly.