Apparatuses for mounting an antenna assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10283837-B2
Application number	US-201615296930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for mounting an antenna assembly to a vehicle, whereby rotational degrees of freedom between the antenna assembly and the vehicle are constrained. For example, an antenna mount may employ an intermediate structure between the antenna assembly and the vehicle. In various examples, the intermediate structure may be coupled with one of the vehicle or the antenna assembly by a linear coupling, and the intermediate structure may be coupled with the other of the vehicle or the antenna assembly by a planar coupling. The antenna assembly may be coupled with the vehicle by a compliant coupling that provides a centering force between the antenna assembly and the vehicle. According to various examples, rotational movement between the antenna assembly and the vehicle may be suppressed, and vibration from the vehicle to the antenna assembly may be attenuated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for mounting an antenna assembly to a vehicle, comprising:
a first structure;
a second structure;
a third structure;
a linear coupling that couples the first structure with the second structure, the linear coupling constraining relative movement between the first structure and the second structure to be along a linear direction;
a planar coupling between the second structure and the third structure that allows relative movement between the second structure and the third structure within a plane that is non-parallel with the linear direction; and
a compliant coupling that couples the first structure with the third structure, the compliant coupling providing a centering force between the first structure and the third structure that is based at least in part on a change in relative position between the first structure and the third structure along the linear direction or within the plane,
wherein the linear coupling, the planar coupling, and the compliant coupling suppress rotational movement of the third structure relative to the first structure along any axis in the plane.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna assembly is mounted to one of the first structure or the third structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the other of the first structure or the third structure is mounted to the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear direction is aligned with an azimuth axis of the antenna assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear direction is aligned with a vertical direction of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear direction is perpendicular to the plane.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compliant coupling has a stiffness in the linear direction that is different from a stiffness in a direction parallel to the plane.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the centering force between the first structure and the third structure is based at least in part on relative motion between the first structure and the third structure.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compliant coupling comprises one or more wire rope dampers, one or more coil springs, one or more leaf springs, one or more compliant blocks, one or more viscous dampers, one or more electromagnetic dampers, or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear coupling comprises one or more linear bearings aligned along the linear direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planar coupling between the second structure and the third structure comprises a plurality of contact points in the plane.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of contact points comprises one or more sliding surfaces, one or more spherical rolling elements, or a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
one or more compliant members that provide a compressive preload of the plurality of contact points.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more compliant members are coupled between the second structure and the third structure.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more compliant members are coupled between the first structure and the second structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compliant coupling comprises two or more compliant members distributed about an axis perpendicular to the plane, and a center of sprung mass associated with the apparatus is coincident with the axis.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a rotational natural frequency of motion between the antenna assembly and the vehicle about an axis perpendicular to the plane is at least a multiple of two greater than a cutoff frequency of a controller of the antenna assembly that controls an alignment of an antenna of the antenna assembly about an axis perpendicular to the plane.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planar coupling prevents rotation between the second structure and the third structure about an axis perpendicular to the plane.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the planar coupling comprises a first linear bearing aligned in a first direction parallel to the plane, and a second linear bearing aligned in a second direction parallel to the plane, the second direction being non-parallel with the first direction.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first structure is located between the second structure and the third structure along the linear direction, or the second structure is located between the first structure and the third structure along the linear direction, or the third structure is located between the first structure and the second structure along the linear direction.

21. A system for mounting an antenna with constrained degrees of freedom, the system comprising:
an antenna assembly;
a base;
an intermediate structure;
a linear coupling that couples the intermediate structure with one of the antenna assembly or the base, the linear coupling constraining relative movement between the intermediate structure and the one of the antenna assembly or the base to be along a linear direction;
a planar coupling between the intermediate structure and the other of the antenna assembly or the base, the planar coupling allowing relative movement between the intermediate structure and the other of the antenna assembly or the base within a plane that is non-parallel with the linear direction; and
a compliant coupling that couples the antenna assembly with the base, the compliant coupling providing a centering force between the antenna assembly and the base that is based at least in part on a change in relative position between the antenna assembly and the base along the linear direction or within the plane,
wherein the linear coupling, the planar coupling, and the compliant coupling suppress rotational movement of the antenna assembly relative to the base along any axis in the plane.

22. An apparatus for mounting an antenna assembly to a vehicle, comprising:
means for constraining relative movement between an intermediate structure and one of the antenna assembly or the vehicle to be along a linear direction;
means for preventing relative rotation between the intermediate structure and the other of the antenna assembly or the vehicle about axes parallel to a plane that is non-parallel with the linear direction; and
means for providing a centering force between the antenna assembly and the vehicle that is based at least in part on a change in relative position between the antenna assembly and the vehicle along the linear direction or within the plane.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the linear direction is aligned with an azimuth axis of the antenna assembly.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the linear direction is aligned with a vertical direction of the vehicle.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the means for providing the centering force between the antenna assembly and the vehicle has a stiffness in the linear direction that is different from a stiffness in a direction parallel to the plane.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the means for providing the centering force between the antenna assembly and the vehicle comprises one or more wire rope dampers, one or more coil springs, one or more leaf springs, one or more compliant blocks, one or more viscous dampers, one or more electromagnetic dampers, o

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Larson Kenneth J
• Shrinkle Steven L

Classifications

• F16F15/00

  Suppression of vibrations in systems ({damping of non-rotary systems using inertia effect F16F7/10; prevention or isolation of vibrations in machine tools B23Q11/0032; suppression of driveline vibrations in hybrid vehicle transmissions B60W30/20} ; vehicle seat suspension devices B60N2/50; {methods or devices for protecting against, or damping of, acoustic waves, e.g. sound G10K11/16}); Means or arrangements for avoiding or reducing out-of-balance forces, e.g. due to motion ({vibration absorbing or balancing means for aircraft propellers B64C11/008, for rotorcraft rotors B64C27/001} ; testing static and dynamic balance of machines or structures G01M1/00) · CPC title

• F16F15/133

  using springs as elastic members, e.g. metallic springs · CPC title

• H01Q3/08

  for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation · CPC title

• H01Q1/125

  Means for positioning · CPC title

• H01Q1/18 Primary

  Means for stabilising antennas on an unstable platform · CPC title