Portable antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9786984-B2
Application number	US-201414309035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

An antenna having an elongated housing open at one end and defining an interior chamber. A telescoping mast has a carrier attached at a first end and a flexible antenna attached at its other end. The carrier with the attached mast and antenna is movable between a storage position in which the carrier, mast, and antenna are contained within the interior chamber of the housing, and a deployed position in which the mast and attached antenna protrude outwardly from the housing. A spring is positioned between the carrier and the housing which urges the carrier towards its deployed position. A catch mechanism selectively holds the carrier in its stored position and, when released, releases the spring to move the antenna to its deployed position.

First claim

We claim:

1. An antenna comprising:
an elongated housing having an open end and an opposing end defining an interior chamber therebetween,
a flexible antenna,
a telescoping mast having a carrier attached at a first end, a second end of said mast being attached to said antenna, said carrier being slidably received in said housing chamber and movable between a storage position in which said carrier and said antenna are contained in said interior chamber and said carrier is positioned adjacent the opposing end of said housing chamber and said mast is in a collapsed position; and a deployed position in which said carrier is positioned adjacent said open end of said housing and said mast protrudes outwardly from said housing in an extended position and said antenna is positioned exteriorly of said housing,
a spring positioned between said carrier and said housing which urges said carrier towards said deployed position,
a catch mechanism which selectively holds said carrier in said stored position and said spring in a state of compression,
a plurality of spars having two end, one end pivotally attached to said carrier and the other end attached to said antenna at spaced positions, and
a guide plate attached to said housing adjacent said first end, said guide plate having a plurality of holes, said spars each moving through one associated hole in said guide plate.

2. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide plate holes are positioned so that, as said carrier moves to said deployed position, said spars flare outwardly from said open end of said housing.

3. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide plate overlies said carrier to thereby entrap said carrier in said housing chamber.

4. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said catch mechanism comprises a trigger which, when depressed, releases said spring to move said carrier to said deployed position.

5. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said mast comprises at least two tapered telescoping sections.

6. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said mast comprises at least three tapered telescoping sections.

7. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said antenna comprises a conductive strip attached to a sheet of electrical insulating material.

8. The antenna as defined in claim 7 wherein said sheet of material is conical in shape and said conductive strip has a spiral pattern.

9. The antenna as defined in claim 1 and comprising a plurality of support legs attached to said housing.

10. The antenna as defined in claim 9 wherein said legs are pivotally attached to said housing.

11. The antenna as defined in claim 9 wherein the length of said legs is adjustable.

12. The antenna as defined in claim 1 and comprising a lock pin removably attached to said housing to lock said carrier in said stored position.

13. The antenna as defined in claim 1 and comprising a removable cap attachable to said antenna to cover said open end of said housing when said carrier is in said stored position.

14. The antenna as defined in claim 1 wherein said antenna is configured for satellite communications.

15. The antenna as defined in claim 1 , comprising a hand grip attached to and extending from the housing for a holder to grasp, and said catch mechanism comprises a trigger positioned proximate to the hand grip, which, when depressed by the holder's finger, releases the catch mechanism to operatively deploy the flexible antenna.

16. The antenna as defined in claim 15 , comprising a pair of support legs attached to said housing, wherein the rear of the hand grip and the legs support the antenna.

17. The antenna as defined in claim 1 , wherein, with application of manual force upon the telescoping mast, telescoping mast collapses to the collapsed state and the carrier and antenna are returned to the storage position within the interior chamber.

18. A handheld deployable antenna comprising:
an elongated housing having an open end and a closed end defining an interior chamber therebetween,
a foldable flexible antenna having a conical shape when unfolded, a telescoping mast having a carrier attached at a first end, a second end of said mast being attached to said antenna, said carrier being slidably received in said housing chamber and movable between a storage position in which said carrier and said antenna in a folded state are contained in said interior chamber and said carrier is positioned adjacent the closed end of said housing chamber and said mast is in a collapsed position, and a deployed position in which said carrier is positioned adjacent said open end of said housing and said mast protrudes outwardly from said housing in an extended position and said antenna is positioned exteriorly of said housing in an unfolded state,
a plurality of spars having two ends, one end pivotally attached to said carrier and other end attached to said antenna at spaced positions,
a guide plate attached to said housing adjacent said first end, said guide plate having a plurality of holes, said spars each moving through one associated hole in said guide plate, wherein said guide plate holes are positioned so that, as said carrier moves to said deployed position, said spars flare outwardly from said open end of said housing,
a spring positioned near the closed end of said housing which urges said carrier towards said deployed position,
a handle having a pistol grip attached to and extending from the housing near its closed end for a holder to grasp, and
a catch mechanism which selectively holds said carrier in said stored position and said spring in a state of compression, said catch mechanism comprises a trigger positioned proximate to the handle, which, when depressed by the holder's finger, releases the catch mechanism to operatively deploy the flexible antenna in the unfolded state.

Assignees

• U S Army Res Laboratory Attn: Rdrl-Loc-I
• Us Army

Inventors

• Zaghloul Amir I
• Fraser Jr William T
• Anthony Theodore K
• Bayba Andrew J

Classifications

• H01Q1/10

  Telescopic elements · CPC title

• H01Q1/36 Primary

  Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; {Particular materials used therewith}(H01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/088

  Quick-releasable antenna elements · CPC title