U.S. patent number 3,798,651 [Application Number 05/283,204] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-19 for antenna mounting fixture.
Invention is credited to Roger D. Lehman.
United States Patent |
3,798,651 |
Lehman |
March 19, 1974 |
ANTENNA MOUNTING FIXTURE
Abstract
A fixture for holding a whip antenna element in position outside
a cabinet housing a television set or the like is assembled with
the cabinet by snapping it into place within an aperture in a wall
of the cabinet. The fixture allows replacement of the antenna
element from outside the cabinet.
Inventors: |
Lehman; Roger D. (Deerfield,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
23084990 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/283,204 |
Filed: |
August 23, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
343/702;
174/153A; 343/882 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q
1/084 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01Q
1/08 (20060101); H01q 001/24 () |
Field of
Search: |
;343/702,715,805,901,882
;174/153A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lieberman; Eli
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Neumann, Williams, Anderson &
Olson
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In an apparatus of the class described, a one-piece insulated
housing having upper and lower portions, said housing lower portion
being of generally cylindrical configuration and adapted to be
received within an aperture in a supporting wall, said housing
lower portion having a plurality of resilient tabs normally
extending outwardly from said lower housing portion but adapted to
be temporarily moved inwardly against aperture-defining portions of
said wall in the course of inserting said housing lower portion in
said wall aperture, said housing upper portion having a
centrally-apertured cover detachably connected to said housing
upper portion, an antenna element having an a enlarged portion, at
least the lower portion of said enlarged antenna portion being
disposed in said housing upper portion; and a conductive member
positioned within said housing, one end of said conductive member
being in electrical contact with said antenna element and the other
end of said conductive member projecting from said lower housing
portion.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of
said housing has external threads, and said cover comprises a
tubular body having cooperating internal threads, whereby said
cover is removably secured in fixed relation to said housing.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cover includes an
inwardly extending flange at the extremity of said tubular body,
the inner extremity of said flange defining said centrally disposed
aperture, and including a ball retainer having a curved surface
portion and a flange portion, said curved surface portion being
adapted to engage the enlarged portion of said antenna element, and
the flange portion of said ball retainer being adapted to be
retained in position by the flange of said cover.
4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the exterior threads
provided on said upper portion of said housing are adapted to
engage one surface of said wall and said tabs being adapted to
engage the opposite surface of said wall.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing is provided
with a flange protruding outwardly therefrom, said flange being
adapted to engage one surface of said wall, and said tabs being
adapted to engage the opposite surface of said wall.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conductive member
comprises a conductive ferrule, and including resiliant means for
urging said ferrule into electrical contact with said antenna
element, and electrically conductive means connected with the end
of said ferrule remote from said antenna element.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said electrically
conductive means comprises a pair of cooperating connectors adapted
for releasably completing an electrical connection with said
ferrule.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a key provided on said
lower portion of said housing, said wall being provided with a
notch adjacent to the aperture in said wall for receiving said key
and preventing said housing from rotating relative to said
wall.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said upper and lower
portions of said housing are integrally formed of plastic
material.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cover has a
portion of its outer surface formed with a regular polygonal
cross-section.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an antenna fixture and, more
particularly, to the type of antenna fixture which is customarily
employed with portable television sets and the like to maintain one
or more whip antenna elements in position.
Such an element is generally constructed of a series of collapsible
tubes so that the antenna can be collapsed and stored within the
interior of the cabinet when not in use. When in use, the antenna
element is extended from the cabinet, and adjustably supported by a
ball structure at its lower end, to permit rotation of the antenna
element into the most desirable orientation.
Because of the construction of the antenna element, which requires
the use of a relatively thin tube for the extendable tube, the
antenna elements are easily broken and frequently must be replaced.
In conventional constructions, it is necessary to replace not only
the antenna element, but also the fixture which maintains it in
position relative to the cabinet of the television set. This
necessitates, in most cases, removing the back of the cabinet in
order to replace the fixture, and sometimes also requires the
removal of the television set from the cabinet in order to gain
access to the fixture.
It is also necessary, in conventional constructions, to have access
to the interior of the cabinet during original assembly of the
antenna fixture with the cabinet, as a step in the manufacture of
the television set. As a consequence, either this step must be
performed before insertion of the television set into its cabinet,
or the same problems which are encountered during replacement of
broken antenna elements are also encountered during
manufacture.
It is desirable to provide an antenna fixture which permits
replacement of broken antenna elements without the need for access
into the interior of the television cabinet. It is also desirable
to provide an antenna fixture which may be originally installed
from the exterior of the cabinet.
Accordingly, it is the principal object to the present invention to
provide a fixture which permits replacement of antenna elements
from outside the television cabinet.
Another object to the present invention is to provide such a
fixture which may be assembled in fixed relation to the television
cabinet from outside the cabinet, without the need for gaining
access to the cabinet interior.
These and other objects of the present invention will become
manifest upon an examination of the following description and the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an
antenna fixture having a plastic housing, the lower portion of such
housing being adapted to fit within an aperture provided in a
cabinet for a television set or the like, the housing having
integrally formed therewith a plurality of resiliant tabs adapted
to normally extend outwardly from the housing but adapted to
temporarily bend inwardly when the housing is inserted into the
aperture, the upper extremity of said housing having threads for
threadably receiving a cover, a ball retainer held in position by
said cover, and an antenna element connected to said ball, whereby
said antenna element may be replaced, if necessary, from without
said cabinet by removing said cover.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference must now be made to the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section of an antenna fixture
incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section of a portion of the apparatus in
FIG. 1 taking in plane 2--2 at right angles to the plane of FIG. 1;
and
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.
2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, the antenna fixture 10 comprises a
one-piece plastic housing 12 having an elongate tubular body 13,
and a flange 14 protruding outwardly therefrom, disposed adjacent
to the exterior surface of a thin wall 15 which is preferably the
wall of a television cabinet or the like. An aperture 16 is
provided in the wall 15 and the lower portion of the housing 12 is
configured to fit snugly within the aperture 16. A key 17, formed
integrally with the housing 12, is disposed in a keyway provided in
the wall 15 to prevent the housing 12 from rotating relative to the
wall 15. Below the wall 15, and formed integrally with the housing
12 are a pair of tabs 20 which extend outward from the housing 12,
with their upper ends engaging the lower surface of the wall 15.
The tabs 20, therefore, cooperate with the flange 14 to hold the
housing 12 in fixed relation to the wall 15
Above the flange 14, the tubular body 13 has external threads 21. A
cover 22, having internal threads 23, is adapted to be threadably
received on the housing 12, and retained in position thereon by
means of the interlocking threads. The upward extremity of the
cover 22 comprises an inwardly extending flange 24 such as to form
a shoulder 25 above the tubular body 13. A ball retainer 26 is
provided with a flange 27 which is adapted to be trapped within the
cover 22 below the shoulder 25. A whip antenna element having an
extendable tube 30, slidably engaged in an aperture extending
through a ball 31. The tube 30 is held in position since the ball
31 is firmly seated against the lower surface of the ball retainer
26. Friction between the tube 30 and the aperture within the ball
31 maintains the tube 30 in its extended position, just as the
several sections of the tube 30 are maintained in adjustable fixed
relation relative to each other by friction therebetween. The ball
retainer 26 has a generally spherical surface with an aperture 32
centrally located at the upper extremity thereof. The aperture 32
is large in relation to the diameter of the tube 30 to permit,
while the tube 30 is extended, the ball 31 to rotate within the
ball retainer 32 and, thereby, to allow adjustable orientation of
the antenna.
An electrically conducting ferrule 33 is formed in the shape of a
hollow tube having a flared upper portion 34 and a flared lower
portion 35. The flared upper portion 34 is of such a size in
relation to the ball 31 as to provide a circular line of tangency
between the interior surface of the flared portion 34 and the
external surface of the ball 31. A spring 36 surrounds the ferrule
33 within the housing 12. The upper end of the spring 36 urges the
flared upper portion 34 in an upward direction into contact with
the ball 31, while the lower end of the spring 36 bears against a
lower wall 37 of the housing 12. The wall 37 has a circular
aperture 40 centrally located therein, and the ferrule 33 is
received within the aperture 40.
An electrical lead 41 is connected to the ferrule 33 and preferably
to the flared lower portion 35 by means of soldering or the like.
The lead 41 is connected with the RF input of the television set by
means of a pair of cooperating connectors 42 and 43, and a further
lead 44 which interconnects the connector 43 with the RF input of
the TV set. The flared lower portion 35 of the ferrule 33 retains
the ferrule 33 in position within the housing 12, even when the
cover member 24 is not assembled in relation thereto. When it is
desired to store the tube 30 within the cabinet, the tube 30 is
moved downwardly relative to the ball 31, through the hollow
ferrule 33 and into the space below.
When it is desired to replace the tube 30 and the ball 31, the
cover 22 is unscrewed from assembled relation with the tube 13, and
then the ball retainer 26 and the cover 22 are disassembled from
the ball 31 and tube 30 by drawing them outwardly along the length
of the tube 30 past the outer end thereof. The cover 22 and the
ball retainer 26 may then be assembled, together with a replacement
tube 30 and ball 31, by placing the cover 22 and the ball retainer
24 over the end of the replacement antenna element tube and sliding
them along the length of the antenna element tube until the ball
retainer comes into fitted relationship with the replacement ball.
The cover 22 is then assembled with the housing 12 by engaging the
threads 21 and 23 and screwing the cover 22 into place.
The lower portion of the exterior surface of the cover 22 is
provided with cut-away portions 45, so as to form a hexagonal
cross-section. This enables the cover 22 to be assembled tightly in
relation to the housing 12 by applying a wrench to the hexagonal
cross-section portion of the cover 22. The housing 12 is prevented
from rotating in relation to the wall 15 as the cover 22 is
tightened, by the key 17. As the cover 22 is screwed down in
relation to the housing 12, the spring 36 is compressed, thereby
urging the ferrule 33 into tight contact with the ball 31 and
insuring good electric contact therebetween. At the same time, the
frictional force between the ball 31 and the ferrule 33 is
increased so that the ball 31 is thereby maintained in any desired
position.
The housing 12 and cover 22 are formed of plastic material so that
the electrically conductive portions of the antenna are insulated
from the cabinet wall 15. Accordingly, the antenna fixture may be
employed with a cabinet having a wall 15 formed of conductive
material, without interfering with the operation of the
antenna.
The housing 12 and cover 22 are formed of a plastic material having
good cold flow characteristics, such that they can maintain their
shapes for long periods of time even though subjected to a constant
force. Although a number of materials, including conventional
plastics filled with glass strands or the like could be used, one
material which has been found to be quite satisfactory is
Acrylonitrile Butadiene-Styrene, and is commercially available from
the Eastman-Kodak Company under the trademark "Cycolac."
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the flange
14 may be eliminated altogether from the construction of housing
12. In this event, the function of the flange 14, of bearing
against the outer surface of the wall 15, is performed by the
innermost convolution of the threads 23. As another alternative,
the cover 22 may be constructed to fit within the housing 12, in
which case the cover 22 would have external threads and the housing
12 would have cooperating internal threads.
During the manufacture of the television set, the fixture of the
present invention may be assembled by simply inserting the lower
portion of the housing 12 into the aperture 16 of the wall 15. As
the tabs 20 are attached to the remainder of the housing 12, only
at their lower extremities, where they are aligned with the
exterior surface of the housing 12, they are free to bend inwardly,
toward the ferrule 33 during insertion, until the ends of the tabs
clear the wall 15, and then spring into the position shown in FIG.
1. The step of assembling the antenna fixture with the cabinet may
be performed at any time during the manufacture of the television
set, allowing maximum flexibility therein. The connectors 42 and 43
serve to establish connection with the antenna without requiring
any soldering at the time of assembly.
From the above description, it is evident that the present
invention simultaneously achieves the objects of providing an
antenna fixture which may be assembled initially in relation with a
cabinet wall from outside the cabinet, simply by inserting the
fixture into an aperture of the wall, and the function of
permitting easy replacement of a broken antenna element without the
necessity of gaining access to the interior of the cabinet.
* * * * *