Twist Around Antenna

Abstract

An antenna for use in television or radio receivers which is affixed to the receiver in such a manner that the antenna intercepts radio waves and directs them into the receiver, this antenna is characterized by its ability to be positioned in an optimum manner for reception without having to move the set or receiver, a flexible segment, and telescopic end which permits the antenna to be extended and moved about freely.

Parent Case Text

This invention is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 85919 filed Nov. 3, 1970, now abandoned, by the same inventor, entitled "Twist Around Aerial,"

Description

This invention relates to antennas and more particularly to antennas which are used on home television or radio receivers. The device will naturally have some commercial application, however its prime application is that of the consumer receiver.

Radio waves from transmission stations are usually sent out vertically polarized, that is the electro-magnetic wave is straight up and down, however, occasionally radio waves in some rare instances are launched horizontally polarized, that is parallel with the earth surface. Accordingly antennas on receivers are usually straight up and down in order to receive the signal at its highest strength. It is obvious that if the radio wave is vertically polarized and the antenna horizontal, the amount of energy that would be intercepted by the antenna would be close to zero and theoretically, at least, the receiver could not receive the program material through these radio waves. Accordingly, the antenna must be placed in line with the received radio waves in order to get the best and strongest signal. Radio waves as they strike steel bodies and other objects on the earth and also when they bounce off ionized clouds or changes in the atmosphere the waves may become skewed; and accordingly, as far as the receiver is concerned, the radio waves are no longer vertically polarized, but skewed a few degrees off the vertical to as far down as 90.degree..

At the same time, if we were to look at the receiver from the top and refer to the radio station to which the receiver were tuned, we would note that the receiver could be located at any angle from the transmission stations up to 360.degree.. Accordingly, if the receiver is a television set which can not be moved easily, the antenna must be able to turn through these skewed angles and additional 180.degree., that is if the polarization deviates 15.degree. from the normal and the television set is located 90.degree. in the horizontal plane one position of the antenna would be optimum. Again if the television set were at 180.degree. another angle would be optimum. It can be readily seen, owing to the antenna, to be functional an antenna must be able to swing readily to adopt a position at least inclusive of a top half of a sphere.

Prior art devices have directed their attention to providing such an antenna, however, the universal joint was often employed and seems to be standard of the industry. The universal joint works in this manner: the antenna is first turned through an angle from the normal and then the unit is rotated through a ball joint. It is quite difficult to obtain the optimum signal strength from the radio station with this two step process, for one the user may have to make several corrective movements while zeroing in the optimum position. With the present invention, means is provided whereby the antenna can be twisted around and it will stay wherever placed. Moreover, it can be bent to the position which is optimum for the given radio station an amount of skew for the given polarized radio wave. The user, once familiar with the different radio stations, and the amount of polarization skew that attend the structures that surround his home or location will be able to twist the antenna to the optimum spot to obtain virtually perfect reception. Moreover, if it is a radio station of unknown location, optimum signal can be searched out much more readily than can be done with the prior art devices.

With a universal joint, (most commonly used in the prior art antenna). the joint after a while becomes very loose and the antenna tends to slip or fall out of adjustment. With the present invention no adjustments are provided, frictional contact of a certain segment in the antenna permits the antenna to be placed where optimum signal strength is obtained and it will remain there and will do so year after year with no adjustments.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide means for twisting an antenna to receive optimum signal strength from any given radio station.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an antenna which can be located at optimum signal strength requiring no adjustments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an antenna which does not slip out of optimum signal strength areas.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive twist around antenna having no adjustments.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed specifications, especially when read in conjunction with the attached drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a twist around antenna.

FIG. 2 is a spring component of the twistable segment of the antenna.

FIG. 3 is a frictional component of the twist around segment of the antenna.

FIG. 4 shows the interrelationship of the frictional component and the spring component of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, we see twist around antenna 11. The antenna has the much familiar telescopic sections 12 which go as in and out as indicated by arrows 13. This extends the antennas so that various wave lengths will be better received, shorter waves being received better by one segment of the antenna where the longer waves would be better received by having the antenna totally extended. In addition to a telescopic segment, there is a segment 14 which we will refer to as the twist around component of the antenna and will go into greater detail as we proceed. The bottom of the antenna is fixed to a receiver 20 at section 19. Washers 21 and 22 hold the antenna ridged to the top surface 19 by means of nut 23 which is tighted when the antenna is installed in the receiver. A lead 24, extends into the receiver to the proper section wherein the radio waves are amplified and reproduce the program in the radio or television set.

Up until this point, the antenna looks and acts very much like the conventional antenna we find in any receiver or television set, especially those which are portable. These television sets are tuned to the Very High Frequency signals for which such an antenna is designed to receive. Ultra-high Frequency or UHF is not intended to be received through such an antenna and a different type of antenna which is a closed loop may be required.

Segment 14 permits the antenna to swing through arc 15. The antenna 11 once in a given location will remain there and if the radio signals are skewed by that amount the antenna will intercept the radio waves and produce a maximum signal. Therefore, if the antenna is held by ones hand and twisted through an arc 15, the antenna can then be bent or rotated around until the optimum signal is intercepted. If more angle is required the antenna is just bent a bit further. When the optimum signal is found the user merely lets go of the antenna and the antenna stays right where put.

Referring to FIG. 2, it shows spring 30 of hardened steel and relatively stiff. No matter where the spring is bent, once released it will return to an upright position. Such springs are well-known in the art and will not be gone into in detail here. The only requirement of such a spring is that it be sufficiently rugged and sufficiently stiff to assume a rigid position from wherever it is released. The diameter of the spring, in the present application was selected to be three quarters (3/4) of an inch. A 3 inch segment of the spring has been utilized consisting of 15 turns. The diameter of the spring material was one-eighth (1/8) of an inch. Many, many other sizes, shapes and combinations would also be found acceptable.

Referring to FIG. 3, we see frictional component 32. Again the frictional component 32 is of steel, but not of the same grade. The steel in this case has to be soft, mild steel and so shaped that it provide a maximum amount of contact with spring 30 when they are intercoiled. The material in this case is so flexible that it will slump wherever placed. This coil is very loose material and unlike the coil 30 is very sloppy and would not stand up on its own under any circumstances. It is usually of a mild steel of a very soft grade. Its dimensions had to be those of coil 30 so that the elements interreact as will be spoken of in detail in subsequent paragraphs.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a portion of coil 30 and coil 32 are frictionally in contact by way of surface 34. The dotted section shows how the coils move with respect to one another and stay (because of the frictional contact) where they are put. What happens is this, coil 30 which is very stiff, if acting alone, would be twisted in this application to a point where the signal strength were optimum; however, the spring being so stiff, would snap up to its normal position once released. The soft, mild steel coil 32, when intercoiled with the stiff coil 30 causes the two coils to be frictionally in contact with one another, therefore when the antenna is twisted with the two coils to a given position the intergripping of the two coils by way of the surface contact 34 causes the sloppy coil 32 to restrain coil 30 from returning to its original position. The sloppy coil 32 asserts no force on its own other than as a restraint. The two surfaces between the stiff coil are wedged in very tightly, almost like that of a vice. Accordingly the frictional contact is maximized because the coil above a given segment of an element 32 is forced against the coil immediately below it causing frictional contact to be maximized. Accordingly, the interwoven coils prevent the stiff coil 30 from returning to its original position and a new action is therefore produced, which action is completely different from the two coils acting independently, in one case the stiff coil will cause the antenna to return immediately to the normal position. The sloppy coil would not hold the antenna in an upright position at all. With the two coils interacting, the antenna is caused to remain exactly where placed thereby receiving a maximum signal strength from a given radio station.

Although I have described my invention with reference to specific apparatus I do not wish to be limited thereby, I merely wish to be limited by the appended claims of which:

Claims

I claim:

1. A twist around antenna comprising in combination with a television or radio receiver, an antenna having,

a plurality of interfitting sections which are telescopically fitted to be retracted or extended, and

a lower section with means for selectively including said antenna in any desired position for better reception on the receiver,

said inclining means including interfitted coils which coact frictionally to resist movement of each other whereby the antenna remains where placed.

2. A twist around antenna according to claim 1 wherein said interfitted coils consist of a first stiff spring and a second mild steel coil with limited ability to retain a rigid attitude.

3. A twist around antenna according to claim 2 wherein said mild steel coil has surface shaped to conform to said first coil whereby a greater frictional resistance to movement is created.