The present invention generally relates to antennas. More specifically, the present invention relates to flexible RF antennas with weather protection.
Standard adjustable antennas typically do not have a robust weatherproof interface between the antenna and the mounting location of the antenna. The mounting location can be anything from an electronic box to a vehicle. For simplicity, the mounting location will be referred to as a housing. One reason is that there is a lack of a robust weatherproof interface is the difficulty to design a weatherproof product using an off-the-shelf antenna that has already been designed for a specific purpose. A second reason might be that there is not a significant demand to produce such an antenna in flexible weatherproof version. Another issue with most adjustable antennas is it that the antenna design does not have a 3-dimensional flexible joint and only allows for rotation along one axis. Whereby, if the antenna is struck by accident, the antenna may transfer a large impact load to the housing or the antenna connector, potentially damaging the housing or antenna connector.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a weatherproof antenna that flexible in all directions, so the antenna does not transfer impact loads to the housing.
An antenna assembly including an antenna, an antenna cable, a bendable structure, a housing interface, a first protection section and a second protection section. The bendable structure is a malleable material that remains in a bent position when bent. The first protection section covers the antenna and provides a weatherproof cover over the antenna. The housing interface mounts to a housing and covers the antenna cable in an area of the antenna cable adapted to enter the housing and the housing interface prior to entrance providing a weatherproof cover over the area of the antenna cable adapted to enter the housing. The second protection section is overmolded over a portion of the housing interface, the antenna cable, the bendable structure and a portion of the first protection. The second protection section is a flexible material.
The present invention is a flexible antenna with a waterproof protection system for attachment to a housing, as shown in
The housing interface 16 includes a top end 28 and a bottom end 30, as shown in
The method of sealing an off the shelf antenna with an attached coaxial cable 12 is as follows. Assemble the Dipole antenna 10, coaxial cable 12 and RF connector 14. The housing interface 16 is overmolded about the coaxial cable 12 and the bendable wire 26, so that the housing interface 16 is a sealed one piece unit. Where the process of overmolding is the molding of a material over a structure, in order to seal about the structure using the material used in the overmolding process. It is preferable that the housing interface 16 is of a harder plastic for strength and the seal 38 is slipped on afterwards. This also locks the coaxial cable 12 and bendable wire 26 in position at the housing interface 16. The first protection section 18 is an overmold that is slid over the end of the antenna 10 to cover the antenna 10, part of the coaxial cable 12 and part of the bendable wire 26. The first protection section 18 can be of hard or soft materials. The second protection section 20 is overmolded over the remaining exposed section between the housing interface 16 and the first protection section 18. The remaining exposed section includes a top face 58 of the housing interface 16, the internal port 42 extending from the housing interface 16, coaxial cable 12, bendable wire 26, and the bottom end 22 of the first protection section 18. The internal port 42 of the housing interface 16 is shown with ribbing 60 to provide a gripping surface for the overmold of the second protection section 20. The first protection section 18 includes grooves 62 near bottom end 22 to form ribbing between the grooves 62 to provide gripping surface for the overmold of the second protection section 20. The second protection section 20 provides the seal between the housing interface 16 and the first protection section 18 by covering the top end 28 of the housing interface 16 and the bottom end 22 of the first protection section 18. The second protection section 20 is of a flexible rubber material to allow for bending along the second protection section 20. The flexible rubber allows strain-relieved bending of the bendable wire 26 which runs alongside the coaxial cable 12. The flexible rubber provides the strain relief to prevent the bendable wire 26 from kinking, yet allow the coaxial cable 12 to be bent to whatever angle is desired to allow the antenna 10 to point in a particular direction. The bendable wire 26 is preferably copper, which is a metal that has memory characteristics. Bendable wire 26 is a wire that is malleable and has memory characteristics is able to hold the coaxial cable 12 at the desired bend angle. The bendable wire 26 could be replaced by having a bendable coaxial cable with memory characteristics, though it is more costly then the regular coaxial cable 12 and bendable wire 26.
The flexible antenna with a waterproof protection system and method of making it provides an infinitely adjustable flexible joint with a copper memory element to hold desired bend angle; a strain-relieved bending joint and good impact protection to the parent housing since antenna is flexible and does not transfer antenna impacts loads to housing.
While different embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to the embodiments could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements are illustrative only and are not limiting as to the scope of the invention that is to be given the full breadth of any and all equivalents thereof.
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