Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
  • H01P1/00—Auxiliary devices
  • H01P1/02—Bends; Corners; Twists
  • H01P1/022—Bends; Corners; Twists in waveguides of polygonal cross-section
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q19/00—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic
  • H01Q19/10—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces
  • H01Q19/12—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a signal routing device for a mobile antenna positioner.
• the invention applies in particular to mobile antenna communication systems, and more particularly to the production of antenna stations comprising wide-displacement antenna positioners in the field.
• antennal systems used in bidirectional communications between two mobile carriers are generally provided with a tracking function, the antenna of each of said carriers then having to cover a large pointing surface, so that the radio axes of Each antenna remains oriented vis-à-vis, regardless of the movements of the carriers.
• an antenna system comprises a positioner, that is to say an automaton comprising a mobile part on which the antenna is fixed.
• a first category of positioners makes it possible to orient the antenna by rotating it, on the one hand, around a vertical axis to modify the angle of bearing and, on the other hand, around a horizontal axis to change the elevation angle.
• the signals transmitted and / or received by the mobile antenna are transmitted to a fixed part, for example at the foot of the positioner, via a waveguide.
• the antenna system has a large field of gravity or infinite bearing - that is, when it allows the antenna to rotate indefinitely about the vertical axis - then the use of rotating collectors and / or joints Turns at the junction of the waveguide with the fixed part is necessary, so as to avoid submitting the waveguide to twisting forces that would damage it.
• a disadvantage of such antenna systems is their high cost of implementation.
• a second category of positioners made on the principle of a Cardan suspension, eliminates collectors and rotating joints.
• These improved positioners include a pointing device without dead point based on a pantograph mechanism; they will be qualified later as “pantograph positioners".
• wave guides that are sufficiently flexible and accept torsional movements are used.
• waveguides are made of a discontinuous structure, often based on nested scales which cause reliability problems. Indeed, the structure of such a waveguide wears very quickly or even breaks under the effect of repeated twisting movements applied to it. Also, the life of the waveguide is short, which imposes regular preventive replacements. In addition, significant insertion losses and intermodulation products occur when using this type of waveguide. In emission, the powers are then strongly limited.
• An object of the invention is to propose means making it possible to convey signals between the antenna and the foot of a positioner with a large clearance displacement by limiting the insertion losses, the degradation of the signals received and the problems of mechanical reliability.
• the subject of the invention is a device for routing signals for a movable antenna locator with a large displacement in a bearing comprising a waveguide with a conductive structure, a first end of which is connected to the antenna, a second end being connected to the foot of the positioner, said device being characterized in that the waveguide is of continuous structure, each of its ends being fixed by means allowing a movement of the waveguide to limit the bending forces of said guide during the movements of the positioner.
• the antenna positioner is a pantograph type antenna positioner.
• the means for fixing the waveguide comprise at least one support, locking means and one or more sets of ball joints fixed on said support, the end of the waveguide being kept substantially stationary relative to to support by the blocking means, the waveguide being inserted into said sets of ball joints in order to stabilize the waveguide while giving it a deflection.
• the device comprises at least one spring, the spring being attached to the waveguide by cable clamps.
• the signals conveyed by the waveguide are microwave signals.
• the waveguide is electroformed and made of an alloy comprising beryllium and copper, this material being well adapted to transmissions of microwave signals, and also being adapted to undergo bending along its structure.
• the waveguide has a bellows structure, the waveguide can be alternately deformed along a first axis of rotation and a second axis of rotation, the waveguide can not be deformed under the effect of a twisting motion.
• the inner wall of the waveguide is smooth and has no roughness or opening.
• FIGS. 1A and 1B diagrams illustrating different positions taken by a pantograph positioner
• FIG. 2 an overall view of an embodiment of the signal conveying device according to the invention fixed on a pantograph positioner
• FIG. 3 a detail of the fixing means of the signal conveying device on the upper part of the positioner
• FIG. 1A and 1B illustrate a pantograph positioner 100 in different positions.
• FIG. 1A shows the pantograph positioner 100 orienting an antenna 101 vertically upward
• FIG. 1B shows the articulated positioner 100 so that the antenna 101 is oriented at a negative angle of elevation.
• a detailed routing device thereafter comprises a waveguide 200 which connects the antenna 101 to the positioner 100.
• FIG. 2 provides an overview of an embodiment of the signal routing device according to FIG. invention fixed on the pantograph positioner 100.
• the signal conveying device comprises the waveguide 200 fixed, on the one hand, on a mobile part 300 of the positioner 100 supporting the antenna 101 (FIG. 1), and on the other hand, on a low and fixed part 400 of the positioner.
• the first fastening means 201 of the waveguide 200 on said movable part 300 of the positioner 100 and the second fixing means 202a, 202b on its lower part 400 are detailed respectively in FIGS. 3 and 4.
• the moving part 300 of the positioner 100 moves around two axes of rotation X and Y, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2.
• the upper end 200a of the waveguide 200 which is fixed on the movable part 300 of the positioner 100 thanks to the first attachment means 201, is maintained substantially parallel to the second axis of rotation Y of the positioner, this second axis of rotation Y itself being subjected to a rotational movement about the first axis of rotation X.
• the low end 200b of the waveguide 200 is held in a fixed position by the second fastening means 202a, 202b, said low end being maintained, in the example, substantially horizontally.
• the second fastening means 202a, 202b comprise a first attachment point 202a leaving a freedom of movement to the waveguide 200, and a second attachment point 202b, placed below the first 202a, for immobilizing the low end 200b of the waveguide 200.
• the waveguide 200 is held by three attachment points 201, 202a, 202b; it substantially forms an S between its upper end 200a and its lower end 200b, this S being deformed according to the movements of the moving part 300 of the positioner 100, alternately in a movement around the first axis of rotation X and around the second axis of rotation Y.
• the upper end 200a of the waveguide 200 is fixed to the fork 203a of the positioner, while the low end 200b of the waveguide 200 is attached to the riser 204 of the positioner 100.
• one or more springs are contiguous to the waveguide 200, to prevent sagging of said guide 200 on itself, because of its own weight, and thus better distribute the mechanical stresses applied to the waveguide 200. These springs can be distributed sporadically on the waveguide
• the stiffness of a spring being chosen in particular according to the weight of the waveguide 200, the size of the waveguide, and the size of the positioner 100.
• the springs are slidably mounted only along a plane of the guide through flexible fasteners, such as, for example, plastic cable ties.
• the continuous character of the structure of the waveguide 200 - which makes it possible to obtain good performance in terms of signal transmission - makes it necessary to design specific fastening means to limit the mechanical forces applied to it during the movement of the waveguide. positioner 100.
• FIG. 3 shows, for the embodiment of FIG. 2, a detail of the fastening means 201 of the signal conveying device on the mobile high part 300 of the positioner.
• the 201 comprise a support 301 fixed to the mobile upper part 300 of the positioner, which, in the example, is the fork 203a.
• the support 301 is a rectangular rigid plate whose wall is fixed on the fork 203a of the positioner 100, the support 301 thus forming a plane orthogonal to the first axis of rotation X.
• One or more brackets 302 are fixed on the opposite wall of the support 301, the two orthogonal planes 302a, 302b formed by the walls of each bracket 302 themselves being orthogonal to the plane formed by the two axes of rotation X and Y.
• each bracket 302 The first wall 302a of each bracket 302 is contiguous to the support 301, while the second wall 302b of the bracket 302 is orthogonal to the second axis of rotation Y.
• a flange 303 secured to the waveguide 200 is placed on the second wall of each bracket 302, so that the waveguide 200 is gripped by each of the flanges 303 along the support 301 and that its end high 200a is held fixed relative to the movable portion 300 of the positioner 100, to connect to the antenna 101 ( Figures 1A and 1B).
• the waveguide 200 must support bending forces due to the movements of the positioner 100, both around the first axis of rotation X and around the second axis of rotation Y.
• the waveguide 200 is inserted into a or several sets of ball joints 304, placed in the extension of the brackets 302, along the support 301. In this way, the waveguide 200 is held in place while having a travel allowing it to better withstand the flexures imposed by the movement of the positioner 100 and simultaneously reduce the stresses applied to the flange 303.
• the spacings between the ball joints 304 may be adapted as a function, in particular of the length of the waveguide 200 and its characteristics flexibility.
• FIG. 4 shows, for the embodiment of FIG. 2, a detail of the fixing means 202a, 202b of the signal routing device on the lower part 400 of the positioner 100.
• fastening means 202a, 202b have a first portion 202a located substantially above a second portion 202b.
• the first part 202a of the fastening means 202a, 202b comprises a ball joint assembly 304 'fixed on a support 301' and the second part 202b comprises a fastening flange 303 'fixed on a bracket 302', which is fixed to a support 301 "
• the waveguide 200 is held by the ball joint assembly 304 'of the first portion 202a and the low end 200b of the waveguide 200 is attached to the second portion 202b via the mounting flange 303. , so that the waveguide 200 substantially describes a half loop between the first portion 202a and the second portion 202b.
• the fixing means 202 of the signal routing device on the lower part 400 of the positioner 100 are similar to those shown in FIG. 3. They also comprise one or more brackets 302 "substantially aligned on a support 301 ".
• the waveguide 200 is shown in slight recess with respect to the bracket 302.
• the low end 200b of the waveguide 200 is fixed to the bracket 302 "via a fixing flange 303.
• the waveguide 200 is also stabilized with one or more sets of ball joints 304 "to give it a deflection intended to limit the bending forces applied to it, as in FIG. to reduce the force applied to the fastening flange 303 ".
• Figure 6 illustrates the structure of the waveguide 200, with a cross section 6A and a perspective view 6B.
• the waveguide 200 has a continuous structure, ie unlike a conventional structure formed by a plurality of associated elements, the waveguide 200 used in the signal routing device according to the invention is formed of only one part, without opening or asperity on its inner wall.
• the waveguide 200 comprises a bellows structure, of rectangular section, with a conductive inner wall, here in an alloy comprising beryllium and copper.
• the waveguide is electroformed.
• the waveguide 200 used in the present invention can not, because of its continuous nature, be subjected to a torsion movement at the same point, that is to say to undergo two orthogonal flexions at the same point. Also, the waveguide 200, to allow nevertheless to adapt to the mechanical stresses imposed by the movement of the positioner 100 is adapted to undergo flexing of different directions in several successive places, particularly thanks to the material used and its bellows structure .
• the length of the waveguide 200 is to be chosen so as to minimize the bending forces applied to it; thus a waveguide 200 too short, for example, could lead to mechanical breaks.
• the use of a signal routing device according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the insertion losses, to guarantee the isolation of the waveguide over time and not to generate intermodulation products towards the input signal. outside the waveguide especially for microwave signals of high power.
• the signal routing device according to the invention is particularly suitable for pantograph antenna positioners and ensures an infinitely rotational coverage of the positioner travel zone. Nevertheless, it can also be mounted on positioners of different types, including turret-type positioners with large displacement in the bearing.

Landscapes

• Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
• Waveguide Connection Structure (AREA)
• Input Circuits Of Receivers And Coupling Of Receivers And Audio Equipment (AREA)
• Details Of Aerials (AREA)
• Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
• Control Of Conveyors (AREA)
• Support Of Aerials (AREA)

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• 2007
  • 2007-12-21 FR FR0709053A patent/FR2925769B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2008
  • 2008-12-16 AT AT08868353T patent/ATE522948T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-12-16 EP EP08868353A patent/EP2232624B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2008-12-16 WO PCT/EP2008/067650 patent/WO2009083440A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2008-12-16 US US12/809,995 patent/US8547290B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-12-16 ES ES08868353T patent/ES2370189T3/es active Active
• 2010
  • 2010-06-21 IL IL206517A patent/IL206517A/en active IP Right Grant

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