|
(11) | EP 1 244 173 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Foldable antenna pole with articulated structure |
| (57) The present invention relates to a reclining antenna pole composed of three different
sections connected with articulated joints; it being provided that the bottom section
is fixed to the ground, while the two upper sections, suitably controlled by means
of a cable actuated by a winch, rotate towards the ground by minimum 90° with respect
to the lower sections, in such a way that the top section is placed in parallel overturned
position with respect to the fixed bottom section. |
[0001] The present patent application relates to a reclining articulated pole, expressly designed to support telecommunication antennas, but also capable of supporting other devices or structures.
[0002] The advantages of the invention will become evident after a short description of the state-of-the art technique with relevant inconveniences.
[0003] First of all, it must be said that in the telecommunications sector it is necessary to use antennas mounted on the top of suitable support poles. The same poles are also used to vertically fix the cables that connect the antennas with the remote devices.
[0004] Particularly critical are the operations related to the installation and maintenance of cables and antennas on the poles that are currently used.
[0005] The old traditional technique makes use of metal poles composed of multiple sections that are flanged or rigidly inserted one into the other.
[0006] In this case, the operations that must be carried out on the pole for the installation and maintenance of antennas and cables or simply for the fine adjustment of the tilt angle of the antennas force the operator to reach the same height as the antenna using ladders or supports fixed at the end of the telescopic arm of a crane.
[0007] A first attempt to improve the traditional technology has been represented by the introduction of poles with telescopic structure. Certainly, telescopic poles have several advantages for the installation of antennas and cables. Practically speaking, after retracting the telescopic pole completely, the operator can work at ground level to install the antennas on the top section of the pole and fix the connection cables on the sides of the other sections after extracting them from the bearing bottom section in a gradual, axial way.
[0008] However, when maintenance must be carried out on the poles (for example for the fine adjustment of the tilt angle of the antenna), the operator must reach the same height as the antenna, just like in the case of non-telescopic antennas.
[0009] To carry out maintenance operations on antennas mounted on a telescopic pole from the ground, it would be necessary to retract the various sections one inside the other. This operation, however, could be carried out without problems only after removing the connection cables fixed on the sides of the various sections of the telescopic pole.
[0010] The pole of the invention has been devised based on the observation of the typical inconveniences of the antenna poles that are currently available on the market, with the purpose of allowing installation, adjustment and maintenance operations of antennas and cables to be carried out from the ground, without having to remove, completely or partially, the devices and connection cables that are fixed to the pole during installation.
[0011] In practical terms, the manufacture of the invention consists in a pole composed of three sections that are mutually connected with two intermediate articulated joints. The pole is associated with a metal cable hooked on the top of the pole and wound on the coil of a winch located at the base of the pole with suitable pulleys.
[0012] The joints and the action of the winch make it possible to bring the pole from the vertical operating position, in which the three sections are perfectly aligned, to a non-operating position, in which the bottom section is maintained in vertical position, while the two upper sections rotate towards the ground, each of them by 90° with respect to the section immediately below.
[0013] This means that the intermediate section is placed in horizontal position (perpendicular to the fixed bottom section)and the top section is placed in vertical overturned position (perpendicular to the intermediate section and parallel to the fixed bottom section)at a close distance from the ground.
[0014] In this perspective it is easy to understand that the operator can easily work from the ground on the antennas that are mounted on the top section of the pole. At the same time, it appears evident that the progressive articulated lowering of the pole does not require the removal of the connection cables that were previously fixed to the sides of the pole.
[0015] Moreover, the pole of the invention has another functional advantage, which is particularly useful to set the tilt angle of the antenna(during installation or fine adjustment).
[0016] In fact, thanks to the progressive articulated lowering movement, the top section of the pole is placed at a close distance from the ground in the same vertical position (even if overturned) that is maintained when the pole is placed in upright position.
[0017] This means that the adjustments of the tilt angle of the antenna which are carried out when the top section of the pole is at a close distance from the ground (obviously taking into account the overturned position and therefore the symmetry with respect to the horizontal plane)are maintained when the section is overturned by 180° upwards to occupy the operating position on the top of the pole.
[0018] For major clarity the description of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense, whereby figures from 1 to 3 are side views of the pole of the invention, showing the three positions during the articulation phases, that is vertical operating position in Fig. 1, partially folded position in Fig. 2 and completely folded position in Fig. 3.
[0019] With reference to the aforementioned figures, the pole(1) of the invention comprises three different sections (1a, 1b, 1c) connected with articulated joints (2a, 2b) of traditional type, which are not described or illustrated in details.
[0020] In particular, the bottom section (1a) is fixed at the centre of a stabilisation support base (3), from which a short inclined arm (4) protrudes upwards, supporting a pulley (4a) with horizontal axis on its free end.
[0021] Slightly above the first articulated joint (2a), the intermediate section (1b) supports a tubular shelf (5) externally provided with a pulley (5a) with horizontal axis. The shelf (5) is perfectly aligned with the inclined arm (4) that protrudes from the base (3).
[0022] Apart from supporting the antennas (A), the top section (1c) features a sleeve (6) slightly above the second joint (2b), on which the upper ends of radial tie rods (7) are fixed, while the lower ends are fixed around the pole(1) on suitable eyelets (3a) fixed to the perimeter of the support base (3).
[0023] A winch (8) is positioned at a little distance from the base (3) of the pole (1), whose cable (8a) engages with the two pulleys (4a, 5a) and is fixed on the sleeve (6) that is inserted in the top section (1c).
[0024] In order to lower the pole in a progressive articulated way, the operator only needs to release the tie rods (7) at the base and loosen the cable (8a); in particular, the location and length of the arm (5) ensure that, during the first phase shown in Fig. 2, the intermediate section (1b) rotates with respect to the bottom section (1a) and that, during the second phase shown in Fig. 3, the top section (1c) rotates with respect to the intermediate section (1b), allowing the top section (1c) to be placed perfectly parallel to the bottom section (1a), although in overturned position.
[0025] The pole of the invention shown in the enclosed drawings includes joints (2a, 2b) that, thanks to the presence of suitable end-of-stroke points, allow the sections (1b, 1c) to exactly rotate by 90° with respect to the sections immediately below(1a, 1b).
[0026] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, where the bottom section (1a) is much longer than the top section (1c), the first joint (2a) can be such to allow the intermediate section (1b) to rotate by more than 90° with respect to the fixed bottom section (1a), in order to place it in sub-horizontal position and allow the top section (1c) to get close to the ground in overturned vertical position.
[0027] In this case, it being understood that the intermediate section (1b) is associated with a joint (2a) that allows it to rotate by more than 90°, the second joint (2b) can be provided with any end-of-stroke point, since the top section (1c) associated with it maintains the overturned vertical position due to gravity under the weight of the antennas.
1. Reclining antenna pole with articulated structure, characterised by the fact that it comprises three different sections (1a, 1b, 1c), of which the bottom
section (1a) is rigidly fixed to a stabilisation support base (3), while the two upper
sections (1b, 1c) can rotate in the same direction by 90° or more with respect to
the section below, thanks to the presence of suitable articulated joints (2a, 2b);
it being provided that a winch (8) is located near the base (3) on the opposite side
with respect to the rotation direction of the sections (1a, 1b), whose cable (8a)
is coupled with a pulley (5a) located at the end of a shelf (5) that protrudes from
the intermediate section (1b) and is fixed to the top section (1c).
2. Reclining antenna pole with articulated structure according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the top section (1c) features a sleeve (6) that hooks the upper end
of the cable (8a) of the winch (8) as well as the upper ends of a radial series of
tie rods (7), whose lower ends are fixed on suitable hooking points (3a) located on
the perimeter of the base (3).
3. Reclining antenna pole with articulated structure according to the previous claims,
characterised by the fact that the base (3) is provided with a short inclined arm (4), whose end supports
a pulley (4a) in which the cable (8a) of the winch (8) engages before engaging in
the pulley (5a) of the shelf (5).