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US-20260128496-A1 - MOUNTING BRACKETS FOR MOUNTING MULTIPLE ANTENNAS TO A MONOPOLE AND RELATED ASSEMBLIES

US20260128496A1US 20260128496 A1US20260128496 A1US 20260128496A1US-20260128496-A1

Abstract

The present application is directed to a mounting bracket for an antenna. The mounting bracket includes a base plate having first and second arms and a spine spanning the first and second arms, the first and second arms and spine creating a monopole receiving space. First, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from, respectively, the first arm, the second arm, and the spine, each of the first, second and third flanges configured to have a respective antenna mounted thereto. The mounting bracket includes a clamp having first and second jaws, each of the jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone. The clamp includes first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the jaws. Each of the jaws is attached to each of the arms via fasteners inserted through apertures in the arms.

Inventors

  • Karthik Kondaveeti
  • Yiding WANG
  • PuLiang Tang

Assignees

  • Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20260105
Priority Date
20221125

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A mounting bracket for an antenna, the mounting bracket comprising: a base plate having first and second arms and a spine spanning the first and second arms, the first and second arms and spine creating a monopole receiving space, wherein first, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from, respectively, the first arm, the second arm, and the spine, each of the first, second and third flanges configured to have a respective antenna mounted thereto; and a clamp comprising first and second jaws, each of the first and second jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone, the clamp further comprising first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the first and second jaws; wherein each of the first and second jaws is attached to each of the first and second arms via fasteners inserted through apertures in the first and second arms.
  2. 2 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 1 , wherein the apertures in the first and second arms are slots.
  3. 3 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 2 , wherein the slots in the first and second arms comprises two slots in each of the first and second arms.
  4. 4 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 3 , wherein the slots in the first arm are collinear, and the slots in the second arm are collinear.
  5. 5 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the upper and lower plates of the first and second jaws includes a toothed concave edge.
  6. 6 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third flanges are arranged to be substantially circumferentially equidistant from each other.
  7. 7 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 1 , in combination with first, second and third antennas mounted to, respectively, the first, second and third flanges.
  8. 8 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 7 , wherein the combination of the mounting bracket and the first, second, and third antennas is in further combination with a monopole, the first and second jaws engaging the monopole.
  9. 9 . A mounting bracket for an antenna, the mounting bracket comprising: a base plate defining a monopole receiving space, wherein first, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from the base plate, each of the first, second and third flanges configured to have a respective antenna mounted thereto; and a clamp comprising first and second jaws, each of the first and second jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone, the clamp further comprising first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the first and second jaws; wherein each of the first and second jaws is attached to the base plate via fasteners inserted through apertures in the base plate.
  10. 10 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 9 , wherein the base plate has first and second arms and a spine spanning the first and second arms, the first and second arms and spine.
  11. 11 . The mount bracket defined in claim 9 , wherein the first, second, and third flanges extend downwardly from the first arm, the second arm, and the spine, respectively.
  12. 12 . The mount bracket defined in claim 10 , wherein the apertures in the base plate reside in the first and second arms, and wherein the first and second jaws of the clamp are attached to each of the first and second arms via fasteners inserted through apertures.
  13. 13 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 9 , wherein the apertures in the base plate are slots.
  14. 14 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 10 , wherein the apertures in the first and second arms comprises two slots in each of the first and second arms.
  15. 15 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 14 , wherein the slots in the first arm are collinear, and the slots in the second arm are collinear.
  16. 16 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 9 , wherein each of the upper and lower plates of the first and second jaws includes a toothed concave edge.
  17. 17 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 9 , wherein the first, second and third flanges are arranged to be substantially circumferentially equidistant from each other.
  18. 18 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 9 , in combination with first, second and third antennas mounted to, respectively, the first, second and third flanges.
  19. 19 . The mounting bracket defined in claim 18 , wherein the combination of the mounting bracket and the first, second, and third antennas is in further combination with a monopole, the first and second jaws engaging the monopole.
  20. 20 . An antenna assembly, the antenna assembly comprising: a monopole; a first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna; and a mounting bracket assembly, the mounting bracket assembly comprising: a base plate defining a monopole receiving space, wherein first, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from the base plate; and a clamp comprising first and second jaws, each of the first and second jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone, the clamp further comprising first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the first and second jaws; wherein each of the first and second jaws is attached to the base plate via fasteners inserted through apertures in the base plate, wherein the first, second and third antennas are mounted to the first, second, and third flanges of the mounting bracket assembly respectively, and wherein the first and second jaws of the clamp are engaged with the monopole.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18/514,155, filed November 20, 2023, which claims priority from and the benefit of Indian Patent Application No. 202241067859, filed November 25, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/487,957, filed March 2, 2023, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties. FIELD The present invention is directed generally to the mounting of antennas, and in particular to the mounting of wireless antennas. BACKGROUND Cellular communications systems are well known in the art. In a cellular communications system, a geographic area is divided into a series of regions that are referred to as "cells" which are served by respective base stations. The base station may include one or more antennas that are configured to provide two-way radio frequency ("RF") communications with mobile subscribers that are within the cell served by the base station. In many cases, each cell is divided into "sectors." In one common configuration, a hexagonally-shaped cell is divided into three 120º sectors in the azimuth plane, and each sector is served by one or more base station antennas that have an azimuth Half Power Beamwidth (HPBW) of approximately 65°. Typically, the base station antennas are mounted on a tower or other raised structure, with the radiation patterns (also referred to herein as "antenna beams") that are generated by the base station antennas directed outwardly. Base station antennas are often implemented as linear or planar phased arrays of radiating elements. In a tri-sector antenna arrangement such as that described above, brackets are typically used to mount each antenna to the raised structure. Typically, each antenna is mounted with its own set of two or more mounting brackets. It may be desirable to provide alternative mounting arrangements, particularly for smaller antennas that are mounted to monopoles. SUMMARY A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a mounting bracket for an antenna. The mounting bracket includes a base plate having first and second arms and a spine spanning the first and second arms, the first and second arms and spine creating a monopole receiving space. First, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from, respectively, the first arm, the second arm, and the spine, each of the first, second and third flanges configured to have a respective antenna mounted thereto. The mounting bracket further includes a clamp having first and second jaws. Each of the first and second jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone. The clamp further includes first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the first and second jaws. Each of the first and second jaws is attached to each of the first and second arms via fasteners inserted through apertures in the first and second arms. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a mounting bracket for an antenna. The mounting bracket includes a base plate defining a monopole receiving space. First, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from the base plate, each of the first, second and third flanges being configured to have a respective antenna mounted thereto. The bracket further includes a clamp having first and second jaws. Each of the first and second jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone. The clamp further includes first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the first and second jaws. Each of the first and second jaws is attached to the base plate via fasteners inserted through apertures in the base plate. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly includes a monopole, a first antenna, a second antenna, a third antenna, and a mounting bracket assembly. The mounting bracket assembly includes a base plate defining a monopole receiving space. First, second and third flanges merge with and extend downwardly from the base plate. The mounting bracket assembly further includes a clamp having first and second jaws. Each of the first and second jaws having upper and lower plates spanned by a backbone. The clamp further includes first and second elongate threaded members that extend between the backbones of the first and second jaws. Each of the first and second jaws is attached to the base plate via fasteners inserted through apertures in the base plate. The first, second and third antennas are mounted to the first, second, and third flanges of the mounting bracket assembly respectively, and the first and second jaws of the clamp are engaged with the monopole. It is noted that aspects of the invention described with respect to one embodiment, may be incorporated in a different embodiment although not specifically described relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combin