Self-stabilizing support structure for a small-site mobile telephony base station, in particular for the temporary installation of such base stations

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure comprising a plurality of successive horizontal unit modular elements (110) stacked one on top of the other in the height direction. Each modular element (110) comprises, in the upper part thereof, an arrangement suitable for receiving and supporting another modular element (110) placed thereon, and the lower modular element comprises, in the lower part thereof, a horizontal floor (190) capable of resting on the ground via its bottom face, and of receiving and supporting the service equipment (400) of the base station via its top face. The stack of modular elements further comprises, over its entire height, a vertical cavity able to house and support the lower part (220) of the antenna-bearing mast (200) of the base station.

Description

[0001] Self-supporting support structure for small-site mobile phone base stations, particularly for the temporary installation of such base stations

[0002] The invention relates to a self-supporting support structure for a mobile telephony base station.

[0003] It is particularly relevant in the context of the installation by a mobile phone operator of small site type base stations, intended to strengthen radio coverage in certain areas under particular circumstances, especially temporarily such as during concerts and festivals, sporting events, for seaside or winter sports resorts in high season, etc.

[0004] In this case, it is a matter of being able to install a complete base station with its antenna mast, its associated service equipment, possibly a "near data center" to locally process part of the traffic with users, the connection to the backhaul link between the base station and the core network, and also a connection to the power supply lines.

[0005] The support structure for such a small site must be able to meet very strict constraints, given its temporary nature and an environment that is not necessarily suitable for the presence of such an installation:

[0006] - self-supporting character: the structure, placed on the ground, must be able to support by itself and in a perfectly stable manner the mast equipped with its antennas and all the service equipment, without anchoring in a concrete mass poured into the ground;

[0007] - speed of setup, typically one day for the installation and assembly of the entire structure with its associated elements, then one day for the wiring, connection, configuration and final check of all the equipment;

[0008] - quick disassembly at the end of use;

[0009] - reversibility: in the case of a temporary structure, the location where the small site will be installed and its environment must be able to be returned to their previous state or close to their previous state, without degradation - which of course excludes the construction of a large anchoring mass as well as any major earthworks;

[0010] - aesthetics that can be integrated into the landscape of the place, and in a way that is easily adaptable to the environment: beach, forest, urban area, sports or entertainment venue, etc.;

[0011] - possibility of precise adjustment of the verticality of the antenna mast, in case the ground on which the structure is placed is not perfectly horizontal;

[0012] - securing the small site and its equipment;

[0013] - the smallest possible floor area.

[0014] Prior art

[0015] So far, no truly satisfactory solution has been proposed that can meet all of these criteria.

[0016] Most often, the supporting structure is a mechanical pylon structure placed on the ground and weighted down with concrete blocks, with a technical area located above the ballast blocks. The structure's height is then significant and unsatisfactory from the perspective of integrating with the surrounding landscape. Another solution is to offset the technical area from the pylon so that it is at ground level, which necessitates enclosing the entire structure with fencing or similar protective barriers.

[0017] In all cases, installation and dismantling require the handling and transfer of concrete blocks, with a corresponding cost and an extension of time.

[0018] The aim of the invention is to propose a self-supporting structure that overcomes the limitations and problems of existing proposals, and allows meeting all the criteria stated above.

[0019] Description of the invention

[0020] To this end, the invention proposes a self-supporting support structure for a mobile telephony base station, capable of receiving an antenna mast and service equipment. This structure comprises a plurality of successive horizontal modular units stacked vertically on top of each other. Each modular unit includes, in its upper part, an arrangement adapted to receive and support another modular unit placed on top of it, and the lower modular unit includes, in its lower part, a horizontal platform adapted to rest on the ground by its underside and to receive and support the base station's service equipment by its upper side. The stack further includes, along its entire height, a vertical cavity adapted to house and support the lower part of the base station's antenna mast.

[0021] According to various advantageous subsidiary characteristics:

[0022] - the modular unit elements include a central void, designed to define an interior area of ​​the support structure forming a technical room suitable for housing the service equipment of the base station;

[0023] - the modular unit elements have a peripheral rim of constant height around the central void;

[0024] - a portion of the external peripheral edge of the peripheral edges of the unitary modular elements together form a substantially flat external lateral wall of the support structure;

[0025] - a portion of the internal peripheral rim of the peripheral rims of the unitary modular elements together form a substantially flat internal lateral wall of the internal area of ​​the support structure forming a technical room;

[0026] - the external peripheral edges and the internal peripheral edges of the unitary modular elements are continuous edges and define between them a free volume suitable for receiving and containing a ballast load;

[0027] - in the latter case, it is also advantageous to partition the free volume by internal walls arranged transversely between the external and internal peripheral edges and segmenting the free volume into one or more compartments of smaller dimensions;

[0028] - the modular unit elements have, in top view, a general U shape, the central void being delimited by the branches and the core of the U and being open outwards in the direction of the branches of the U, so as to form together in the support structure an access passage to the interior area of ​​the support structure forming a technical room;

[0029] - in the latter case, the structure also includes one or more doors for closing and locking this access passage; - the vertical cavity suitable for housing and supporting the lower part of the antenna-carrying mast is made up of aligned vertical openings, formed in each unitary modular element and passing vertically through the stack from one side to the other;

[0030] - the structure further includes means for adjusting the verticality of the antenna-carrying mast after it has been placed in the vertical cavity of the stack, in particular by means of radial adjusting screws passing through the wall of the vertical cavity;

[0031] - the horizontal floor of the lower modular element rests directly and without being secured to the ground, the service equipment loaded on the horizontal floor forming a ballast contributing to the stability of the support structure;

[0032] - the modular unit elements are stacked one on top of the other with interlocking, without additional securing by added fastening means;

[0033] - at least one of the modular elements has a recess radially passing through the wall of the vertical cavity, forming a cable passage for connecting the antenna coupling cables to the service equipment; and / or

[0034] - the external side walls of the stack are covered with an added decorative and / or protective facing.

[0035] Brief description of the drawings

[0036] Figure 1 is an overview of a base station implementing the self-supporting structure of the invention, in its final state, ready for use once assembly is complete. Figure 2 is a more detailed view of the lower part of the base station of Figure 1, with the access doors open showing the service equipment installed inside.

[0037] Figure 3 illustrates the first step in installing the support structure of the invention, after the lower modular element has been placed on the ground.

[0038] Figure 4 is a top view of the lower modular element of Figure 3.

[0039] Figure 5 illustrates the support structure of the invention after stacking all the modular elements.

[0040] Figure 6 is a top view of the stack of modular elements in Figure 5.

[0041] Figure 7, the counterpart of Figure 5, illustrates the next step in the installation of the base station, after the antenna-bearing mast has been put in place.

[0042] Figure 8, the counterpart of Figure 7, illustrates the next step in the process, after the service equipment has been installed.

[0043] Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

[0044] We will now describe an example of an implementation of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings where the same references designate identical or functionally similar elements from one figure to another. Figure 1 illustrates, in its final assembled state, a small site type mobile telephony base station comprising the self-supporting support structure 100 according to the invention from which emerges a cylindrical mast 200, typically of a height of 6 to 12 meters, at the top of which are mounted the transmitting / receiving antennas 210 of the radio access network.

[0045] The typical floor area of ​​a small site can be small, for example less than 8 m² 2 without any mechanical or other elements (ballast, support, etc.) protruding from this surface.

[0046] Figure 2 shows the lower part of the base station of Figure 1, with more specifically the support structure 100 which defines an interior area 300 forming a technical room for housing various service equipment 400 necessary for the operation of the base station.

[0047] The support structure 100 includes an access 500 from the outside, at ground level, giving access to the technical room 300. This access 500 can be closed by hinged doors 600, illustrated in Figure 2 in an open configuration and in Figure 1 in their closed configuration.

[0048] Figures 3 to 6 illustrate how the support structure 100 is constructed from stackable modular elements 110 of constant height, having an identical outline 120 from one element to the next. Preferably, these modular elements 110 can be nested together without additional fastening by external means, so as to simplify assembly and reduce the total assembly or disassembly time of the structure.

[0049] With the same unit elements 110, it is possible, depending on the circumstances, to stack a variable number of these elements according to the desired height for the support structure - for example, a larger number of elements to support a taller mast, or in more severe environmental conditions (stronger winds, etc.).

[0050] Advantageously, in top view as can be seen in Figures 4 and 6, the modular elements 110 have a general U shape, the opening of the U defining in 180 between the branches of the U the access passage 500 (Figure 2) to an interior area 150 which will serve as a technical room for the base station.

[0051] The U-shape shown, with its overall square outline, is by no means limiting. Other shapes (rectangular, rounded, etc.) are also possible, provided that the shape is open and allows access to the central interior area of ​​the modular elements.

[0052] The modular element's profile 120 includes an external peripheral rim 130 that will define the outer wall of the support structure once the elements are stacked and, opposite it, an internal peripheral rim 140 that will define a central void corresponding to the inner zone 150 that will form the technical room 300. The peripheral profile 120 is advantageously a continuous peripheral profile defining, between the external rim 130 and the internal rim 140, a free volume 170 that can optionally receive and contain ballast (sand, gravel, cement, etc.) to increase the final stability of the installed support structure, particularly with regard to significant stresses (wind, etc.) that the mast 200 carrying the antennas might experience. The ballast can be added during the assembly of the structure; it can also be added in the workshop, before the modular elements are transported to the installation site.In the latter case, it is advantageous to use cement or concrete as ballast, which can be poured in the workshop and left to dry for the necessary time before transporting the modular elements.

[0053] In this respect, it may be advantageous to partition the free volume 170 with internal walls (not shown) arranged transversely between the external peripheral rims 130 and 140, so as to segment the volume 170 into one or more independent compartments of smaller dimensions. This allows the ballast load to be added only to some of these compartments, particularly where the greatest stresses resulting from the strains experienced by the mast 200 are concentrated, typically under the effect of wind gusts. Furthermore, the stacked modular elements 110 also form a vertical cavity 160 suitable for housing and supporting the lower part 220 (Figure 2) of the antenna-carrying mast 200. This cavity 160 is formed by aligned vertical openings in each individual modular element 110 and runs vertically through the stack.

[0054] The cavity 160 also includes, at the level of one or more modular elements, a radial recess 162 (visible in Figures 5 and 7) passing through the wall of the cavity and opening towards the technical area 300, so as to constitute a cable passage to connect directly to the service equipment of the technical room located nearby the coupling cables to the antennas 210, cables which are generally mounted inside the mast 200, which is a hollow mast and generally pre-wired, with the current connection cables inside the mast.

[0055] The lower modular element of the stack, shown separately in Figures 3 and 4, comprises a floor 190 whose underside is in direct contact with the ground. The upper surface of the floor 190 will support the service equipment placed upon it, so that the mass of this equipment acts as ballast, contributing to the stability of the supporting structure, particularly when it rests directly on the ground.

[0056] We will now describe the assembly of the support structure of the invention, and the assembly of the base station incorporating this support structure.

[0057] The first step, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, consists of placing the lower modular element 110 equipped with its floor 190, directly supported on the ground, preferably without securing.

[0058] The next step is to stack the successive modular elements 110 on top of each other, resulting in the structure illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, possibly with filling of sand or gravel in the interior space 170 (Figure 4) to increase the overall mass of the structure.

[0059] The material of the 110 modular unit elements is chosen so as to be light enough that a modular element can be lifted, adjusted and stacked simply by two people without powerful lifting equipment or other heavy construction site equipment.

[0060] Once stacked, the assembly presents a substantially flat external wall defined by the external edges 130 (Figure 4) of the stacked modular elements, and a substantially flat internal wall, formed by the internal edges 140, of the internal area 150 which will form the technical room.

[0061] The next step, illustrated in Figure 7, consisted of raising the antenna-carrying mast 200 and inserting the lower part 220 of this mast into the vertical cavity 160.

[0062] Advantageously, means are provided (not illustrated) for adjusting the verticality of the mast 200 after it has been placed in the vertical cavity 160, for example by means of radial adjusting screws passing through the wall of the cavity 160.

[0063] The next step, illustrated in Figure 8, consists of installing the service equipment 400 inside the technical room 300, via the access 500 provided between the branches of the U of the unitary modular elements 110. The support structure can then be fitted with a facing 700 (Figures 1 and 2) adapted to the particular environment of the small site, mounted by screwing onto the external walls of the support structure 100.

[0064] Finally, doors 600 (Figure 2) are added to close off access 500 and secure the equipment inside the technical room 300. These doors also provide additional rigidity, through complete continuity of the external contour of the structure.

[0065] The final step consists, in a manner known in itself, of ensuring the cabling of the various network equipment 400 between each other and to the antennas 210, as well as to the power supply network and the backhaul network to the operator's core network.

[0066] If the base station is a small temporary site, it can be dismantled very simply at the end of its use, by reversing the steps described above: dismantling the service equipment, removing the mast, unstacking the individual modular elements, etc. The site where the base station was installed can then be returned to its original state, almost exactly as it was before the installation.

Claims

Demands 1. A self-supporting support structure (100) for a mobile telephony base station, capable of receiving a mast (200) carrying antennas (210) and service equipment (400), characterized in that: - the structure comprises a plurality of successive horizontal modular units (110) stacked one on top of the other vertically, - Each modular element (110) includes in its upper part an arrangement designed to receive and support another modular element (110) placed on top of it, - the lower modular element (110) comprises in its lower part a horizontal floor (190) adapted, by its underside, to rest on the ground and, by its upper side, to receive and support the service equipment (400) of the base station, and - the stack of modular unit elements (110) includes along its entire height a vertical cavity (160) suitable for housing and supporting the lower part (220) of the antenna-carrying mast (200) of the base station.

2. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, in which the unitary modular elements (110) of the stack have a central void (150), suitable for defining an interior area of ​​the support structure forming a technical room (300) suitable for housing the service equipment (400) of the base station.

3. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 2, in which the unitary modular elements (110) of the stack have around the central void (150) a peripheral rim (120) of constant height.

4. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 3, wherein a portion of the outer peripheral rim (130) of the peripheral rims (120) of the unitary modular elements (110) of the stack together form a substantially flat outer side wall of the support structure (100).

5. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 3, wherein a portion of the internal peripheral rim (140) of the peripheral rims (120) of the unitary modular elements (110) of the stack together form a substantially flat internal side wall of the internal area of ​​the support structure forming a technical room (300).

6. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 3, wherein the external peripheral edges (130) and the internal peripheral edges (140) of the unitary modular elements (110) are continuous edges (120) and define between them a free volume (170) suitable for receiving and containing a ballast load.

7. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 6, further comprising partitioning the free volume (170) by internal walls arranged transversely between the external peripheral rims (130) and internal (140) and segmenting the free volume (170) into one or more compartments of smaller dimensions.

8. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 2, in which the unitary modular elements (110) have, in top view, a general U shape, the central void (150) being delimited by the arms and the core of the U and being open (180) outwards in the direction of the arms of the U, so as to form together in the support structure an access passage (500) to the internal area of ​​the support structure forming a technical room (300).

9. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 7, wherein the support structure further comprises one or more doors (600) for closing and locking the access passage (500).

10. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, wherein the vertical cavity (160) suitable for housing and supporting the lower part (220) of the antenna-carrying mast (200) is constituted by aligned vertical openings, formed in each unitary modular element (110) and passing vertically through the stack from one side to the other.

11. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the verticality of the antenna-carrying mast (200) after it has been placed in the vertical cavity (160) of the stack.

12. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 11, wherein the means for adjusting the verticality of the antenna-carrying mast (200) comprise radial adjusting screws passing through the wall of the vertical cavity (160).

13. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal floor (190) of the lower modular element (110) rests directly and without being secured to the ground, the service equipment (400) loaded on the horizontal floor (190) forming a ballast contributing to the stability of the support structure.

14. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, wherein the unitary modular elements (110) are stacked one on top of the other with interlocking, without additional securing by added fastening means.

15. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modular elements (110) has a recess (162) radially passing through the wall of the vertical cavity, and forming a cable passage for connecting the coupling cables to the service equipment (400) to the antennas (210).

16. The self-supporting support structure (100) of claim 1, wherein the external side walls of the stack are covered with a decorative and / or protective facing (700).

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