Pass-Through Antenna Mount With Tortuous Cable Path Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna mounts for utility equipment enclosures, such as pad mounted distribution transformers, lack a secure mechanism to prevent objects from being inserted through the antenna cable path, potentially leading to catastrophic contact with electrical components.
Innovation Solution
An antenna mount with a base and a shaft defining a tortuous path for the antenna cable, including a neck portion for fastening and a body portion with a cable opening, and optionally a plug to seal the distal end of the shaft, creating a secure and safe passage for the antenna cable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a straight cable path is used through the enclosure wall, then cable installation is simple and direct, but the enclosure becomes vulnerable to foreign object insertion and electrical shock hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a curved or tortuous cable path within the enclosure wall instead of a straight path. The cable channel includes bends and curves that force any inserted object to navigate a complex trajectory, effectively preventing foreign objects from reaching electrical components while still allowing cable installation and maintenance
2Reliability
If an externally mounted antenna is used to communicate with equipment inside the enclosure, then radio signal transmission is effective, but the enclosure wall must have a hole for cable passage which creates security vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a curved cable channel within the enclosure wall that connects the external antenna mounting area to the internal equipment area. This curved path allows cables to pass through the wall for antenna connection while preventing straight-line insertion of foreign objects, thus maintaining both signal transmission reliability and enclosure security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary cable channel structure embedded in the enclosure wall. This channel acts as a mediator that allows necessary cable passage for external antenna connection while blocking the direct path that would allow foreign object insertion, thus resolving the contradiction between communication reliability and safety
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a secure tortuous cable path is implemented to prevent foreign object insertion, then electrical safety is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the tortuous cable channel directly into the enclosure wall structure itself, rather than adding it as a separate component. The cable channel is formed as an inherent part of the enclosure during manufacturing, merging the safety function with the structural function, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining electrical shock prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure wall is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains electrical components, and incorporates the tortuous cable channel for safety. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate safety components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the foreign object insertion prevention capability
Data Source
AI summary
A pass-through antenna mount for a structure includes a base to be placed against an external wall of the structure and a shaft that extends from the base through an opening in the wall. The base defines an aperture therethrough. The shaft extends away from the base and defines a hollow channel extending along a length thereof. The channel is generally aligned with the aperture in the base. The shaft includes a neck portion and an adjacent body portion. The neck portion is configured to accept a fastener and the body portion defines a cable opening in a wall thereof. The cable opening fluidly communicates with the hollow channel. The antenna mount accepts an antenna mounted to the base, where the antenna cable(s) passes through the shaft and exits through the cable opening of the shaft's body portion, thereby taking a tortuous path through the antenna mount.