Floating Antenna Support for Marine Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna support devices struggle to maintain accurate positioning on non-planar and dynamically changing surfaces, such as oceans and seas, leading to transmission errors and interruptions due to disparities in surface relief caused by meteorological conditions.
Innovation Solution
A floating antenna support device comprising interconnected floating elements with a fixing system, an anchoring element, and an articulated mechanical support that adjusts to maintain a horizontal positioning of the antenna support surface, ensuring continuous and reliable data transmissions by deforming to match the surface relief.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the antenna is mounted on a vessel to maintain line of sight with satellites, then transmission capability is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to surface relief variations causing incorrect antenna positioning relative to transmission beams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic positioning system that continuously adjusts the antenna's position and orientation in real-time to compensate for vessel motion and surface relief variations. The antenna mounting structure includes active control mechanisms that respond to sensor feedback, maintaining correct alignment with satellite transmission beams despite changing environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, position sensors) that provide continuous feedback about the antenna's position, orientation, and environmental conditions. This feedback is processed by a control system that automatically adjusts antenna positioning to maintain accurate alignment with satellites, resolving the contradiction between transmission reliability and positioning precision.
2Device complexity
If a fixed antenna support structure is used on a floating device, then device complexity is reduced, but transmission reliability deteriorates due to inability to maintain horizontal alignment on non-planar surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a completely fixed structure, the patent uses a semi-rigid support structure with controlled degrees of freedom. The structure includes mechanical elements (gimbals, adjustment mechanisms) that allow the antenna to maintain horizontal alignment while keeping the overall device design relatively simple and avoiding over-engineering.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the floating device deforms to match surface relief, then adaptability to non-planar surfaces is improved, but antenna positioning stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The floating device is divided into multiple independent floating elements or modular sections that can deform independently to match surface relief. The antenna is mounted on a separate stabilized platform that decouples the deformation of the floating structure from the antenna's positioning, allowing surface adaptation while maintaining positioning stability through active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary stabilized platform or mechanical isolation system between the deforming floating structure and the antenna. This intermediary element absorbs the deformations and movements of the floating device, providing a stable mounting surface for the antenna that maintains positioning stability even as the underlying floating structure adapts to surface relief variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures improved positioning and integrity of antenna or sensor data transmissions by adapting to surface deformations, maintaining horizontal alignment and reducing mechanical stresses, thereby enhancing measurement accuracy and reliability on uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of floating elements assembled to form a sheet comprising a first surface, called the support surface, adapted to float on a second surface, called the movement surface
Implementation Method 2
the mechanical element included in the antenna support (or any sensor support) includes a ball joint and/or a gimbal attached to an element mechanically coupling it to the third surface which operates the function of antenna support
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a floating support device (FAD1) comprising a plurality of floating elements (FD1, FD2, FD3, FDn) which are assembled in such a way as together to form a sheet comprising a surface (FS1) able to float above a second surface (FS2) and/or arranged substantially parallel to said second surface (FS2), the device also comprising a fixing support (FIXSYS) fixed to at least one of the floating elements (FD1, FD2, FD3, FDn) and comprising a fixing surface (SF3) and a mechanical element (PATSUP, PAT, WGHT) designed to keep the fixing surface (FS3) in a substantially horizontal attitude.