Removable Loop Antenna Fixture for Signal Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loop antenna manufacturing processes often result in antennas being removed from permanent fixtures, leading to potential damage and uneven signal quality during installation, as the antennas are handled and positioned, which can affect signal interference and quality.
Innovation Solution
A removable antenna fixture system that allows loop antennas to be formed and installed on the same fixture, minimizing manufacturing and packaging steps, and enabling easier installation by maintaining the antenna in a fixed position, reducing the risk of damage and signal interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If loop antennas are removed from permanent fixtures during manufacturing, then the antennas can be handled and positioned for installation, but the antennas are susceptible to damage and signal quality becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the antenna loop and mounting fixture into a single integrated assembly. The fixture includes a base with legs that form retaining structures, and the antenna wire is wrapped around these legs to create a unified antenna-fixture assembly that is manufactured and installed together as one unit, eliminating the need to separate them.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna loop is pre-formed on the fixture during manufacturing by wrapping the wire around the fixture legs. This preliminary formation ensures the antenna maintains its precise geometric configuration and structural support throughout shipping and installation, preventing damage and signal degradation that would occur with later assembly.
2Productivity
If loop antennas are formed and installed on the same fixture, then manufacturing and packaging steps are minimized, but the fixture must be designed to remain attached during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is segmented into a base and multiple legs that can be integrally formed or separately assembled. The legs are positioned around the periphery of the base and can be attached using simple mounting features, allowing the fixture to be manufactured in modular components that are easily assembled while maintaining the ability to form the antenna loop during the same process.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture serves multiple functions: it provides the structural support for forming the antenna loop, acts as the mounting structure for installation, and includes retaining features that hold the antenna wire in place. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate antenna-forming fixtures and mounting brackets, simplifying the overall system despite the integrated design.
3Manufacturing precision
If the antenna is kept in a fixed position on the fixture, then signal quality remains consistent, but the fixture requires attachment features to maintain the antenna position
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture incorporates localized retaining features at specific positions along the legs, such as grooves, slots, or protrusions, that precisely position the antenna wire at critical points. These localized features ensure consistent antenna geometry without requiring complex attachment mechanisms across the entire fixture structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna wire itself serves as the retaining element by being wrapped around and secured to the fixture legs. The wire's own tension and wrapping configuration provide the necessary retention and positioning, eliminating the need for additional separate retaining components or complex attachment features.
Data Source
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AI summary
Various loop antenna fixture embodiments are disclosed. The fixture can be configured to removably attach with other fixtures, thus changing the overall dimensions of an antenna wrapped around the periphery of the fixture or fixtures. Advantageously, after the antenna is wrapped around the fixture(s) to form an assembly, the entire assembly can be removed and installed without the requirement of removing the antenna from the fixture(s).