Pivoting Mast Positioner for External DUT Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and de-installation of devices under test (DUT) in diagnostic anechoic chambers is cumbersome, especially for heavy or bulky devices, requiring significant time, resources, and downtime due to the need to enter the chamber and manage safety measures.
Innovation Solution
A positioning apparatus with a mast structure that rotates 90° along a pivoting axis from vertical to horizontal and slides along a horizontal plane, allowing DUT installation and de-installation outside the chamber, facilitated by a servomotor-controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the installer enters the diagnostic chamber to attach the DUT to the positioner, then the installation can be performed, but the process requires considerable time and human resources, and increases chamber downtime
Solution Approach 1:
A mast structure acts as an intermediary mechanism that extends through the chamber wall, allowing the DUT to be attached outside the chamber and then positioned inside without personnel entry. The mast serves as a mechanical bridge between the external installation area and the internal measurement position.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the installation operation from the internal three-dimensional space of the chamber to the external environment, utilizing the chamber wall as a boundary interface. This dimensional transition eliminates the need for entry while maintaining the ability to position the DUT correctly inside the chamber.
2Ease of operation
If heavy or bulky DUTs are transported into the chamber for installation, then the DUT can be installed, but lifting equipment is required which increases effort and downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The mast structure serves as a mechanical intermediary that provides support and positioning capability for heavy DUTs during installation. By attaching the DUT to the mast from outside the chamber, the need for complex lifting equipment inside the chamber is eliminated.
Solution Approach 2:
The DUT is attached to the mast structure in advance, outside the chamber, before the chamber is sealed. This preliminary attachment action prepares the DUT for positioning without requiring complex handling equipment during the chamber operation.
3Reliability
If absorbers are removed or protected before installer entry, then safety measures can be met, but additional steps and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The mast structure provides a safe intermediary interface for DUT installation without requiring the installer to enter the chamber. This eliminates the need to manipulate absorbers or implement complex safety procedures while maintaining full safety compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation operation is extracted from the chamber environment entirely, moving it to an external location where safety concerns related to chamber entry and absorber manipulation are eliminated.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a positioning apparatus for positioning a device under test—DUT—, the positioning apparatus comprising: a support structure extending over an horizontal plane, and a mast structure, which is elongated in shape and configured to contact the support structure, wherein the mast structure is movable along a pivoting axis between a first position, where the mast structure is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and a second position, where the mast structure is parallel to the horizontal plane.