Wireless Access Point Post-Mounting Assembly for Aesthetic Concealment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless network equipment, such as access points, are often visually obtrusive and architecturally incongruent with their surroundings when retro-fitted in public locations like parks and buildings, making them unsightly and disrupting the aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A mounting assembly comprising a base panel and shroud that securely attaches a wireless access point and antenna to a post, where the shroud encloses the access point and a portion of the post, providing a visually appealing and functional solution by concealing the equipment while allowing for proper operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless access point equipment is installed in public locations, then network connectivity is provided, but the equipment becomes visually obtrusive and architecturally incongruent
Solution Approach 1:
The access point and antenna are nested within a post structure, with the access point mounted on a base panel that is part of the post assembly. The shroud encloses these components within the post, making the network equipment an integrated part of the architectural element rather than a separate addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the functional requirements of the access point and the aesthetic requirements of the location. It conceals the equipment while allowing necessary functions to proceed, serving as a visual barrier that reconciles the conflict between utility and appearance.
2Shape
If the shroud encloses the access point and post, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but access to the equipment for maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is segmented into multiple components including the shroud, base panel, and mounting bracket, which can be independently accessed or removed. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access the access point for repairs while preserving the overall aesthetic appearance when the components are reassembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting assembly incorporates dynamic elements such as the rotatable antenna support that can move between positions. This dynamic capability allows the antenna to be adjusted for optimal signal transmission while maintaining aesthetic concealment, and facilitates access during maintenance by allowing positional changes.
3Reliability
If the antenna support is rotatably coupled to allow positioning, then signal transmission is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna support is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket, creating a dynamic element that can be positioned at different angles. This single degree of freedom rotation provides the necessary flexibility for signal optimization without requiring complex multi-axis positioning mechanisms or active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable antenna support adds a rotational dimension to the mounting mechanism, allowing the antenna to be oriented in different directions. This dimensional addition enables signal transmission optimization by adjusting the antenna's angular position while keeping the overall mechanism relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for mounting a wireless access point includes a base panel configured to be mounted to a post and to support the access point. The assembly includes a shroud configured to at least partially surround the base panel, the access point, and the post. The assembly can also include an antenna support configured to support an antenna coupled to the access point and configured to rotate between a first position and a second position. A method of mounting the access point to the post includes mounting, to the post, the base panel supporting the access point. The method also includes, after mounting the base panel to the post, coupling the shroud to the base panel such that the shroud at least partially surrounds the base panel, the access point, and the post.