AU2012200770B2

AU2012200770B2 - An adjustable mount

Info

Publication number: AU2012200770B2
Application number: AU2012200770A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Russell Commins; Volker Janssen; Doug Kinlyside; Simon Mcelroy; Thomas Yan
Original assignee: Department OF FINANCE AND SERVICES
Current assignee: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND SERVICES
Priority date: 2011-02-11
Filing date: 2012-02-09
Publication date: 2016-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-09
Also published as: AU2012200770A1

Abstract

AN ADJUSTABLE MOUNT Described herein is an adjustable mount, primarily designed for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas provided in Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). The mount allows the device to be threadedly connected to the mount, and sit flush against an upper planar surface of the mount whilst positioned in a predetermined directional orientation. (FIG. 1) 120 t120 o 123 123 123

Description

2012200770 09 Feb 2012

Shelston IP 60 Margaret Street Telephone No: SYDNEY NSW 2000 Facsimile No. CCN: 3710000352 -1 -

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Department of Finance and Services

Actual Inventors: Russell Commins and Volker Janssen and Simon McElroy and Thomas

Yan and Doug Kinlyside

Address for Service is: (02) 9777 1111 (02) 9241 4666

Attorney Code: SW

Invention Title: An adjustable mount

Details of Associated Provisional Application No. 2011900458 dated 11 Feb 2011

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:-

File: 69147AUP00 2012200770 09 Feb 2012 2

AN ADJUSTABLE MOUNT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an adjustable mount, and in some embodiments to an adjustable mount for an antenna. Embodiments of the invention have been particularly developed for mounting of ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas for Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS), and other devices where spatial relationship to a mounting datum and directional orientation are relevant to operational effectiveness. Whilst some embodiments will be described herein with particular reference to that application, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to such a field of use, and is applicable in broader contexts.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Any discussion of the background art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

[0003] It is known to use ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas and receivers in Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) to provide corrections in satellite navigation signals. For example, a network of such CORS is established by mounting individual CORS at geographically spaced locations, and configuring those devices to transmit data via a high-speed network to a central location for processing.

[0004] Installation of CORS devices is made difficult by the sensitive nature of those devices. In particular, for such a device to be accurate (without on-site reconfiguration), there is a need for it to be mounted at a known spatial position relative to a mount, and with a predetermined directional orientation (relative to north, for example). This is made additionally difficult due to the fact that most CORS devices, and other similar devices, are designed with threaded mounting connectors. 3 2012200770 09 Feb 2012

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

[0006] One embodiment provides an adjustable mount including: [0007] a longitudinally extending threaded member for threaded attachment to a device having a corresponding threaded aperture; [0008] a base plate that is fixedly attached to the threaded member, the threaded member upwardly extending from the base plate; and [0009] a support plate that is coupled to the base plate, the coupling allowing for adjustment of the spacing between the base plate and support plate in a direction parallel to the axis of the threaded member, the support plate having an aperture formed therein through which the threaded member is received, such that adjustment of the spacing between the base plate and support plate correspondingly adjusts the position of a horizontal plane defined at the upper surface of the support plate along the axis of the threaded member.

[00010] One embodiment provides a method of mounting a device, the method including: [00011] providing a mount as discussed herein; [00012] adjusting the mount such that the position of the horizontal plane defined at the upper surface of the support plate along the axis of the threaded member is at a desired location; and [00013] threadedly mounting the device to the mount such that the device is mounted to sit flush against the upper surface of the support plate.

[00014] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “some embodiments” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in some embodiments” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, 2012200770 09 Feb 2012 4 but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

[00015] As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

[00016] In the claims below and the description herein, any one of the terms comprising, comprised of or which comprises is an open term that means including at least the elements/features that follow, but not excluding others. Thus, the term comprising, when used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being limitative to the means or elements or steps listed thereafter. For example, the scope of the expression a device comprising A and B should not be limited to devices consisting only of elements A and B. Any one of the terms including or which includes or that includes as used herein is also an open term that also means including at least the elements/features that follow the term, but not excluding others. Thus, including is synonymous with and means comprising.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00017] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [00018] FIG. 1 is a side view of a mount according to one embodiment, shown in a disassembled arrangement.

[00019] FIG. 2 is a side view of the support plate of the mount of FIG. 1.

[00020] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the support plate.

[00021] FIG. 4 is a side view of a base plate fixedly attached and threaded member of the mount of FIG. 1.

[00022] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the base plate and threaded member. 5 2012200770 09 Feb 2012

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00023] Described herein is an adjustable mount, primarily designed for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas provided in Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). The mount allows the device to be threadedly connected to the mount, and sit flush against an upper planar surface of the mount whilst positioned in a predetermined directional orientation.

[00024] The drawings illustrate an embodiment in the form of a stainless steel mount 100, shown in a disassembled arrangement in FIG. 1. Mount 100 includes a longitudinally extending threaded member 101. Threaded member 101 is provided for threaded attachment to a device having a corresponding threaded aperture, such as a CORS antenna or other receiver/transmitter device. A base plate 102 is fixedly attached to the threaded member. In some embodiments this includes an integrally formed base plate and threaded member. The threaded member upwardly extends from the base plate.

[00025] A support plate 103 is, upon assembly, coupled to base plate 102. The coupling allowing for adjustment of the spacing between base plate 102 and support plate 103 in a direction parallel to the axis 104 of threaded member 101. Support plate 103 has an aperture 105 formed therein through which the threaded member is received, such that adjustment of the spacing between base plate 102 and support plate 103 correspondingly adjusts the position of a horizontal plane 106 defined at the upper surface 107 of support plate 103 along the axis 105 of the threaded member 101.

[00026] In use, the device is mounted to sit flush against the upper surface of the support plate. In the case of a CORS antenna and various other sensing devices, this is important due to the nature of sensing equipment and the manner by which the device is configured. It will be appreciated that threaded mounting the device results in the directional orientation of the device about the axis 105 of threaded member 101 varying. That is, the device is rotated as it progresses downwards along the threaded member, until such a time as it rests flush against the upper surface of the support plate. The ability to adjust spacing between base plate 102 and support plate 103 allows control over the directional orientation of the device when mounted flush against upper surface 107 of plate 103. 6 2012200770 09 Feb 2012 [00027] In the present embodiment, support plate 103 is coupled to base plate 102 by a plurality of threaded bolts 120. These rest in apertures 121 of support plate 103, and are threadedly mounted in apertures 122 of base plate 102. Rotation of the threaded bolts in one direction causes those bolts to move downwardly through apertures 122, and rotation of the threaded bolts in the opposite direction causes those bolts to move upwardly through apertures 122. It will be appreciated that this effects the adjustment of the spacing between the base plate and support plate in a direction parallel to the axis of the threaded member. In the present embodiment, nuts 123 are positioned on bolts 120 intermediate apertures 121 and 122. Furthermore, the distal ends of bolts 120 are spot welded to prevent accidental withdrawal from apertures 122.

[00028] In use, the support plate is fixedly connected to a structure, such as being welded to a steel antenna mast or pillar. The base plate is movable with respect to that structure. For example, in some embodiments, the base plate is movable within a cavity formed in the structure.

[00029] To mount a device, the mount is first fixedly connected to a structure. The mount such that the position of the horizontal plane defined at the upper surface of the support plate along the axis of the threaded member is at a desired location. The desired location is selected such that, when the device is mounted to sit flush against the upper surface of the support plate, the device has a predetermined directional orientation (relative to north, for example). The device is then mounted in a threaded manner such that the device sits flush against the upper surface of the support plate, at which point it has the desired directional orientation.

[00030] In some embodiments multiple CORS devices are mounted to mounts such as mount 100, and arranged in a network, wherein the devices are configured to provide data to a common central node.

[00031] It will be appreciated that the disclosure above provides various novel and inventive systems and methods for providing product information. It should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, FIG., or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive 7 2012200770 09 Feb 2012 aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[00032] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[00033] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

[00034] Similarly, it is to be noticed that the term coupled, when used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being limited to direct connections only. The terms "coupled" and "connected", along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Thus, the scope of the expression a device A coupled to a device B should not be limited to devices or systems wherein an output of device A is directly connected to an input of device B. It means that there exists a path between an output of A and an input of B which may be a path including other devices or means. "Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are either in direct physical or electrical contact, or that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.

[00035] Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the 2012200770 09 Feb 2012 8 invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. For example, any formulas given above are merely representative of procedures that may be used. Functionality may be added or deleted from the block diagrams and operations may be interchanged among functional blocks. Steps may be added or deleted to methods described within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. An adjustable mount including: a longitudinally extending threaded member for threaded attachment to a device having a corresponding threaded aperture; a base plate that is fixedly attached to the threaded member, the threaded member upwardly extending from the base plate; and a support plate that is coupled to the base plate, the coupling allowing for adjustment of the spacing between the base plate and support plate in a direction parallel to the axis of the threaded member, the support plate having an aperture formed therein through which the threaded member is received, such that adjustment of the spacing between the base plate and support plate correspondingly adjusts the position of a horizontal plane defined at the upper surface of the support plate along the axis of the threaded member; wherein the support plate is coupled to the base plate by a plurality of threaded bolts, such that rotation of the threaded bolts in one direction causes those bolts to move downwardly through corresponding threaded apertures formed in the base plate, and rotation of the threaded bolts in the opposite direction causes those bolts to move upwardly through the corresponding threaded apertures formed in the base plate, thereby to effect the adjustment of the spacing between the base plate and support plate in a direction parallel to the axis of the threaded member.
2. An adjustable mount according to claim 1 wherein, in use, the device is mounted to sit flush against the upper surface of the support plate.
3. An adjustable mount according to any preceding claim wherein, in use, the support plate is fixedly connected to a structure, and the base plate is movable with respect to that structure.
4. An adjustable mount according to claim 3 wherein, in use, the base plate is movable within a cavity formed in the structure.
5. A method of mounting a device, the method including: providing a mount according to any preceding claim; adjusting the mount such that the position of the horizontal plane defined at the upper surface of the support plate along the axis of the threaded member is at a desired location; and threadedly mounting the device to the mount such that the device is mounted to sit flush against the upper surface of the support plate.
6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the desired location is selected such that, when the device is mounted to sit flush against the upper surface of the support plate, the device has a predetermined directional orientation.
7. A network including two or more devices mounted using a mount according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the devices are configured to provide data to a common central node.