Transportable radar utilizing harmonic drives for anti-backlash antenna movement
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G01S-013/95
G01S-013/02
G01S-007/03
G01S-007/288
H01Q-001/02
H01Q-003/08
H01Q-019/13
G01S-007/02
출원번호
US-0655443
(2012-10-18)
등록번호
US-9322912
(2016-04-26)
발명자
/ 주소
Knight, Michael Bruce
Fanning, John Charles
Helvin, James Rogers
Jones, Mark Alan
Lawrence, III, Norman Edwin
Schmidt, Damon
출원인 / 주소
Enterprise Electronics Corporation
대리인 / 주소
The Gache Law Firm, P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
13
초록▼
A transportable weather radar having radar electronics functionally located above the elevational joint and a frame superstructure rotationally connected to the elevational joint onto which is mounted a parabolic radar antenna adapted for Doppler weather radar use. The radar has a rotational drive a
A transportable weather radar having radar electronics functionally located above the elevational joint and a frame superstructure rotationally connected to the elevational joint onto which is mounted a parabolic radar antenna adapted for Doppler weather radar use. The radar has a rotational drive assembly mounted below and supporting the elevational joint and a harmonic drive unit positioned inside the elevational joint so that the antennae may be rotated without significant backlash during rotational changes. A hollow center in the rotational joint allows for the passing of electronics cable through the middle of the joint and down through rotating assemblies and to electronics in or adjacent to the radar pedestal.
대표청구항▼
1. A Doppler weather radar having anti-backslash movement, comprising: a. a pedestal for supporting said radar;b. a rotational assembly supported by said pedestal and adapted for continuous 360 degree rotation, said rotational assembly including a rotational axis, and wherein said rotational assembl
1. A Doppler weather radar having anti-backslash movement, comprising: a. a pedestal for supporting said radar;b. a rotational assembly supported by said pedestal and adapted for continuous 360 degree rotation, said rotational assembly including a rotational axis, and wherein said rotational assembly further comprises a harmonic drive assembly including a harmonic drive actuator for driving rotation thereof, and wherein said harmonic drive actuator includes a rotational axis co-extensive with said rotational assembly rotational axis, and wherein said harmonic drive assembly and harmonic drive actuator define a bore through said harmonic drive assembly co-extensive with said rotational assembly rotational axis, and wherein said bore is adapted to permit the traversing of electrical wires therethrough;c. an elevational assembly rotationally supported by said rotational assembly and rotationally driven by said harmonic drive actuator, said elevational assembly including two axially aligned elevational joints mounted on opposite sides of said elevational assembly, and wherein said harmonic drive assembly is adapted to exclude rotational backlash upon rotation thereof;d. a frame superstructure rotationally supported by and spanning said elevational joints about said elevational assembly, said frame superstructure including a separate antenna mounting frame spanning said elevational assembly; and,e. a parabolic antenna assembly mounted on said antenna mounting frame having an orthomode feed horn and at least one waveguide assembly connected to said orthomode feed horn for bidirectional communications with a transceiver assembly. 2. A radar as recited in claim 1, further including a harmonic drive in one of said elevational joints such that rotation of said harmonic drive elevates said antenna assembly. 3. A radar as recited in claim 2, further comprising a slip ring assembly positioned in a lower portion of said elevational assembly and operationally connected to said harmonic drive actuator in said rotational assembly. 4. A radar as recited in claim 3, wherein one of said elevational joint comprises an output hub operationally connected to a rotating output of said harmonic drive actuator, a support plate, and an end cap, wherein said output hub is rotationally held between said support plate and said end cap, and wherein a portion of said output hub extends through said end cap for connecting same to said frame superstructure, and wherein said support plate holds said harmonic drive actuator and is affixed to said elevational drive assembly at a lateral position thereof. 5. A radar as recited in claim 4, wherein said rotational assembly includes a cooling assembly surrounding said harmonic drive actuator for cooling of same. 6. A radar as recited in claim 5, wherein said one of said elevational joints defines a hollow cylinder coextensive with the rotational axis of said elevational joint allowing for the passage of electronic cables therethrough. 7. A radar as recited in claim 5, wherein said rotational joint hollow cylinder includes the positioning of at least one electronic cable within said cylinder such that the rotation of said elevational joint does not disturb the rotational alignment of said at least one electronic cable. 8. A radar as recited in claim 1, wherein said rotational assembly further comprises a case surrounding said rotational assembly and supported by said pedestal, and wherein said rotational assembly further comprises an output cap having a lower circumferential flange affixed to an upper edge of said case, an output hub rotationally fixed to an output portion of said harmonic drive actuator and extending through said output cap, and a turntable having an upper surface supporting said elevational assembly and a lower portion affixed to said output hub. 9. A radar as recited in claim 8, wherein said rotational assembly defines a hollow cylinder coextensive with the rotational axis of said rotational assembly and allows for the passage of electronic cables therethrough. 10. A radar as recited in claim 9, wherein said one of said elevational joints defines a hollow cylinder coextensive with the rotational axis of said elevational joint allowing for the passage of electronic cables therethrough. 11. A radar as recited in claim 10, wherein said rotational assembly is capable of 360 degree rotation. 12. A radar as recited in claim 1, wherein said rotational assembly further comprises a case supported by said pedestal, said harmonic drive actuator having a portion of its case affixed to said rotational assembly case and being supported thereof, and wherein said rotational assembly further defines a hollow cylinder extending along its rotational axis, said rotational assembly including a riser affixed to a lower portion of said rotational assembly and extending through said hollow cylinder and into said elevational assembly. 13. A Doppler weather radar system, comprising: a. means for providing a pedestal to support said radar system;b. antenna assembly means for bidirectional radar communications with a radar receiver, said antenna assembly means including means for orthogonal wave transmissions toward weather phenomenon of interest and further including means for waveguide bidirectional communications with a radar transceiver;c. assembly means supported by said pedestal means for rotating said antenna assembly means, said rotation assembly means adapted for continuous 360 degree rotation and including a harmonic drive assembly having a harmonic drive actuator, and wherein said rotational assembly means and said harmonic drive assembly are rotational coaxial, and wherein said harmonic drive assembly and said harmonic drive actuator define a coaxial bore through said harmonic drive assembly co-extensive with said rotational assembly means;d. means rotationally supported by said rotation assembly means for declining and inclining upwards said antenna assembly means, wherein said rotational assembly means is adapted to prohibit rotational backlash of said declining and inclining means upon rotation thereof;e. means for providing a frame superstructure for supporting said antenna assembly means on said declining and inclining means, wherein said frame means further includes mounting means for connecting said antenna assembly means to said frame means, and wherein said mounting means spans said declining and inclining means; and,f. wherein said inclining and declining means further includes means for rotationally joining said antenna assembly means to said frame means. 14. A radar as recited in claim 13, further including a harmonic drive within said rotational joining means for causing movement of said frame means. 15. A radar as recited in claim 14, wherein said rotational means further comprises a case supported by said pedestal means, and wherein said rotation means further comprises an output cap having a lower circumferential flange affixed to an upper edge of said case, an output hub rotationally fixed to an output portion of said harmonic drive actuator and extending through said output cap, and a turntable having an upper surface supporting said declining and inclining means and a lower portion affixed to said output hub. 16. A radar as recited in claim 15, wherein said bore comprises a vertical cylinder having a cylindrical wall for separating wires running therethrough from contacting the interior space of said. 17. A radar as recited in claim 16, wherein said rotational joining means further comprises an output hub operationally connected to a rotating output of said harmonic drive actuator, and wherein said rotational joining means includes a support plate and an end cap holding said output, and wherein a portion of said output hub extends through said end cap for connecting same to said frame means, wherein said support plate holds said harmonic drive and is bolted to said declining and inclining means at a lateral position thereof. 18. A radar as recited in claim 16, further comprising a slip ring assembly positioned in a lower portion of said declining and inclining means and operationally connected to said harmonic drive actuator in said rotational means, and wherein said rotation means further includes electronic cables having one end in electrical contact with said slip ring assembly at a lower non-rotating portion thereof relative to said rotation means, and the remainder of said cable extending through said hollow cylinder of said rotation means and into said pedestal means. 19. In a Doppler weather radar system, said radar having a pedestal, a rotational assembly supported by said pedestal, an elevational assembly rotationally supported by said rotational assembly, a frame superstructure rotationally supported by and spanning said elevational joints about said elevational assembly, and a parabolic antenna assembly mounted on said frame superstructure frame having an orthomode feed horn and at least one waveguide assembly connected to said orthomode feed horn for bidirectional communications with a transceiver assembly, a method of positioning said antenna assembly without backlash, comprising the steps of: a. continuously rotating an output hub greater than 360 degrees with a harmonic drive actuator positioned on said elevational assembly, wherein said output hub is rotationally connected to frame superstructure such the rotation of said output hub causes declining and raising of said antenna assembly;b. rotating an output hub supporting said elevational assembly with a harmonic drive actuator positioned within said rotational assembly, wherein the rotational axis of said harmonic drive actuator and the rotational axis of said rotational assembly are identical while rotating said elevational assembly; and,c. varying steps a-b responsive to preprogrammed settings such that said antenna assembly transits the sky to obtain weather reflectivity data for a predetermined portion of the sky without backlash movement. 20. The method as recited in claim 19, further including the step of passing digitized data through a cable positioned at the axial center of said harmonic drive positioned in said rotational assembly. 21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said cable comprises an optical fiber. 22. The method as recited in claim 20, further including passing electrical signals through a slip ring assembly positioned within said elevational assembly, wherein said axis of said slip ring assembly is identical to the rotational axis of said harmonic drive actuator during rotation thereof. 23. The method as recited in claim 22, further including the step of passing optical data signals though a fiber optic rotary joint supported by said slip ring assembly. 24. An anti-backlash Doppler weather radar, comprising: a. a pedestal for supporting said radar, said pedestal having a radial base at a lower end thereof and a hollow interior for holding electronics;b. a rotational assembly supported by said pedestal and adapted for continuous 360 degree rotation, said rotational assembly including a case and a harmonic drive assembly spanning the interior of said case, said assembly having a vertical axis of rotation, said harmonic drive assembly including a harmonic drive actuator positioned such that the rotation axis of said harmonic drive actuator is identical to the rotation axis of said harmonic drive assembly;c. an elevational assembly rotationally supported on said rotational assembly, said elevational assembly including at least one elevational joint affixed to the exterior of said elevational assembly, wherein said joint defines an empty cylinder extending along its rotational axis and into the interior of said elevational assembly;d. a frame superstructure having at least one depending panel, wherein said frame superstructure is rotationally supported at said depending panel by said at least one elevational joint, and wherein said frame superstructure includes a separate antenna mounting frame spanning said elevational assembly; and,e. a parabolic antenna assembly mounted on said antenna mounting frame having an orthomode feed horn and at least one waveguide assembly connected to said orthomode feed horn for bidirectional communications with a transceiver assembly. 25. A radar as recited in claim 24, further including a harmonic drive in one of said elevational joints, wherein the axis of rotation of said elevational joint and said harmonic drive in said elevational joint are identical such that rotation of an output element in said harmonic drive elevates or declines said antenna assembly responsive to the rotation direction of said harmonic drive element in said elevational joint. 26. A radar as recited in claim 25, wherein said rotational assembly further comprises an output cap having a lower circumferential flange affixed to an upper edge of said case, an output hub rotationally fixed to an output portion of said harmonic drive actuator and extending through said output cap, and a turntable having an upper surface supporting said elevational assembly and a lower portion affixed to said output hub. 27. A radar as recited in claim 26, wherein said harmonic drive actuator has a portion of its case affixed to said rotational assembly case and being supported thereof, and wherein said rotational assembly further defines a hollow cylinder extending along its rotational axis, said rotational assembly including a riser affixed to a lower portion of said rotational assembly and extending through said harmonic drive actuator and into said elevational assembly. 28. A radar as recited in claim 26, wherein said elevational joint further comprises an output hub operationally connected to a rotating output of said harmonic drive actuator, and wherein said elevational joint includes a support plate and an end cap holding said output, and wherein a portion of said output hub extends through said end cap for connecting same to said frame, wherein said support plate holds said harmonic drive actuator and is bolted to said elevational assembly at a lateral position thereof. 29. A radar having anti-backlash antenna movements, comprising: a. a pedestal for supporting said radar;b. a rotational assembly supported by said pedestal and adapted for continuous 360 degree rotation, said rotational assembly including a rotational platter extending upwards from said rotational assembly;c. a harmonic drive assembly having a hollow center and a rotational axis axially aligned with the rotational axis of said rotational platter and the rotational axis of said rotational assembly, said harmonic drive including a flexspline member for outputting rotational motion, wherein said flexspline member is rotationally coupled to said rotational platter;d. an elevational drive assembly affixed to and supported by said rotational platter;e. a slip ring assembly positioned above said platter and operationally coupled thereto, said slip ring assembly including electrical cabling extending downward from a non-rotational portion of said slip ring assembly relative to pedestal and through the axial center of said harmonic drive, said slip ring assembly having a rotational axis identical to said rotational assembly;f. an antenna assembly;g. a frame assembly for supporting said antenna assembly on said elevational assembly; and,h. wherein said elevational drive includes a harmonic drive for elevating and declining said frame assembly, said elevational harmonic drive having a rotation axis identical with the rotation axis of said frame assembly during inclining and declining movement thereof.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (13)
Ehrenberg, Robert G.; Sorensen, Michael, Back frame assembly.
Thomas W. Ellington ; Bruce E. Exely ; Jeffrey S. Folmer ; William S. Lambros ; Thomas D. Linton ; John P. Buck, Jr. ; Russell R. Moning ; Peter M. Ellis ; Kenneth A. Roseman ; James R. Mars, Stabilized common gimbal.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.