Small cell access node and antenna support bracket for use therein

A small cell access node comprising:

• a housing including:
• an electrically conductive floor member;
• an electrically non-conductive sidewall member secured to the floor member about at least part of a periphery of the floor member;
• and
• a cover member secured to the sidewall member, the cover member, the sidewall member and the floor member defining an internal chamber of the housing;
• at least one hook receiving element attached to or integrated with the sidewall member of the housing and extending toward the internal chamber of the housing;
• an electrically conductive antenna support bracket including:
• a substantially planar base member sized and shaped to support a substantially planar substrate of an antenna;
• a first flange member positioned along a first edge of the base member and extending in a first direction toward the sidewall member of the housing, the first flange member including at least one generally hook-shaped arm member that engages the at least one hook receiving element;
• and
• a second flange member positioned along a second edge of the base member and extending away from the base member in a second direction that is generally opposite to the first direction, the second flange member defining at least one aperture;
• a first electrically non-conductive spacer positioned between a first surface of the second flange member of the antenna support bracket and the floor member of the housing;
• at least a second electrically non-conductive spacer positioned on a second surface of the second flange member of the antenna support bracket proximate the at least one aperture;
• and
• at least one electrically conductive fastener passing through the at least one aperture of the second flange member of the antenna support bracket but contacting only the at least a second spacer and the floor member of the housing, the at least one fastener securing the second flange member of the antenna support bracket to the floor member of the housing while maintaining electrical isolation of the second flange member from the at least one fastener and the floor member of the housing.

A small cell access node comprising:

• a housing including:
• an electrically conductive floor member;
• an electrically non-conductive sidewall member secured to the floor member about at least part of a periphery of the floor member;
• and
• a cover member secured to the sidewall member, the cover member, the sidewall member and the floor member defining an internal chamber of the housing;
• a plurality of hook receiving elements attached to or integrated with the sidewall member of the housing and extending toward the internal chamber of the housing, the plurality of hook receiving elements being positioned at predetermined locations along the sidewall member of the housing;
• a plurality of electrically conductive antenna support brackets, each antenna support bracket including:
• a substantially planar base member sized and shaped to support a substantially planar substrate of an antenna;
• a first flange member positioned along a first edge of the base member and extending in a first direction toward the sidewall member of the housing, the first flange member including at least one generally hook-shaped arm member that engages at least one respective hook receiving element of the plurality of hook receiving elements;
• and
• a second flange member positioned along a second edge of the base member and extending away from the base member in a second direction that is generally opposite to the first direction, the second flange member defining at least one aperture;
• a first plurality of electrically non-conductive spacers, each spacer of the first plurality of spacers being positioned between a first surface of the second flange member of a respective antenna support bracket and the floor member of the housing;
• a second plurality of electrically non-conductive spacers, each spacer of the second plurality of spacers being positioned on a second surface of the second flange member of a respective antenna support bracket proximate the at least one aperture of the second flange member;
• and
• a plurality of electrically conductive fasteners, each fastener of the plurality of fasteners passing through an aperture in the second flange member of an associated antenna support bracket but contacting only a spacer of the second plurality of spacers positioned proximate the aperture and the floor member of the housing, each fastener of the plurality of fasteners securing the second flange member of the associated antenna support bracket to the floor member of the housing while maintaining electrical isolation of the second flange member from the fastener and the floor member of the housing.