Antenna for an end of vehicle device
AssigneeWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
InventorsRobert Hoffman, Padam Swar, Tim Gibson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system may be provided that may include an end of vehicle device, and an antenna coupled to an exterior of the end of vehicle device. The antenna may be configured to communicate signals to or from the end of vehicle device, and may include a conductive member configured to communicate the signals to or from the end of vehicle device, and a flexible support member disposed within the conductive member and configured to receive, absorb, and displace force from the conductive member.
Claims24
A system comprising:
- a vehicle device;
- an antenna coupled to an exterior of the vehicle device and configured to communicate signals to or from the vehicle device;
- the antenna comprising:
- a conductive member configured to communicate the signals to or from the vehicle device;
- a flexible support member disposed within the conductive member and configured to receive, absorb, and displace force from the conductive member;
- and
- a coupling element removably coupled to the vehicle device to provide a communication path from the antenna to within the vehicle device.
(canceled)
A method forming an antenna comprising:
- forming a conductive member with a hollow interior, the conductive member configured to provide a gain of a communication signal between zero decibels per isotropic radiator and twenty decibels per isotropic radiator;
- inserting a flexible support member within the hollow interior of the conductive member, the flexible support member configured to receive, absorb, and displace force from the conductive member;
- and
- securing the heat shrink layer over the conductive member including sliding heat shrink tubing over the conductive member, and heating the heat shrink tubing until the heat shrink tubing forms the heat shrink layer on the conductive member.
(canceled)
A system comprising:
- an end of vehicle device including a transceiver, wherein the end of vehicle device is configured to be coupled to a back end of a last rail vehicle of a rail vehicle consist;
- an antenna coupled to the transceiver and configured to communicate signals of the transceiver between the end of vehicle device and a first rail vehicle of the rail vehicle consist;
- the antenna comprising:
- a conductive member with a hollow interior configured to communicate the signals;
- a flexible support member disposed within the hollow interior and engaging the conductive member;
- and
- wherein a modulus of elasticity of the flexible support member differs from a modulus of elasticity of the conductive member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.