1. A search and rescue beacon comprising a main transmitter and an antenna having an antenna frequency bandwidth transmitting a Cospas-Sarsat signal at a main frequency and an auxiliary homing transmitter transmitting a homing signal at a homing frequency within a homing frequency bandwidth which is substantially equivalent to said antenna frequency bandwidth when expressed in terms of a percentage of said main frequency and wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially centered on said main frequency.
2. The beacon of claim 1 wherein both said Cospas-Sarsat signal and said homing signal are generated by a single synthesizer switching between a main Cospas-Sarsat burst transmission and a continuous homing frequency transmission of said homing signal.
3. The beacon of claim 1 wherein said main frequency is 406-406.1 MHz and said homing frequency bandwidth is sixteen percent of said main frequency.
4. The beacon of claim 2 wherein said main frequency is 406-406.1 MHz and said homing frequency bandwidth is sixteen percent of said main frequency.
5. The beacon of claim 3 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated in a lower part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
6. The beacon of claim 3 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated in an upper part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
7. The beacon of claim 4 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated in a lower part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
8. The beacon of claim 4 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated in an upper part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
9. The beacon of claim 2 wherein said single synthesizer uses a single amplifier chain.
10. The beacon of claim 9 wherein said single synthesizer and amplifier chain use a single antenna.
11. The beacon of claim 1 wherein said homing signal is transmitted at a lower power than said Cospas-Sarsat signal.
12. The beacon of claim 11 wherein said homing signal is transmitted at approximately 50 milli-watts.
13. The beacon of claim 2 wherein said homing signal is transmitted at a lower power than said Cospas-Sarsat signal.
14. The beacon of claim 13 wherein said homing signal is transmitted at approximately 50 milli-watts.
15. The beacon of claim 3 wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially 65 MHz.
16. The beacon of claim 4 wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially 65 MHz.
17. The beacon of claim 5 wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially 65 MHz.
18. The beacon of claim 6 wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially 65 MHz.
19. The beacon of claim 7 wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially 65 MHz.
20. The beacon of claim 8 wherein said homing frequency bandwidth is substantially 65 MHz.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A crane boom for a crane, comprising:
a longitudinal axis; and
a notional contour line extending within a transverse plane relative to an axis of symmetry such that the contour line is at least approximately mirror-symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry, the contour line intersecting the axis of symmetry at a first intersection point and a second intersection point so as to define a center point located on the axis of symmetry equidistant between the first intersection point and the second intersection point;
wherein the contour line has:
an at least approximately arcuate portion between the center point and the first intersection point;
a first straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the second intersection point, the first straight portion being oriented such that a notional extension of the first straight portion intersects the axis of symmetry with an acute angle therebetween; and
a second straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the first intersection point, the second straight portion being oriented so as to intersect the axis of symmetry at the first intersection point with an angle of less than 90 degrees therebetween.
2. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the angle between the second straight portion and the axis of symmetry is less than 80 degrees.
3. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the angle between the second straight portion and the axis of symmetry is greater than 70 degrees.
4. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the notional extension of the first straight portion forms an acute angle with the axis of symmetry.
5. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the arcuate portion is shaped as a quarter-circle arc.
6. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the arcuate portion has a center point of curvature on or in the proximity of the axis of symmetry.
7. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the arcuate portion has a center point of curvature between the first intersection point and the center point between the first intersection point and the second intersection point.
8. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein each of the first straight portion and the second straight portion is shaped as a tangential extension of the arcuate portion.
9. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the contour line between the first intersection point and the second intersection point has an extreme point located at a maximum distance from the axis of symmetry.
10. The crane boom of claim 9, wherein a distance between the first intersection point and the second intersection point is at least twice as large as the maximum distance of the extreme point from the axis of symmetry.
11. The crane boom of claim 9, wherein the extreme point is located between the first intersection point and the center point between the first intersection point and the second intersection point.
12. The crane boom of claim 9, wherein a spacing of the contour line from the axis of symmetry at a location approximately a quarter of the distance from the second intersection point toward the first intersection point is less than or equal to 0.8 times the maximum distance.
13. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the arcuate portion has a shape approximated by a polygon.
14. The crane boom of claim 1, wherein the crane boom has a uniform cross-sectional shape at least over a majority of the longitudinal axis.
15. The crane boom of claim 1, further comprising at least one metal sheet having a substantially uniform metal sheet thickness at all portions of the crane boom with respect to the transverse plane.
16. The crane boom of claim 1, further comprising two shells shaped in a mirror-image relationship with each other and joined to each other.
17. The crane boom of claim 1, further comprising a single metal sheet formed at least along a portion of the longitudinal axis of the crane boom so as to be closed along a single line extending at a region of at least one of the first intersection point and the second intersection point.
18. A jib system for a crane, comprising:
a jib formed as a crane boom, the crane boom comprising:
a longitudinal axis; and
a notional contour line extending within a transverse plane relative to an axis of symmetry such that the contour line is at least approximately mirror-symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry, the contour line intersecting the axis of symmetry at a first intersection point and a second intersection point so as to define a center point located on the axis of symmetry equidistant between the first intersection point and the second intersection point;
wherein the contour line has:
an at least approximately arcuate portion between the center point and the first intersection point;
a first straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the second intersection point, the first straight portion being oriented such that a notional extension of the first straight portion intersects the axis of symmetry with an acute angle therebetween; and
a second straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the first intersection point, the second straight portion being oriented so as to intersect the axis of symmetry at the first intersection point with an angle of less than 90 degrees therebetween.
19. The jib system of claim 18, further comprising a jib extension movable with respect to the jib, a shape of the contour line of the jib being substantially identical to a shape of a contour line of the jib extension.
20. A crane comprising:
a crane boom including:
a longitudinal axis; and
a notional contour line extending within a transverse plane relative to an axis of symmetry such that the contour line is at least approximately mirror-symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry, the contour line intersecting the axis of symmetry at a first intersection point and a second intersection point so as to define a center point located on the axis of symmetry equidistant between the first intersection point and the second intersection point;
wherein the contour line has:
an at least approximately arcuate portion between the center point and the first intersection point;
a first straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the second intersection point, the first straight portion being oriented such that a notional extension of the first straight portion intersects the axis of symmetry with an acute angle therebetween; and
a second straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the first intersection point, the second straight portion being oriented so as to intersect the axis of symmetry at the first intersection point with an angle of less than 90 degrees therebetween.
21. A utility vehicle comprising:
a crane including:
a crane boom including:
a longitudinal axis; and
a notional contour line extending within a transverse plane relative to an axis of symmetry such that the contour line is at least approximately mirror-symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry, the contour line intersecting the axis of symmetry at a first intersection point and a second intersection point so as to define a center point located on the axis of symmetry equidistant between the first intersection point and the second intersection point;
wherein the contour line has:
an at least approximately arcuate portion between the center point and the first intersection point;
a first straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the second intersection point, the first straight portion being oriented such that a notional extension of the first straight portion intersects the axis of symmetry with an acute angle therebetween; and
a second straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the first intersection point, the second straight portion being oriented so as to intersect the axis of symmetry at the first intersection point with an angle of less than 90 degrees therebetween.
22. A loading crane comprising:
a jib system including:
a jib formed as a crane boom, the crane boom comprising:
a longitudinal axis; and
a notional contour line extending within a transverse plane relative to an axis of symmetry such that the contour line is at least approximately mirror-symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry, the contour line intersecting the axis of symmetry at a first intersection point and a second intersection point so as to define a center point located on the axis of symmetry equidistant between the first intersection point and the second intersection point;
wherein the contour line has:
an at least approximately arcuate portion between the center point and the first intersection point;
a first straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the second intersection point, the first straight portion being oriented such that a notional extension of the first straight portion intersects the axis of symmetry with an acute angle therebetween; and
a second straight portion tangentially adjoining the arcuate portion in a direction of the first intersection point, the second straight portion being oriented so as to intersect the axis of symmetry at the first intersection point with an angle of less than 90 degrees therebetween.
23. The loading crane of claim 22, wherein said jib system further includes a jib extension movable with respect to the jib, a shape of the contour line of the jib being substantially identical to a shape of a contour line of the jib extension.