Patents by Inventor Mark R. Schmidt

Mark R. Schmidt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12640468
    Abstract: Cellular base station antenna concealments, such as palm and tree concealments, utilize artificial branches with nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fasteners to avoid loose metal-to-metal connections to mitigate the generation of passive intermodulation (PIM) interference by the branches. Representative embodiments include “palm concealments” with low-PIM artificial palm fronds, and “tree concealments” with low-PIM artificial tree branches. That is, “low-PIM fronds” and “low-PIM tree branches” are two representative examples of “low-PIM branches” illustrating representative embodiments of the invention. The low-PIM palm frond includes a nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fasteners and sleeve positioned between a metal frond shaft and a metal frond receiver. The low-PIM tree branch includes nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fasteners as the only low-PIM isolators added to conventional tree branch assemblies to avoid PIM generation by the tree branch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: VALMONT INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Oberman, Mark R. Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20250112362
    Abstract: Cellular base station antenna concealments, such as palm and tree concealments, utilize artificial branches with nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fasteners to avoid loose metal-to-metal connections to mitigate the generation of passive intermodulation (PIM) interference by the branches. Representative embodiments include “palm concealments” with low-PIM artificial palm fronds, and “tree concealments” with low-PIM artificial tree branches. That is, “low-PIM fronds” and “low-PIM tree branches” are two representative examples of “low-PIM branches” illustrating representative embodiments of the invention. The low-PIM palm frond includes a nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fasteners and sleeve positioned between a metal frond shaft and a metal frond receiver. The low-PIM tree branch includes nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fasteners as the only low-PIM isolators added to conventional tree branch assemblies to avoid PIM generation by the tree branch assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Alexander Oberman, Mark R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11955700
    Abstract: Cellular base station antenna concealments, such as palm and tree concealments, utilize artificial branches with nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) interfaces to avoid loose metal-to-metal connections to mitigate the generation of passive intermodulation (PIM) interference by the branches. Representative embodiments include “palm concealments” with low-PIM artificial palm fronds, and “tree concealments” with low-PIM artificial tree branches. That is, “low-PIM fronds” and “low-PIM tree branches” are two representative examples of “low-PIM branches” illustrating representative embodiments of the invention. The low-PIM palm frond includes a nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) sleeve positioned between a metal frond shaft and a metal frond receiver. A first example of the low-PIM tree branch includes nonmetallic (e.g., polymeric) fastener isolators positioned between metal fasteners and a metal tree branch receiver. A second example of the low-PIM tree branch includes a nonmetallic (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: VALMONT INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Oberman, Mark R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: D1091516
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: VALMONT INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Oberman, Mark R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: D1098902
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2025
    Assignee: VALMONT INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Oberman, Mark R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: D1113885
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Valmont Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Oberman, Mark R. Schmidt