Broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna array integrated into an aircraft structural element
First Claim
1. A broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna array comprising:
- two or more stacked spiral antennas includinga first spiral antenna, anda second spiral antenna,wherein the first spiral antenna and the second spiral antenna and are stacked with a low dielectric layer with a generally uniform thickness positioned between the first spiral antenna and the second spiral antenna andwherein the first spiral antenna and the second spiral antenna are center-fed and in-phase.
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Abstract
A broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna array comprising two or more spiral antennas with a dielectric layer having a generally uniform thickness positioned between each pair of stacked antennas, which are all center-fed and in-phase. The antenna array may be embedded in a non-conductive material, such as fiberglass embedded in a resin, a honeycomb core sandwich, or structural foam, that may be used to form a structural element of a mobile platform. The structural element may include a via providing a pathway for coaxial cables. If two structural elements are hatch covers on the port and the starboard sides of an aircraft, the use of a stacked multi-spiral antenna array in each structural element provides two roughly hemispherical coverage patterns which together provide an omni-directional coverage pattern. The stacked multi-spiral antenna array may also include a reflecting cavity placed at the bottom of one of the spiral antennas.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna array comprising:
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two or more stacked spiral antennas including a first spiral antenna, and a second spiral antenna, wherein the first spiral antenna and the second spiral antenna and are stacked with a low dielectric layer with a generally uniform thickness positioned between the first spiral antenna and the second spiral antenna and wherein the first spiral antenna and the second spiral antenna are center-fed and in-phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A conformal broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna assembly for use in a mobile platform, the conformal broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna assembly comprising:
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two or more stacked spiral antennas including a first dual-arm spiral antenna, and a second dual-arm spiral antenna, wherein the first dual-arm spiral antenna and the second dual-arm spiral antenna are stacked with a low dielectric layer with a generally uniform thickness positioned between the first dual-arm spiral antenna and the second dual-arm spiral antenna, and wherein the first dual-arm spiral antenna and the second dual-arm spiral antenna are center-fed and in-phase; and a composite laminate in which the first dual-arm spiral antenna, the second dual-arm spiral antenna, and the low dielectric layer are embedded. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of forming a conformal integrated broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna assembly, comprising:
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forming a stacked multi-spiral antenna array comprising two or more stacked spiral antennas with each pair of adjacent stacked spiral antennas separated by a low dielectric layer; forming a non-load-bearing structural element of a mobile platform by forming a composite laminate comprising a non-conductive material; forming a via in the composite laminate that provides a pathway for coaxial cables providing a center feed to each of the two or more stacked spiral antennas; and embedding the stacked multi-spiral antenna array in the non-load-bearing structural element to form the conformal integrated broadband stacked multi-spiral antenna assembly, wherein the two or more stacked spiral antennas are selected from a group consisting of two or more Archimedean spiral antennas, two or more equiangular spiral antennas, two or more sinuous spiral antennas, and two or more slotted spiral antennas, wherein each of the two or more stacked spiral antennas includes a copper coil etched onto a polyimide film and being center-fed and fed in-phase. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification