Method for dish reflector illumination via sub-reflector assembly with dielectric radiator portion

• US 10,170,844 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2018
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandau, Ronald J., Hills, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baltzell, Andrea Lindgren
• Application Number:
  US15/951,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20180233830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 343781
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/134 Rear-feeds; Splash plate feeds
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/193 with feed supported subreflector splash plate feeds H01Q19/134

Abstract

A method for illuminating a dish reflector of a reflector antenna, including providing a waveguide coupled to a vertex of a dish reflector at a proximal end, a sub-reflector supported by a dielectric block coupled to a distal end of the waveguide, the dielectric block provided with a dielectric radiator portion proximate the distal end of the waveguide. An RF signal passing through the waveguide and the dielectric block to reflect from the sub-reflector through the dielectric block and at least partially through the dielectric radiator portion to the dish reflector illuminates the dish reflector with a maximum signal intensity and/or signal intensity angular range that is spaced outward from the vertex area of the dish reflector.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a unitary dielectric block having a waveguide transition portion located at a first end of the unitary dielectric block, a sub-reflector support portion located at a second end of the unitary dielectric block that is opposite from the first end, and a radiator portion between the waveguide transition portion and the sub-reflector support portion;

a waveguide coupled to a dish reflector of a reflector antenna and aligned with a longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block;

wherein the waveguide transition portion is dimensioned to couple to a distal end of the waveguide,

wherein the waveguide transition portion has a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion located nearer to the radiator portion than the first portion and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and

wherein the waveguide transition portion comprises a shoulder perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and having a third diameter that is greater than the first and second diameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sub-reflector attached to the sub-reflector support portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sub-reflector has a peripheral reference surface that is normal to a longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sub-reflector comprises a radiofrequency (RF) reflective coating applied to the sub-reflector support portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sub-reflector comprises a metallic disk seated upon the sub-reflector support portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sub-reflector is provided with a proximal surface which transitions to a distal surface, and wherein the distal surface is provided with a lower angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block than the proximal surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary dielectric block is inserted into the waveguide up to a shoulder of the waveguide transition portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the sub-reflector support portion is at least 2.5 wavelengths of a desired operating frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dish reflector has a ratio of reflector focal length to reflector diameter that is less than or equal to 0.25.

10. A method comprising:

providing a dish reflector;

providing a unitary dielectric block having a waveguide transition portion located at a first end of the unitary dielectric block, a sub-reflector support portion located at a second end of the unitary dielectric block that is opposite from the first end, and a radiator portion between the waveguide transition portion and the sub-reflector support portion;

coupling a waveguide to the dish reflector;

aligning a longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block with the waveguide;

wherein the waveguide transition portion is dimensioned to couple to a distal end of the waveguide,

wherein the waveguide transition portion has a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion located nearer to the radiator portion than the first portion and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and

wherein the waveguide transition portion comprises a shoulder perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and having a third diameter that is greater than the first and second diameters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dish reflector has a ratio of reflector focal length to reflector diameter that is less than or equal to 0.25.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the unitary dielectric block comprises selecting dimensions of the waveguide transition portion, radiator portion, and sub-reflector support portion such that radiation in an E plane and radiation in an H plane is reduced in a region spanning from 10 to 45 degrees of azimuth.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the sub-reflector support portion is provided with a proximal surface which transitions to a distal surface, and wherein the distal surface is provided with a lower angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block than the proximal surface.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

passing an RF signal through the waveguide and the unitary dielectric block to reflect from a sub-reflector coupled to the sub-reflector support portion through the unitary dielectric block and at least partially through the radiator portion to the dish reflector, wherein the RF signal comprises a frequency of at least 6.525 gigahertz.

15. A method comprising:

selecting dimensions for a unitary dielectric block having a waveguide transition portion located at a first end of the unitary dielectric block, a sub-reflector support portion located at a second end of the unitary dielectric block that is opposite from the first end, and a radiator portion between the waveguide transition portion and the sub-reflector support portion, wherein the dimensions are selected based on a desired operating frequency; and

manufacturing the unitary dielectric block based on the selected dimensions;

wherein the waveguide transition portion is dimensioned to couple with a distal end of a waveguide coupled to a dish reflector,

wherein the waveguide transition portion has a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion located nearer to the radiator portion than the first portion and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and

wherein the waveguide transition portion comprises a shoulder perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block and having a third diameter that is greater than the first and second diameters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the manufacturing comprises machining the unitary dielectric block, and wherein a periphery of a distal surface of the unitary dielectric block that is normal to the longitudinal axis of the unitary dielectric block is dimensioned such that the periphery provides a ready manufacturing reference surface.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the manufacturing comprises injection molding.