Reflector, in particular for a mobile radio antenna

• US 20040201543A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, LINO Manfrotto & Company SPA (Vitec Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Kathrein-Werke KG. (Kathrein SE)
• Inventors: Berger, Stefan, Gottl, Maximilian
• Granted Patent: US 6,930,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/912
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/141 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00

Abstract

An improved reflector for an antenna, in particular for a mobile radio antenna, is distinguished by the following features:

the reflector is produced using a casting method, using a deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method, preferably with its two longitudinal face boundaries (5) and preferably with at least one end-face transverse face boundary (7), and

at least one additional integrated functional part (29) is provided on the reflector, and is likewise produced using a casting, deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method.

Claims

1. Reflector for an antenna, in particle for a mobile radio antenna, having two longitudinal face boundaries (5) which are provided on the longitudinal faces of the reflector, characterized by the following features:

the reflector is produced using a casting method, using a deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method, preferably with its two longitudinal face boundaries (5) and preferably with at least one end-face transverse face boundary (7), and

at least one additional integrated functional part (29) is provided on the reflector, and is likewise produced using a casting, deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method.

2. Reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one integrated functional part (29) comprises an outer contour and/or housing contour, preferably for cables for RF signals, grooved cables, coaxial cables or striplines.

3. Reflector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one additional functional part (29) comprises a contour for electromagnetic shields or housing parts for RF components as well as filters, diplexers, distributors or phase shifters.

4. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one functional part (29) is arranged on the rearward face of the reflector.

5. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one additionally integrated functional part (29) is provided on the front face of the reflector, which also holds the antenna elements.

6. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that two or more functional parts (29) are provided, and are provided on the front face and/or on the rear face of the reflector.

7. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules (3) which can be fixed to one another or are joined together, and in that the at least one functional part (29) is formed on at least one of the reflector modules (3).

8. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the reflector or the at least two reflector modules (3) which form the reflector comprise a die-cast part, in particular a metal cast part, preferably an aluminum cast part and/or a metal part produced using the tixo casting method.

9. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the reflector or the at least two reflector modules (3) which form the reflector comprises or comprise a die-cast or injection-molded part, preferably a plastic injection-molded part with a metalized surface.

10. Reflector according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the reflector has at least two identical reflector modules (3).

11. Reflector according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the reflector has at least two different reflector modules (3).

12. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that at least one reflector module (3) can be joined to an adjacent reflector module (3), or are fixed to one another there, on its first end-face transverse face boundary (7) or on its opposite second end-face transverse face boundary (7).

13. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the at least two reflector modules (3) of a reflector are designed on their end transverse face boundaries (7) such that they can be fixed to one another or are mounted on one another in only one fitting direction.

14. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the at least two reflector modules (3) are conductively electrically connected to one another, preferably on their two end-face transverse face boundaries (7) on which they are mounted on one another.

15. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the at least two reflector modules (3) of a reflector are fixed to one another such that the two end-face transverse face boundaries (7) which are adjacent to one another of two reflector modules (3) which are arranged such that they are adjacent are electrically conductively connected to one another.

16. Reflector according to claim 15, characterized in that an insulating intermediate layer or device, preferably a plastic layer and/or a dielectric, is inserted between the two end-face transverse face boundaries (7) on which two adjacent reflector modules (3) are fixed to one another.

17. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 16, characterized in that at least two reflector modules (3) of a reflector have a damping material or a damping layer between their two end-face transverse face boundaries (7).

18. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 17, characterized in that the at least two reflector modules (3) of a reflector have attachment points and/or attachments (15) in the area of their end-face transverse face boundaries (7) in order to produce mutual fixing and stabilization, which are provided or formed on different planes parallel to the reflector plane.

19. Reflector according to one of claims 8 to 18, characterized in that an attachment (15) which is offset outwards towards a longitudinal face boundary (5) from a central longitudinal plane which runs through the reflector module (3) projects in the fitting direction on at least one end-face transverse face boundary (7), and in that an attachment (17) which points inwards is provided more closely on the other side of the central longitudinal plane, and hence of the opposite longitudinal face boundary (5), with the attachment (15) which projects outwards and the attachment (17) which extends inwards being arranged at two different height levels, such that, when two reflector modules (3) are joined together, the respectively formed attachments (15, 17) are rotated through 180°

with respect to one another and can be connected to one another via attachment means, which run transversely with respect to the plane (1′

) of the reflector, preferably in the form of screws (23).

20. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that nonconductive and/or dielectric holding attachment devices (27) can be anchored, preferably fitted, or can be clipped etc., to the transverse struts (9), and functional parts (29) which are used for beam forming and/or for decoupling can be inserted on these holding attachment devices (27), without making electrical contact with the reflector.

21. Reflector according to claim 20, characterized in that the functional parts (29) are formed from metalized strips or metal strips, metalized pins or metal pins.

22. Reflector according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that at least one holding and/or attachment device (28) which is preferably in the form of a reinforcing section is provided in at least one transverse strut (9) and/or at least one transverse face boundary (7) and/or longitudinal face boundary (5), and a hole which preferably runs transversely with respect to the plane (1′

) of the reflector module (3) is formed by further functional parts in this holding and/or attachment device (28).