ANTENNA RADIATORS MADE FROM METALIZED PLASTIC, COMPOSITES, OR FABRICS

• US 20070013600A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Laird Technologies Incorporated (DuPont de Nemours, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Centurion Wireless Technologies Inc (Laird Limited)
• Inventors: Winter, James, Sullivan, Jonathan, Rohde, Monty
• Application Number:
  US11/456,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/873
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142

Abstract

An antenna having a radiating element comprising a metalized fabric is provided. The antenna including a radiating element with a feed connection attached to the radiating element. The radiating element being constructed from a metalized fabric including a core material and a metal material.

Claims

1. An antenna, the antenna comprising:

a radiating element,

a feed connection attached to the radiating element; and

the radiating element comprising metalized fabric, the metalized fabric comprising a core material and a metal material.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the radiating element is formed into an antenna selected from the group of antenna consisting of:

dipole antennas, monopoles antennas, loops antennas, planar antennas, microstrip antennas, helical antennas, meanderline antennas, or planar inverted F antennas.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the metal material is coated on an outer surface of the core material.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the metal material is embedded in the core material.

5. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein the metal material also is embedded in the core material.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the core material comprises a fabric formed from threads selected from the group of threads consisting of polyester threads or nylon threads.

7. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein the core material is coated with a seed material to allow the core material to bond to the metal material.

8. The antenna according to claim 7, wherein the seed material is a liquid catalyzed polymer.

9. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein the metal material is coated on the core material using an elecrtoless process.

10. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein the metal material is coated on the core material using an electrolytic process.

11. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the metal material comprises copper.

12. The antenna according to claim 11, wherein the metal material further comprises nickel.

13. A method of forming an antenna having a metalized fabric radiator, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a fabric;

providing a metal material in or on the fabric;

shaping the fabric into a radiator; and

connecting a power feed connector to the shaped fabric.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of providing the metal material in or on the fabric comprises embedding metal material into the fabric.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of providing the metal material in or on the fabric comprises the step of coating the metal material onto the fabric.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of coating the metal material onto the fabric further includes coating a seed material on the fabric.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of forming a fabric comprises the step of forming a woven fabric comprising threads selected from the group of threads consisting of:

polyester or nylon.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of forming a fabric comprises the step of forming a non-woven fabric comprising threads selected from the group of threads consisting of:

polyester or nylon.