Planar Antenna Module, Triple Plate Planar, Array Antenna, and Triple Plate Feeder-Waveguide Converter

• US 20070229380A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Saitou, Takashi, Oota, Masahiko, Mizugaki, Hisayoshi, Iijima, Keisuke, Kirihara, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 7,411,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/762
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array

Abstract

The present invention provides inexpensively a planar antenna module that is able to realize a loss reduction, a reduction in characteristic variation caused by an assembling error, and an improved stability in frequency characteristics.

A planar antenna module according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an antenna portion (101), a feeder portion (102), and a connection plate (18). The antenna portion (101) includes a first ground plate (11) having a first slot (21), a second ground plate (12) having dielectrics, an antenna substrate having a radiation element (41), a third ground plate (13) having dielectrics, a fourth ground plate (14). The feeder portion (102) includes the fourth ground plate (14), a fifth ground plate (15), a feed substrate (50), a sixth ground plate (16), a seventh ground plate (17). The connection plate (18) has a second waveguide opening portion (64). The connection plate (18) to be connected with a high frequency circuit, the seventh ground plate (17), the sixth ground plate (16), the feed substrate (50), the fifth ground plate (15), the fourth ground plate (14), the third ground plate (13) including the third dielectric (33) and the fourth dielectric (34), the antenna substrate (40), the second ground plate (12) including the first dielectric (31) and the second dielectric (32), and the first ground plate (11) are stacked in this order.

Claims

1. A planar antenna comprising a connection plate to be connected with a high frequency circuit, a feeder portion, and an antenna portion that are stacked in this order,

wherein;

the antenna portion includes,

an antenna substrates on which a plurality of antennas composed of a set of a first feeder connected to a radiation element and a first connection portion electromagnetically coupled with the feeder portion,

a first ground plate having a first slot in a position corresponding to the position of the radiation element,

a second ground plate that is provided between the antenna substrate and the first ground plate and has a first dielectric, a second dielectric, and a first connection port formation portion in a position corresponding to the position of the first connection portion,

a fourth ground plate having a second slot in a position corresponding to the position of the first connection portion,

a third ground plate that is provided between the antenna substrates and the fourth ground plate and has a third dielectric, a fourth dielectric, and a second connection port formation portions in a position corresponding to the portion of the first connection portion,

the feeder portion includes,

a seventh ground plate having a first waveguide opening portion in a position corresponding to the position of the third connection portion,

a feed substrate in which a plurality of feeders are formed, the feeders being composed of a set of a second feeder, a second connection portion electromagnetically coupled with the first connection portion of the antenna portion, and a third connection portion electromagnetically coupled with the first waveguide opening portion of the seventh ground plate,

a fifth ground plate that is provided between the feed substrates and the fourth ground plate and has a third connection port formation portion in a position corresponding to the position of the second connection portion, a first waveguide opening formation portion in a position corresponding to the position of the first waveguide opening portion, and an air gap portion for allowing the connection port formation portion to be in communication with the first waveguide opening formation portion,

a sixth ground plate that is provided between the feed substrates and the seventh ground plate and has a fourth connection port formation portion in a position corresponding to the position of the second connection portion, a second waveguide opening formation portion in a position corresponding to the position of the first waveguide opening portion and an air gap portion for allowing the fourth connection port formation portion to be in communication with the second waveguide opening formation portion, and

the connection plate has a second waveguide opening portion in a position corresponding to the position of the first waveguide opening portion of the seventh ground plate of the feeder portion; and

wherein, the connection plate to be connected with a high frequency circuit, the seventh ground plate, the sixth ground plate, the feed substrate, the fifth ground plate, the fourth ground plate, the third ground plate including the third dielectric and the fourth dielectric, the antenna substrate, the second ground plate including the first dielectric and the second dielectrics, and the first ground plate are stacked in this order.

3. A triple-plate planar array antenna as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said slot openings are arranged at intervals of from 0.85 to 0.93 times a free space wavelength λ

₀ at a center wavelength of a wavelength band to be used, and wherein a plurality of said dummy slot openings are arranged at intervals of from 0.85 to 0.93 times a free space wavelength λ

₀ at a center wavelength of a wavelength band to be used.

2. A triple plate planar array antenna comprising:

an antenna circuit substrates having thereon a radiation element and a feeders, the substrates being disposed over the surface of a ground plate via a dielectric and a metal spacer therebetween,

a slot plate having a slot opening to be disposed above the radiation element so as to radiate electromagnetic wave, the plate being disposed over the surface of the antenna circuit substrates via a dielectric and a metal spacer therebetween,

wherein a dummy slot opening is provided adjacent to said slot opening.

4. A triple-plate planar array antenna as recited in claim 2, wherein a plurality of said dummy slot openings are arranged in at least two rows.

5. A triple-plate planar array antenna as recited in claim 2, wherein a dummy element is provided on said antenna circuit substrates in such a way that said dummy slot opening is positioned thereabove.

6. A triple-plate planar array antenna as recited in claim 2, wherein a feeder is provided to said dummy element formed on said antenna circuit substrates so as to electrically short-circuit via a metal spacer.

7. A triple plate feeder—

waveguide converter comprising;

a triple plate feeder composed of a film substrate that has a strip feeder conductor and is arranged on the surface of a ground plate via a dielectric and an upper ground plate arranged over the surface of the film substrate via a dielectric, and

a waveguide connected to the ground plate;

wherein,

there is provided in the ground plate a through hole in a connection position thereof in which the ground plate and the waveguide are connected with each other, the through hole having the same inner dimension as the waveguide,

a metal spacer portion having the same thickness as said dielectric is provided in a support portion of said film substrate,

said film substrate is interposed between said metal spacer portion and a metal spacer portion having the same dimension as said metal spacer,

an upper ground plate is arranged on the upper end of the metal spacer portion, and

a square resonance patch pattern is provided at the tip portion of the waveguide of the strip feeder conductor formed on said film substrate in such a way that the center position of said square resonance patch pattern coincides with the center position of the inner dimension of said waveguide.

8. A triple plate feeder—

waveguide converter as recited in claim 7, wherein a dimension L1 of the square resonance patch pattern in a feeder connection direction is about 0.27 times a free space wavelength λ

₀ at a desired frequency and wherein a dimension L2 of the square resonance patch pattern in a direction perpendicular to the feeder connection direction is about 0.38 times the free space wavelength λ

₀ at the desired frequency.