Horn antenna and mixer construction for microwave radar detectors
First Claim
1. A horn antenna construction for use in microwave detection circuits, comprising:
- a substantially rigid and planar mounting board having upper and lower surfaces;
a microstrip board on the upper surface of said mounting board, having at least one mixing diode and a feed strip therefor, where the feed strip is located at or near a first edge of the microstrip board and on the upper, exposed side thereof;
and a one-piece molded horn element having an open bottom, an upwardly flared top wall and a pair of side walls, and having a downwardly extending range formed on the underside of said top wall;
where said ridge extends rearwardly to the throat of said horn, and extends downwardly at least in said throat area to an extent that when said one-piece molded horn element is secured to the upper side of said mounting board, the bottom edge of said ridge in said throat area is brought into physical and electrical contact with said feed strip, and the upper surface of said mounting board forms the bottom wall of the horn.
24 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A horn antenna construction, particularly for use in microwave radar detector circuits, comprises a molded horn element that is open at its bottom side, with a ridge molded into its flared top surface, and being electrically conductive at least at microwave frequencies such as in the X-band and K-band. The open bottom of the horn element mates to a conductive upper surface on a mounting board, and the horn is drawn down onto the mounting board so that its upper surface forms the bottom of the horn. Thus, the ridge is brought into physical and electrical contact with a feed strip formed in a microstrip board on the mounting board, that has a mixing diode or diodes associated therewith. By this construction, there is a positive and dimensionally stable association of the throat of the horn and the ridge to the feed strip and the mixing diode(s), without the necessity of any solder, inserted connectors or mounting pins, or the provision of any tuning posts or screws. Moreover, very efficient energy conversion, and thereby increased sensitivity, is assured because the horn, the feed strip and certain matching and terminating stubs on the microstrip board assure good isolation between the mixing ports and low energy loss at the mixer.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A horn antenna construction for use in microwave detection circuits, comprising:
-
a substantially rigid and planar mounting board having upper and lower surfaces; a microstrip board on the upper surface of said mounting board, having at least one mixing diode and a feed strip therefor, where the feed strip is located at or near a first edge of the microstrip board and on the upper, exposed side thereof; and a one-piece molded horn element having an open bottom, an upwardly flared top wall and a pair of side walls, and having a downwardly extending range formed on the underside of said top wall; where said ridge extends rearwardly to the throat of said horn, and extends downwardly at least in said throat area to an extent that when said one-piece molded horn element is secured to the upper side of said mounting board, the bottom edge of said ridge in said throat area is brought into physical and electrical contact with said feed strip, and the upper surface of said mounting board forms the bottom wall of the horn. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification