Microwave earth station with embedded receiver/transmitter and reflector
First Claim
1. In a microwave receiving/transmitting earth station of the type having a reflector dish in a shape concentrating intercepted rays of a microwave signal beam at a focal point on the axis of the dish, a feed horn located thereat and the dish being alternatively adapted to emit a beam of microwave signals supplied to the feed horn located at the focal point, together with means connecting the feed horn to a utilization device/source of microwaves;
- the combination of;
(a) a layer of thin, microwave reflective material forming said reflector dish, said dish having a front and a back;
(b) a first mass of material substantially transparent to said microwave beam and having a discrete surface portion in a shape matching said front of said layer of thin microwave reflective material layer, said first mass projecting beyond said focal point by an amount sufficient to encompass said feed horn and thereby provide the sole support therefor and spacing thereof from said dish;
(c) a second mass of said transparent material, said second mass having a particular surface portion in a shape matching said back of the dish; and
(d) means integrating said layer, said first mass of transparent material, and said second mass of transparent material into a composite unit having said layer reinforcedly supported between said first and second masses.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A low-cost, essentially self-contained microwave earth station having a reflector dish together with the microwave sensing/emitting elements embedded in a rigid, low density and low thermal conductivity plastic foam. At least the sides and back of the unit may be encased in a fiberglass-resin shell. Shielding for terrestrial interference also may be present. For a receive-only station, a low noise amplifier together with frequency conversion and channel selection (or all-channel transmission) to circuits may also be embedded in the foam. The only connections to such a receive-only unit are a line from a d-c source of power for supplying the required operating voltages to the electronics, and a coaxial cable supplying the selected one of the received information signals to the TV display or other device utilizing those signals. Preferably, a single coaxial line with the dual function of information output and d-c power input is employed.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. In a microwave receiving/transmitting earth station of the type having a reflector dish in a shape concentrating intercepted rays of a microwave signal beam at a focal point on the axis of the dish, a feed horn located thereat and the dish being alternatively adapted to emit a beam of microwave signals supplied to the feed horn located at the focal point, together with means connecting the feed horn to a utilization device/source of microwaves;
- the combination of;
(a) a layer of thin, microwave reflective material forming said reflector dish, said dish having a front and a back; (b) a first mass of material substantially transparent to said microwave beam and having a discrete surface portion in a shape matching said front of said layer of thin microwave reflective material layer, said first mass projecting beyond said focal point by an amount sufficient to encompass said feed horn and thereby provide the sole support therefor and spacing thereof from said dish; (c) a second mass of said transparent material, said second mass having a particular surface portion in a shape matching said back of the dish; and (d) means integrating said layer, said first mass of transparent material, and said second mass of transparent material into a composite unit having said layer reinforcedly supported between said first and second masses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- the combination of;
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16. In a microwave receiving/transmitting earth station of the type having a reflector dish in a shape concentrating intercepted rays of a microwave signal beam at a focal point on the axis of the dish, a feed horn being located thereat and the dish being alternatively adapted to emit a beam of microwave signals supplied to the feed horn at the focal point, together with means connecting the feed horn to a utilization device/source of microwave signals;
- the combination of;
(a) n modular sub-divisions of said reflector dish, each said subdivision defining an nth part of said shape and comprising (i) a layer of thin foil forming said nth part of said shape and said layer having a front and a back; (ii) a first mass of material substantially transparent to said microwave beam and having a discrete surface portion in a shape matching said front of the foil layer, said first mass projecting beyond said focal point by an amount sufficient to contact an nth circumferential portion of said feed horn; (iii) a second mass of said transparent material, said second mass having a particular surface portion in a shape matching said back of the layer, and (iv) means integrating said foil layer, said first mass of transparent material, and said second mass of transparent material into a composite unit having said foil layer reinforcedly supported between said first and second masses; and (b) means aligning and joining said n modular subdivisions in substantial reintegration of said shape, said first masses of the n modular subdivisions thereby jointly providing sole support for said feed horn and separation thereof from said dish. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- the combination of;
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25. In a microwave receiving/transmitting earth station of the type having a reflector dish in a shape concentrating intercepted rays of a microwave signal beam at a focal point on the axis of the dish, a feed horn and low-noise amplifier being located thereat and the dish being alternatively adapted to emit a microwave signal beam supplied to the feed horn at the focal point, together with means connecting the feed horn to a utilization device/source of microwave signals;
- the combination of;
(a) a layer of thin foil forming said reflector dish, said layer having a front and a back; (b) a first mass of low thermal conductivity material substantially transparent to said microwave beam and having a discrete surface portion in a shape matching said front of the foil layer, said first mass projecting beyond said focal point by an amount sufficient to encompass said feed horn; (c) a second mass of said low thermal conductivity material, said second mass having a particular surface portion in a shape matching said back of the layer; (d) means integrating said foil layer, said first mass of low thermal conductivity material, and said second mass of low thermal conductivity material into a composite unit having said foil layer reinforcedly supported between said first and second masses in thermal isolation; and (e) said means connecting the feed horn comprises a conductor pair connected to an external source of d-c voltage, said d-c voltage alone being supplied to power said low-noise amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
- the combination of;
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29. A method of forming a compact microwave earth station, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing first and second masses of low-density, low thermal conductivity, microwave-transparent material; (b) forming matching contours on respective portions of said masses, said contours being in the shape of a parabolic microwave reflector having a predetermined focal point; (c) forming a cavity in said first mass, said cavity having an end located at most closer to said reflector shape than to said focal point and at least located exactly at the focal point; (d) adherently coating one of said matching contours with a layer of microwave-reflecting foil, (e) lodging a microwave feed horn and at least a low-noise amplifier in said cavity, said feed horn being located with an operative end thereof at said focal point; and (f) adherently combining said first and second masses with said layer of foil therebetween to form said compact earth station. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification