Radio frequency array antenna with energy resistive material

• US 4,803,495 A
• Filed: 11/26/1986
• Issued: 02/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Roy, Albert A., Monser, George J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Doris J.
• Application Number:
  US06/936,918
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 343/725, 343/776, 343/777, 343/786, 343/840, 343/778
• US Class Current: 343/777
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/523 between antennas of an array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 17/001 for modifying the directional characteristic of an aerial
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005

Abstract

An array antenna is provided wherein each adjacent pair of a plurality of antenna elements in such array antenna have a common, conductive wall having a castellated radiating edge. Radio frequency energy resistive material is disposed within slots formed in the radiating edge. With such arrangement, electrical coupling between the adjacent pair of antenna elements is reduced thereby improving the gain of the antenna at the lower frequency operating band of the antenna. Further, the electric field distribution is redistributed by the slotted radiating edge from a cosine distribution associated with a linear edge to a more flattened, uniform distribution to increase the effective aperture of the element in the H-plane.

Claims

1. An array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, adjacent ones of the plurality of antenna elements having a conductive wall disposed therebetween, said conductive wall being disclosed in the H-plane of the antenna and having a conductive radiating edge having a plurality of discontinuities formed therein, including radio frequency energy resistive material disposed within the regions of the discontinuities.

2. An array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, adjacent ones of such elements having a conductive wall therebetween, said conductive wall being disposed in the H-plane of the antenna and comprising castellations disposed in a conductive radiating edge of said conductive wall, including radio frequency energy resistive material disposed within portions of the castellations.

3. An array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, each one of such elements comprising means for producing radio frequency energy having an electric field in an E-plane of said antenna element, adjacent ones of the plurality of antenna elements having a conductive wall therebetween and disposed in an H-plane of said adjacent ones of the plurality of antenna elements, such conductive wall comprising a plurality of forward radiating edge portions interspersed with rearward radiating edge portions, such forward and rearward portions being disposed in the H-plane of said adjacent ones of the plurality of antenna elements and including radio frequency resistive material disposed between sucessive forward radiating edge portions.

4. An antenna element comprising means for producing radio frequency energy having an electric field substantially solely in an E-plane of the element and having a pair of conductive walls disposed in an H-plane of the antenna element, such conductive walls having radiating edges with a series of discontinuites formed therein, with radio frequency energy resistive means being disposed within the regions of the discontinuities.

6. An antenna element comprising means for producing radio frequency energy having an electric field in an E-plane of the element and having a pair of conductive walls disposed in an H-plane of the antenna element, such conductive walls having a plurality of forward radiating edge portions interposed with rearward radiating edge portions, such forward and rearward portions being disposed in the H-plane of the antenna element;

and, including radio frequency energy resistive material disposed forward of the rearward radiating edge portions between adjacent radiating forward radiating edge portions.

5. The antenna element recited in claim 6 wherein the series of discontinuities comprise a plurality of forward radiating edge portions interposed with rearward radiating edge portions, such forward and rearward portions being disposed in the H-plane of the antenna element.

7. An array antenna comprising:

a plurality of adjacently-disposed antenna elements, adjacent ones of such elements having a conductive wall disposed therebetween, such wall having discontinuities in such wall in a conductive radiating edge; and

including radio frequency energy resistive material disposed within portions of the discontinuities.

8. An antenna element comprising:

(a) means for producing radio frequency energy having an electric field in an E-plane of the antenna element, the electric field having a distribution in an h-plane of the antenna element, said electric field distribution in the H-plane being nominally substantially nonuniform; and

(b) a conductive wall disposed in teh H-plane of the antenna element, said conductive wall comprising means for redistributing the nominally substantially nonuniform electric field distribution in the H-plane, said redistributing means comprising a plurality of castellations disposed in a conductive radiating edge of said conductive wall further comprising radio frequency energy resistive material disposed within portions of said castellations.