High frequency whip antenna

• US 4,914,450 A
• Filed: 01/31/1985
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Forman, Donald B., Dilley, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hille, Rolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US06/696,943
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 343/714, 343/715, 343/895, 343/709, 343/900, 343/901, 343/903, 343/905, 343/906, 339/130 R, 339/130 C, 174/153 A, 174/138 A, 174/152 A, 439/916
• US Class Current: 343/895
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/20 Resilient mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/34 Adaptation for use in or on ships, submarines, buoys or torpedoes for subaqueous use H01Q1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/916 Antenna

Abstract

A high frequency antenna that is particularly suitable for marine environts. The high frequency antenna has a metallic base flange, a metallic spring assembly for permitting flexibility and shock resistance and a metallic sleeve all maintained at ground potential so that the antenna is immune to being shorted out such as by salt water and preferably comprised of stainless steel. The radiating element of the antenna is formed on a fiberglass rod and is comprised of a flat, ribbon-like conductor or a plurality of wires approximating a ribbon like conductor. The radiating conductor is wound around the fiberglass rod such that the wound or wrapped areas have a width that is substantially equal to the non-wrapped areas on the rod to permit the ribbon-like conductor to radiate from both sides in order to achieve a low profile antenna.

Claims

1. In an assembly for securing an HF whip antenna to a mounting surface that is held at ground potential, said assembly including an electrically conductive base spring for permitting said whip antenna to yield to shocks and for providing flexibility in the mounting of said whip antenna, said assembly further including an electrically conductive base support flange mechanically secured to said base spring and for attachment to said mounting surface, the improvement comprising:

said base spring being electrically connected to said base support flange such that the entirety of said base spring is held at ground potential and such that said base support flange is held at ground potential.

2. An electrical connector and mounting assembly for a whip antenna comprising:

a base flange having an upper end, a lower end and an interior passageway;

an RF connector having a metallic housing and an inner conductor, said RF connector being secured to said base flange at said lower end for receiving an RF signal on said inner conductor;

a first nipple secured to said base flange upper end and having an interior passageway;

a base spring assembly for permitting flexibility and shock yielding in the mounting of said whip antenna, said base spring assembly being mechanically secured to and electrically connected to said first nipple and to said base flange and having an interior cavity;

a coaxial cable having an inner conductor electrically connected to said RF connector inner conductor and having an outer conductor electrically connected to said RF connector metallic housing, said coaxial cable extending through said first nipple and through said base spring assembly interior cavity.

3. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 2 wherein:

said base spring assembly has an upper end and a lower end;

said first nipple is connected to said base spring assembly lower end; and

wherein said electrical connector and mounting assembly further comprises;

a second nipple electrically and mechanically connected to said base spring assembly upper end.

4. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 3 wherein:

said coaxial cable extends through said second nipple.

5. A whip antenna comprising:

a tapered fiberglass rod having a longitudinal axis and a first end with a first cross section diameter and having a second end with a second cross section diameter, said first cross section diameter being larger than said second cross section diameter;

means for providing an electrical connection at said first end of said tapered fiberglass rod;

a driven antenna radiator comprising a plurality of individual, equal diameter non-braided conductors disposed with respect to each other and parallel to each other such that each individual conductor is in electrical and mechanical contact with each adjacent individual conductor along substantially the entire lengths thereof so as to approximate a ribbon conductor, helically wound around said tapered fiberglass rod so as to create wrapped areas around said tapered fiberglass rod and non-wrapped areas on said tapered fiberglass rod between said wrapped areas, the length of said wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis being approximately equal to the length of said non-wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis, each of said plurality conductors being electrically connected to said means for providing an electrical connection.

6. The whip antenna of claim 5 wherein:

said plurality of individual, equal diameter conductors comprises at least three individual, equal diameter conductors.

7. The whip antenna of claim 5 further comprising:

each of said plurality of individual, equal diameter, non-braided conductors being an electrically continuous conductor throughout the length of said tapered fiberglass rod.

8. A whip antenna comprising:

a tapered fiberglass rod having a longitudinal axis and having a large diameter end and a small diameter end;

means for providing an electrical connection at said large diameter end of said tapered fiberglass rod;

a driven antenna radiator comprising a first plurality of individual conductors each having the same diameter, disposed adjacent each other so as to approximate a ribbon conductor, helically wound around said tapered fiberglass rod adjacent said large diameter end, so as to create first conductor wrapped areas and first conductor non-wrapped areas between said first conductor wrapped areas on said tapered fiberglass rod, the length of said first conductor wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis being approximately equal to the length of said first conductor non-wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis, each of said first plurality of individual conductors being electrically connected to said means for providing an electrical connection;

said driven antenna radiator further comprising a second plurality of individual conductors each having the same diameter disposed adjacent each other so as to approximate a ribbon conductor, electrically connected to said first plurality of individual conductors, helically wound around said tapered fiberglass rod next to said first plurality of individual conductors and closer to said small diameter end than said first plurality of individual conductors, said second plurality of conductors being wrapped so as to create second conductor wrapped areas and second conductor non-wrapped areas between said second conductor wrapped areas, the length of said second conductor wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis being approximately equal to the length of said second conductor non-wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis, said second plurality of individual conductors being connected in series with said first plurality of individual conductors and thereby being electrically connected to said means for providing an electrical connection, said length of said first conductor wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis being greater than said length of said second conductor wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis.

9. The whip antenna of claim 8 wherein:

the number of conductors in said first plurality of conductors is equal to the number of conductors in said second plurality of conductors; and

the number of turns of said second plurality of conductors around a unit of length of said tapered fiberglass rod is greater than the number of turns of said first plurality of conductors around an equal unit of length of said tapered fiberglass rod.

10. The whip antenna of claim 8 wherein the number of conductors in said second plurality of conductors is less than the number of conductors in said first plurality of conductors.

11. The whip antenna of claim 10 wherein:

the number of turns of said second plurality of conductors around a unit length of said tapered fiberglass rod is greater than the number of turns of said first plurality of conductors around an equal unit of length of said tapered fiberglass rod.

12. A whip antenna element comprising:

a tapered fiberglass rod having a first end and a second end;

means for providing an electrical connection at said first end of said tapered fiberglass rod;

a driven antenna radiator comprising a plurality of individual conductors disposed adjacent each other and in electrical contact with each other and positioned so as to approximate a ribbon conductor, helically wound around said tapered fiberglass rod, each of said plurality of individual conductors being electrically connected to said means for providing an electrical connection.

13. The whip antenna element of claim 12 wherein:

said plurality of individual conductors are wrapped around said tapered fiberglass rod so as to create wrapped and non-wrapped areas between said wrapped areas on said tapered fiberglass rod, the width of said wrapped areas being substantially equal to the width of said non-wrapped areas.

14. In the combination of a whip antenna and mounting assembly, the improvement comprising:

a base flange having an upper end, a lower end and an interior passageway;

an RF feed conductor extending through said base flange interior passageway;

a first nipple secured to said base flange upper end and having an interior passageway, said RF feed conductor extending through said first nipple interior passageway;

a base spring assembly for permitting flexibility and shock yielding in the mounting of said whip antenna, said base spring assembly being mechanically secured to and electrically connected to said nipple and having an interior cavity, said RF feed conductor extending through said interior cavity;

a second nipple mechanically and electrically connected to said base spring assembly, and having an interior passageway, said RF feed conductor extending through said second nipple interior passageway;

a sleeve having an interior passageway mechanically and electrically connected to said second nipple, said RF feed conductor extending into said sleeve interior passageway;

a tapered fiberglass rod secured to said sleeve;

a plurality of individual non-braided conductors disposed adjacent each other, parallel to each other and such that each individual conductor is in electrical and mechanical contact with each adjacent individual conductor along the entire lengths thereof, electrically connected to said RF feed conductor, and positioned so as to approximate a ribbon conductor, helically wound around said tapered fiberglass rod.

15. A whip antenna element comprising:

a tapered fiberglass rod having a longitudinal axis and having a first end and a second end;

means for providing an electrical connection at said tapered fiberglass rod first end;

a driven antenna radiator comprising a flat ribbon-shaped electrical conductor, helically wound around said tapered fiberglass rod, said flat, ribbon-shaped conductor being wound around said tapered fiberglass rod so as to form wrapped and non-wrapped areas on said tapered, fiberglass rod, the length of said wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis being approximately equal to the length of said non-wrapped areas along said longitudinal axis, said flat, ribbon-shaped conductor being electrically connected to said means for providing an electrical connection.

16. The whip antenna element of claim 15 wherein:

said flat ribbon-shaped electrical conductor is electrically continuous along substantially the entire length of said tapered fiberglass rod.

17. An electrical connector and mounting assembly for a whip antenna comprising:

a base flange having an upper end, a lower end and an interior passageway;

an RF connector having a metallic housing and an inner conductor, said RF connector being secured to said base flange at said lower end for receiving an RF signal on said inner conductor;

a first nipple secured to said base flange upper end and having an interior passageway;

a base spring assembly having an upper end and a lower end for permitting flexibility and shock yielding in the mounting of said whip antenna, said base spring assembly being mechanically secured to and electrically connected to said first nipple and to said base flange and having an interior cavity, said first nipple being connected to said base spring assembly lower end;

a second nipple electrically and mechanically connected to said base spring assembly upper end;

a coaxial cable having an inner conductor electrically connected to said RF connector inner conductor and having an outer conductor electrically connected to said RF connector metallic housing, said coaxial cable extending through said first nipple and through said base spring assembly interior cavity and said coaxial cable extending through said second nipple;

said second nipple having a first end and a second end and said second nipple first end being connected to said base spring assembly upper end; and

a sleeve mechanically and electrically connected to said second nipple second end, said coaxial cable extending into said sleeve.

18. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 17 further comprising:

a fiberglass rod for supporting said antenna at least a portion of which is contained within said sleeve.

19. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 18 wherein:

said fiberglass rod has a surface and a center and includes a core extending along a first portion of the length thereof and also extending at a second portion thereof from the surface of said fiberglass rod to approximately the center thereof; and

wherein said electrical connector and mounting assembly further comprises;

an electrical conductor positioned within said core and electrically connected to said center conductor of said coaxial cable.

20. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 19 further comprising:

a retaining key positioned within said core and substantially filling said core for retaining said electrical conductor within said core.

21. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 20 wherein:

said base flange, said first nipple, said second nipple, said base spring assembly and said sleeve each comprise electrically conductive material.

22. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 21 wherein:

said electrically conductive mateiral comprises stainless steel.

23. The electrical connector and mounting assembly of claim 22 wherein:

said interior passageway in said base flange is filled with potting compound.