Miniature antenna

• US 5,017,932 A
• Filed: 10/27/1989
• Issued: 05/21/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kiyohiko Itoh, Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ushiyama, Katsumi, Sakamoto, Sadafumi, Itoh, Kiyohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hille, Rolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US07/443,366
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/866, 343/855
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

A miniature antenna, in which a pair of square conductor plates disposed in parallel with a spacing sufficiently smaller than the wavelength used are fixed to each other to an insulating frame to form an antenna structure which is used also as a case. Feeding terminals are provided at a desired position on one side of each of the conductor plates. High-frequency-wise short-circuit elements are provided at a plurality of positions on other sides of the conductor plates. A gravity-direction sensor, which produces an output in accordance with the direction of gravity, is provided in the case. The plurality of short-circuit elements are selectively short-circuited by the output of the gravity-direction sensor so that the plane of polarization of the antenna is brought into agreement with the direction of gravity.

Claims

1. A miniature antenna, comprising:

a pair of square conductor plates disposed in parallel with a spacing sufficiently smaller than a wavelength used and fixed to each other to an insulating frame to form an antenna structure which is used also as a case;

feed terminal means provided at a a pair of opposed positions on one of opposed sides of the conductor plates;

short-circuit elements, provided at a plurality of positions on other opposed sides of the conductor plates to short-circuit in high frequency-wise;

a gravity-direction sensor disposed in the case to produce an output in accordance with the direction of gravity with respect to a plane along any of the conductor plates

to selectively short circuit said short-circuit elements by the output of the gravity-direction sensor so that a plane of polarization established by a seated state antenna is brought into agreement with the direction of gravity.

2. A miniature antenna according to claim 1, in which the feed terminal means is disposed at one pair of opposed corners of the square conductor plates, and the short-circuit elements being disposed at other pairs of opposed corners of the square conductor plates.

3. A miniature antenna according to claim 1, in which said gravity-direction sensor comprises a hollow circular ring of insulating material, a ball of mercury held in the hollow circular ring, and four pairs of terminals disposed on the hollow circular ring to effectively divide into four arc sections the hollow circular ring to be short circuited by the ball of mercury for each pair.