Tape type microstrip patch antenna

• US 5,155,493 A
• Filed: 08/28/1990
• Issued: 10/13/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Murphey, Robert A., Keller, G. Edward Jr., Shleton, Wesley W., Grossman, Barry G., Thursby, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US07/578,034
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700 MS, 343/705, 343/713, 343/795, 343/872, 343/873, 343/897, 343/745
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

Single or multiple players of electrically insulating tape have adhesive applied to one surface for the dielectric of the patch antenna. Electrically conductive foil tape with adhesive applied to one surface is used to create the radiating element and the ground plane. The antenna structure can then be mounted to the desired surface by means of structural tape adhesives. The resultant sandwich structure forms a highly flexible, low profile, low cost, rugged conformal antenna for radiating radio frequency energy. Modification and control of the electrical and performance characteristics of the antenna can be accomplished by non-uniform thickness of the dielectric, using insulating tape sections which differ in dielectric constant, incorporating PIN diodes with optical of electrical control, etc.

Claims

1. A patch antenna comprising a radiating element formed from electrically conductive tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, a dielectric formed from electrically insulating tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, a ground plane formed from electrically conductive tape having an upper surface and a lower surface, with the lower surface of the radiating element attached to the upper surface of the dielectric, and the lower surface of the dielectric attached to the upper surface of the ground plane;

wherein the patch antenna is mounted to a non-planar surface of a vehicle by means of structural tape adhesives attaching the lower surface of the ground plane to said non-planar surface; and

wherein the dielectric is non-uniform in the dimension between the radiating element and the ground plane, and is formed from a plurality of layers of the electrically insulating tape, with one layer having its lower surface attached to the upper surface of the ground plane, successive layers having the lower surface attached to the upper surface of the preceding layer, and the last layer having the lower surface of the radiating element attached to its upper surface.

2. A patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric comprises sections of the electrically insulating tape which have different constants.

3. A patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein a device is connected between the radiating element and the ground plane, with means for changing the impedance of the device to vary the radiating characteristics of the antenna.

4. A patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein said device is an optically controlled diode;

and

wherein the means for changing the impedance of the device includes an optical waveguide structure integrated into the patch antenna embedded between layers of the dielectric.

5. A method of mounting a patch antenna to a non-planar surface of a vehicle, using a first roll of electrically conductive tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, and a covering release sheet protecting the adhesive on the lower surface, with radiating elements formed in the electrically conductive tape, a roll of electrically insulating tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, and a second roll of electrically conductive tape having an upper surface and a lower surface;

said method comprising the steps;

cutting a radiating element from said first roll and removing the covering release sheet from the radiating element;

forming a dielectric layer form the roll of electrically insulating tape and attaching the lower surface of the radiating element to the upper surface of the dielectric layer;

forming a ground plane from the second roll of electrically conductive tape and attaching the lower surface of the dielectric layer to the upper surface of the ground plane; and

mounting the patch antenna by means of structural tape adhesives attaching the second surface of the ground plane to said non-planar surface.

6. A method according to claim 5, further including forming a radome from another layer of electrically insulating tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, by attaching the lower surface of the radome to the upper surface of the radiating element.

7. A method according to claim 5, including forming the dielectric from a plurality of layers of the electrically insulating tape, attaching one layer with its lower surface to the upper surface of the ground plane, and attaching successive layers with the lower surface attached to the upper surface of the preceding layer, and attaching the lower surface of the radiating element to upper surface of the last layer of the dielectric.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the dielectric is made non-uniform in the dimension between the radiating element and the ground plane.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the dielectric is formed with sections of the electrically insulating tape which have different dielectric constants.

10. A method according to claim 5, including forming the dielectric from a plurality of layers of the electrically insulating tape, attaching one layer with its lower surface to the upper surface of the ground plane, and attaching successive layers with the lower surface attached to the upper surface of the preceding layer, while embedding an optical waveguide structure between two of said successive layers of the dielectric, providing an optically controlled diode, coupling the optical waveguide structure to the optically controlled diode to provide for changing the impedance of the device to vary the radiating characteristics of the antenna, attaching the lower surface of the radiating element to the upper surface of the last layer of the dielectric, and connecting the optically controlled diode between the radiating element and the ground plane.

11. A method of mounting a patch antenna to a non-planar surface of a vehicle, using a first roll of electrically conductive tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, and a covering release sheet protecting the adhesive on the lower surface, with radiating elements formed in the electrically conductive tape, a roll of electrically insulating tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, and a roll of copper tape having an upper surface and a lower surface;

said method comprising the steps;

a. forming a ground plane from the roll of copper tape to provide a bar copper substrate,

b. punching a hole through the ground plane to pass a feed structure in a position that will allow the patch antenna to be placed approximately in the center of the ground plane,

c. cleaning the ground plane to provide a good soldering surface and improve adhesion of tape elements to the surface,

d. tinning a ring around the hole,

e. tinning an interface connector and soldering the interface connector and ground plane together with the center conductor of the connector centered in the feed hole,

f. using at least one layer form the roll of electrically insulating tape to form a dielectric, attaching the lower surface of the dielectric to the upper surface of the ground plane,

g. using a radiating element from the first roll of electrically conductive tape, attaching the lower surface of the radiating element to the upper surface of the dielectric and soldering the center conductor of the connector to the radiating element.

12. A method according to claim 11, further including forming a radome from another layer of electrically insulating tape having an upper surface and a lower surface with adhesive on the lower surface, by attaching the lower surface of the radome to the upper surface of the radiating element.