Folded broadband antenna with a symmetrical pattern
First Claim
1. A folded broadband antenna, having a substantially symmetrical, broadband radiation pattern, comprising:
- (a) a substrate;
(b) a folded antenna aperture including a radiating element that exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical radiation pattern performance disposed on said substrate;
(c) said folded antenna aperture and substrate having a fold along an apex in a wedge shaped geometry with a selected profile, said apex forming a line of symmetry for said folded antenna aperture;
(d) said substrate having a reduced thickness in the region along said fold; and
(e) a feed element shield disposed in said folded antenna and extending to said fold at said region of reduced thickness.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A folded broadband antenna provides a symmetrical radiation pattern comparable to corresponding planar antennas (such as a planar spiral). The folded antenna can be integrated into a leading edge radome, eliminating the forward antenna cavity, and thereby, eliminating the internal wall reflections that cause radiation pattern distortion. A broadband antenna (61/62), such as an archimedean spiral, is folded at an apex area (64) that includes a fold-slot (66). The fold-slot enhances flexure, and allows a center-feed balun shielding tube (84) to extend into close proximity to the antenna aperture (61) for increased balun shielding.
101 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A folded broadband antenna, having a substantially symmetrical, broadband radiation pattern, comprising:
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(a) a substrate; (b) a folded antenna aperture including a radiating element that exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical radiation pattern performance disposed on said substrate; (c) said folded antenna aperture and substrate having a fold along an apex in a wedge shaped geometry with a selected profile, said apex forming a line of symmetry for said folded antenna aperture; (d) said substrate having a reduced thickness in the region along said fold; and (e) a feed element shield disposed in said folded antenna and extending to said fold at said region of reduced thickness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A folded broadband antenna that is center fed, having a substantially symmetrical radiation pattern, comprising:
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(a) an antenna aperture that exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical performance; (b) said antenna aperture including a center feedpoint; (c) said antenna aperture being folded along an apex into a wedge-shaped geometry with a selected profile and providing a cavity behind said antenna aperture; (d) said apex forming a lone of symmetry for said folded aperture, including said center feedpoint; and (e) a transmission line coupled to said center feedpoint of injecting-extracting RF energy into/from said antenna aperture; (f) a conductive shielding the cavity behind said folded antenna line and extending through the cavity behind said folded antenna aperture to a terminus adjacent to said center feedpoint on said apex; and (g) a balun extending through said shielding tube, and coupled to said center feedpoint. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A folded broadband antenna, having a substantially symmetrical, broadband radiation pattern, comprising:
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(a) a substrate; (b) a folded antenna aperture including a radiant element that exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical performance disposed on said substrate; (c) said folded antenna aperture and substrate having a fold along an apex in a wedge shaped geometry with a selected profile, said apex forming a line of symmetry for said folded antenna aperture and a cavity behind said folded antenna aperture; and (d) an absorber disposed in the cavity behind said folded antenna aperture. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A radome/antenna structure with folded broadband antenna having a substantially symmetrical radiation pattern, comprising:
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(a) a radome formed into a wedge-shaped geometry with a selected profile; and (b) a folded broadband antenna, having a substantially symmetrical, broadband radiation pattern, comprising; (i) a substrate; (ii) a folded antenna aperture including a radiating element that exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical radiation performance disposed on said substrate; (iii) said folded antenna aperture and substrate having a fold along an apex in a wedge shaped geometry with the same profile as said radome, said apex forming a line of symmetry for said folded antenna aperture; (iv) said substrate having a reduced thickness in the region along said fold; and (v) a feed element shield disposed in said folded antenna aperture and extending to said fold at said region of reduced thickness. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A broadband radome/antenna structure wherein the antenna is center fed, having a substantially symmetrical radiation pattern, comprising:
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(a) a radome formed into a wedge-shaped geometry with a selected profile; and (b) an antenna aperture that, in a planar configuration, exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical radiation pattern performance, said aperture including; (i) a center feedpoint; (ii) said antenna aperture being folded along an apex into a wedge-shaped geometry with substantially the same profile as said radome; (iii) said apex forming a line of symmetry for said folded antenna aperture, including said center feedpoint; and (iv) a transmission line coupled to said center feedpoint for injecting/extracting RF energy into/from said antenna aperture; (v) a cavity behind said antenna aperture; (vi) a conductive shielding tube surrounding said transmission line and extending through the cavity behind said antenna aperture to a terminus adjacent said center feedpoint on said apex; and (vii) a balun extending through said shielding tube, and coupled to said center feedpoint. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A radome/antenna system having a folded broadband antenna, having a substantially symmetrical, broadband radiation pattern, comprising:
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(a) a radome formed into a wedge-shaped geometry with a selected profile; and (b) an antenna comprising; (i) a substrate; (ii) a folded antenna aperture including a radiant element that exhibits broadband substantially symmetrical performance disposed on said substrate; (iii) said folded antenna aperture and substrate having a fold along an apex in a wedge geometry with substantially the same profile as said radome; (iv) said apex forming a line of symmetry for said folded antenna aperture; (v) a cavity behind said folded antenna aperture; and (vi) an absorber disposed in the cavity behind said folded antenna aperture. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification