Microstrip antenna structure having an air gap and method of constructing same
First Claim
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1. A microstrip antenna comprising:
- a substantially rigid radiator layer that includes a substrate layer and a radiator patch disposed on one of a lower surface and an upper surface of said substrate layer;
a ground plane that is located adjacent to only said lower surface of said substrate layer, wherein said upper surface of said substrate layer is substantially free of any portion of said ground plane positioned adjacent thereto; and
a plurality of support means, each made from the same piece of material as at least one of said ground plane and said radiator layer, for maintaining a dielectric space between said radiator patch and said ground plane that includes an air gap, wherein each of said plurality of support means maintains a predetermined distance between said radiator patch and said ground plane, wherein each of said plurality of support means has a dimple shape that, if a cross-section is taken which is substantially between and substantially parallel to said radiator layer and said ground plane, has a closed surface, wherein each of said plurality of support means has a base that is surrounded by said ground plane or said radiator layer, and wherein each of said plurality of support means has substantially the same dimple shape.
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Abstract
A microstrip antenna structure comprising a radiator layer that includes a substrate layer and a radiator patch that is disposed on one surface of the substrate layer; a ground plane; and support elements, formed as an integral part of either the radiator layer or the ground plane, for maintaining a dielectric space between the radiator patch and the ground plane that includes an air gap of predetermined thickness between the substrate layer and the ground plane. The present invention also includes a method for constructing such a microstrip antenna structure.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A microstrip antenna comprising:
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a substantially rigid radiator layer that includes a substrate layer and a radiator patch disposed on one of a lower surface and an upper surface of said substrate layer; a ground plane that is located adjacent to only said lower surface of said substrate layer, wherein said upper surface of said substrate layer is substantially free of any portion of said ground plane positioned adjacent thereto; and a plurality of support means, each made from the same piece of material as at least one of said ground plane and said radiator layer, for maintaining a dielectric space between said radiator patch and said ground plane that includes an air gap, wherein each of said plurality of support means maintains a predetermined distance between said radiator patch and said ground plane, wherein each of said plurality of support means has a dimple shape that, if a cross-section is taken which is substantially between and substantially parallel to said radiator layer and said ground plane, has a closed surface, wherein each of said plurality of support means has a base that is surrounded by said ground plane or said radiator layer, and wherein each of said plurality of support means has substantially the same dimple shape. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A microstrip antenna comprising:
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a substantially rigid radiator layer that includes a substrate layer and a radiator patch which is disposed on one of a lower surface and an upper surface of said substrate layer; a ground plane that is located adjacent to only said lower surface of said substrate layer, wherein said upper surface of said substrate layer is substantially free of any portion of said ground plane positioned adjacent thereto; and a plurality of support means, each of said plurality of support means made from the same material as at least one of said ground plane and said radiator layer, for maintaining a dielectric space between said radiator patch and said ground plane that includes an air gap and that has a predetermined distance between said radiator patch and said ground plane; wherein at least one of said substrate layer and said ground plane forms at least a portion of an exterior surface that is exposed to the environment and includes a perforation to allow at least one of the following;
air and water to pass between said air gap and an ambient environment exterior to said substantially rigid radiator layer and said ground plane. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of constructing a microstrip antenna comprising the steps of:
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providing a substantially rigid radiator layer that includes a substrate layer and a radiator patch that is located on one of a lower surface and an upper surface of said substrate layer, and a ground plane, wherein at least one of said radiator layer and said ground plane includes a plurality of support means that are each made from the same piece of material as at least one of said radiator layer and said ground plane and serve to maintain a dielectric space between said radiator patch and said ground plane that includes an air gap, wherein each of said plurality of support means maintains a predetermined distance between said radiator patch and said ground plane, and each of said plurality of support means is located a distance from said radiator patch so as to avoid interposition between said radiator patch and said ground plane, wherein each of said plurality of support means has substantially a dimple shape that, if a cross-section is taken which is substantially between and substantially parallel to said radiator layer and said ground plane, has a closed surface, wherein each of said plurality of support means has a base that is surrounded by said ground plane or said radiator layer, and wherein each of said plurality of support means has substantially the same dimple shape; and operatively connecting said radiator layer and said ground plane layer to form a microstrip antenna in which said ground plane is located adjacent to only said lower surface of said substrate layer and said upper surface of said substrate layer is substantially free of any portion of said ground plane positioned adjacent thereto, and an air gap is located between the radiator patch and the ground plane. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification