Antenna equipment

• US 5,617,105 A
• Filed: 09/23/1994
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsunekawa, Koichi, Hagiwara, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh T.
• Application Number:
  US08/311,160
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/895, 343/900, 343/901, 343/790, 343/791, 343/792, 343/767, 343/770, 343/725, 343/729
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/321 within a radiating element or between connected radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/357 using a single feed point
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements

Abstract

A rod antenna element is connected at its lower end to one end of a coaxial impedance converter, the other end of which is connected to a feeder. A coil antenna element is capacitively coupled to the rod antenna element to provide a double resonance characteristic. When held at its retracted position, the rod antenna element, inserted in an outer conductor of the coaxial impedance converter, may preferably form an inner conductor larger in diameter than that when the rod antenna element is at its extended-out position, and the rod antenna element is connected to a coil antenna element with a low impedance.

Claims

1. An antenna equipment comprising:

a rod antenna element;

a metal cylinder provided at one end of said rod antenna element and axially aligned therewith, said metal cylinder having a first predetermined length in its axial direction, said first predetermined length being an integral multiple of a quarter-wavelength;

an inner conductor connected to one end of said rod antenna element and extended substantially along the center axis of said metal cylinder to form a coaxial line in combination therewith; and

a feeder having a core conductor connected to said inner conductor and an outer conductor connected to said metal cylinder at one end thereof opposite from said rod antenna element;

said coaxial line forming a coaxial impedance converter and said metal cylinder having a notch formed by cutting out a part of its periphery a second predetermined length in its axial direction from its marginal edge at the side of said rod antenna element, whereby impedance of said coaxial impedance converter is matched with said rod antenna element at first and second different frequencies, respectively.

2. The antenna equipment of claim 1, wherein said notch is defined by a plane containing the center axis of said metal cylinder and a plane perpendicular to said center axis.

3. The antenna equipment of claim 1 or 2, wherein said inner conductor has a large-diameter portion at the side where it is connected to said feeder.

4. An antenna equipment comprising:

a first rod antenna element having a length that is an integral multiple of one-half wavelength to provide a first resonant frequency;

a metal cylinder provided at one end of said first rod antenna element and axially aligned therewith, said metal cylinder having a length of a quarter-wavelength;

an inner conductor connected to one end of said first rod antenna element and extended substantially along the center axis of said metal cylinder to form a coaxial line in combination therewith;

a feeder having a core conductor connected to said inner conductor and an outer conductor connected to said metal cylinder at one side thereof opposite from said first rod antenna element; and

a second coil antenna element disposed around a part of said first antenna element coaxially therewith and capacitively coupled to said first antenna element via a capacitor achieving, in cooperation with said second coil antenna element, a second resonant frequency;

said coaxial line forming a coaxial impedance converter.

5. An antenna equipment comprising:

a metal cylinder;

an inner conductor extended in said metal cylinder along its center axis to form a coaxial line in combination with said metal cylinder;

a first rod antenna element having a thickness larger than that of said inner conductor, said first rod antenna element projecting out from said metal cylinder and being retractable into said metal cylinder along its center axis;

sliding contact means for causing one end of said inner conductor and said first rod antenna element to make sliding contact with each other;

a feeder having a core conductor connected to said inner conductor and an outer conductor connected to said metal cylinder at one end thereof opposite from said first rod antenna element; and

a second antenna element which is connected to said first rod antenna element when said first rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder;

wherein when said first rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder, an inner end of said first rod antenna element makes contact with said core conductor of said feeder and said first rod antenna element together with said metal cylinder constitutes a coaxial impedance converter which matches the impedance of said second antenna element and said feeder and interconnects them, and when said first antenna element is extended out from said metal cylinder, said second antenna element is disconnected from said first antenna element, said inner end of said first rod antenna is separated from said core conductor of said feeder, and said metal cylinder together with said inner conductor constitute a coaxial impedance converter which matches the impedances of said first antenna element and said feeder and interconnects them.

6. The antenna equipment of claim 5, wherein said second antenna element is a coil antenna element disposed at a top of said metal cylinder in a manner to surround a part of said first antenna element, said first rod antenna element has near a top end thereof, a contact terminal extending therefrom at right angles to its axial direction, and said contact terminal makes contact with said coil antenna element when said first rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder.

7. The antenna equipment of claim 6, wherein said coil antenna element has an intermediate tap which makes contact with said contact terminal when said first rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder.

8. The antenna equipment of claim 7, wherein one end of said first rod antenna element is connected via a capacitor to said sliding contact means.

9. The antenna equipment of claim 5, wherein said inner conductor has a tubular large-diameter portion for a portion thereof connected to said feeder and said first antenna element retracted in said metal cylinder is inserted into said tubular large-diameter portion of said inner conductor.

10. The antenna equipment of claim 5, wherein said second antenna element is a coil antenna element disposed at a top end of said first antenna element but electrically isolated therefrom.

11. The antenna equipment of claim 5, wherein said second antenna element is an inverted F antenna element disposed near a top end of said metal cylinder.

12. The antenna equipment of claim 5, wherein said first rod antenna element comprises first and second rods one of which is retractable into the other, said first rod antenna element has a length about one-half the wavelength used when extended and the length of said metal cylinder is about a quarter of said wavelength used.

13. An antenna equipment comprising:

a metal cylinder;

an inner conductor extended in said metal cylinder along its center axis and forming a coaxial line in combination with said metal cylinder;

a first rod antenna element having a thickness larger than that of said inner conductor, said first rod antenna element projecting out from said metal cylinder and being retractable into said metal cylinder along its center axis;

sliding contact means for bringing one end of said inner conductor and said first antenna element into sliding contact with each other;

a feeder having a core conductor connected to said inner conductor and having an outer conductor connected to said metal cylinder at one end thereof opposite from said first rod antenna element; and

a second coil antenna element connected at one end to a tip of said first rod antenna element, said second coil antenna element projecting out from a top end of said metal cylinder when said first antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder;

wherein when said first rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder, an inner end of said first rod antenna element makes contact with said core conductor of said feeder and said first rod antenna element together with said metal cylinder constitute a coaxial impedance converter which matches the impedances of said second coil antenna element and said feeder and interconnects them, and when said first rod antenna element is extended out from said metal cylinder said inner end of said first antenna element is separated from said core conductor of said feeder, and said metal cylinder together with said inner conductor constitute a coaxial impedance converter which matches the impedances of said first rod antenna element and said feeder and interconnects them.

14. The antenna equipment of claim 13, wherein said first rod antenna element has a length substantially equal to a quarter of the wavelength used and said second coil antenna element has a resonance point at said wavelength used.

15. The antenna equipment of claim 5 or 13, wherein an insulating guide tube for guiding and retracting thereinto said first rod antenna element is provided in said metal cylinder, with their center axes held in alignment with each other, said inner conductor is extended over an outer peripheral surface of said insulating guide tube in its axial direction and said sliding contact means is a metal piece which is connected to one end of said inner conductor and makes sliding contact with said first rod antenna element.

16. The antenna equipment of claim 15, wherein said metal piece forming said sliding contact means is an annular member and said first rod antenna element is inserted thereinto for sliding contact therewith.

17. The antenna equipment of claim 5 or 13, wherein said first rod antenna element is a tubular element, said inner conductor is an elastic wire disposed along the center axis of said metal cylinder and having a top end portion inserted in said tubular first rod antenna element, for guiding said first rod antenna element when it is retracted into said metal cylinder, the top end portion of said elastic wire forming said sliding contact means which makes sliding contact with said first rod antenna element in its tubular body.

18. The antenna equipment of claim 4, 5, or 13, wherein said metal cylinder has a slit formed therein in its axial direction to form a slot antenna and a core conductor and an outer conductor of another feeder are connected to opposed marginal edges of said metal cylinder across said slit.

19. The antenna equipment of claim 18, wherein a capacitor for frequency adjusting use is connected between said opposed marginal edges of said metal cylinder across said slit.

20. An antenna equipment comprising:

a rod antenna element;

a metal cylinder provided at one end of said rod antenna element, with their center axes aligned with each other;

an inner conductor connected to one end of said rod antenna element and extended substantially along the center axis of said metal cylinder to form a coaxial line in combination therewith;

a first feeder having a core conductor connected to said inner conductor and an outer conductor connected to said metal cylinder at one end thereof opposite from said rod antenna element;

a slot antenna formed by a slit formed in said metal cylinder in its axial direction; and

a second feeder connected at one end to said slot antenna;

wherein said coaxial line forms a coaxial impedance converter which matches the impedances of said antenna element and said first feeder and interconnects them.

21. The antenna equipment of claim 20, wherein a coil antenna element is disposed around a part of said rod antenna element coaxially therewith near the top end portion of said metal cylinder, said coil antenna element being capacitively coupled to said rod antenna element.

22. The antenna equipment of claim 20, wherein said rod antenna element is slidably received in said metal cylinder, and which further comprises:

a coil antenna element disposed around a part of said rod antenna coaxially therewith near a top end portion of said metal cylinder, said coil antenna element being electrically isolated from said rod antenna element and said metal cylinder;

sliding contact means connected to a tip of said inner conductor and making sliding contact with said rod antenna element; and

a contact terminal extending from the tip of said rod antenna element at right angles to its axis and making contact with one end of said coil antenna element when said rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder;

wherein when said rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder, the lower end of said rod antenna element is connected to said core conductor of said feeder.

23. The antenna equipment of claim 22, wherein an insulating guide tube is disposed in said metal cylinder substantially along its center axis, for guiding said rod antenna element inserted thereinto, and wherein said inner conductor is extended over an outer peripheral surface of said tubular insulating guide tube in its axial direction.

24. The antenna equipment of claim 23, wherein said sliding contact means is an annular metal member which holds said rod antenna element inserted thereinto.

25. The antenna equipment of claim 22, wherein said rod antenna element is a tubular element and said inner conductor is an elastic wire disposed along the center axis of said metal cylinder and having a tip inserted in the tubular body of said rod antenna element, said elastic wire sliding in said tubular body of said rod antenna element to guide it when said rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder, and said tip of said elastic wire forming said sliding contact means which makes sliding contact with said rod antenna element in its tubular body.

26. The antenna equipment of claim 20, wherein:

said rod antenna element is slidably received in said metal cylinder in its axial direction;

said rod antenna element has at its tip a short-circuit portion which contacts said metal cylinder when said rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder;

the other end of said second feeder is connected in parallel to said first feeder; and

the length of said second feeder is selected such that the impedance at the side of said second feeder, viewed from the connection point of said first and second feeders, is appreciably high when said rod antenna element is extended out from said metal cylinder and low when said rod antenna element is retracted in said metal cylinder.

27. The antenna equipment of claim 20, 22 or 26, wherein that portion of said inner conductor near said feeder is larger in diameter than that portion of said inner conductor near said rod antenna element.

28. The antenna element of claim 20, 22, or 26, wherein the length of said rod antenna element is about one-half the operating wavelength and the length of said metal cylinder in its axial direction is about a quarter of said operating wavelength.

29. The antenna equipment of claim 20, 22, or 26, wherein a capacitor is connected in parallel to the connection point of said first feeder and said coaxial line.

30. The antenna equipment of claim 20, wherein said metal cylinder has a second slit formed therein in its axial direction to form a parasitic slot antenna.

31. The antenna equipment of claim 20, wherein a strip of metal is disposed on an outer peripheral surface of said metal cylinder with a dielectric spacer sandwiched therebetween, said strip of metal extending adjacent but in parallel to said slit.