Patch antenna and method for making the same

• US 5,977,710 A
• Filed: 03/11/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tanabe, Kosuke, Kuramoto, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malos, Jennifer H.
• Application Number:
  US08/814,343
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700 MS, 343/702, 343/872
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/567 using a tamping or a swaging operation, i.e. at least partially deforming the edge or the rim of a first part to be joined to clamp a second part to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/606 the rivets being integral with one of the parts to be joined, i.e. staking
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/64 Joining a non-plastics element to a plastics element, e.g. by force B29C65/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5326 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/742 to metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/80 General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3456 Antennas, e.g. radomes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/405 Radome integrated radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration

Abstract

A patch antenna has: a driven patch fed with a high-frequency signal and radiates a high-frequency electromagnetic field from its one surface; a parasitic patch receives the high-frequency electromagnetic field from the driven patch at a first surface and reradiates the high-frequency electromagnetic field from a second surface; and a radome which protectively holds the driven patch and the parasitic patch inside of the radome; wherein the parasitic patch is held by the inner surface of the radome which contacts the second surface of the parasitic patch and by a holder which protrudes from the inner surface of the radome and covers a part of the first surface of the parasitic patch.

Claims

1. A patch antenna, comprising:

a driven patch fed with a high-frequency signal to radiate a high-frequency electromagnetic field from its one surface;

a parasitic patch which receives said high-frequency electromagnetic field from said driven patch at a first surface and reradiates said high-frequency electromagnetic field from a second surface; and

a radome protectably containing said driven patch and said parasitic patch inside of said radome and holding said parasitic patch;

wherein said parasitic patch is held by the inner surface of said radome, which contacts said second surface of said parasitic patch, and by a holder that protrudes from said inner surface of said radome and covers a part of said first surface of said parasitic patch.

2. A patch antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said parasitic patch has a through-hole at its center, and wherein

said holder of said radome comprises a first holding member which penetrates said through-hole of said parasitic patch from said inner surface of said radome and covers a part of said first surface of said parasitic patch near said through-hole.

3. A patch antenna as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said holder of said radome further comprises a plurality of second holding members which cover a part of said first surface near the edge of said parasitic patch.

4. A patch antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said holder of said radome covers a part or all of the circumference of said parasitic patch.

5. A patch antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said holder is formed using thermosoftenable material that is capable of being thermosoftened, shaped, cooled and then hardened after a positioning of said second surface of said parasitic patch onto said inner surface of said radome.

6. A patch antenna as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said holder is disposed to act as a guide for said a positioning of said second surface of said parasitic patch.

7. A method for making a patch antenna, having a driven patch fed with a high-frequency signal that radiates a high-frequency electromagnetic field from its one surface, a parasitic patch that receives said high-frequency electromagnetic field from said driven patch at a first surface and reradiates said high-frequency electromagnetic field from a second surface, and a radome which protectively contains said driven patch and said parasitic patch inside of said radome and which holds said parasitic patch, comprising the steps of:

making said radome with an inner surface having a protruding boss with a height greater than a thickness of said parasitic patch;

pressing said second surface of said parasitic patch to contact said inner surface of said radome along the circumferential shape of said boss;

theremosoftening a part of said boss protruding above said first surface of said parasitic patch and forming it into a shape to cover a part of said first surface of said parasitic patch in order to provide a holder; and

cooling and hardening said holder in order to hold said parasitic patch between said radome and said holder.