High efficiency feed network for antennas

• US 6,377,227 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Superpass Company Inc.
• Original Assignee: Superpass Company Inc.
• Inventors: Zhu, Luke, Chen, Xifan, Guo, Yuning
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/559,530
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/795, 343/853, 343/860
• US Class Current: 343/795
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

A printed antenna comprising a dielectric substrate, dipole elements formed on a surface of the substrate, a matching network for coupling a driving point to the antenna elements, whereby common mode currents are minimized thereby minimizing the antenna performance degradation.

Claims

1. A printed dipole antenna comprising:

a) a dielectric member;

b) U-shaped radiating elements formed on respective sides of said dielectric member and in a non-overlapping arrangement;

c) a transmission line coupling a feed point to the radiating elements, such that a pair of radiating dipoles are formed by ones of the free arms of the U-shaped radiating element on respective sides of the dielectric member.

2. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 1, said transmission line and said free arm forming respective co-planar wave guides to thereby reduce common mode currents in said radiating elements.

3. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 1, wherein a base element of said U-shaped element has a small length such that said pair of dipoles appear as a single dipole from a far field.

4. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 1, including a metal reflector element arranged in a spaced relationship to one surface of said dielectric member.

5. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 4, said metal reflector being a planar metal reflector.

6. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 4, said metal reflector having edges extending at an angle to a planar surface of the metal reflector, said angle being determined in accordance with a desired beam width of said antenna.

7. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 1, said transmission line including patch elements for reducing voltage standing waves on the line.

8. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 1, having first and second pairs of U-shaped radiating elements being spaced along a plane of said dielectric member and coupled by a transmission line, whereby the pairs of elements are coupled in series.

9. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 8, including third and fourth pairs of U-shaped radiating elements, said elements being a mirror image of said first and second pairs of radiating elements.

10. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 9, said first and second pairs and said third and fourth pairs being coupled to a common central feed point.

11. A printed dipole antenna as defined in claim 1, said antenna being an end-feed antenna.

12. An antenna as defined in claim 8, said antenna being a center-feed antenna.