Dismantling-type antenna, with capacitive load, of whip type, and method of manufacturing a radiating segment of such an antenna

• US 6,404,396 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Dassonville, Claire, Hung, Frederic Ngo Bui
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tho
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANNUCCI, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US09/936,180
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 343/749, 343/900, 343/876, 343/745, 343/750, 343/752, 343/792, 343/722, 343/860
• US Class Current: 343/749
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/085 Flexible aerials; Whip aerials with a resilient base
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/321 within a radiating element or between connected radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/50 Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/32 Vertical arrangement of element H01Q9/40 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention concerns detachable whip antennae with capacitive load wherein the load does not need to contribute to the antenna mechanical strength. To achieve this, the entire load (3) is inserted in the conductor strand (2f-21-33-32-2n) of a radiating segment of the antenna, the mechanical strength being provided by a hollow plastic insulating tube (20) reinforced with glass fibres, which acts as support for the conductor strand and as housing for the load and said load consists of a metal enclosure (33) wherein penetrates the insulated part of an electric cable (32).

The invention is particularly applicable to whip antennae designed for mobile stations.

Claims

1. Dismantling-type antenna, with a capacitive load, of whip type, including several radiating segments separate from one another and arranged end to end one after another, each segment including a conducting portion which extends over a whole length of the segment, wherein at least one of the segments includes a capacitive load, inserted integrally into its conducting portion, and a hollow insulating tube which serves as a support for the conducting portion and within which the capacitive load is housed, the capacitive load including a first armature including a metal enclosure, a second armature including a length of a conducting wire covered with an insulating sheath, the length of conducting wire being located in the metal enclosure and at least one of its ends being situated at a limit of the metal enclosure and extended out of the metal enclosure so as to constitute an access to the second armature.

2. Antenna according to claim 1, wherein the metal enclosure includes a block of metal holed along a given path, and the length of conducting wire is arranged along the given path.

3. Antenna according to claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is a twisted wire each of ends of which situated at the limit of the metal enclosure and extended out of the metal enclosure in order to constitute an access to the second armature.

4. Antenna according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive load is arranged in a vicinity of a ferrule and linked to the ferrule by means of a tubular metal braid pressed onto a wall of the hollow tube.

5. Antenna according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive load is housed substantially at mid-distance from the two ends of the radiating segment.

6. Antenna according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive load is in direct contact with a ferrule.

7. Method for manufacturing a radiating segment of a dismantling-type antenna, with a capacitive load, of whip type, comprising:

arranging a ferrule around a support, such as a mandrel, including a first and a second end,

pushing in the capacitive load including a metal block and a metal wire, at a first end of the said support,

arranging a conducting element around the mandrel, such as a braid secured to the two ends of the support,

surrounding the assembly thus formed with a protective means, such as a protective envelope made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic, the protective means extending between the outlet wire from the load and the second end of the support,

subjecting the assembly to a hardening stage, and

withdrawing the support element.