Circularly-polarized antennas

• US 6,522,302 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Tatsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/979,696
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q 2.100, 343/726, 343/725, 343/727, 343/728, 343/729, 343/730, 343/866, 343/797, 343/795, 343/793
• US Class Current: 343/726
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/265 Open ring dipoles; Circular dipoles

Abstract

Terminal ends at one side of first and second elements 2a, 2b whose length is approximately half the wavelength of radiated radio wave are used as first feeding points #1, #2 and terminal ends at the other side of the individual elements are connected to a loop-shaped element 1 whose perimeter is approximately equal to the wavelength at two oppositely located points of four equally dividing points of the loop-shaped element 1. Terminal ends at one side of third and fourth elements 2c, 2d whose length is approximately half the wavelength of the radiated radio wave are used as second feeding points #3, #4 and terminal ends at the other side of the individual elements are connected to the remaining two oppositely located points. Electric power is fed into the first and second feeding points with a phase difference of 90°. This structure makes it possible to obtain a small-sized circularly polarized antenna which offers a favorable axial ratio over a wide angle and electrically switches the hand of polarization.

Claims

1. A circularly polarized antenna comprising:

a loop-shaped element whose perimeter is approximately equal to the wavelength of radiated radio wave; and

four elements extending upward from the loop-shaped element whose terminal ends or points near the terminal ends at one side are connected to the loop-shaped element at its four equally dividing points, feeding points being provided at the opposite terminal ends of said four elements, and the length of each of said four elements being approximately equal to half the wavelength of the radiated radio wave.

2. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1 further comprising a reflector plate provided at a position separated from said loop-shaped element by a specific distance, said reflector plate being disposed parallel to said loop-shaped element.

3. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1 further comprising baluns connected to said feeding points for performing mode conversion between unbalanced transmission mode and balanced transmission mode.

4. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first substrate on which a conductor pattern constituting parts of said four elements is formed;

a second substrate disposed parallel to said first substrate with a conductor pattern constituting said loop-shaped element formed on the second substrate near its outer periphery; and

a cylindrical substrate joining said first and second substrates to each other with a conductor pattern constituting the remaining parts of said four elements formed on the cylindrical substrate.

5. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 4, wherein baluns are provided on said first substrate.

6. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first substrate on which a conductor pattern constituting parts of said four elements is formed;

a second substrate disposed parallel to said first substrate;

a cylindrical substrate joining said first and second substrates to each other with a conductor pattern constituting the remaining parts of said four elements and said loop-shaped element formed on the cylindrical substrate.

7. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1, wherein said feeding points and said four elements are individually formed on a substrate.

8. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 7, wherein said substrate is divided into four.

9. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 8, wherein said loop-shaped element is formed of a beltlike flexible substrate having mating parts for fixing a bottommost part of said substrate.

10. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 8, wherein said loop-shaped element is formed of a beltlike metal plate for fixing a bottommost part of said substrate.

11. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1, wherein said four elements are divided into two pairs of the two oppositely directed elements, said circularly polarized antenna further comprising a phase differential feeder which sets a phase difference of approximately 90°

between currents fed from said feeding points into the individual pairs of the elements.