Array antenna

• US 6,911,956 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Katumasa Miyata, Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Katumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V.
• Application Number:
  US10/481,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 343/753, 343/754, 343/756, 343/770, 343/771, 343/909, 343/911.R
• US Class Current: 343/911.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/22 Longitudinal slot in boundary wall of waveguide or transmission line H01Q13/203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/08 formed of solid dielectric material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/021 Means for reducing undesirable effects
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/062 for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/005 Slotted waveguides arrays

Abstract

Dielectric lenses (6) with an outer dimension of about 0.5 to 1.5 times a wavelength are arranged on front faces of respective slots (3) of a waveguide slot array antenna (1). The dielectric lenses (6) are formed in a panel structure where they have been connected integrally through a dielectric panel (7) so that they cover a front face of the antenna. Spherical waves radiated from the slots are converted into a flat wave by the dielectric lenses, and a composite wave of radiation waves from the respective slots becomes a flat wave which hardly includes ripples, so that an antenna gain is remarkably improved as compared with a case that dielectric lenses are not provided.

Claims

1. An array antenna where a plurality of radiation elements or radiation slots are arranged in a parallel manner, wherein a plurality of dielectric lenses with an outer dimension of about 0.5 to 1.5 times a wavelength are arranged over a whole surface of a radiation face.

2. The array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of dielectric lenses are individually arranged on front faces of the respective radiation elements or the respective radiation slots.

3. The array antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein conductor patches are mounted on the plurality of dielectric lenses in a superimposing manner therewith.

4. The array antenna according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein, by connecting the plurality of dielectric lenses through a dielectric flat plate, a group of the dielectric lenses are formed in an integral panel constitution to cover the radiation face.