Reflector for a mobile radio antenna

• US 6,930,651 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, LINO Manfrotto & Company SPA (Vitec Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Kathrein-Werke KG. (Kathrein SE)
• Inventors: Berger, Stefan, Gottl, Maximilian
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US10/455,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 343/795, 343/797, 343/815, 343/817, 343/818, 343/872
• US Class Current: 343/872
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/141 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00

Abstract

An improved reflector for a mobile radio antenna is produced using a casting method (e.g., a deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method). The reflector'"'"'s two longitudinal face boundaries, with at least one end-face transverse face boundary and at least one additional integrated functional part, is likewise produced using a casting, deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method.

Claims

1. A reflector for a mobile radio antenna of the type having dipole radiating elements and/or patch radiating elements, the reflector having longitudinal faces and two longitudinal bars, ribs, webs or boundaries provided in the area of the longitudinal faces of the reflector, wherein:

the reflector is produced using a casting method, using a deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method, with its two longitudinal bars, ribs, webs or boundaries and with at least one end-face transverse face boundary, and

at least one additional integrated functional part is provided on the reflector, and is likewise produced using a casting, deep-drawing, thermoforming or stamping method, or using a milling method, and

wherein the at least one additional functional part comprises at least one housing part for RF components.

2. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated functional part comprises an outer contour and/or housing contour for cables for RF signals, grooved cables, coaxial cables or striplines.

3. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additional functional part is provided as a housing parts for RF components including filters, diplexers, distributors or phase shifters.

4. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one functional part is arranged on the rearward face of the reflector.

5. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the mobile radio antenna further includes antenna elements, and said at least one additionally integrated functional part is provided on the front face of the reflector, which also holds the antenna elements.

6. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein two or more functional parts are provided, and are provided on the front face and/or on the rear face of the reflector.

7. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules fixed to one another or are joined together, and in that the at least one functional part is formed on at least one of the reflector modules.

8. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises at least one an aluminum cast part and/or a metal part produced using the tixo casting method.

9. The reflector according to claim 8, wherein the reflector comprises at least two identical reflector modules.

10. The reflector according to claim 8, wherein the reflector comprises at least two different reflector modules.

11. The reflector according to claim 8, wherein the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules conductively electrically connected to one another, on their two end-face transverse face boundaries on which they are mounted on one another.

12. The reflector according to claim 8, wherein the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules fixed to one another such that the two end-face transverse face boundaries which are adjacent to one another of two reflector modules which are arranged such that they are adjacent are electrically conductively connected to one another.

13. The reflector according to claim 12, wherein an insulating intermediate plastic layer and/or a dielectric, is inserted between the two end-face transverse face boundaries on which two adjacent reflector modules are fixed to one another.

14. The reflector according to claim 8, wherein the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules having a damping material or a damping layer between their two end-face transverse face boundaries.

15. The reflector according to claim 8, wherein the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules having attachment points and/or attachments in the area of their end-face transverse face boundaries in order to produce mutual fixing and stabilization, which are provided or formed on different planes parallel to the reflector plane.

16. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises at least one die-cast or plastic injection-molded part with a metalized surface.

17. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises at least one reflector module joined to an adjacent reflector module, or are fixed to one another on its first end-face transverse face boundary or on its opposite second end-face transverse face boundary.

18. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises at least two reflector modules designed on their end transverse face boundaries such that they are fixed to one another or are mounted on one another in only one fitting direction.

19. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises a first reflector module and a second reflector module, said first reflector module including an attachment which is offset outwards towards a longitudinal face boundary from a central longitudinal plane which runs through the first reflector module and projects in the fitting direction on at least one end-face transverse face boundary, the attachment which points inwards being provided more closely on the other side of the central longitudinal plane, and hence of the opposite longitudinal face boundary, with the attachment which projects outwards and the attachment which extends inwards being arranged at two different height levels, such that, when said first and second reflector modules are joined together, the respectively formed attachments are rotated through 180°

with respect to one another and are connected to one another via attachment means, which run transversely with respect to the plane of the reflector.

20. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the mobile radio antenna includes transverse struts and further includes functional parts used for beam forming and/or for decoupling, said antenna further including nonconductive and/or dielectric holding attachment devices that are anchored, fitted or clipped to the transverse struts, the functional parts of said mobile radio antenna which are used for beam forming and/or for decoupling being inserted on said holding attachment devices, without making electrical contact with the reflector.

21. The reflector according to claim 20, wherein the functional parts are formed from metalized strips or metal strips, metalized pins or metal pins.

22. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein at least one holding and/or attachment device which is in the form of a reinforcing section is provided in at least one transverse strut and/or at least one transverse face boundary and/or longitudinal face boundary, and a hole which runs transversely with respect to the plane of the reflector module is formed by further functional parts in this holding and/or attachment device.

23. A mobile radio antenna comprising:

at least one radiating element; and

an electrically conductive cast-formed reflector having longitudinal faces and at least one end-face transverse face boundary, integrated longitudinal elements being provided in the area of the said longitudinal faces of the reflector,

wherein at least one additional integrated functional part is provided as part of the reflector, the at least one additional functional part housing and shielding RF components therein.

24. The antenna of claim 23 further including supporting elements that are neither electrically conductive nor provided with a conductive layer.

25. The antenna of claim 24 wherein said supporting elements comprise dielectric material.

26. The antenna of claim 23 wherein said reflector is formed by plural adjacent reflector modules, said at least one radiating element comprising plural radiating elements each including a ground plate, the ground plates of said radiating elements being spaced apart from one another, said radiating element ground plates being provided in each said module without electrical connection to adjacent ground plates positioned in an adjacent module.

27. The antenna of claim 23 wherein the longitudinal faces, the end-face transverse face boundary and at least one additional integrated functional part is provided on the reflector in a non-electric manner.

28. The antenna of claim 23 wherein the reflector is produced using a casting method.

29. The antenna of claim 23 wherein the reflector is produced using at least one of deep-drawing, thermoforming, stamping and milling.