Low profile television antenna

• US 7,113,147 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Winegard Company
• Original Assignee: Winegard Company
• Inventors: McCollum, Gail Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V.
• Application Number:
  US11/110,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 343/895, 343/700.MS, 343/912
• US Class Current: 343/895
• 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 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 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00

Abstract

A television antenna formed from a pair of generally sinuous antenna arms extending outwardly from a common central axis and arranged opposite each other. The antenna arms do not interleave or touch each other. A reflector provides a separation distance between the reflector and the pair of antenna arms.

Claims

1. A television antenna system for receiving broadcast television signals comprising:

an antenna receiving said broadcast television signals, said antenna comprising;

a first high dielectric sheet;

a pair of antenna arms formed of conductive metallic material on said first high dielectric sheet, said pair of antenna arms oriented on said first high dielectric sheet without interleaving and touching each other;

each antenna arm in said pair having a terminal feed point, the terminal feed point of one antenna arm spaced apart from the other antenna arm in said pair, each antenna arm identical in shape to the other antenna arm in said pair;

a reflector, said reflector comprising;

a second high dielectric sheet;

a grid of reflector cells formed of conductive metallic material on said second high dielectric sheet, the dimensions of each of said reflector cells in said grid having dimensions that rejects unwanted multi-path broadcast television signals to said antenna;

a support formed of high dielectric material, said support holding said reflector from said antenna, said reflector held in a plane a predetermined distance from said terminal feed point of each said antenna arm in said pair of antenna arms by said support, said predetermined distance providing a higher front-to-back ratio that further rejects said unwanted multi-path broadcast television signals to said antenna.

2. The television antenna system of claim 1 wherein the broadcast television signals are digital.

3. The television antenna system of claim 1 wherein the broadcast television signals are analog.

4. The television antenna system of claim 1 wherein the first high dielectric sheet is a plastic material.

5. The television antenna system of claim 1 wherein the second high dielectric sheet is a plastic material.

6. The television antenna system of claim 1 wherein the first and second high dielectric sheets are polycarbonate material.

7. The television antenna system of claim 1 wherein the support comprises:

a plurality of separate support structures spaced apart on said reflector.

8. A television antenna system for receiving broadcast television signals comprising:

an antenna receiving said broadcast television signals, said antenna having a pair of antenna arms of conductive metal material, said pair of antenna arms oriented without interleaving and touching each other;

each antenna arm in said pair having a terminal feed point, the terminal feed point of one antenna arm spaced apart from the other antenna arm in said pair, each antenna arm identical in shape to the other antenna arm in said pair;

a reflector, said reflector having a grid of reflector cells of conductive metal material, the dimensions of each of said reflector cells in said grid having dimensions that rejects unwanted multi-path broadcast television signals to said antenna;

a support formed of high dielectric material, said support holding said reflector from said antenna, said reflector held in a plane a predetermined distance from said terminal feed point of each said antenna arm in said pair of antenna arms by said support, said predetermined distance providing a higher front-to-back ratio that further rejects said unwanted multi-path broadcast television signals to said antenna.

9. The television antenna system of claim 8 wherein the broadcast television signals are digital.

11. The television antenna system of claim 8 wherein said pair of antenna arms are formed with said conductive metal material on a high dielectric sheet of plastic material.

12. The television antenna system of claim 8 wherein said grid of reflector cells are formed with said conductive metal material on a high dielectric sheet of plastic material.

13. The television antenna system of claim 8 wherein the support comprises:

a plurality of separate support structures spaced apart on said reflector.

10. The television antenna system of claim wherein the broadcast television signals are analog.

14. A television antenna system for receiving broadcast television signals comprising:

an antenna receiving said broadcast television signals, said antenna having a pair of antenna arms of conductive material, each antenna arm in said pair having a terminal feed point, the terminal feed point of one antenna arm spaced apart from the other antenna arm in said pair;

a reflector, said reflector having a grid of reflector cells of conductive material, the dimensions of each of said reflector cells in said grid having dimensions that rejects unwanted multi-path broadcast television signals to said antenna;

a support formed of high dielectric material, said support holding said reflector from said antenna, said reflector held in a plane a predetermined distance from said terminal feed point of each said antenna arm in said pair of antenna arms by said support, said predetermined distance providing a higher front-to-back ratio that further rejects said unwanted multi-path broadcast television signals to said antenna.

15. The television antenna system of claim 14 wherein the grid is square in shape.

16. The television antenna system of claim 14 wherein the grid is rectangular in shape.

17. The television antenna system of claim 14 wherein the conductive material is conductive metallic ink and wherein the grid of reflector cells is printed with the conductive metallic ink on a high dielectric sheet.

18. The television antenna system of claim 14 wherein the conductive material is metal and wherein the grid of reflector cells is formed with said conductive material.

19. The television antenna system of claim 14 wherein each cell in the grid of reflector cells has the same dimensions.

20. The television antenna system of claim 19 wherein each cell in the grid of reflector cells is square.