Antenna apparatus

• US 7,782,272 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Kato, Takao, Noro, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu; Jennifer F
• Application Number:
  US11/901,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 343/895, 343/878, 343/880, 343/882, 343/888, 343/892, 343/900
• US Class Current: 343/895
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them

Abstract

An antenna apparatus includes: an antenna element; and a substrate on which a low noise amplifier is mounted and on which the antenna element is disposed, wherein the substrate comprises: an input unit for inputting an electric signal into the low noise amplifier from an output terminal formed at a lower part of the antenna element; an output unit for outputting the electric signal to a transmission unit connected to a signal processing unit for processing the electric signal from the antenna element; and a signal blocking unit provided between the input unit and the output unit.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

an antenna element; and

a substrate on which a low noise amplifier is mounted and on which the antenna element is disposed,

wherein the substrate comprises;

an input unit for inputting an electric signal into the low noise amplifier from an output terminal formed at a lower part of the antenna element;

an output unit for outputting the electric signal to a transmission unit connected to a signal processing unit for processing the electric signal from the antenna element; and

a signal blocking unit provided between the input unit and the output unit;

wherein the antenna element comprises;

a cylindrical body formed by a flexible dielectric material film member; and

an antenna pattern comprising at least one conducting wire that is formed on a first face of the dielectric material film member;

wherein the output unit and the input unit are disposed so as to face each other across the signal blocking unit; and

wherein the substrate comprises an upper portion on which the low noise amplifier is disposed and a lower portion on which the output unit and the input unit are disposed so as to be close to each other, and wherein the upper portion is inserted in the cylindrical body and the lower portion is exposed from the cylindrical body.

2. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the signal blocking unit comprises a through hole provided in a region between the input unit and the output unit.

3. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the antenna pattern comprises a plurality of conducting wires, and

a phase shifter pattern which is electrically connected to the antenna pattern is formed on the first face of the dielectric material film member.

4. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

a ground face is formed at a position which is opposed to the phase shifter pattern, on a second face of the dielectric material film member, and

the cylindrical body is formed so that the second face of the dielectric material film member is an outer face.

5. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a tubular outer packaging case for covering the cylindrical body, wherein a tip end of the outer packaging case in an axial direction is sealed; and

a space adjusting member for adjusting a dielectric constant of the antenna pattern, the space adjusting member being provided in a space between the outer packaging case and the cylindrical body.