Antenna with shaped dielectric loading

• US 7,940,225 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Ball, Thomas A., Snow, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US11/821,475
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/725, 343/773, 343/908
• US Class Current: 343/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/09 wherein the primary active element is coated with or embedded in a dielectric or magnetic material protective material H01Q1/40, varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of refracting or diffracting devices H01Q3/44
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

An apparatus, method of propagating a signal and method of manufacture for an antenna structure comprising a section which is positioned or formed in relation to a portion of the antenna structure, such that a portion of the electromagnetic (EM) field that is emitted from the antenna structure is partially slowed or phase shifted thereby resulting in an improvement of the horizontal gain of the EM field.

Claims

1. An antenna structure comprising:

a first antenna element, said first antenna element being adapted to produce a first electromagnetic radiation pattern comprising a first and second reference axis; and

a second antenna element, said second antenna element comprising a material adapted to refract a portion of said first electromagnetic radiation pattern to produce a second electromagnetic radiation pattern which has a third reference axis being substantially orthogonal to said first reference axis;

wherein said second antenna element comprises a plurality of layers having an outer layer formed with a plurality of recesses formed within a face of the outer layer adapted to refract said first electromagnetic radiation pattern in a predetermined direction.