Dual polarised radiating element for cellular base station antennas

• US 8,416,141 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kunze, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Karacsony, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/339,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 343/797, 343/834, 343/835, 343/836, 343/837, 343/908, 343/912, 343/799
• US Class Current: 343/797
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/36 with top loading

Abstract

The invention relates to a dual polarized radiating element for a cellular base station antenna, comprising a reflector surface for reflecting radiation energy, four radiating monopoles distributed around an aperture area, each radiating monopole comprising a footing protruding from said reflector surface and a flange located above the reflector surface and protruding from said footing radially towards the outside, the flanges from adjacent monopoles extending radially perpendicular to each other. The element further comprises four element feeds, each capacitively coupled to a respective monopole and protruding radially therefrom within the aperture area, and powering means connected to the element feeds.

Claims

1. Dual polarised radiating element for a cellular base station antenna, comprising:

a reflector surface for reflecting radiation energy,

four radiating monopoles distributed circumferentially around an aperture area prescribed by the inner perimeter of the four radiating monopoles and in which an electric field is generated that forms a magnetic source, each radiating monopole comprising a footing protruding from said reflector surface and a flange located above the reflector surface and protruding from said footing radially towards an outside, the flanges from adjacent monopoles extending radially perpendicular to each other,

four element feeds comprising each a footing portion and a flange portion connected to an upper part of the footing portion and perpendicular thereto, where each footing portion is capacitively coupled to a respective radiating monopole at a level of its footing and each flange portion protruding radially from the respective radiating monopole within the aperture area,

a power source connected to the four element feeds.

2. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, wherein a pair of opposite element feeds extends above the reflector surface between two opposite footings.

3. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, wherein said power source comprises:

a power divider,

a first connection line connecting the power divider to an element feed,

a second connection line connecting the power divider to an opposite element feed and introducing a 180°

phase shift relative to said first connection line.

4. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 3, wherein said first and second connection lines have identical impedance amplitudes.

5. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, wherein said reflector surface is planar and wherein said flanges are comprised within a common plane surface, said flanges being parallel to the reflector surface.

6. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, wherein said reflector surface is planar and wherein said flanges are tilted relative to said reflector surface.

7. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, wherein each monopole further comprises at least one wing extending from a respective flange and being tilted relative to the respective flange.

8. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 7, wherein said footings have a rectangular shape having the same length as said flanges.

9. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, wherein said flanges are provided with through holes extending tangentially relative to said aperture area.

10. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 1, further comprising sidewalls protruding from said reflector surface on the same side as the radiating monopoles, said radiating monopoles being located between said sidewalls.

11. Dual polarised radiating element according to claim 10, wherein the intersection between the reflector surface and the sidewalls form parallel lines and wherein each pair of opposite element feeds extend according to a direction forming approximately 45°

with said parallel lines.