Low profile cavity backed long slot array antenna with integrated circulators

• US 8,717,243 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Yaccarino, Robert G., Carr, James A., Sauer, Rohn, Crockett, John A. Jr., Bradshaw, Steven E., Hadden, John M. IV, Walker, Lonny Richard, DaVeiga, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US13/348,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 343/787, 343/853, 343/770, 343/771, 333/1.1
• US Class Current: 343/787
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/387 Strip line circulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to active electronically scanned array antennas. A thin, low cost design is provided by coupling electromagnetic energy into periodically driven long slots (205) using circulators with integrated probes (107). The long slots (205) are formed as grooves (114) in a conductive base plate (103), each groove (114) bracketed on both sides by conductive strips (108). The circulators with integrated probes (107) are installed between the conductive strips (108) and the base plate (103), to reduce fabrication costs of the machined parts and to facilitate the making of connections between the circulators and the antenna electronics. The probes (128) protrude partway into the slots (205) and provide coupling to waves propagating in free space.

Claims

1. An array of radiating elements comprising:

a base plate (103) having a surface comprising a plurality of grooves (114),

a plurality of conductive strips (108) on the base plate (103), and

a plurality of circulators with integrated probes (107),

each of the circulators with integrated probes (107) being coplanar with the base plate (103) and secured between one of the conductive strips (108) and the base plate.

2. The array of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive strips (108) is made of magnetic stainless steel.

3. The array of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive strips (108) is secured to the base plate (103) using screws (106) inserted through clearance holes (118) in the conductive strip.

4. The array of claim 3, wherein at least one of the clearance holes (118) is counterbored.

5. The array of claim 4, wherein at least one of the conductive strips (108) further comprises lightening pockets.

6. The array of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive strips (108) comprises a chamfer (132) on at least one of its long edges.

7. The array of claim 1, wherein at least one of the circulators with integrated probes (107) is secured to a conductive strip with adhesive.

8. The array of claim 1, wherein the base plate (103) is made of aluminum.

9. The array of claim 1, further comprising a wide-angle impedance matching (WAIM) sheet (101) secured to at least one of the conductive strips (108).

10. The array of claim 9, wherein the WAIM sheet (101) is secured to at least one of the conductive strips using a polysulfide adhesive containing glass beads of uniform diameter.

11. The array of claim 1, wherein at least one electrical connection to at least one of the circulators with integrated probes (107) is formed by a compressible pin in contact with a conductive pad on the circulator with integrated probe.

12. The array of claim 1, further comprising a printed wiring board (PWB) (502) secured to the base plate.

13. The array of claim 12, wherein the printed wiring board (502) further comprises a corporate feed network and a translation layer.

14. The array of claim 13, in which at least one of the corporate feed network and the translation layer is a stripline circuit.

15. The array of claim 13, in which at least one of the corporate feed network and the translation layer is a channelized microstrip circuit.

16. The array of claim 12, further comprising an egg-crate structure (503) comprising a plurality of compartments, wherein at least one compartment contains an electronics module.

17. The array of claim 16, wherein the eggcrate structure (503) comprises a coolant manifold.

18. The array of claim 16, wherein at least one electronics module (603) is secured in a compartment of the eggcrate structure (503) by a retainer spring (602).

19. The array of claim 13, wherein at least one conductor in the translation layer is connected to a circulator with integrated probe by at least one straight coaxial conductor assembly (111).

20. The array of claim 19, wherein at least one coaxial conductor assembly (111) comprises a floating spring pin.