Wedge shaped scimitar antenna

• US 8,963,795 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wollschleger, Steven D., Sillis, Bryan J., Seegmiller, Dennis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/652,396
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 343/895, 343/702, 343/741, 343/743, 343/866, 343/870
• US Class Current: 343/866
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/43 Scimitar antennas

Abstract

A wedge shaped scimitar radio frequency (RF) antenna can include a lip, an RF signal feed connected to the lip, a base, and a back surface. The antenna can also include a convexly curved outer surface that extends from the lip to the back surface. The convexly curved outer surface can be wedge shaped from the back surface of the antenna to the lip. The antenna can also include a concavely curved outer surface that extends from the lip to the base of the antenna, and the concavely curved outer surface can be wedge shaped from the base of the antenna to the lip.

Claims

1. A wedge shaped scimitar radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising:

a lip

an RF signal feed connected to said lip;

a base;

a back surface,

a wedge shaped convexly curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said back surface, wherein a first width of said convexly curved outer surface at said back surface is greater than a second width of said convexly curved outer surface at said lip; and

a wedge shaped concavely curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said base, wherein a first width of said concavely curved outer surface at said base is greater than a second width of said concavely curved outer surface at said lip.

2. The antenna of claim 1 further comprising a ground plate, wherein:

said base is coupled to a planar surface of said ground plate, and

said signal feed extends from said planar surface of said ground plate directly to said lip.

3. The antenna of claim 2 further comprising a gap between said lip and said planar surface of said ground plate.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said first width of said convexly curved outer surface is at least two times the second width of said convexly curved outer surface.

5. The antenna of claim 4, wherein said first width of said concavely curved outer surface is at least one and one half times the second width of said concavely curved outer surface.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein:

a top region of said antenna comprises a first portion of said convexly curved outer surface;

a front region of said antenna comprises a second portion of said convexly curved outer surface;

a bottom region of said antenna comprises said lip, said concavely curved outer surface, and said base; and

a back region of said antenna comprises said back surface.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein:

said first portion of said convexly curved outer surface extends from said back surface to said second portion of said curved outer surface, and

said second portion of said convexly curved outer surface extends from said first portion toward said lip.

8. The antenna of claim 6, wherein said top region has an overall wedge shape from said front region to said back region.

9. The antenna of claim 8, wherein said bottom region has an overall wedge shape from said front region to said back region.

10. The antenna of claim 1, wherein:

a curvature of said convexly curved outer surface from said lip to said back surface comprises a first spiral curve originating from said lip,

a curvature of said concavely curved outer surface from said lip to said base comprises a second spiral curve originating from said lip, and

said first spiral curve and second spiral curve diverge from each other.

11. The antenna of claim 10, wherein:

said first spiral curve is a substantially logarithmic spiral curve, and

said second spiral curve is a substantially logarithmic spiral curve.

12. The antenna of claim 11, wherein said first spiral curve and said second spiral curve are logarithmically spiral from a same location that is directly between said lip and said base.

13. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a curvature of said convexly curved outer surface is truncated at said back surface.

14. The antenna of claim 13, wherein said back surface from said convexly curved outer surface to said base is substantially perpendicular to said base from said concavely curved outer surface to said back surface.

15. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a curvature of said convexly curved outer surface from said lip to said back surface is substantially a spiral curve truncated by said back surface.

16. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a trajectory of said convexly curved outer surface from said lip to said back surface is truncated by said back surface.

17. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said convexly curved outer surface and said concavely curved outer surface are substantially perpendicular to an imaginary plane passing through said convexly curved outer surface and said concavely curved outer surface.

18. A wedge shaped scimitar radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising:

a lip

an RF signal feed connected to said lip;

a base;

a back surface,

a wedge shaped convexly curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said back surface, wherein a first width of said convexly curved outer surface at said back surface is greater than a second width of said convexly curved outer surface at said lip; and

a wedge shaped concavely curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said base, wherein a first width of said concavely curved outer surface at said base is greater than a second width of said concavely curved outer surface at said lip

wherein;

said back surface comprises a top edge and a bottom edge,

said base comprises a front edge and a back edge of said base is said bottom edge of said back surface,

said convexly curved outer surface extends from said lip to said top edge of said back surface, and

said concavely curved outer surface extends from said lip to said front edge of said base.

19. The antenna of claim 18, wherein said base is wider at said back edge than at said front edge.

20. The antenna of claim 19 further comprising a ground plate, wherein:

said base is coupled to a planar surface of said ground plate, and

said signal feed extends from said surface of said ground plate directly to said lip.

21. The antenna of claim 20, wherein said back surface extends substantially perpendicular to planar surface of said ground plate.

22. The antenna of claim 21, wherein said convexly curved outer surface, said concavely curved outer surface, and said planar surface of said ground plate are substantially perpendicular to an imaginary plane passing through said convexly curved outer surface, said concavely curved outer surface, and said planar surface of said ground plate.

23. A wedge shaped scimitar radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising:

a lip

an RF signal feed connected to said lip;

a base;

a back surface,

a wedge shaped convexly curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said back surface, wherein a first width of said convexly curved outer surface at said back surface is greater than a second width of said convexly curved outer surface at said lip; and

a wedge shaped concavely curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said base, wherein a first width of said concavely curved outer surface at said base is greater than a second width of said concavely curved outer surface at said lip,

wherein a portion of said convexly curved outer surface has an hour glass shape.

24. A wedge shaped scimitar radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising:

a lip

an RF signal feed connected to said lip;

a base;

a back surface,

a wedge shaped convexly curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said back surface, wherein a first width of said convexly curved outer surface at said back surface is greater than a second width of said convexly curved outer surface at said lip; and

a wedge shaped concavely curved outer surface that extends from said lip to said base, wherein a first width of said concavely curved outer surface at said base is greater than a second width of said concavely curved outer surface at said lip,

wherein said convexly curved outer surface between said back surface and said lip comprises a section that is wider at opposite ends of said section than at a middle of said section.