Printed quasi-tapered tape helical array antenna
First Claim
1. A compact quasi-tapered tape helical element, comprising:
- a thin helix conductor having a uniform helix conductor section associated with a tapered helix conductor section, wherein said helix conductor is printed on a thin dielectric sheet and bonded to a hollow composite dielectric support; and
a copper conductor for providing an electrical connection between a feeding point of said helix conductor and a microstrip line of a microstrip feed network, wherein uniform and tapered helix turns are respectively wrapped around said uniform and tapered sections for enabling impedance matching, axial mode excitation, gain and radiation patterns, and damping out of standing waves generated in current distribution over said helix conductor, wherein said helical element comprises a low on-axis and off-axis axial ratio performance over the wideband more than 35% bandwidth over 3 dB beamwidth for global coverage, wherein said compact quasi-tapered tape helical element comprises less than six uniform turns terminated by said tapered section comprising less than three turns, and wherein said quasi-tapered tape helical element comprises a constant pitch throughout said helix conductor, and wherein said low axial ratio performance comprises an improved off-axis axial ratio relative to a helix element with no end tapering.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A printed quasi-tapered tape helical element and printed helical array antenna. The helical element comprises a thin helix conductor having a uniform section associated with a tapered section. The helix conductor can be printed on a thin dielectric sheet and bonded to a hollow composite dielectric support. A solid copper conductor is configured to provide electrical connection between a feeding point of the helix conductor and a microstrip line of a microstrip feed network. The uniform and tapered helix turns are respectively wrapped around the uniform and tapered sections, which enables impedance matching, axial mode excitation, gain and radiation patterns, and damping out of standing waves generated in current distribution over the helix conductor. Conductive composite cups surrounding each helical element reduces mutual coupling in array environment. Thus, the helical element and the array antenna achieve low on-axis and off-axis axial ratio performance over the wideband for global coverage.
21 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A compact quasi-tapered tape helical element, comprising:
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a thin helix conductor having a uniform helix conductor section associated with a tapered helix conductor section, wherein said helix conductor is printed on a thin dielectric sheet and bonded to a hollow composite dielectric support; and a copper conductor for providing an electrical connection between a feeding point of said helix conductor and a microstrip line of a microstrip feed network, wherein uniform and tapered helix turns are respectively wrapped around said uniform and tapered sections for enabling impedance matching, axial mode excitation, gain and radiation patterns, and damping out of standing waves generated in current distribution over said helix conductor, wherein said helical element comprises a low on-axis and off-axis axial ratio performance over the wideband more than 35% bandwidth over 3 dB beamwidth for global coverage, wherein said compact quasi-tapered tape helical element comprises less than six uniform turns terminated by said tapered section comprising less than three turns, and wherein said quasi-tapered tape helical element comprises a constant pitch throughout said helix conductor, and wherein said low axial ratio performance comprises an improved off-axis axial ratio relative to a helix element with no end tapering. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A compact quasi-tapered tape helical array antenna, comprising:
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one or more quasi-tapered tape helical elements, arranged in array with inter-element spacing and each having a feed point, wherein each helical element comprises a thin helix conductor having a uniform helix conductor section associated with a tapered helix conductor section, wherein said helix conductor is printed on a thin dielectric sheet and bonded to a hollow composite dielectric support, and a copper conductor for providing an electrical connection between the feed point of said helix conductor and a microstrip line of a microstrip feed network, wherein uniform and tapered helix turns are respectively wrapped around said uniform and tapered sections for enabling impedance matching, axial mode excitation, gain and radiation patterns, and damping out of standing waves generated in current distribution over said helix conductor; a plurality of quarter wave section transformers disposed within a corporate feed network configured for power division and transformation of impedance of said one or more helical elements to input impedance at said feed point of said one or more helical elements; and a plurality of conductive cups surrounding said one or more helical elements in a conductive composite ground plane, wherein said conductive cups provide reduced electromagnetic mutual coupling between said one or more helical elements, wherein said compact quasi-tapered tape helical array antenna comprises less than six uniform turns terminated by said tapered section comprising less than three turns, and wherein said quasi-tapered tape helical element comprises a constant pitch throughout said helix conductor, and wherein said compact quasi-tapered tape helical array antenna achieves more than 35% bandwidth performance for low axial ratio over 3 dB beamwidth. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification