Horn antenna for a radar device

• US 20020126061A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Schultheiss, Daniel, Fehrenbach, Josef, Griessbaum, Karl, Motzer, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 6,661,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/786
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/225 used in level-measurement devices, e.g. for level gauge measurement
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/08 for modifying the radiation pattern of a radiating horn in which it is located corrugated horns H01Q13/0208; producing a circular polarisation H01Q13/0241
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a horn antenna for a radar-filling level measuring device having an antenna envelope (3) that comprises a flaring hollow space (4) of the antenna, in which a filling (10) is present at least in part filling up said hollow space (4) of the antenna, and having an encasing (10, 20) of a dielectric material and enclosing the outside of the antenna envelope (3) and closing the opening (3a) of the hollow space of the hollow space (4) of the antenna.

Claims

1. A horn antenna for a radar-filling level measuring device having an antenna envelope that comprises a flaring hollow space of the antenna, in which a filling is present at least in part filling up said hollow space of the antenna, and having an encasing of dielectric material and enclosing the outside of the antenna envelope and closing the opening of the hollow space of the hollow space of the antenna.

2. The horn antenna according to claim 1, a spring element being present by means of which the antenna envelope can be pressed against the inner side of the encasing.

3. The horn antenna according to claim 1 or 2, the hollow space of the antenna being composed of a cone-shaped part and a cylindrical part.

4. The horn antenna according to any of the preceding claims, the antenna envelope consisting of metal, in particular stainless steel or aluminum or of an aluminum alloy.

5. The horn antenna according to any of the preceding claims, the filling comprising, directed into the radiation direction, a free surface having a convex shaping.

6. The horn antenna according to any of the claims 1 through 5, the filling comprising, directed into the radiation direction, a free surface having a concave shaping.

7. The horn antenna according to any of the preceding claims, a flange being present, which in the radiation direction is at least in part coated with the dielectric material of the encasing.

8. The horn antenna for a radar device according to any one of the preceding claims, the antenna envelope as a whole consisting of a dielectric material.

9. The horn antenna according to any one of the preceding claims, the filling of the hollow space of the antenna being configured multi-part and filling up same completely, and at the same time forming a radiation surface towards the inner receptacle space.

10. The horn antenna according to claim 9, the radiation surface facing the inner receptacle space extending radially thus far that for a flange attachment, a sealing is formed by the dielectric material.

11. The horn antenna according to claim 10, the filling completely filling up the hollow space of the antenna, and forming a radiation surface.

12. The horn antenna according to claim 11, the horn antenna being configured as a one-part body of a dielectric material.

13. The horn antenna according to any one of the preceding claims, the horn antenna being provided with a conductive coating.

14. The horn antenna according to claim 13, the conductive coating consisting of a PTFE-carbon mixture.

16. The horn antenna according to claim 15, the filling comprising a cone-shaped part of PTFE and a thereto following part of epoxy resin-bound hollow glass microballs, and said two parts being screwed with each other.

17. The horn antenna according to claim 15 or 16, a third part of modified Teflon being connected with the filling of dielectric material and closing the hollow space opening with respect to the atmosphere within the inner receptacle space, and extending radially so far that it forms a sealing when the filling level measuring device is in the attached condition.

18. The horn antenna according to claim 17, the part forming the sealing being screwed with the filling.

20. The horn antenna according to claim 19, the adhesive bond being a silicone bond.

15. A horn antenna for a radar-filling level measuring device having an antenna envelope that comprises a flaring hollow space of the antenna, in which a multipart filling of dielectric material is present at least in part filling up said hollow space of the antenna, and wherein the opening of the hollow space of the hollow space of the antenna is closed by an outside encasing extending radially so far that, with an attachment flange situated behind, it has a sealing effect with respect to the inner receptacle space.

19. The horn antenna according to any one of claims 15 through 18, the filling within the antenna envelope being bonded by adhesion, at least across a part of the circumferential wall.