Horn antenna for a radar device

• US 6,661,389 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/989,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 343/785, 343/786, 343/772, 343/771, 343/873, 343/872, 333/21.A
• 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 an outside, a flaring hollow space, a filling at least in part filling up said hollow space, and having an encasing of dielectric material that encloses the outside of the antenna envelope and closes an opening of the hollow space.

2. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the horn antenna includes a spring element adapted to press the antenna envelope against an inner side of the encasing.

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

4. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna envelope consists essentially of metal.

5. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the filling includes a free surface having a convex shaping in a radiation direction.

6. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the filling includes a free surface having a concave shaping in a radiation direction.

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

8. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna envelope as a whole consists of a dielectric material.

9. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the filling completely fills the hollow space and includes multiple parts and a radiation surface facing an inner receptacle space.

10. The horn antenna according to claim 9, wherein the radiation surface facing the inner receptacle space extends radially to form a flange attachment adapted to form a seal of the dielectric material.

11. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the filling completely fills the hollow space.

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

13. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna envelope includes a conductive coating.

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

21. The horn antenna of claim 4, wherein the metal includes at least one of stainless steel, aluminum, and an aluminum alloy.

15. A horn antenna for a radar-filling level measuring device having an antenna envelope that comprises an outside, an open end, a flaring hollow space, a multipart filling of dielectric material at least in part filling up said hollow space, and a dielectric outside encasing closing the open end, covering the outside of the antenna envelope and extending radially to have a sealing effect with respect to an inner receptacle space.

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

17. The horn antenna according to claim 16, a third part of modified polytetrafluorethene 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 to form a seal with the filling level measuring device in an attached condition.

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

19. The horn antenna according to claim 15, wherein the antenna envelope includes a circumferential wall, and wherein the filling within the antenna envelope is bonded by adhesion at least across a part of the circumferential wall.

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

22. A horn antenna, comprising:

a body including a wall, an interior space, an open end;

a dielectric filling in the interior space;

a dielectric outer coating on an outer surface of the wall; and

a dielectric closure on the open end.

23. The horn antenna of claim 22, wherein the dielectric closure includes a planar face that is perpendicular to a principal radiation direction from the body.

24. The horn antenna of claim 22, wherein one of the dielectric outer coating and the dielectric covering include a sealing flange.

25. The horn antenna of claim 22, wherein the dielectric outer coating includes a first material, the dielectric filling includes a second material, and the first material is different than the second material.

26. The horn antenna of claim 22, wherein the wall of the body tapers, and the dielectric outer coating forms a cylinder.