Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – Wave guide type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-23
2001-05-01
Phan, Tho (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
Wave guide type
C343S776000, C343S756000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06225960
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to antennas for receiving microwave signals.
There are known antennas comprising an planar array of horns communicating with one or more waveguide systems, and in which the horns and waveguides are formed from a sandwich of moulded planar members. The planar members may be plastics mouldings with electrically conductive surfaces formed by metallisation. See for example my published international Patent Applications WO89/09501, WO91/20109 and WO95/23440.
There remains an on-going need for improvement to ease manufacture and reduce manufacturing time and cost. It is also necessary to address the design of other than planar arrays.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an antenna comprising :
a plurality of planar members secured together in face-to-face relationship to form an array of cavities, each cavity being in communication with at least one waveguide channel;
a waveguide system and;
a single waveguide output port.
Preferably, said single output port is circular.
Preferably, said single output port is connectable to a low noise block converter.
Preferably, each of the members is a vacuum forming.
Preferably, the members are formed by vacuum forming a plastics material and thereafter metallising at least one side of the vacuum formed material.
From another aspect, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an antenna element comprising an array of receiving horns, cylindrical cavities aligned with the receiving horns and bottom sections for the cavities, wherein the array of receiving horns is formed from a first planar member, the cylindrical cavities are formed from a second planar member in conjunction with a third planar member, and the bottom sections are formed from the third planar member in connection with a fourth planar member, each of the planar members having a given overall thickness transverse to its principal plane, said thickness being constituted by a membrane of relatively small thickness formed three-dimensionally in a generally corrugated fashion, positioning the planar members in face-to-face relationship to form an array of cavities and a waveguide system, each cavity being in communication with at least one waveguide channel, and securing the planar members together.
In a preferred form of the invention, the planar members are secured together by ultrasonic welding; for this purpose the mating faces of the planar members may be provided with ribs or the like which fuse to form weld beads during the ultrasonic welding.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4757324 (1988-07-01), Dhanjal
patent: 5600336 (1997-02-01), Kubo
patent: 0 312 989 (1989-04-01), None
patent: 95/23440 (1995-08-01), None
Clinger James
Phan Tho
Ratner & Prestia
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