Patch antenna using non-conductive frame

Details Patch antenna using non-conductive frame Patch antenna using non-conductive frame

1999-10-22

2002-07-16

Wong, Don (Department: 2821)

Communications: radio wave antennas

Antennas

Microstrip

C343S872000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06421011

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antennas; more particularly, patch antennas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1
illustrates an exploded view of a prior art patch antenna assembly. Non-conductive front housing
10
and conductive rear housing
12
form the outer surfaces of the antenna assembly. The two sections of the housing enclose multi-layered feedboard
14
, resonators
16
and
18
and spacers
20
. Spacers
20
are attached to front side
22
of feedboard
14
by screws
24
. Screws
24
mate with threads on the inside of spacers
20
by passing through holes
26
in feedboard
14
. Resonators
16
and
18
are attached to spacers
20
in a similar fashion. Screws
28
mate with threads on the inside of spacers
20
by passing through holes
30
in resonators
16
and
18
. The spacers are chosen so that they provide a space of approximately {fraction (1/10)} of a wavelength at the frequency of operation between feedboard
14
and resonators
16
and
18
. The assembled feedboard, spacers and resonators are mounted inside of the enclosure formed by front housing
10
and rear housing
12
. A signal to be transmitted by the antenna assembly is provided to conductor
40
of multi-layered feedboard
14
. Conductor
40
is typically positioned on one layer of feedboard
14
such as on top layer
42
. An insulating layer is typically provided between conductor
40
and a ground plane layer of feedboard
14
. The ground plane layer
22
normally has openings or slots
44
which allow the signal from conductor
40
to couple to resonators
16
and
18
so that the signal can be transmitted through front housing
10
.
FIG. 2
provides a more detailed illustration of the assembled feedboard
14
, spacers
20
and resonators
16
and
18
. Screws
24
pass through holes in feedboard
14
to mate with the threaded inside portion of spacer
20
. Similarly, screws
28
pass through holes in resonators
16
and
18
to mate with the threaded inside portion of spacers
20
.
This prior art patch antenna assembly suffers from several shortcomings. The assembly is expensive to assemble because of the many individual parts such as eight spacers and
16
screws. The spacers are expensive to mass produce because they include threaded inner portions. Additionally, the holes made through resonators
16
and
18
to allow screws
28
to mate with spacers
20
create unwanted patterns in the radio frequency energy radiated by the antenna assembly. For example, if the antenna is being used for a horizontally polarized transmission, the holes introduce additional non-horizontal polarizations in the transmitted signal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing a non-conductive frame that supports the resonators. The frame supports the resonators without making holes in the resonators and thereby avoids the problem of creating unwanted electric field polarizations. Additionally, the frame grasps the resonators in areas of low current density and thereby avoids creating additional disturbances in the radiation pattern. In another embodiment of the invention, the frames include posts that are used to attach the frames to the feedboard without using additional components such as screws.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5614915 (1997-03-01), Webb
patent: 5896107 (1999-04-01), Huynh
patent: 5977710 (1999-11-01), Kuramoto et al.
patent: 6008763 (1999-12-01), Nystrom
patent: 6054953 (2000-04-01), Lindmark
patent: 6118405 (2000-09-01), Mckinnon et al.
patent: 6271801 (2001-08-01), Tuttle et al.

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