Cupped antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10109917-B2
Application number	US-201514870277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Described embodiments provide a cupped antenna for transmitting and receiving radio signals. The cupped antenna includes a cup having a rear surface and one or more side surfaces. The rear surface and side surfaces define a cavity having a first radiating element of the cupped antenna disposed within it. The first radiating element is coupled to a first feed circuit. The one or more side surfaces have one or more indentations disposed therein. The one or more indentations are configured to reduce a size and weight of the cup. The one or more indentations also provide an opening within an aperture of the cupped antenna such that an additional antenna can be disposed within the opening.

First claim

We claim:

1. A multi-element antenna comprising:
a plurality of cupped antennas coupled by a feed network, each cupped antenna comprising:
a cup having a rear surface and one or more side surfaces wherein the rear surface and one or more side surfaces define a cavity and wherein the one or more side surfaces are provided having one or more indentations disposed therein and wherein the one or more indentations are configured to reduce a size and weight of the cup; and
a first radiating element disposed within the cavity, wherein the first radiating element is configured to couple to a first feed circuit.

2. The multi-element antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a second radiating element disposed within the cavity orthogonal to the first radiating element, with the second radiating element configured to couple to a second feed circuit.

3. The multi-element antenna of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second radiating elements are configured to operate at one or more frequency bands.

4. The multi-element antenna of claim 3 , wherein the cupped antenna is configured to operate at a first frequency band from 1.0 to 2.0 GHz and a second frequency band from 2.0 to 4.0 GHz.

5. The multi-element antenna of claim 1 , wherein the one or more indentations comprise:
an even number of indentations substantially symmetrically disposed in the side surfaces of the cup about a center of the cup.

6. The multi-element antenna of claim 5 , comprising:
four indentations, a first indentation pair comprising a first indentation and a second indentation disposed opposite the center of the cup from each other, and a second indentation pair comprising a third indentation and a fourth indentation disposed opposite the center of the cup from each other, wherein the first indentation pair and the second indentation pair are disposed substantially orthogonally to each other.

7. The multi-element antenna of claim 6 , wherein each of the four indentations are located in an associated quadrant of a front surface of the cup.

8. The multi-element antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dielectric loading material disposed within the cavity.

9. The multi-element antenna of claim 8 , wherein the dielectric loading material comprises a cross-linked polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer.

10. The cupped antenna of claim 1 , wherein the cup is cylindrical in shape and the one or more indentations comprise rounded arcs.

11. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cupped antennas are disposed in a planar grid formation.

12. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cupped antennas are disposed in a linear formation.

13. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is disposed on a satellite.

14. An antenna array comprising:
a plurality of cupped antennas coupled by a feed network to form a cupped antenna array, each cupped antenna comprising:
a cup having a cavity formed by a rear surface of the cup and side surfaces of the cup;
at least one radiating element disposed within the cavity, wherein the at least one radiating element is coupled to a feed; and
one or more indentations disposed in the side surfaces of the cup, wherein the one or more indentations are configured to (i) reduce a size and weight of the cup, and (ii) provide an opening within an aperture of the cupped antenna array; and

an additional antenna disposed within the opening.

15. The antenna array of claim 14 , wherein the additional antenna has an aperture that is within the aperture of the cupped antenna array.

16. The antenna array of claim 14 wherein the antenna array is disposed as a feed for a reflector antenna.

17. The antenna array of claim 16 , wherein the reflector antenna comprises a parabolic reflector antenna.

18. The antenna array of claim 16 , wherein the cupped antenna array and the additional antenna are both configured as prime focus antennas.

19. The antenna array of claim 14 , wherein the cup of each cupped is cylindrical in shape and the one or more indentations comprise rounded arcs.

20. The antenna of claim 19 , wherein a radius of each of the rounded arcs of the one or more indentations is selected be greater than or equal to a radius of the additional antenna.

21. The antenna of claim 19 , wherein a radius of each of the rounded arcs of the one or more indentations is selected be greater than or equal to a radius of a feed element for the additional antenna.

22. The antenna array of claim 21 , wherein the feed element is a cylindrical waveguide feed and the second antenna is configured to operate in at least a frequency band from 4.0 to 8.0 GHz.

23. The antenna array of claim 22 , wherein the antenna array is a tri-band array configured to operate in an L frequency band, an S frequency band and a C frequency band.

24. The antenna array of claim 23 , wherein the tri-band array is configured to be retrofitted into an existing installation.

25. The antenna array of claim 24 , wherein the existing installation comprises one of a satellite communication station and a radar telemetry station.

26. The antenna array of claim 22 , wherein the feed element comprises:
a C band waveguide feed, the waveguide feed coupled to the additional antenna; and
a plurality of L and S band feeds, each of the plurality of L and S band feeds coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of cupped antennas;
wherein the waveguide feed is disposed within the opening within the aperture of the cupped antenna array.

27. The antenna array of claim 14 , wherein the antenna array is disposed on a monopulse radar system.

28. The antenna array of claim 14 , wherein one or more arrays are disposed on a satellite.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Pace Michael T
• Eastburg Jerret
• Patscheck Christopher S

Classifications

• H01Q5/20 Primary

  characterised by the operating wavebands · CPC title

• H01Q1/288 Primary

  Satellite antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/062

  using dipole aerials; (H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q15/16

  curved in two dimensions [2D], e.g. paraboloidal · CPC title

• H01Q5/55

  for horn or waveguide antennas · CPC title