Broadband multiple layer dielectric resonator antenna and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10601137-B2
Application number	US-201615334699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) or array of DRAs, the DRA having: an electrically conductive ground structure; a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure having N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and, a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials. The method including molding at least one of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric material, or all of the volumes of the dielectric material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), or an array of the DRAs, each DRA having: an electrically conductive ground structure; a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, the method comprising:
molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials, or all volumes of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the molding comprises injection molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the injection molding comprises:
injection molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials in a first mold having an outer mold form and an inner mold form;
removing the inner mold form and replacing it with a second inner mold form defining an inner dimension of a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and
injection molding the second volume in the first volume.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first volume is the outermost volume V(N).

3. A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), or an array of the DRAs, each DRA having: an electrically conductive ground structure; a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, the method comprising:
molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials, or all volumes of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the molding comprises injection molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the injection molding comprises:
injection molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials in a first mold having an outer mold form and an inner mold form;
removing the outer mold form and replacing it with a second outer mold form defining an outer dimension of a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and
injection molding the second volume onto the first volume.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first volume is the innermost volume V(1).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the injection molding comprises injection molding a thermosetting composition comprising:
a curable composition, and
a catalyst system effective to cure the composition; and
curing the curable composition to form the at least one volume.

6. A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), or an array of the DRAs, each DRA having: an electrically conductive ground structure; a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, the method comprising:
molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials, or all volumes of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the molding comprises compression molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
wherein the compression molding comprises:
compression molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials in a first mold having an outer mold form and an inner mold form;
removing the inner mold form and replacing it with a second inner mold form defining an inner dimension of a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and
compression molding the second volume in the first volume.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first volume is the outermost volume V(N).

8. A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), or an array of the DRAs, each DRA having: an electrically conductive ground structure; a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, the method comprising:
molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials, or all volumes of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the molding comprises compression molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
wherein the compression molding comprises:
compression molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials in a first mold having an outer mold form and an inner mold form;
removing the outer mold form and replacing it with a second outer mold form defining an outer dimension of a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and
compression molding the second volume onto the first volume.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first volume is the innermost volume V(1).

10. A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), or an array of the DRAs, each DRA having a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1), the method comprising:
molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials, or all volumes of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the molding comprises injection molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials;
wherein the injection molding comprises:
injection molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials in a first mold having an o

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

• Pance Kristi
• Sprentall Karl
• Williams Shawn P
• Daigle Robert C

Classifications

• H01Q9/0485 Primary

  Dielectric resonator antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/30

  Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system · CPC title

• H01Q9/0492

  circularly polarised · CPC title