Multi-beam antennas having lenses formed of a lightweight dielectric material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10651546-B2
Application number	US-201715777344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2017
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A multi-beam antenna includes a plurality of radiating elements and a lens that is positioned to receive electro-magnetic radiation from at least one of the radiating elements, the lens comprising a composite dielectric material. The composite dielectric material comprises a foamed base dielectric material having particles of a high dielectric constant material embedded therein, the high dielectric constant material having a dielectric constant that is at least three times a dielectric constant of the foamed base dielectric material.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A multi-beam antenna, comprising:
a plurality of radiating elements; and
a lens that is positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the radiating elements, the lens comprising a composite dielectric material,
wherein the composite dielectric material comprises a foamed base dielectric material having particles of a high dielectric constant material embedded therein, the high dielectric constant material having a dielectric constant that is at least three times a dielectric constant of the foamed base dielectric material,
wherein the high dielectric constant material comprises a ceramic material or a metal oxide.

2. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the high dielectric constant material has a dielectric constant of at least 10 .

3. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the foamed dielectric material comprises a foamed plastic.

4. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the foamed dielectric material has a foaming percentage of at least 50%.

5. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the high dielectric constant material is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the foamed dielectric material.

6. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a cylindrical lens.

7. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises at least one spherical lens.

8. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the high dielectric constant material comprises a powder.

9. The multi-beam antenna of claim 1 , wherein the composite dielectric material comprises a plurality of blocks.

10. The multi-beam antenna of claim 9 , wherein the high dielectric constant material is only embedded into the exterior surfaces of the blocks.

11. A multi-beam antenna, comprising:
a plurality of radiating elements; and
a lens that is positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the radiating elements, the lens comprising a plurality of blocks that are contained within an outer shell of a composite dielectric material,
wherein each block comprises a composite dielectric material that includes a base dielectric material having particles of a high dielectric constant material embedded therein, the high dielectric constant material having a dielectric constant that is at least three times a dielectric constant of the base dielectric material.

12. The multi-beam antenna of claim 11 , wherein the high dielectric constant material has a dielectric constant of at least 10.

13. The multi-beam antenna of claim 11 , wherein the base dielectric material comprises a foamed dielectric material and the high dielectric constant material comprises a ceramic material or a metal oxide.

14. The multi-beam antenna of claim 13 , wherein the foamed dielectric material has an open-cell structure and a foaming percentage of at least 50%.

15. The multi-beam antenna of claim 11 , wherein the high dielectric constant material is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the foamed dielectric material.

16. The multi-beam antenna of claim 11 , wherein the lens comprises one of a cylindrical lens or a spherical lens.

17. A method of fabricating a multi-beam antenna, the method comprising:
mixing particles of a second dielectric material into a first dielectric material that is in liquid form, the second dielectric material having a dielectric constant that is at least three times a dielectric constant of the first dielectric material;
adding a nucleating agent to the first dielectric material;
using a blowing agent to foam the first dielectric material having the particles of the second dielectric material mixed therein;
using the foamed first dielectric material for a lens for the multi-beam antenna; and
mounting the lens in front of at least one radiating element.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second dielectric material is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the first dielectric material.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Deng Gangyi

Classifications

• H01Q25/008

  lens fed multibeam arrays · CPC title

• H01Q21/24

  Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction {(circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001)} · CPC title

• H01Q21/00

  Antenna arrays or systems (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H01Q19/062

  for focusing · CPC title

• H01Q25/00

  Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00) · CPC title