Horn antenna array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10658760-B2
Application number	US-201816018160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A horn antenna array includes at least two horn antenna elements arranged along a first direction. Each of the at least two horn antenna elements includes a base having a slot extending along a second direction which intersects the first direction, and a horn communicating with the slot, the horn having a pair of electrically-conductive first inner walls intersecting the first direction and a pair of electrically-conductive second inner walls intersecting the second direction. The pair of second inner walls include a pair of opposing protrusions. When radiating an electromagnetic wave, the pair of protrusions create two radiation sources on the inside of the pair of first inner walls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A horn antenna array comprising at least two horn antenna elements arranged along a first direction, wherein,
each of the at least two horn antenna elements includes
a base having a slot extending along a second direction which intersects the first direction, and
a horn communicating with the slot, the horn having a pair of electrically-conductive first inner walls intersecting the first direction and a pair of electrically-conductive second inner walls intersecting the second direction; and

the pair of second inner walls each include a protrusion, the protrusions defining a pair of opposing protrusions.

2. The horn antenna array of claim 1 , wherein
the pair of first inner walls each include a ridge portion, the ridge portions defining a pair of opposing ridge portions;
the pair of ridge portions protrude toward a center axis of the horn respectively from the pair of first inner walls; and
an interval between the pair of ridge portions increases away from the slot.

3. The horn antenna array of claim 2 , wherein, as viewed from a direction of one of the pair of second inner walls, a foremost edge of each of the pair of ridge portions has a concave shape with respect to the center axis.

4. The horn antenna array of claim 1 , wherein a foremost edge of the pair of protrusions has a convex shape.

5. The horn antenna array of claim 3 , wherein a foremost edge of the pair of protrusions has a convex shape.

6. The horn antenna array of claim 1 , wherein at front-side edges of the pair of second inner walls, the pair of protrusions are located in central portions thereof.

7. The horn antenna array of claim 5 , wherein at front-side edges of the pair of second inner walls, the pair of protrusions are located in central portions thereof.

8. The horn antenna array of claim 2 , wherein the slot includes a lateral portion extending along the second direction and a pair of vertical portions extending along a third direction from opposite ends of the lateral portion, the third direction intersecting the second direction.

9. The horn antenna array of claim 3 , wherein the slot includes a lateral portion extending along the second direction and a pair of vertical portions extending along a third direction from opposite ends of the lateral portion, the third direction intersecting the second direction.

10. The horn antenna array of claim 5 , wherein the slot includes a lateral portion extending along the second direction and a pair of vertical portions extending along a third direction from opposite ends of the lateral portion, the third direction intersecting the second direction.

11. The horn antenna array of claim 1 , wherein,
the horn antenna array is used to radiate an electromagnetic wave of a band having a central wavelength λo in free space;
the horn antenna array includes a plurality of horn antenna elements which are arranged in a two-dimensional array along the first direction and the second direction;
a period of arrangement of the plurality of horn antenna elements along the first direction is greater than λo; and
a period of arrangement of the plurality of horn antenna elements along the second direction is smaller than λo.

12. The horn antenna array of claim 2 , wherein,
the horn antenna array is used to radiate an electromagnetic wave of a band having a central wavelength λo in free space;
the horn antenna array includes a plurality of horn antenna elements which are arranged in a two-dimensional array along the first direction and the second direction;
a period of arrangement of the plurality of horn antenna elements along the first direction is greater than λo; and
a period of arrangement of the plurality of horn antenna elements along the second direction is smaller than λo.

13. The horn antenna array of claim 3 , wherein,
the horn antenna array is used to radiate an electromagnetic wave of a band having a central wavelength λo in free space;
the horn antenna array includes a plurality of horn antenna elements which are arranged in a two-dimensional array along the first direction and the second direction;
a period of arrangement of the plurality of horn antenna elements along the first direction is greater than λo and smaller than 2λo; and
a period of arrangement of the plurality of horn antenna elements along the second direction is smaller than λo.

14. The horn antenna array of claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the horn along the first direction is greater than a dimension of the horn along the second direction.

15. The horn antenna array of claim 2 , wherein a dimension of the horn along the first direction is greater than a dimension of the horn along the second direction.

16. The horn antenna array of claim 9 , wherein
the horn antenna array is used to radiate an electromagnetic wave of a band having a central wavelength λo in free space;
a dimension of the horn along the first direction is greater than a dimension of the horn along the second direction; and
the period of arrangement of the at least two horn antenna elements is smaller than 2λo.

17. The horn antenna array of claim 1 which is formed by injection molding or die casting.

18. The horn antenna array of claim 10 which is formed by injection molding or die casting.

19. The horn antenna array of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plate-shaped first electrically conductive member having a front-side first electrically conductive surface and a rear-side second electrically conductive surface, the first electrically conductive surface having a shape which defines the respective slots and horns of the horn antenna elements;
a second electrically conductive member having a third electrically conductive surface opposing the second electrically conductive surface;
a waveguide member located between the first electrically conductive member and the second electrically conductive member and extending along the first direction, the waveguide member having an electrically-conductive waveguide face opposing the second electrically conductive surface or the third electrically conductive surface; and
an artificial magnetic conductor extending on both sides of the waveguide member, wherein,
a waveguide is constituted by the waveguide face and the second electrically conductive surface or the third electrically conductive surface opposing the waveguide face; and
the slot is coupled to the waveguide.

20. The horn antenna array of claim 10 , further comprising:
a plate-shaped first electrically conductive member having a front-side first electrically conductive surface and a rear-side second electrically conductive surface, the first electrically conductive surface having a shape which defines the respective slots and horns of the horn antenna elements;
a second electrically conductive member having a third electrically conductive surface opposing the second electrically conductive surface;
a waveguide member located between the first electrically conductive member and the second electrically conductive member and extending along the first direction, the waveguide member having an electrically-conductive waveguide face opposing the second electrically conductive surface or the third electrically conductive surface; and
an artificial magnetic conductor extending on both sides of the waveguide member, wherein,
a waveguide is constituted by the waveguide face and the second electrically conductive surface or the third electrically conductive surface opposing the waveguide face;
the slot is coupled to the

Assignees

• Nidec Corp
• Wgr Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kamo Hiroyuki
• Kirino Hideki

Classifications

• H01Q21/061 Primary

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q21/0087

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays (manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00) · CPC title

• H01Q21/064 Primary

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title

• H01Q13/0233

  Horns fed by a slotted waveguide array (biconical horns H01Q13/06) · CPC title

• H01Q1/36

  Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; {Particular materials used therewith}(H01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence) · CPC title