Multi-band, dual-polarization reflector antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10903580-B2
Application number	US-202016808952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 2, 2016
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An antenna includes a reflector and a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly includes a feed assembly and a support member that extends from behind the reflector to orient the feed assembly for direct illumination of the reflector. The waveguide assembly includes a first waveguide coupled to a first portion of a common waveguide, a second waveguide coupled to a second portion of the common waveguide, and a septum layer that includes a septum polarizer coupled between the common waveguide and the first and second waveguides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna comprising:
a single reflector;
a feed assembly comprising a common waveguide in direct illumination of the single reflector; and
a support member extending from a location behind the single reflector to support the feed assembly;
a pair of waveguides comprising a first waveguide coupled to a first portion of the common waveguide and a second waveguide coupled to a second portion of the common waveguide, wherein the pair of waveguides extend through the support member.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein waveguide walls of the first and second waveguides defines an exterior of the support member.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the support member has a tapered cross-section that mitigates scattering interaction between the support member and the single reflector.

4. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide corresponds to a first polarization, and the second waveguide corresponds to a second polarization.

5. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the feed assembly comprises a dielectric insert within the common waveguide and extending beyond an opening of the common waveguide.

6. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the feed assembly comprises a pair of H-plane waveguide bends that connect the pair of waveguides to the first and second portions of the common waveguide.

7. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the support member is within a swept volume of the single reflector.

8. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the single reflector has an edge that is non-circular.

9. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the feed assembly comprises a septum polarizer separating the common waveguide into the first portion and the second portion.

10. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide shares a common wall with the second waveguide.

11. The antenna of claim 10 , wherein the common wall is a broad wall of the first and second waveguides.

12. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the support member is a multi-layer housing, and the pair of waveguides are formed within layers of the multi-layer housing.

13. The antenna of claim 12 , wherein the multi-layer housing has 3 layers.

14. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the support member extends through an opening of the single reflector.

15. The antenna of claim 14 , wherein the opening is at a periphery of the single reflector.

16. The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first interface flange for the first waveguide that is behind the single reflector; and
a second interface flange for the second waveguide that is behind the single reflector.

17. The antenna of claim 16 , further comprising radio frequency (RF) electronics and a system of waveguides that couple the RF electronics to the first and second interface flanges for the first and second waveguides of the pair of waveguides.

18. The antenna of claim 17 , wherein the feed assembly, the support member, the RF electronics, and the system of waveguides are arranged within a swept volume of the single reflector.

19. The antenna of claim 17 , wherein the system of waveguides includes one or more filters.

20. The antenna of claim 17 , wherein the system of waveguides includes a first diplexer coupled to the first waveguide, and a second diplexer coupled to the second waveguide.

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Jensen Anders
• Runyon Donald L

Classifications

• H01Q3/08

  for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation · CPC title

• H01Q13/0258

  Orthomode horns (orthomode transducers H01P1/161) · CPC title

• H01P5/12

  Coupling devices having more than two ports (H01P5/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/17

  for producing a continuously rotating polarisation, e.g. circular polarisation · CPC title

• H01Q19/08

  for modifying the radiation pattern of a radiating horn in which it is located {(corrugated horns H01Q13/0208; producing a circular polarisation H01Q13/0241)} · CPC title