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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017125909-A1
Application number	US-201615334699-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for the manufacture of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) or array of DRA's, 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

I/we claim:

1 . A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), comprising:
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.

2 . A method for the manufacture of the DRA, or an array of the DRA's, according to claim 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.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one volume is molded onto an insert to provide the signal feed or the ground structure.

4 . The method of claim 3 , comprising inserting a metal layer into an outer mold portion of the outermost volume V(N), and molding the outermost volume V(N) onto the metal layer to provide the signal feed or the ground structure on the outermost volume V(N).

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising 3D printing or inkjet printing a feature onto a volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one volume of the plurality of volumes is molded into a mold insert comprising a ceramic.

7 . The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one volume of the plurality of volumes is molded onto the ground structure or into a container comprising a material having a dielectric constant between 1 and 3.

8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the molding comprises molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials in a first mold, and a second volume of the plurality of dielectric materials in a second mold that is different from the first mold.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising adhering a surface of the first volume to a surface of the second volume.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the molding comprises molding a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, and molding a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials into or onto the first volume.

11 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the molding comprises injection molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of the dielectric materials.

12 . The method of claim 11 , 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.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first volume is the outermost volume V(N).

14 . The method of claim 11 , 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.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first volume is the innermost volume V( 1 ).

16 . The method of claim 11 , 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.

17 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the molding comprises compression molding at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

18 . The method of claim 17 , 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.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first volume is the outermost volume V(N).

20 . The method of claim 17 , 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.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the first volume is the innermost volume V( 1 ).

22 . A method for the manufacture of the DRA, or array of the DRA's, according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
forming a plurality of fused layers comprising a dielectric composition in a preset pattern to provide the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of fused layers is formed onto a component to provide the signal feed or the ground structure.

24 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising printing a metal component onto a layer of the plurality of fused layers.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the printing is on the outermost volume V(N) to provide the signal feed or the ground structure on the outermost volume V(N).

26 . The method of claim 22 , wherein at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials is formed onto the ground structure, or into a container comprising a material having a dielectric constant between 1 and 3.

27 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising forming a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials separately from a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising adhering a surface of the first volume to a surface of the second volume.

29 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
forming a first plurality of fused layers to provide a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and forming a second plurality of fused layers on an outer surface of the first volume to provide a second volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials on the first volume.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the first volume is the innermost volume V( 1 ).

31 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
forming a first plurality of fused layers to provide a first volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and forming a second p

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• H01Q9/0485 Primary

  Dielectric resonator antennas · CPC title

• H01Q5/50

  Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title