Array antenna device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023246346-A1
Application number	US-202318297888-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2023
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 3, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An array antenna device includes: a ground plate that is a flat-plate shaped conductor; an element antenna array in which a plurality of tapered slot antennas are linearly arranged on the ground plate along an electric field direction; and a metal plate provided at both ends or one end of an antenna aperture formed in the element antenna array arranged on the ground plate along the electric field direction, the metal plate having a height from the ground plate higher than a height of the tapered slot antenna.

First claim

1 . An array antenna device comprising:
a ground plate that is a flat-plate shaped conductor; an element antenna array in which a plurality of element antennas are linearly arranged on the ground plate along an electric field direction; and a conductor member provided at only both ends or only one end of an antenna aperture formed in the element antenna array arranged on the ground plate along the electric field direction, the conductor member having a height from the ground plate higher than a height of the element antenna.

2 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the element antenna arrays are arranged in a quadrangular shape.

3 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the element antenna arrays are arranged in a triangular shape.

4 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the element antenna arrays are non-periodically arranged.

5 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member is a flat-plate shaped conductor provided on the ground plate in such a way that the conductor member is orthogonal to an electric field direction of the element antenna array.

6 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member is a polygonal columnar conductor provided on the ground plate in such a way that the conductor member is orthogonal to an electric field direction of the element antenna array.

7 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member is a columnar conductor provided on the ground plate in such a way that the conductor member is orthogonal to an electric field direction of the element antenna array.

8 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member is provided at a position separated from a center position of the element antenna at an end along an electric field direction of the element antenna array by a distance of half a width of the element antenna.

9 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member has a height that is an odd multiple of ¼ of free space wavelength at a lower limit frequency of an operating frequency band.

10 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member has a height that is an odd multiple of ¼ of an effective wavelength of a dielectric in which the element antenna is formed, at a lower limit frequency of an operating frequency band.

11 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is a tapered slot antenna.

12 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is a patch antenna.

13 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is a dipole antenna.

14 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is a slot antenna.

15 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

16 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is a horn antenna.

17 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is fed with power by a coaxial line.

18 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is fed with power by electromagnetic coupling without physical connection.

19 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is fed with power using a Spertopf balun.

20 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is fed with power using a Marchand balun.

21 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is fed with power using a tapered balun.

22 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein
the element antenna is an antenna that radiates a plurality of polarized waves, and the conductor member is provided at both ends or one end of the antenna aperture formed in the element antenna array along an electric field direction of each of the polarized waves.

23 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor member is a member in which a metal foil is provided on a surface of a dielectric substrate.

24 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the element antenna is an antenna including a conductor or an antenna including a metal thin film provided on a dielectric substrate.

25 . The array antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein
the element antenna is provided on a surface of a substrate disposed on the ground plate, and the conductor member is formed on a substrate on which the element antenna is provided.

26 . The array antenna device according to claim 25 , wherein the conductor member includes: metal thin films formed on a front side surface and a back side surface of both ends or one end of the substrate on which the element antenna is provided; and a through hole that electrically connects and short-circuits the metal thin film formed on the front side surface and the metal thin film formed on the back side surface.

27 . The array antenna device according to claim 25 , wherein
the substrate on which the element antenna is provided is a substrate on which a plurality of dielectrics are stacked, and the conductor member is formed in at least one of the plurality of stacked dielectric layers.

28 . The array antenna device according to claim 27 , wherein
the conductor member is formed in at least two or more layers among the plurality of stacked dielectric layers, and at least one through hole that electrically connects and short-circuits the conductor members formed in the two or more layers is provided.

29 . The array antenna device according to claim 25 , further comprising an L-shaped fixing member that fixes the substrate on which the element antenna is provided on the ground plate and short-circuits the conductor members.

30 . The array antenna device according to claim 25 , wherein
the substrate on which the element antenna is provided is a substrate on which the element antenna array including two or more of the element antennas is provided, the substrate on which the element antenna array is provided is provided in plurality on the ground plate, and the conductor member is provided for each of the substrates.

31 . The array antenna device according to claim 25 , wherein the conductor member is provided for each of the element antenna arrays.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Watanabe Hikaru
• Takahashi Toru
• Kihira Kazunari
• Fukasawa Toru

Classifications

• H01Q21/061 Primary

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · 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

• H01Q13/085 Primary

  Slot-line radiating ends · CPC title

• H01Q21/064

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