Stacked patch antenna having spacers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024421487-A1
Application number	US-202117515414-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2021
Priority date	Nov 19, 2020
Publication date	Dec 19, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An antenna comprises first and second substrates with one or more spacers disposed therebetween so as to provide a substantially uniform an air gap between the substrates. Disposed on the first and second substrates are one or more antenna elements and disposed on at least one of the substrates is a feed circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An antenna comprising:
a first substrate having first and second opposing surfaces; a first antenna element disposed on a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces; a second substrate having a first surface disposed over a first one of the first and second surfaces of the first substrate; a second antenna element disposed on a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the second substrate; a plurality of openings provided in one of the substrates; a plurality of spacers disposed in respective ones of the plurality of openings such that the plurality of spacers are disposed between the first and second substrates and arranged to provide an air gap between the first surface of the second substrate and the first one of the first and second surfaces of the first substrate and second antenna elements.

2 . The antenna of claim 1 wherein the plurality of spacers are disposed in a geometric pattern between the first and second substrates.

3 . The antenna of claim 1 wherein the plurality of spacers are disposed in a geometric grid pattern between the first and second substrates.

4 . The antenna of claim 1 wherein the plurality of spacers are disposed in one of:
a triangular grid pattern between the first and second substrates;
a polygonal pattern between the first and second substrates;
a hexagonal pattern between the first and second substrates;
a rectangular pattern between the first and second substrates;
a square pattern between the first and second substrates; and
a circular pattern between the first and second substrates.

5 . The antenna of claim 1 further comprising first and second ground planes with one or more grounding vias extending from the first ground plane to the second ground plane.

6 . The antenna array of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patch elements are configured for operation in different frequency bands, or in different polarizations, or both.

7 . The antenna of claim 1 wherein the spacers are provided having a least one of:
(a) a spherical shape;
(b) a spheroidal shape;
(c) a diamond shape;
(d) a core shape;
(e) a pyramid shape;
(f) a cylindrical shape; and
(g) a cube shape.

8 . The antenna of claim 1 wherein the antenna element is a patch antenna element.

9 . An antenna comprising:
a first substrate having first and second opposing surfaces; a second substrate having first and second opposing surfaces with a first one of the first and second surfaces of the second substrate disposed over a first one of the first and second surfaces of the first substrate; a plurality of holes provided in one of the first and second substrates; a first antenna element disposed on a surface of a first one of the first and second substrates; and a like plurality of ball-shaped spacers, with respective ones disposed in a respective one of the plurality of the holes such that the ball-shaped spacers are disposed between the first and second substrates and arranged to space a surface of the first substrate from a surface of the second antenna element.

10 . The antenna of claim 9 wherein the plurality of spacers are disposed in a geometric pattern between the first and second substrates.

11 . The antenna of claim 9 wherein the plurality of spacers are disposed in a geometric grid pattern between the first and second substrates.

12 . The antenna of claim 9 wherein the plurality of spacers are disposed in one of:
a triangular grid pattern between the first and second substrates;
a polygonal pattern between the first and second substrates;
a hexagonal pattern between the first and second substrates;
a rectangular pattern between the first and second substrates;
a square pattern between the first and second substrates; and
a circular pattern between the first and second substrates.

13 . The antenna of claim 9 further comprising first and second ground planes with one or more grounding vias extending from the first ground plane to the second ground plane.

14 . The antenna array of claim 9 , wherein the first antenna element is a first one of a plurality of antenna elements.

15 . The antenna array of claim 9 , further comprising a second antenna element disposed on a second one of the first and second substrates.

16 . The antenna array of claim 15 , wherein the first antenna element is a first one of a plurality of first antenna elements.

17 . The antenna array of claim 16 , wherein the second antenna element is a first one of a plurality of second antenna elements.

18 . The antenna of claim 9 wherein the plurality of holes provided in one of the first and second substrates are through holes.

19 . The antenna of claim 9 wherein the plurality of holes provided in one of the first and second substrates are recesses.

20 . An antenna comprising:
a first substrate having first and second opposing surfaces; a first antenna element disposed on a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces; a second substrate having a first surface disposed over a first one of the first and second surfaces of the first substrate; a second antenna element disposed on a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the second substrate; a plurality of openings provided in one of the substrates; a plurality of spacers disposed in respective ones of the plurality of openings such that the plurality of spacers are disposed between the first and second substrates such that the spacing between the first and second antenna elements comprises an air gap.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Dufilie Pierre A
• Smith James P
• Kindler David J
• Nutting Christopher J

Classifications

• H01Q21/065

  Patch antenna array · CPC title

• H01Q9/0414 Primary

  in a stacked or folded configuration · CPC title

• H01Q1/16

  Strainers, spreaders, or spacers · CPC title