Space Systems/loral, LLC

Phillip Lee Metzen

Richmond Douglas Bruno

Terry M Smith

Richard W LeMassena

A novel method for producing improved RF transmission lines for satellite beamforming networks and printed circuit antenna(s) comprising the steps of (1) bonding together (a) a central conductor strip or trace comprising a dielectric layer or circuit board having on one or both surfaces thereof conductive strip circuitry; (b) upper and lower core layers of lightweight closed-cell plastic foam bonded to (a), and (c) upper and lower surface layers or faceskins of conductive metal foil or of dielectric material bonded to metal foil layers inside and/or outside, to form ground planes, bonded to the surfaces of the adjacent foam core layers. The next step involves boring a plurality of holes or vias through the ground plane layers and the core layers, and plating the bores or vias with an electroconductive metal to provide a plurality of electroconductive connections between the ground planes, for parallel plate propagating mode suppression, and to connect independent assemblies by using plated through via interconnects and quarter wavelength overlapping line interconnects to electrically connect numerous central conductor strip along with a two step bonding process, or to form a multilayer package.

Microwave strip transmission lines, beamforming networks and antennas and methods for preparing the same

An injection molded phased array antenna system such as may advantageously employed on satellites. The antenna system comprises a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic horn radiating elements respectively coupled to a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic orthomode junctions that produce a corresponding plurality of vertically and horizontally polarized outputs. A metal plated, injection molded plastic vertical and horizontal beamforming networks is coupled to outputs of the plurality of orthomode junctions that establish unique phases and amplitudes that produce two separate outputs associated with two independent beams. The beamforming networks each comprise a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic fixed phase shifters respectively coupled to outputs of the plurality of orthomode junctions, a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic two-way power combiner-divider networks coupled to adjacent ones of the phase shifters, a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic eight-way power combiner-divider networks coupled to the two-way power combiner-divider networks by way of an intermediate structural panel, and a plurality of metal plated, injection molded plastic four-way power combiner-divider networks coupled to the eight-way power combiners by way of a main structural panel. The four-way power combiner-divider networks produce respective vertical and horizontal polarized outputs of the antenna system.

Injection-molded phased array antenna system

This invention is a small, inexpensive lightweight, easy to assemble multibeam or phased array device which may be used as a feed for a reflector or lens antenna. The device employs an array of planar radiators coupled to stripline hybrids to form individual feed or antenna elements. The feed or antenna elements are then coupled into a filter in order to pass the desired band or frequencies and reject undesirable bands or frequencies.

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Foster City, CA, United States of America

Phillip Lee Metzen