Raytheon Company

Stuart B Coppedge

William W Milroy

Ronald I Wolfson

Alan C Lemons

Shahrokh Hashemi-Yeganeh

Alec Ekmekji

Steven G Buczek

A true-time-delay feed network for a continuous transverse stub antenna array includes a plurality of feed levels, each comprising one or more rails, the feed levels arranged in a spaced configuration. An open parallel plate region is defined between adjacent ones of the feed levels. The rails of the plurality of feed levels are arranged to form a power divider network unencumbered with septums or wall portions protruding into the open region.

True-time-delay feed network for CTS array

An antenna array employing continuous transverse stubs as radiating elements is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the array includes an upper conductive plate structure comprising a set of continuous transverse stubs, and a lower conductive plate structure disposed in a spaced relationship relative to the upper plate structure. A rotation apparatus provides rotation between the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure.

Variable inclination continuous transverse stub array

Methods of fabricating air-dielectric true-time-delay, continuous transverse stub array antenna. The first method uses conventional machining or molding techniques to fabricate layers of plastic with desired microwave circuit features. The plastic layers are then metalized, assembled (aligned) and joined together, such as by using ultrasonic welding techniques. Readily available metalization and ultrasonic welding techniques exist that may be used. The second method uses sheets of metal, into which microwave circuit features are fabricated, such as by machining. The layers are then assembled (aligned) and joined together, using one of several available processes, such as an inert gas, furnace brazing technique, for example.

Methods of fabricating true-time-delay continuous transverse stub array

A planar array antenna having a switching matrix that couples an RF signal to two distributed ferrite scanning line feeds that feed a planar continuous transverse stub array antenna. The scanning line feeds couple RF energy to the antenna from opposite sides to form a total of four beams offset in space that each cover different angular scan sectors. The antenna has reduced complexity and lower design and production costs. The use of dual ferrite scanning line feeds, the switching matrix, and the continuous transverse stub antenna to obtain wide-angle scanning provides significantly improved performance. The present invention uses the two distributed ferrite scanning line feeds to obtain greater scan coverage at upper millimeter-wave frequencies, where realizable ferrite materials are less active and provide diminished scan capability. The scanning line feeds and planar array antenna may be designed so that the four scan sectors are contiguous, to increase the angular scan coverage of the antenna. The switching matrix is used to sequentially feed each of four RF ports, which effectively produces a single beam that scans over the four contiguous scan sectors.

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Manhattan Beach, CA, United States of America

Stuart B Coppedge