The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 27, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 08, 1992
John R Knapp, Cazenovia, NY (US);
John D Reale, Syracuse, NY (US);
Donald P Miller, Liverpool, NY (US);
David L Binsley, Liverpool, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Abstract
A retractable distributed array antenna has a multiplicity of radiative elements arranged in a beam-forming array of desired configuration and resolvable into a plurality C of columns, with each column having at least one of the antenna radiator elements. Each of a number P of elongated column members, up to but not exceeding C in number, supports the antenna elements of an associated column. The column members are arranged with their elongated dimension generally parallel to one another. The adjacent end portions of each pair of column member, or of a column member and a central stowage module, are joined by a spring-loaded hinge assembly, which urges the joined column member end portions away from each other, to place the columns of elements into the desired distributed array antenna configuration, if no retroactive forces are present. A retraction mechanism, which may use drum-fed drawcables, is provided for controllably drawing the joined column member end portions towards each other, against the action of the hinge spring forces, to collapse the array into a smaller volume than the volume which is occupied by the expanded array.