Slot-coupled array antenna structures

Abstract

Antenna structures are shown that reduce fabrication and assembly time and cost, increase antenna reliability and enhance antenna performance. These structures include resilient flanges that are formed by a slotted ground plane and a rear ground plane which together surround a feed circuit. The ground planes are simply pressed together to engage the flanges in an overlapped and resiliently interlocked relationship. In other antenna structure, a capacitance probe forms a part of a coaxial transition. One end of the probe forms a capacitance face and the transition is configured to automatically space the capacitance face from a trunk end of the feed circuit. A second end of the probe is available for coupling signals to antenna-associated circuits (e.g., a downconverter). A pressed-together signal-transmission path through these circuits is formed with spring-loaded sockets. One socket receives the capacitance probe's second end and the other receives the center pin of an external coaxial connector. The sockets can form the access ports of the antenna-associated circuits or form part of a direct path to the antenna's exterior. In other structures, an antenna that includes a slotted ground plane and a feed circuit is converted to a slot-coupled patch array antenna with a polymer sheet that carries a plurality of metallic patches and a dielectric array spacer. These elements are simply pinned to the ground plane and feed circuit with a plurality of dielectric pins.