Patent ID: 11888230
Assignee: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Field: Telecommunications (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 18:
19. A parabolic antenna assembly, comprising:
a main reflector;, a feed system in RF communication with the main reflector including a horn and a dielectric portion; and
a sub-reflector in RF communication with the feed assembly, wherein the sub-reflector includes a body portion and a stem portion mechanically coupled to one another, wherein the body portion extends from a first end to a second end and defines a channel extending therein from the second end, wherein a reflecting surface of the sub-reflector is defined by at least a portion of the body portion and at least a portion of the stem portion, wherein the dielectric portion spaces the sub-reflector from the horn, and wherein the sub-reflector includes an axially-symmetric choke for providing virtual continuity at the reflecting surface, wherein the axially-symmetric choke includes a first axial choke portion and a second radial choke portion having a combined length of approximately λ/2 +/− up to 30%, wherein λ is a wavelength of an electromagnetic signal, wherein the first choke portion is defined by the channel and has a length of approximately λ/4 +/− up to 30% and the second choke portion has a length of approximately λ/4 +/− up to 30%.