Patent ID: 6181290
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: H01P,H01Q

Abstract:
A scanning antenna with ferrite control comprising:a waveguide consisting of top and bottom ferrite layers and an intermediate layer interposed therebetween; side surfaces of the waveguide formed by said top, bottom and intermediate layers, an array of radiating dipoles situated at an upper surface of said top ferrite layer and extending along a longitudinal axis of the waveguide;said waveguide being mounted on a solid base and said base being supported by a frame;said intermediate layer having a strip of dielectric material with high dielectric permittivity, a control winding including a plurality of control wires, said control wires being situated at both sides of said intermediate strip of dielectric material and extending along the longitudinal axis of the waveguide to be positioned between said top and bottom ferrite layers and coiled about the bottom ferrite layer, said control windings magnetizing said top and bottom ferrite layers in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide and providing phase velocity variation of a waveguide mode, so that a front of a space wave radiated by said array of dipoles is inclined to a plane extending along said longitudinal axis of the waveguide;a horn structure, said horn structure containing first and second horn elements extending longitudinally along both sides of said array of radiating dipoles; each said horn element having an engaging part, a spacing part and an inner wall, said engaging parts of said first and second horn elements are connected to said side surfaces of the waveguide,said spacing parts extending along and spaced from said top ferrite layer forming respective gaps therebetween;dielectric spacers provided at both sides of the array of dipoles, each said dielectric spacer being positioned within the respective gaps matching the waveguide with the horn structure;wherein each said inner wall consists of an upper and lower innerwall portion, said lower innerwall portions are substantially parallel to the plane normal to the top layer and passing through the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, said upper innerwall portions diverge with respect to said plane normal to the top layer so as to narrow the area of a beam to a range between 15.degree.-45.degree. with respect to said normal plane.