Abstract:
An Antenna comprising a ground layer, a feed layer, an antennal layer and a corrugated or dimpled non-woven fabric dielectric substrate interposed between two of the layers. The use of said non-woven corrugated fabric is to provide differing distances between the ground layer and the antenna layer as well as to provide both light weight construction and flexibility.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to an antenna for receiving or transmitting electromagnetic energy at or above microwave frequencies from or to a free space. The present invention more particularly relates to micro-strip patch or slot antennas.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Patch and stripline antennas that are currently on the market usually comprise a radiating patch made of conductive material usually copper with feed lines attached to a dielectric spacer usually composed of Teflon and a ground plane again made of electrically conductive material and again this is usually copper. The ground plane and the radiating patches are attached to a connector. The radiating patches and feedlines are usually formed after the electrically conductive material in bonded to the Teflon dielectric spacer. The shapes are formed by either grinding away or by etching away with acid the undesired material. The groundplane is bonded to the other side of the dielectric space.  
         [0003]     A stripline antenna is a term to describe patch antenna radiators fed by means of a stripline feed network.  
         [0004]     In this invention, an electrically conductive adhesive material such as Shield Ex™ is used along with corrugated or “dimpled” non-woven fabrics to produce an antenna that is both light weight and flexible. This patent will describe how to construct a non-woven patch antenna.  
         [0005]     The noun “stripline” as used here is a contraction of the phrase “strip type transmission line, a transmission line formed by a conductor above or between extended conducting surfaces. A shielded strip-type transmission line denotes generally, a strip conductor between two groundplanes. The noun “groundplane” denotes a conducting or reflecting plane functioning to image a radiating structure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The antennas described in this invention differ from other patch and stripline antennas in that they are made with non-woven fabrics. In the current state of the art, the spacer material is composed of PTFE, Teflon, foam, and in some cases glass. The Teflon spacers add weight to the antennas and are not flexible. Conversely, by using non-woven fabrics, antennas can be made that are light-weight, flexible and larger than conventional patch or stripline antennas  
         [0007]     Non-woven fabrics are broadly defined as sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments (and by perforating films) mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are flat, porous sheets that are made directly from separate fibers or from molten plastic or plastic film. They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn. Non-woven fabrics are engineered fabrics that may have a limited life, may be single-use fabric or may be a very durable fabric. By using non-woven fabrics as backing for the conductive parts of these antennas and as spacer materials, patch and stripline antennas can also incorporate an increased separation between the patch array and the ground plane, while remaining lightweight and inexpensive.  
         [0008]     The subject of this invention results from the realization that while microwave patch and stripline antennas are limited by the weight and cost of the spacer material, face fabrics and other materials, the use of non-woven fabrics allows for larger antennas at significantly lighter weight and less cost.  
         [0009]     The antenna of the present invention comprises a ground layer or groundplane, a feed element, an antenna layer, and a corrugated or “dimpled” dielectric substrate interposed between at least two of the layers. An electromagnetic field is produced between the ground layer and the antenna layer when the feed and ground layers are exposed to electromagnetic energy at frequencies from 400 megahertz to 100 gigahertz for transmission and when the antenna and ground layers are exposed to electromagnetic energy at microwave frequencies of 100 megahertz to 100 gigahertz for reception. The ground layer and antenna layers are made of a layer of non-woven textile fabric with an electrically conductive adhesive material such as Shield X to provide light weight and flexibility to the antenna. The spacer layer between the ground layer and the antenna layer is made of a corrugated or dimpled non-woven fabric that provides consistent insulated separation between the ground layer and the antenna layers while having the properties of being light weight, flexible, inexpensive and able to vary the spacing between the antenna plane and the ground plane. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The forgoing and other features of the invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a three dimensional diagram of a conventional three layer micro-strip laminated antenna.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a three dimensional diagram of a multilayer strip-line laminated antenna.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a three dimensional diagram of a micro-strip antenna showing construction from non-woven textiles and metallic fabric.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a non-woven textile used as a spacer in constructing microwave antennas.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is diagram of a multilayer stripline antenna constructed with non-woven spacer fabric showing the incorporation of multiple layers of spacer fabric to separate feed lines and antenna patterns.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the attachment of the conductive fabric to temporary transfer paper.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a figure showing the cutting of the antenna or feed line pattern from the conductive fabric with the transfer paper attached.  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  shows the retention bar and frame structure that is used to hold the non-woven spacer fabric while adhesives are applied.  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  shows the inter-digitated non-woven fabric in the spacer fabric construction.  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of the apparatus used to apply heat and pressure sensitive film adhesives to attach the antenna and feed layer face fabric to the non-woven spacer fabric.  
         [0021]      FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the apparatus used to attach a subsequent ground plane to the non-woven spacer fabric by means of a heat and pressure sensitive adhesive film.  
         [0022]      FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view of the combined attachment of a conductive antenna and feed layer face fabric and a conductive ground plane fabric to a common spacer fabric by means of contact cement adhesive.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  is a rendition of the prior art three layer micro-strip antenna commonly employed for transmitting and receiving microwave radiation. This antenna is comprised of a first conductive patterned face layer  1  comprising a set of radiating patch antennas  2  and a set of feed lines  3  that carry energy from a connector means  6  to said patch antennas. While this is depicted as three different pieces ( 1 ,  2 ,  3 ), in reality the radiating patch layer is composed of a layer of copper that is either milled or acid etched to the desired shaped antenna patches and feed lines. This antenna layer is bonded to a dielectric spacer layer  7 , usually composed of Teflon, and bonded to a third layer, the ground plane  8 . The conductive portions of this antenna are connected to a receiver or transmitter or transceiver by a connector means  6 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of the current technology for a stripline antenna design which consists of a radiating layer  41  of antenna patches  2 , dielectric spacer layer  7  a feed layer  10  that supplies current through the dielectric spacer and an aperturated ground plane  9 A. A conventional ground plane  9  at the opposite end of the layers acts to contain the microwave energy. Not shown in this diagram are feed slots or apertures to connect the various radiating layers of the stripline antenna.  
         [0025]     This detailed description will concern the construction of a three layer micro-strip antenna.  FIG. 3  shows a means of constructing a three layer micro-strip antenna where a molded or folded non-woven fabric is incorporated as an interdigitated (corrugated), molded, non-woven spacer fabric  19 . Here, the antenna patches  2  and feedlines 3  are cut from a conductive fabric, ShieldX  151 ,  11 , and attached to a retainer non-woven fabric  5 . The non-woven dielectric spacer  7  in this three layer micro-strip antenna, is comprised of an interdigitated (corrugated), molded, non-woven spacer fabric  19  and the ground plane is constructed by bonding ShieldX  151 ,  11 , to another retainer non-woven fabric  5 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is another view showing the spacer  7  composed of an interdigitated (corrugated), molded, non-woven spacer fabric  19  bonded between retainer non-woven fabric  5 . This can provide greater distance between the antenna patches  2  and the ground plane  9 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a rendition of a non-woven patch antenna where the microwave patch antennas  2  and feed lines are affixed to the non-woven retainer fabric  5 , which is attached to two corrugated non-woven fabric dielectric spacer plates  19 , to another non-woven retainer fabric  5  attached to a ground plane  9 . This process can be repeated several times to achieve the distance desired between the microwave patches  2  and the ground plane  9 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  depicts a method of fabricating microwave feed lines and antennas by incorporating a conductive fabric such as ShieldEx 151,  11 , or other conductive fabric,  11 , to an adhesive transfer paper  12 . ShieldEx 151 is coated on one side  11 A with a thermal setting adhesive during manufacture, allowing it to be attached to another fabric. ShieldEx 151 has a non-adhesive side,  11   b . The attachment is accomplished by applying heat and pressure using a platen press (not shown). The adhesive transfer paper  12  has one side coated with a tack adhesive  12 A, and is used for the temporary retention of the non-woven fabric components. Note that the non-adhesive side  11   b  of the ShieldEx 151 is attached to the temporary adhesive face  12 A of the transfer paper.  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  shows the antenna pattern and/or feedline structure being cut from the conductive fabric  11  attached to the transfer paper  12 . The pattern is first digitized according to established art using software programs such as Wilcom or CorelDraw or other programs of equivalent functionality. The digitized pattern is then fed to an automated cutter such as a laser cutter  13 . The combined transfer paper  12 /conductive fabric material  11  is then fed into the laser cutter  13  with the conductive fabric  11 , adhesive side up  11 A, exposed to a laser beam  14 . The laser beam  14  is adjusted to cut through only the conductive fabric layer  11  leaving the transfer paper  12  intact. The laser cutter  13  is directed under computer control  15  to cut (incise) the boundaries  30  of the closed areas comprising the radiating microwave patch antenna  2  and/or feed patterns  3  through the conductive fabric  11 . Thereafter, the conductive fabric  11  and transfer paper  12  are removed from the laser cutter  13  and those areas of conductive cloth not comprising a part of the antenna are removed by hand. The result is a pattern of conductive cloth representing the radiating patch antennas  2  and/or feeds  3  that remain attached to the transfer paper  12 .  
         [0030]     This next step is not shown. The conductive fabric  11  attached to the transfer paper  12  is then laid down on retainer non-woven fabric  5  such as Avalon  170  or similar non-woven fabric so that the adhesive side of the conductive fabric is next to the retainer fabric. The cloth is then placed in a heat and pressure platen press (not shown) at the cure temperature of the conductive fabric adhesive for a time of 30 to 40 seconds. The heat and pressure attach the adhesive side  11 A of the conductive fabric  11  but not the transfer paper  12  to the non-woven carrier fabric  17 . The transfer paper  12  is then removed leaving the radiating patch antenna  2  and/or feed pattern  3  attached to the non-woven carrier fabric  17 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 8  depicts a retention bar structure  20  which is used to bond interdigitated (corrugated), molded, non-woven fabric  19  (not shown in this figure) to the retainer non-woven fabric  5 . The retainer fabric  5  has been bonded to either the radiating patch antennas  2  and feed lines  3  or to the ground plane  9 . The retention arms  20 A slide between the folds of the corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19  to provide support to said spacer fabric  19  for the bonding process. The corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19  is left in the retention bar structure to bond the retainer non-woven fabric  5  to which either is bonded a ground plane  9  or radiating patch antennas and feedlines  3  are attached. A flat upper press plate  31  (not shown in this figure) together with the retention bar structure  20  sandwich the corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19  and the retainer non-woven fabric  5  to provide heat and pressure to bond these two pieces together.  
         [0032]      FIG. 9 , depicts the corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19  as it is obtained from the manufacturer. The retention arms  20 A are designed to slide easily between the parallel folds to provide support for the heat and pressure of the bonding process. When the bonding process is complete, the retention structure  20  can be removed easily.  
         [0033]      FIG. 10  depicts bonding the corrugated spacer  19  to the structure formed in  FIG. 7  comprising the retainer fabric  5 , patch antenna  2 , and feed lines  3 . In this diagram this retainer fabric/radiating patch antenna/feed line structure is represented as  50  with the exposed retention fabric  5  placed next to the (interdigitated) corrugated non-woven fabric  19 . The retention bars  20 A serve as a support for the corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19  which is wrapped over and under the bars. While the corrugated spacer  19  is being supported, retainer fabric/radiating patch antenna/feed line structure  50  is bonded to the flat edges of the corrugated spacer  24 .  
         [0034]     A film adhesive  21  such as produced by Bemis, is laid between the corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19  and the non-woven retainer fabric  5  side of the structure  50 . The heat and pressure for the bonding/gluing step is provided by the upper portion of the platen press  31 , while the retention bars  20 A hold the constructed antenna structure and maintain the shape of the (interdigitated) corrugated non-woven spacer fabric  19 . The resulting cross section is shown in  FIG. 10 . Heat of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45 seconds and pressure of 50-80 psi are used to permanently bond the layers together the non-woven spacer fabric.  
         [0035]      FIG. 11  depicts the next step in the process where the spacer fabric and antenna face assembly is inverted and the retention bars  20 A are inserted through the ends and locked into position in the retention bar structure  20 . This assembly is then placed in a thermal pressure platen press (not shown) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and pressure from 50-80 pounds per square inch for 45 seconds. An adhesive glue  21  placed between the ground plane  9  and the face fabric  5  with the heat and pressure of the platen press causes the structure to bond together. The resulting completed microstrip antenna is then removed from the thermal bonding fixture.  
         [0036]      FIG. 12  represents an alternative embodiment. In this instance, the molded non-woven spacer fabric is arranged between the fingers  20 A of the retention bar structure  20 . A layer of thermal setting adhesive  46  is then applied to the molded non-woven fabric opposite the retention bars. The antenna pattern layer comprising the antenna patches  2 , feedlines  3  bonded to retainer non-woven fabric  5  (this structure is designated as  50 ), and the conductive ground plane fabric  9 /retainer non-woven fabric  5  layer (this structure is designated as  90 ) are then located above and below the retention bar assembly. Upper  31  and lower pressure plate  32  assemblies are applied above and below the face fabric layers. A light pressure, sufficient to hold the assembly in place, is applied until the contact cement cures. When the cure cycle is complete, the pressure plates are withdrawn and the retention bar assembly is also withdrawn leaving the finished microstrip antenna.  
         [0037]     Dimpled non-woven fabric  60  may be used as a dielectric spacer layer. An example of this type of non-woven fabric is depicted in  FIG. 13 . The apex of each dimple  60 B is used to glue a face layer with either patch antennas  2  and feed lines  3  or a ground plane  9 .  FIG. 14A  shows how an antenna can be constructed while the dimpled fabric  60  is still in the lower half  70  of the mold that forms the dimples. Thermal setting adhesive  46  can be applied to the apex of the dimple and the retainer fabric side of a radiating patch antenna/feed line structure  50  can be placed over the apex of the dimple  60 B. The bottom of the molded dimple press  70  and a flat platen press plate  31  placed on the top provide heat and pressure to glue the face layer  5  to the dimpled dielectric spacer  60 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 14B  depicts a second step whereby the base side  60 A of the dimpled fabric is attached to the retainer non-woven fabric/radiating antenna/feed line structure or to a retainer non-woven fabric/ground plane structure. Retention bars  20 A are placed between the parallel rows of dimples to provide support. Thermal setting adhesive  46  is placed on the dimpled non-woven spacer fabric  60  on the side over and opposite the retention bars  20 A. The desired retainer fabric structure can then be placed on top of the thermal setting adhesive  46  and the resulting structure can be placed in a platen press (not shown) to provide heat and pressure.  
         [0039]     Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments. Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.  
         [0040]     In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended.