Patent Description:
Radomes are useful to protect electronic systems, such as radio frequency (RF) transmitters and/or receivers, from adverse weather conditions, such as rain, snow, fog, and the like. It may be preferable for a radome to be physically thin, as RF signal transparency and/or weight reduction is desired among other design requirements. A thin radome may, however, be susceptible to physical distortion, such as from gravity, wind loading or ice. This distortion, such as along a boresight of a protected antenna, may significantly change the RF transmission characteristics of the radome and, therefore, the antenna transmission/reception pattern, thus adversely affecting communication system performance.

<CIT> relates generally to antennas and in particular to a flat-panel metamaterial antenna including a composite stack-up. <CIT> discloses a low profile, low loss, wide band, wide scan volume radome assembly for an antenna, wherein the radome assembly includes a fabric radome element disposable over the antenna, first radome securing elements securably embedded within the fabric radome element and second radome securing elements securably embedded within the antenna.

The above mentioned problem is solved by the subject-matter of the independent claim. Further implementation forms are provided in the dependent claims.

In the non-limiting embodiments discussed herein, like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several Figures of the Drawing, wherein:.

Certain embodiments relate to a mmW radome that may exhibit enhanced performance, especially under adverse weather conditions, such as wind. The radome may protect a beam-forming antenna system having at least one operating frequency (e.g., including at least one antenna having at least one operating frequency) and associated electronics from the weather conditions. In certain embodiments, a mmW radome may have a body, an aperture in the body, a film covering the aperture, and a support at least partially in the aperture. The film and the support are made from materials which have a low loss at the desired frequency of operation, e.g., at a first frequency of the at least one operating frequency and/or at more than one of the at least one operating frequency.

According to certain embodiments, the aperture may be positioned at or near a boresight of the beam-forming antenna system. The film may be thin and backed by the support, to mitigate distortion of the film, such as deflection from wind loading, and therefore mitigate impact upon the transmission characteristics of the radome and, therefore, upon the beam formed by the antenna. The radome may therefore be thin and light and provide improved RF transmission characteristics as compared to a thick radome, and be more resistant to adverse effects from weather conditions and provide improved RF transmission characteristics as compared to a thick radome.

Certain embodiments relate to a method of making a mmW radome. Certain embodiments include molding a radome body with an aperture and a film included therein. Furthermore, a support is installed at least partially into the aperture as part of a subsequent molding process.

According to an embodiment, a mmW radome has a body, an aperture in the body, a film covering the aperture, and a support installed into the aperture. Such a radome may protect one or more beam-forming antennae and associated electronics from weather conditions. The film and the support may be made from materials which have a low transmission loss at a desired frequency of operation of a protected beam-forming antenna. The support may provide backing, support, and rigidity for the film, so that distortion of the film by weather conditions, such as wind, is reduced. Thus, the integrity of the beam formed by the antenna may be preserved.

<FIG> is an illustration of radome <NUM> according to an embodiment. Radome <NUM> includes radome body <NUM> (often referred to herein as "body <NUM>"), such as conventional radome structure, aperture <NUM> in body <NUM>, film <NUM> covering aperture <NUM>, and support <NUM> at least partially in aperture <NUM>. Film <NUM> and support <NUM> may be made from materials which have a low loss at a desired frequency of operation of an associated antenna structure, such as phased array circuit board <NUM>, which includes a plurality of beamforming Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) <NUM>. ASICs <NUM> may transmit and/or receive RF signals at the desired operating frequency or frequencies and phase), shown as RF signal <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, phased array circuit board <NUM> can steer the antenna pattern from boresight to provide a desired coverage area (the "beam steering range") in a conventional manner. According to an embodiment aperture <NUM> may be large enough to accommodate the beam steering range of board <NUM>.

<FIG> is an illustration of radome <NUM> according to an embodiment. Again, radome <NUM> includes body <NUM>, aperture <NUM> in body <NUM>, film <NUM> covering aperture <NUM>, and support <NUM>. Also shown are Phased Array Antenna Module (PAAM) frame <NUM>, PAAM printed circuit board <NUM>, and PAAM antenna cavity <NUM> for board <NUM>. In the embodiment of <FIG>, two supports <NUM> are shown, but a single support or other number of supports may be used. The shading of components <NUM> and <NUM> is for clarity of illustration. According to an embodiment, PAAM printed circuit board <NUM> can steer a corresponding antenna pattern from boresight to provide a desired coverage area. According to an embodiment, aperture <NUM> and PAAM antenna cavity <NUM> may be large enough to accommodate PAAM <NUM> beam steering range.

Gaps (not numbered) are shown between the various components shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Although these gaps may provide clarity of illustration, in certain embodiments there may be no gaps between ones of the various components, or gaps may be present between ones of the various components. For example, there may be no intentional gap between film <NUM> and foam support <NUM> in certain embodiments.

Further, "low loss", as used herein means that attenuation of an RF signal at a desired operating frequency by a component does not unacceptably impair the operation of a system transmitting and/or receiving at that desired operating frequency. The degree of attenuation which is acceptable may be based on, for example, the transmitter power, the received signal strength, the sensitivity of the receiver, the amount of heating which the component can tolerate due to absorption of the transmitted signal, atmospheric attenuation, and/or the desired operating range (distance) of the system. A component may exhibit low loss as a result of, for example, its dielectric constant, or its thickness.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, body <NUM> may take the form of a conventional radome and be made of, for example, a conventional radome material which has a low loss at the desired antenna operating frequency, and which is mechanically robust enough to survive the conditions of the area where radome <NUM> is to be used, such as wind, rain, snow, ice, and sun.

For example, radome body <NUM> may be injection molded with a PC/ABS resin, such as, Makrolon <NUM>, available from Covestro LLC (Baytown, Texas), or SABIC EXL9134, available from Tekra, LLC. (New Berlin, Wisconsin).

According to certain embodiments, body <NUM> may be thin, taking into consideration its size and the conditions that it may endure. For example, body <NUM> may have a thickness of approximately ½ wavelength at the operating frequency, giving due consideration to the dielectric constant of body <NUM>.

While radome body <NUM> may be sufficiently thick to have sufficient structural integrity to mitigate physical distortion, such as would otherwise occur from, for example, weather conditions. Film <NUM>, which covers aperture <NUM>, and support <NUM>, which is at least partially within aperture <NUM>, are supported by radome body <NUM>, such that structural requirements for these components may be reduced. This may allow for use of materials selected to reduce transmission loss and distortion of RF signal <NUM> as compared to radome body <NUM>.

According to certain embodiments, overall radome design may thus be less sensitive to the actual dimensions of the antenna structure, as compared to a monolithic radome. Aperture <NUM>, film <NUM>, and support <NUM>, can be tailored to a desired operating frequency and beam steering range. Materials used for a conventional radome that provide for low loss may not provide structural stability, whereas materials that provide adequate structural stability may not provide for low loss. In contrast, however, in radome <NUM> described herein, film <NUM> and support <NUM> can be made from materials that reduce transmission loss and distortion of RF signal <NUM>, and radome body <NUM> can be made from materials that provide structural stability, thus providing a physically robust radome <NUM> which provides low loss RF signal transmission. Thus, radomes according to certain embodiments may be suitable for use across a wider range of frequencies, with less attenuation and distortion of RF signal <NUM>, than a conventional monolithic-structure radome design. In an embodiment, film <NUM> may be thin, and support <NUM> may take the form of a foam, so the combined film <NUM> and support <NUM> have a low combined dielectric constant.

Aperture <NUM> may be sized based at least partially upon the frequency of operation and the desired steering range. For example, for a desired operating frequency of <NUM>, and a beam steering range of ±<NUM> degrees, aperture <NUM> may be about <NUM> high by <NUM> wide. The size of aperture <NUM> may at least partially depend upon the desired beam steering range and the distance between the front of aperture <NUM> (i.e., film <NUM>) and ASICs <NUM>.

Film <NUM> may be composed of a material having a low loss at the desired communications operating frequency, which can be applied to body <NUM> in a label-type form, and which can withstand the environmental conditions that it should endure. The thickness of film <NUM> may be selected in view of the environmental conditions and the expected or specified operational duration of film <NUM> or radome <NUM>. Film <NUM> should be thick enough to securely bond to radome body <NUM> and to support <NUM>, and thick enough to resist wind and other environmental conditions. The lower the dielectric constant of film <NUM>, and/or the thinner film <NUM> is, the better it may operate. The thickness of film <NUM> may be selected, at least in part, upon the desired frequency of operation, such as by being less than a small fraction of a wavelength at the frequency of operation, when the dielectric constant of film <NUM> is considered. For example, assuming an operating frequency of approximately <NUM>, film <NUM> may have a thickness of about <NUM> to about <NUM>. Film <NUM> is thin so, for a large range of dielectric constants, any distortion of the film, and/or any deflection of position of the film, such as by wind, will have minimal effect on the RF performance of radome <NUM>.

The degree to which film <NUM> overlaps body <NUM> may be selected based upon, at least in part, structural, environmental and materials used for body <NUM> and film <NUM> considerations, as well as the process of application of film <NUM> to body <NUM>. A very windy environment where rain or drizzle can freeze may require more overlap than a calm, moderate, drier environment.

In an embodiment, film <NUM> may overlap body <NUM> by approximately <NUM> inches (corresponds to <NUM> centimeters). In-mold labeling of film <NUM> to body <NUM> may, however, utilize less bonding area than adhesive bonding of film <NUM> to body <NUM>. According to an embodiment, an adhesive applied to at least a portion of a periphery of film <NUM> and/or around aperture <NUM> may adhere film <NUM> to body <NUM>. The materials selected for film <NUM> and body <NUM> should be structurally matched; e.g., both should be suitable for use with the desired manufacture method, such as in-mold labeling or by using a selected adhesive.

Support <NUM> may be composed of a material that provides for low signal loss at the desired operating frequency and which, when at least partially retained in aperture <NUM>, provides support, or backing, for film <NUM>, such that distortion (e.g., deflection) of film <NUM> is minimized under expected or specified environmental operating conditions. The thickness of support <NUM> may be selected at least partially based upon the desired frequency of operation, such as an integer multiple of a half-wavelength at the frequency of operation when the dielectric constant of support <NUM> is considered. According to certain embodiments, film <NUM> and support <NUM> may have a combined thickness, and aperture <NUM> may have a size, such that radome <NUM> provides the desired beam steering range while minimizing signal distortion and loss. In an exemplary environment, operating conditions for radome <NUM> are: wind speeds up to <NUM> miles per hour, with debris impact; temperatures from -<NUM> degrees C to +<NUM> degrees C; rainfall of <NUM> inches/year (corresponds to <NUM> centimeters/year); and <NUM>,<NUM> hours of sunlight exposure, including exposure to ultraviolet light. In an embodiment, the strain in film <NUM> due to environmental operating conditions is less than <NUM>% of the proportional strain limit as determined by film tensile testing and published by the film manufacturer.

According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may extend beyond the front of body <NUM>. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may extend beyond the rear of body <NUM>. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may extend both beyond the front of body <NUM> and the rear of body <NUM>. Support <NUM> is contained within radome <NUM>, so it is not exposed to moisture (e.g., rain or snow) and this allows for a wider range of materials that may be used for support <NUM>. Support <NUM> may be composed of a material which is not degraded by the expected environmental temperature range, operating frequency, or transmitter power levels. Such a support may be composed of a material that does not attract or retain moisture. Such a support has a thickness of about <NUM> to about <NUM> and takes the form of a low density rigid polyurethane foam. Such a foam may provide a low density with good structural performance and bond well to film <NUM> during molding (discussed below). Also, although a thinner, lower profile support may provide better RF transmission characteristics than a thicker support, in certain embodiments the support may be sufficiently thick to maintain film <NUM> at a desired distance from ASICs <NUM>, so that any deflection of film <NUM> does not cause detuning of ASICs <NUM>. Such a distance may be, for example, about ½ wavelength at the operating frequency of interest. According to certain embodiments, for an operating frequency of about <NUM>, ½ wavelength is approximately <NUM>.

According to an embodiment radome <NUM> may be suitable for use on a communications tower, where it may experience a number of varying weather conditions. The frequency of operation, e.g., the desired frequency, may be, for example, between about <NUM> and about <NUM>. For example, the desired frequency may be suitable for cellular telephone <NUM> band communications. For example, such a radome may be useful for communications at or around a desired operating frequency of <NUM>. Also, for example, such a radome may be useful for communications in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) Frequency Range <NUM> (FR2) bands, such as, for example, bands N257-<NUM>, which have respective frequency ranges of: <NUM>,<NUM> - <NUM>,<NUM>; <NUM>,<NUM> - <NUM>,<NUM>; <NUM>,<NUM> - <NUM>,<NUM>; <NUM>,<NUM> - <NUM>,<NUM>; and <NUM>,<NUM> - <NUM>,<NUM>.

According to an embodiment, such radome <NUM> has radome body <NUM> in the form of a flat plate, and dimensions of approximately <NUM> by <NUM>. The dimensions may depend, at least in part, upon the particular environment, such as the number of communication cells in an area, and the number of communication devices on a communication tower.

Signal transmission is a function of at least the material of radome body <NUM>, the thickness of the material, the design (flat, tapered, convex, etc.) of radome body <NUM>, and the frequency of operation. For a given material, determining the thickness to achieve maximum transmission at a given directional angle and a given frequency is fairly straightforward. Achieving maximum transmission over a wider range of angles and over a wider range of frequencies, however, generally requires a compromise as one thickness and/or dielectric constant may optimize transmission for a given directional angle and frequency but at the expense of transmission for another directional angle and/or frequency. For example, for a phased array antenna system, in the <NUM> frequency band, with a flat plate design, a thickness of <NUM> with a given dielectric constant may optimize transmission at <NUM> degrees directional angle, but a thickness of <NUM> may optimize transmission at ±<NUM> degrees directional angle. Therefore, according to a certain embodiment, the radome material has a thickness of <NUM>. Also, when giving consideration to the operating frequency, the range of directional angles, and acceptable losses, the dielectric constant and/or thickness of radome body <NUM> may be determined mathematically and/or empirically. According to a certain embodiment, radome body <NUM> is injection molded and is a thermoplastic polycarbonate with a dielectric constant above <NUM> and a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, such radome <NUM> includes film <NUM>. Such a film may have dimensions of about <NUM> by about <NUM>. Such a film may take the form of a polycarbonate film which is about <NUM> to about <NUM> thick. Such a film may be selected to withstand typical or projected weather conditions. Such a film may be selected to withstand typical or projected weather conditions for at least seven years. According to an embodiment film <NUM> may take the form of a commercially available film. An example of a commercially available film product for in-mold labeling is SABIC Lexan HP92W, HP12W Tekra film, available from Tekra, LLC (New Berlin, Wisconsin). An example of a commercially available film product for adhesive bonding is <NUM> <NUM>, available from Tekra, LLC, and from the <NUM> Company (St. Paul, Minnesota). The dielectric constant of a polycarbonate film is typically in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The dielectric constant of film <NUM> may not significantly affect system performance if the thickness of film <NUM> is less than about <NUM>.

According to a certain embodiment, film <NUM> is integrally molded to body <NUM> by fusing film <NUM> to body <NUM>, such as by using in-mold labeling to apply film <NUM> to body <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, such radome <NUM> has support <NUM> having dimensions suitable for use with an aperture about <NUM> high by about <NUM> wide (assuming a beam steering range of about ±<NUM> degrees). In an embodiment, such support <NUM> may take the form of a foam having a dielectric constant between about <NUM> and about <NUM>, preferably between <NUM> and <NUM>. In certain embodiments, support <NUM> may take the form of a foam having a dielectric constant of about <NUM> to about <NUM> and a thickness of about <NUM> to about <NUM>, preferably between of about <NUM> to about <NUM>. A foam with a higher dielectric constant may be used if any loss due to the higher dielectric constant is acceptable. Such a support may take the form of a low-density polyurethane foam. According to an embodiment, such a support may take the form of a commercially available low density polyurethane foam, such as that sourced from General Plastics Manufacturing Company (Tacoma, Washington).

Thus, the radomes disclosed herein combine the structural strength of a mold injection housing or body <NUM> with signal transmission properties of a very thin film <NUM> over the primary radiating region of the antenna. The radomes disclosed herein also provide less RF loss at <NUM> than conventional radomes. The radomes disclosed herein also allow for use of a beamforming antenna that provides better signal transmission and reception than conventional radomes, even at high scan angles. The radomes disclosed herein also provide a physical structure that is resistant to wind deflection.

Referring now to <FIG>, there is shown a flowchart of a method <NUM> of manufacture of mmW radome <NUM> according to certain embodiments. Materials are selected at operation <NUM>: a first material for radome body; a second material for the film; and a third material for the support. The second material and the third material may each have a low loss at the desired frequency. The first material may also, if desired, have a low loss at the desired frequency. As noted herein, the materials may be selected based upon, for example, the operating frequency, the desired angles of transmission, acceptable loss, and environmental factors.

At operation <NUM>, radome body <NUM> is formed with aperture <NUM> and film <NUM> included therein by an in-mold labeling process. Film <NUM> may be placed in a mold form for radome body <NUM> before or during the molding process for radome body <NUM>. When the mold gives shape to radome body <NUM>, including aperture <NUM>, film <NUM> is applied to radome body <NUM>. Thus, radome body <NUM> is formed with film <NUM> therein/thereon. In certain embodiments, film <NUM> becomes an integral part with radome body <NUM>.

At operation <NUM>, support <NUM> is molded into aperture <NUM> and to film <NUM> in a molding subsequent to the molding process of body <NUM> at operation <NUM>, such as by an injection molding process. This provides for direct fusion of support <NUM> to film <NUM>. This can also provide for direct fusion or bonding of support <NUM> to the walls of radome body <NUM> surrounding aperture <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, there is shown a flowchart of a method <NUM> of manufacture of radome <NUM> according to an example useful for the understanding of the invention but not forming part of the claimed invention. Materials are selected at operation <NUM>: a first material for radome body <NUM>; a second material for film <NUM>; and a third material for support <NUM>. The second material and the third material may each have a low loss at the desired frequency. The first material may also, if desired, have a low loss at the desired frequency. Radome body <NUM> with aperture <NUM> is provided at operation <NUM>. Radome body <NUM> may be provided by obtaining radome body <NUM> with aperture <NUM>, obtaining radome body <NUM> and having aperture <NUM> cut therein, obtaining radome body <NUM> and cutting aperture <NUM> therein, forming radome body <NUM> with aperture <NUM> therein, or forming radome body <NUM> and cutting aperture <NUM> therein, all by way of non-limiting examples. Radome body <NUM> may be formed by injection molding or other suitable techniques.

Film <NUM> is applied over aperture <NUM> of radome body <NUM> at operation <NUM>. In certain embodiments, an adhesive may be applied to the outer edges of the inner surface of film <NUM> and/or to the outer surface of radome body <NUM> around aperture <NUM>, and then film <NUM> pressed against radome body <NUM>. In certain embodiments, film <NUM> may be fastened to body <NUM> by heat sealing or other suitable coupling techniques.

According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be composed of foam and may be injected at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM> and against film <NUM>. According to certain embodiments support <NUM> may be composed of foam and may be injected at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM> and against film <NUM>, and substantially seal itself to film <NUM>. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be composed of foam block which may be inserted at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM> and held in place by a press fit. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be foam block which may be inserted at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM> and be held in aperture <NUM> by an adhesive applied to the body in the interior of aperture <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method <NUM> of manufacture of radome <NUM>, according to an example useful for the understanding of the invention but not forming part of the claimed invention. Materials are selected at operation <NUM>: a first material for radome body <NUM>; a second material for film <NUM>; and a third material for support <NUM>. The second material and the third material may each have a low loss at the desired frequency. The first material may also, if desired, have a low loss at the desired frequency. Radome body <NUM> with aperture <NUM> is provided at operation <NUM>. Radome body <NUM> may be provided by obtaining radome body <NUM> with aperture <NUM>, obtaining radome body <NUM> and having aperture <NUM> cut therein, obtaining radome body <NUM> and cutting aperture <NUM> therein, forming radome body <NUM> with aperture <NUM> therein, or forming radome body <NUM> and cutting aperture <NUM> therein, all by way of non-limiting examples. Radome body <NUM> may be formed by injection molding or other suitable techniques.

According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be applied to aperture <NUM> at operation <NUM>, and then film <NUM> applied to both body <NUM> and support <NUM> at operation <NUM>. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be composed of foam and may be injected at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM>. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be composed of foam block which may be inserted at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM> and held in place by a press fit. According to certain embodiments, support <NUM> may be foam block which may be inserted at operation <NUM> into aperture <NUM> and be held in aperture <NUM> by an adhesive applied to body <NUM> in the interior of aperture <NUM>.

Film <NUM> is applied over aperture <NUM> of radome body <NUM> at operation <NUM>. In certain embodiments, an adhesive may be applied to the outer edges of the inner surface of the film <NUM> and/or to the outer surface of the radome body <NUM> around the aperture <NUM>, and then the film <NUM> pressed against the radome body <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the film <NUM> may be fastened to the body <NUM> by heat sealing or other suitable coupling techniques.

The figures and descriptions provided herein may have been simplified to illustrate aspects that are relevant for a clear understanding of the herein described devices, systems, and methods, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, other aspects that may be found in typical devices, systems, and methods. Those of ordinary skill may recognize that other elements and/or operations may be desirable and/or necessary to implement the devices, systems, and methods described herein. Because such elements and operations may be well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, a discussion of such elements and operations is not provided herein. The present disclosure is deemed to inherently include all such elements, variations, and modifications to the described aspects that would be known to those of ordinary skill in the art, particularly in view of reading the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this subject matter belongs. For brevity and/or clarity, well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail herein.

The terms "for example" and "such as" mean "by way of example and not of limitation. " The subject matter described herein is provided by way of illustration for the purposes of teaching, suggesting, and describing, and not limiting or restricting. Combinations and alternatives to the illustrated embodiments are contemplated, described herein, and set forth in the claims.

For convenience of discussion herein, when there is more than one of a component, that component may be referred to herein either collectively or singularly by the singular reference numeral unless expressly stated otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, components N (plural) or component N (singular) may be used unless a specific component is intended. Also, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise or the context indicates otherwise.

The terms "includes," "has," "having," or "exhibits," or variations in form thereof are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprises" as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component, it can be directly connected or coupled or coupled by one or more intervening components unless expressly stated otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise.

As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y unless expressly stated otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Terms such as "about", "approximately", "around", and "substantially" are relative terms and indicate that, although two values may not be identical, their difference is such that the apparatus or method still provides the indicated or desired result, or that the operation of a device or method is not adversely affected to the point where it cannot perform its intended purpose. As an example, and not as a limitation, if a height of "approximately X inches" is recited, a lower or higher height is still "approximately X inches" if the desired function can still be performed or the desired result can still be achieved.

While the terms vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, bottom, top, and the like may be used herein, it is to be understood that these terms are used for ease in referencing the drawing and, unless otherwise indicated or required by context, does not denote a required orientation.

The different advantages and benefits disclosed and/or provided by the implementation(s) disclosed herein may be used individually or in combination with one, some or possibly even all of the other benefits. Furthermore, not every implementation, nor every component of an implementation, is necessarily required to obtain, or necessarily required to provide, one or more of the advantages and benefits of the implementation.

Conditional language, such as, among others, "can", "could", "might", or "may", unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments preferably or optionally include certain features, elements and/or steps, while some other embodiments optionally do not include those certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language indicates, in general, that those features, elements and/or step may not be required for every implementation or embodiment.

The subject matter described herein is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims herein. While different embodiments have been provided above, it is not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for implementing the disclosed subject matter, and one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that further combinations and permutations that are possible. Furthermore, the scope of the claims is not necessarily limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages which may have been noted in any part of this disclosure. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in language specific to components used therein, it is to be understood that the scope of the claims is not necessarily limited to the specific components or characteristics thereof described herein; rather, the specific components and characteristics thereof are disclosed as example forms of implementing the disclosed subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter is intended to embrace all alterations, modifications, and variations, that fall within the scope of any claims that may be written therefor.

All embodiments described in this specification may be advantageously combined with one another to the extent that their respective features are compatible. In particular, the expression "according to an embodiment" means that the respective features may or may not be part of specific embodiments of the present invention.

Claim 1:
A method for manufacturing a radome (<NUM>), the method comprising:
using an in-mold labeling process to manufacture a radome body (<NUM>) with an aperture (<NUM>) therein and a film (<NUM>) covering the aperture (<NUM>), wherein the film (<NUM>) is integrally molded to the radome body (<NUM>); and characterized in that the method further comprises
providing a support (<NUM>) in the aperture (<NUM>).