Patent ID: 6906666

Claim:
A device for adjusting the beam direction of a beam radiated from a stationary array of antenna elements, said device comprising at least four antenna element feed points coupled to a common signal source via a planar feed line structure having a source connection terminal to be connected to said source and at least four feed connection terminals to be connected to said antenna element feed points, said feed line structure being elongated in a main direction at a distance from and in parallel to a fixed ground plane on at least one side of said feed line structure, a movable dielectric body located between said feed line structure and said ground plane so as to change the exciting phase of signal components being transferred between said source connection terminal and the respective feed connection terminals, said dielectric body being movable in said main direction for effecting a controlled phase shift change of said signal components so as to adjust said beam direction, said feed line structure extending from said source connection terminal to said feed connection terminals, at least a first line segment and a second line segment extending generally in a first direction along said main direction, at least a third line segment and a fourth line segment extending generally in a second direction being opposite to said first direction, said dielectric body having a first body portion located adjacent to said first and third line segments and having a first effective dielectric value, and a second body portion located adjacent to said second and fourth line segments and having a second effective dielectric value being different from said first effective dielectric value, and said dielectric body being linearly displaceable between two end positions while keeping said first and second body portions in proximity to the respective pair of oppositely extending line segments.