Planar horn array antenna

Abstract

Provided is a planar horn array antenna includes: a waveguide part; a horn part having one side connected to the waveguide part and the other side formed with an opening for guiding a radio wave incident or emitted thereto; and a radio wave guide part having a dividing member coupled with the opening and consisting of circular dividing holes arranged in a matrix of n×n.

Claims

1. A planar horn array antenna, comprising: a waveguide part; a horn part having one side connected to the waveguide part and the other side formed with an opening for guiding a radio wave incident or emitted thereto; and a radio wave guide part having a dividing member coupled with the opening, the dividing member comprising circular dividing holes arranged in a matrix of n×n, the radio wave guide part further having a cover member coupled between the opening and the dividing member to cover the opening, wherein in the cover member, when a wavelength of a radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing holes is λ, a thickness of the cover member between the opening and the dividing member is formed to be equal to or less than λ/2.

2. The planar horn array antenna of claim 1, wherein in the dividing member, when a wavelength of a radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing holes is λ, an inner diameter of each dividing hole is formed to be equal to or less than 1λ.

3. The planar horn array antenna of claim 1, wherein in the dividing member, each dividing hole is formed in an elliptical shape.

4. The planar horn array antenna of claim 1, wherein the radio wave guide part further includes one or more polarizer members, wherein each polarizer member is disposed in one of the dividing holes and is coupled with the cover member to control an angle of the radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing hole in which it is disposed.

5. The planar horn array antenna of claim 4, wherein each polarizer member is formed in an H shape, a cross shape, or a comb shape.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating a beam pattern of a typical planar horn array antenna.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a planar horn array antenna according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the planar horn array antenna according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a beam pattern of the planar horn array antenna according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a dividing hole according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a radio wave guide part according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the radio wave guide part according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a radio wave guide part according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a polarizer member illustrated in FIG. 8 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

(10) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the polarizer member illustrated in FIG. 8 according to Embodiment 2.

BEST MODE

(11) Hereinafter, a technical spirit of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(12) However, the accompanying drawings are only examples shown in order to describe the technical idea of the present invention in more detail. Therefore, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to shapes of the accompanying drawings.

(13) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a planar horn array antenna according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the planar horn array antenna according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(14) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a planar horn array antenna 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured to include a waveguide part 100, a horn part 200, and a radio wave guide part 300.

(15) The waveguide part 100 consists of a conductor of which the inside is hollow and may serve to transmit a radio wave while the radio wave being reflected between inner walls thereof.

(16) The horn part 200 is a radiating element having a radio wave incident or emitted thereto and has one side connected to the inside of the waveguide part 100 and the other side formed with an opening 201 for guiding the radio wave incident or emitted from the outside.

(17) Further, the horn part 200 may be formed with a plurality of polarization guides for guiding various forms of polarizations included in the radio wave incident to the opening 201.

(18) Further, the waveguide part 100 and the horn part 200 may be formed in an integrated form by being connected to each other to be simply manufactured.

(19) The radio wave guide part 300 is configured to include a dividing member 310.

(20) The dividing member 310 is coupled with the opening 201 and has circular dividing holes 311 horizontally arranged in the opening 201 in a matrix of n×n to divide the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 into n×n. In this case, the dividing member 310 may be coupled with an edge of the opening 201 by silicon or an adhesive.

(21) Further, the dividing member 310 may be formed of a metal conductor material and a predetermined area of the dividing member 310 may be etched in a matrix of n×n to form the dividing holes 311. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

(22) FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a beam pattern of the planar horn array antenna according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(23) As illustrated in FIG. 4, in the planar horn array antenna 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 is divided into n×n to prevent the beam pattern of the radio wave from being beyond an off-axis mask (OAM).

(24) That is, the planar horn array antenna 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: the waveguide part 100; the horn part 200 having one side connected to the waveguide part 100 and the other side formed with the opening 201 for guiding the radio wave incident or emitted thereto; and the radio wave guide part 300 having the dividing member 310 coupled with the opening 201 and consisting of the circular dividing holes 311 arranged in the matrix of n×n, such that the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 may be divided into n×n by the dividing holes 311 to minimize the occurrence of the grating lobe.

(25) In particular, in the planar horn array antenna 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 is divided into n×n by the dividing holes 311, thereby minimizing the occurrence of a side lobe radiated while departing from a direction in which the radio wave is directed.

(26) Meanwhile, the dividing hole 311 may be formed in the dividing member 310 in a matrix of 2×2 to 4×4. However, as the number of dividing holes 311 is increased, the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 is divided into a large number, and therefore the occurrence of the grating lobe may be reduced but the strength of the radio wave may be reduced and as the number of dividing holes 311 is reduced, the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 is divided into a small number, and therefore the occurrence of the grating lobe of the radio wave may be increased but the strength of the radio wave may be increased. Therefore, the dividing hole 311 may preferably be formed in the number as described above.

(27) Further, when a wavelength of the radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing holes 311 in the dividing member 310 is λ, an inner diameter of the dividing hole 311 may be formed to be equal to or less than 1λ. In this case, λ=f/c (f=wavelength and c=light velocity).

(28) In this case, when a diameter of the dividing hole 311 is equal to or more than 1λ, the antenna efficiency of the planar horn array antenna 1000 is reduced and the size of the grating lobe is increased, while an array interval of the planar horn array antenna 1000 is expanded. Therefore, the dividing hole 311 may be preferably limited as described above.

(29) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dividing hole according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(30) As illustrated in FIG. 5, a dividing hole 311′ according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is formed in an elliptical shape.

(31) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the radio wave guide part according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the radio wave guide part according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

(32) As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, a radio wave guide part 300′ according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is configured to further include a cover member 320 coupled between the opening 201 and the dividing member 310.

(33) The cover member 320 is formed of a film type material through which the radio wave incident or emitted to the opening 201 may pass and may have one side coupled with the opening 201 by silicon or an adhesive and the other side coated with the dividing member 310.

(34) Further, in the radio wave guide part 300′ according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, one side of the cover member 320 is coated with the dividing member 310, a predetermined area of the dividing member 310 is etched to form the dividing holes 311, and the other side of the cover member 320 may be coupled with the opening 201.

(35) Further, when the wavelength of the radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing holes 311 is λ, the thickness of the cover member 320 between the opening 201 and the dividing member 310 is formed to be equal to or less than λ/2.

(36) The thickness of the cover member 320 between the opening 201 and the dividing member 310 is associated with impedance matching of the antenna and the poor impedance matching of the antenna means that an antenna gain is reduced, that is, antenna performance is reduced.

(37) Therefore, in the radio wave guide part 300′ according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the thickness of the cover member 320 between the opening 201 and the dividing member 310 is formed to be equal to or less than λ/2, such that the waveguide horn antenna gain may not be reduced.

(38) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a radio wave guide part according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

(39) As illustrated in FIG. 8, a radio wave guide part 300″ according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is configured to further include polarizer members 330 which are disposed in the dividing holes 311 and coupled with the cover member 320.

(40) The polarizer member 330 is formed of the same material as the dividing member 310 and serves to control the angle of the radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing holes 311.

(41) Therefore, the planar horn array antenna 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured to further include the polarizer members 330 which are disposed in the dividing holes 311 and coupled with the cover member 320 to control the angle of the radio wave incident or emitted to the dividing holes 311, thereby controlling the skew angle without mechanically rotating the planar horn array antenna 1000.

(42) Meanwhile, the polarizer member 330 may be configured of a first body formed in an H shape, that is, a plate shape and a pair of second bodies each formed in a bell shape and coupled with both ends of the first body.

(43) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the polarizer member illustrated in FIG. 8 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the polarizer member illustrated in FIG. 8 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

(44) As illustrated in FIG. 9, Embodiment 1 of the polarizer member 330′ illustrated in FIG. 8 may be formed in a cross shape.

(45) As illustrated in FIG. 10, Embodiment 2 of the polarizer member 330″ illustrated in FIG. 9 may be formed in a comb shape.

(46) The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments, and may be variously applied, and may be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MAIN ELEMENTS

(47) 1000: Planar horn array antenna according to the invention 100: Waveguide part 200: Horn part 201, 201′: Opening 300, 300′, 300″: Radio wave guide part 310: Dividing member 311: Dividing hole 320: Cover member 330, 330′, 330″: Polarizer member