SINGLE-PIECE CORRUGATED COMPONENT OF AN ANTENNA AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

Abstract

A single-piece corrugated component, such as a feed horn, of an antenna includes a main body having a generally hollowed frustopyramidal shape which defines a body axis. The body extends from a base to an aperture, and includes a plurality of generally polygonal corrugations centered about the body axis, respectively. Each corrugation has a frustopyramidal ridge extending inwardly of the main body at an angle relative to the body axis varying between 10-60 degrees in a direction either toward the first end or the second end. A plurality of the frustopyramidal ridges are oriented to have a respective inward virtual extension thereof crossing the body axis and intersecting the main body. A method of manufacturing the corrugated component includes the step of printing the component using an additive manufacturing technology.

Claims

1. A single-piece corrugated component of an antenna comprising: a main body having a generally hollowed frustopyramidal shape defining a body axis, the main body extending from a first end to a second end, the main body including a plurality of generally polygonal corrugations centered about the body axis, respectively, each said corrugation having a frustopyramidal ridge extending inwardly of the main body at an angle relative to the body axis varying between about 10 and about 60 degrees in a direction either toward the first end or the second end; and wherein a plurality of the frustopyramidal ridges being oriented to have a respective inward virtual extension thereof crossing the body axis and intersecting the main body.

2. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein the first end is a base and the second end is an aperture, the main body flaring out from the base toward the aperture at a flare angle being less than 45 degrees (<45°) relative to the body axis.

3. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein said ridge of each said corrugation extends inwardly in a direction toward the second end.

4. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein said ridge of each said corrugation extends inwardly in a direction toward the first end.

5. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 2, wherein an attachment bracket extends outwardly from the main body.

6. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 2, wherein at least one of a circular waveguide to rectangular waveguide transition, an orthomode transducer, a diplexer, a filter, a polarizer, a coupler, and another feeding network component extends outwardly from the main body adjacent the first end.

7. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein the main body has a generally hollowed frustoconical shape.

8. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 7, wherein the main body has a generally hollowed cylindrical shape.

9. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein the main body has a generally hollowed frustoprismatic shape.

10. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 9, wherein the hollowed frustoprismatic shape is a frustohexagonal prism, a frustorectangular prism or a frustosquare prism.

11. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein the main body has a first section having a generally hollowed frustoconical shape and a second section having a generally hollowed prismatic shape.

12. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein the body axis is generally rectilinear.

13. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 12, wherein the first end and the second end are generally parallel to one another.

14. The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1, wherein the body axis is generally curvilinear.

15. A method for manufacturing a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with claim 1 comprising the step of printing said corrugated component using an additive manufacturing technology.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the description in association with the following Figures, in which similar references used in different Figures denote similar components, wherein:

[0031] FIGS. 1A and 1B are partially broken side perspective view and schematic section view taken along line 1B-1B of FIG. 1A, respectively, of an antenna corrugated component, or feed horn of the prior art having a relatively small flare angle with machined circular corrugations perpendicular to the body axis of the horn;

[0032] FIGS. 2A and 2B are partially broken side perspective view and schematic section view taken along line 2B-2B of FIG. 2A, B, respectively, showing another corrugated feed horn of the prior art having a relatively large flare angle with machined frustoconical corrugations perpendicular to the flare direction of the horn;

[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a single-piece corrugated component, more specifically a feed horn with a frustoconical shape, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, showing some ribs and brackets printed along with the conical horn;

[0034] FIG. 4 is a schematic partially broken section view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the frustoconical corrugations oriented at about 45 degrees relative to the body axis and in a direction toward the aperture;

[0035] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated feed horn in accordance with the present invention, showing the frustoconical corrugations oriented at about 45 degrees relative to the body axis and in a direction toward the base;

[0036] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a feed horn with a rectangular prismatic shape;

[0037] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a feed horn with a square prismatic shape;

[0038] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a feed horn with a hexagonal prismatic shape;

[0039] FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a feed horn with a first section having a conical shape and a second section having hexagonal prismatic shape;

[0040] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a waveguide with a cylindrical shape with a rectilinear (or straight) body axis;

[0041] FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a waveguide with a cylindrical shape and a curvilinear (or curved or bent) body axis; and

[0042] FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with the present invention, showing a feed horn with different successive sections (of conical shapes) having different flare angles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] With reference to the annexed drawings the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be herein described for indicative purpose and by no means as of limitation.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a single-piece corrugated antenna feed component, more specifically a feed horn being illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment 10 of the present invention, typically for use in antennas onboard of spacecraft (not shown) or the like to transmit (Tx) and/or receive (Rx) an RF (radio-frequency) electromagnetic signal of a predetermined signal frequency band.

[0045] The single-piece corrugated horn 10 is preferably manufactured using a 3D (three dimensional) printer and includes a main body 12 having a generally hollowed frustopyramidal (frustoconical for a circular component) shape which defines a body axis 14. The main body 12 extends from a first end 16 toward a second end 18. As better seen in FIG. 4, the main body 12 includes a plurality of generally polygonal (circular for a circular component) corrugations 20 centered about the body axis 14, respectively, and protruding inwardly from an inner surface 22 of the main body 12. Each corrugation 20 is a frustopyramidal (frustoconical for a circular component) ridge 24 that extends inwardly of the main body 12 at an angle A relative to the body axis 14 typically varying between about ten (10) and about sixty (60) degrees, and preferably about forty-five (45) degrees, and on either direction i.e. toward the first end 16 or toward the second end 18, as to provide for a flexible and optimal bellows type of structure. Typically, an attachment bracket 32 could extend outwardly from the main body 12 to allow for the securing of the horn 10 to an adjacent supporting structure (not shown).

[0046] The term ‘frustopyramidal’ (or ‘frustoprismatic’), in the present description, includes the term ‘frustoconical’ that is a specific case in which the truncated pyramid has an infinite number of side surfaces to form a truncated cone. Similarly, the term ‘polygonal’, in the present description, includes the term ‘circular’ that is a specific case in which the polygon has an infinite number of edges to form an ellipse or a circle.

[0047] In the case of the antenna component being a horn, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body 12 typically flares out from the first end or base 16 toward the second end or aperture 18, at a flare angle F being less than 45 degrees)(<45°, and typically varying between about 20 degrees to about 35 degrees)(20°-35° relative to the body or horn axis 14. Although the flare angle F is shown as being constant (rectilinear tapering), it could be variable for different sections of the main body 12 and non-uniform along the body axis 14 (as illustrated in FIG. 12).

[0048] The term ‘frustopyramidal’, in the present description, also includes the term ‘prismatic’ that is another specific case in which the truncated pyramid has essentially a zero-degree (0°) flare angle F, such that the side surfaces of the truncated pyramid are essentially parallel to the body axis 14. Similarly, when the ‘prismatic’, in the present description, includes the term ‘cylindrical’ that is a specific case in which the prism has an infinite number of side surfaces to form a cylinder.

[0049] In the embodiment 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each corrugation 20 or ridge 24 tapers, or is oriented in the direction towards the base 16.

[0050] Alternatively, the embodiment 10′ illustrated in FIG. 5 has the corrugations 20 or ridges 24 tapering in the direction of the aperture 18.

[0051] In both embodiments 10, 10′, but more specifically the embodiment of FIG. 5, most of each ridge 24 is oriented in such a way that its inward virtual extension 25, shown in stippled lines, crosses the horn axis 14 and intersects the main body 12 of the horn 10. This axis-crossing characteristic specifically prevents the horn 10 from being easily machined with conventional high precision CNC machines at reasonable cost. Only the first few corrugations 20′ or ridges 24′ adjacent the aperture 18 in the embodiment of FIG. 5 do not have this characteristic.

[0052] For structural integrity of the component/horn 10, or other considerations, some sections of the main body 12 can include ribs 34 or the like.

[0053] Without departing from the scope of the present invention, one skilled in the art would readily understand that multiple shapes of the main body 12 could be considered, as well as different combination(s) thereof. As non-limiting examples, FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively show other embodiments 210, 310 of single-piece corrugated feed horn components having main bodies 212, 312 of rectangular and square frustoprismatic (the term ‘frusto’ referring to a truncated taper or flare) shapes, with corresponding rectangular and square frustopyramidal ridges 224, 324.

[0054] Similarly, FIG. 8 shows another embodiment 410 of a single-piece corrugated feed horn component having a main body 412 of a hexagonal prismatic shape, with hexagonal frustopyramidal ridges 424.

[0055] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment 510 of a single-piece corrugated feed horn component having first 512a and second 512b sections of the main body 512 of circular frustoconical and hexagonal frustoprismatic shapes, respectively, with corresponding circular frustoconical (not shown) and hexagonal frustopyramidal 524b ridges.

[0056] Alternatively, FIGS. 10 and 11 respectively show other embodiments 610, 710 of single-piece corrugated waveguide components having main bodies 612, 712 of cylindrical shapes (or circular frustoconical shapes with essentially zero degree (0°) of flare angle F), with circular frustoconical ridges 624, 724 along rectilinear (or straight) and curvilinear (or curved or bent) body axes 14, respectively. Although illustrated here with a circular waveguide component, any component could have a curvilinear body axis 14.

[0057] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 10 and 12, the body axis 14 is generally rectilinear (or straight), and as illustrated in FIG. 11, the body axis 14 is generally curvilinear (or curved or bent). When the body axis 14 is rectilinear, the first end 16 and the second end 18 are generally parallel to one another, although they could not be, if required for the specific needs.

[0058] FIG. 12 shows another embodiment 810 of a single-piece corrugated feed horn in which the flare angle (F) is different for different and successive sections 812′ of the main body 812, or could also be continuously varying within a section 812′ (as a generally splined circular frustoconical shape of the main body 812). Similarly, although not visible from the figure, the circular frustoconical ridges 824 could have different orientations for the different sections 812′ of the main body 812.

[0059] The present invention also includes a method for manufacturing any one of the above embodiments 10, 10′, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 comprising the step of printing the corrugated antenna component using an applicable additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) technology. The embodiments 10, 10′, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 are typically manufactured, or printed from the second end or aperture 18 toward the first end or base 16, or the other way around, from the base 16 toward the aperture 18, respectively.

[0060] Also, one skilled in the art would readily realize that, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the method of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, of the horn 10, 10′, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 allows for other section(s) of the antenna feed, such as a circular waveguide to rectangular waveguide transition, an orthomode transducer, a diplexer, a filter, a polarizer, a coupler, or any other feeding network component (as waveguides of FIGS. 10 and 11), etc., to be simultaneously manufactured in the same piece, typically adjacent the first end or base 16.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope of the invention as hereinabove described and hereinafter claimed.