Tile structure of shape-adaptive phased array antenna

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna, and more specifically to a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna configured to improve drag and low-observable properties of an airplane, and minimize a structural interference between adjacent tiles of the phased array antenna.

Claims

1. A tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna comprising: an upper tile including a plurality of radiation elements arranged therein; and a lower tile coupled to a lower portion of the upper tile, wherein the lower tile has a horizontal cross-sectional area which is formed to be narrower than a horizontal cross-sectional area of the upper tile, wherein the tile structure is formed in a wide top and narrow bottom shape in which the lower end portion of the lower tile is formed so as to have a narrower width than a width of an upper end portion of the lower tile.

2. The tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the tile structure has one end face which is formed in a T shape in a vertical direction.

3. The tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the tile structure is formed in a wide top and narrow bottom shape in which a lower end portion of the lower tile is formed so as to have a narrower width than a width of an upper end portion of the upper tile.

4. The tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to claim 3, wherein the tile structure is formed so that a cross-sectional area of the lowermost end portion of the upper tile is the same as the cross-sectional area of the uppermost end portion of the lower tile.

5. The tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the tile structure is formed so that a cross-sectional area of the lowermost end portion of the upper tile is the same as the cross-sectional area of the uppermost end portion of the lower tile.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1 to 3 are photographs illustrating tile structures of conventional phased array antennas, which are formed in a rectangular shape;

(2) FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention and a tile structure of a conventional phased array antenna by comparing arrangement states therebetween; and

(4) FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) The present invention may be altered in various ways and have various embodiments, and will be described with reference to the drawings for illustrating specific embodiments.

(6) However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

(7) It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being connected to or coupled to another component, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other component intervening another component may be present. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being directly connected to or directly coupled to another component, there is no intervening component present.

(8) In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention thereto. As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms comprises, comprising, includes and/or including, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

(9) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, to facilitate overall understanding, identical reference numerals will be denoted to portions performing similar functions and operations throughout the accompanying drawings, and the identical components will not be described.

(10) Hereinafter, preferable embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. In the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of publicly known functions and configurations that are judged to be able to make the purport of the present invention unnecessarily obscure will not be described.

(11) FIGS. 1 to 3 are photographs illustrating tile structures of conventional phased array antennas, which are formed in a rectangular shape, FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention and a tile structure of a conventional phased array antenna by comparing arrangement states therebetween, and FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(12) The tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention generally includes an upper tile 100 and a lower tile 200, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

(13) At this time, the upper tile includes a plurality of radiation elements 110 arranged therein.

(14) The above-described upper tile may include members including a substrate (not illustrated) electrically connected to the radiation elements. These members may be equally applied to the conventional phased array antenna.

(15) In addition, the lower tile 200 is a member coupled to a lower portion of the upper tile, and may also include various members therein similar to the upper tile.

(16) In the tile structure of the phased array antenna including the upper tile and the lower tile, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the lower tile may be formed so as to have a smaller horizontal cross-sectional area than a horizontal cross-sectional area of the upper tile.

(17) At this time, the tile structure is characterized by having one end face which is formed in a T shape in a vertical direction.

(18) Next, the tile structure of the phased array antenna according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be compared with a tile structure of the conventional phased array antenna.

(19) As illustrated in FIG. 5, the tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the present invention is formed in a T shape whose lower portion is narrower than the upper portion thereof. Therefore, it can be seen that a separation interval a between the adjacent tiles in the shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the present invention is smaller than a separation interval b between the adjacent tiles in the tile structure of the conventional phased array antenna formed in a rectangular shape.

(20) For example, in a case of the shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the present invention, when assuming that an upper surface of the upper tile has a length of 84 mm, the lower tile has a length of 80 mm and they both have a height of 43 mm, a separation interval a of 1.49 mm is formed between the adjacent tiles.

(21) On the other hand, in a case of the conventional phased array antenna formed in a rectangular shape, when assuming that the tile has a length of 84 mm and a height of 43 mm, a separation interval b of 2.73 mm is formed between the adjacent tiles.

(22) That is, the tile structure of a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the present invention has a separation interval of 1.24 mm smaller than the tile structure of the conventional phased array antenna. Therefore, the shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to the present invention may have an improved electrical performance.

(23) Further, when applying the shape-adaptive phased array antenna of the present invention to a curved surface region of an aircraft generally formed in a streamlined shape (curved surface), it is possible to dispose the antenna thereon while maintaining a minimum separation distance between the adjacent tiles, thereby improving an electrical beam steering performance, and decreasing side-lobes of a beam pattern.

(24) As described above, the tile structure according to the present invention is formed in a T shape whose lower portion is narrower than the upper portion thereof to minimize a structural interference between the adjacent tiles of the phased array antenna, thereby securing continuities in an arrangement of the antenna and improving performance thereof.

(25) In addition, the tile structure according to the present invention is configured to change sizes of the upper tiles and the lower tiles, such that it is possible to apply the antenna by matching to various curved surface shapes of a structure to be disposed thereon.

(26) Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a shape-adaptive phased array antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized by being formed in a wide top and narrow bottom shape in which a lower end portion of the lower tile is formed so as to have a narrower width than a width of an upper end portion of the upper tile.

(27) In addition, the tile structure is characterized by being formed in a wide top and narrow bottom shape in which the lower end portion of the lower tile is formed so as to have a narrower width than a width of an upper end portion of the lower tile.

(28) Such a tile structure may be applied to a curved surface region having a relatively large curvature, and the separation interval between the adjacent tiles may be minimized.

(29) In addition, the tile structure is characterized in that a cross-sectional area of the lowermost end portion of the upper tile is the same as the cross-sectional area of the uppermost end portion of the lower tile.

(30) That is, by minimizing a step at a portion in which the upper tile and the lower tile are connected to each other, the tile structure is formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape as a whole, and thereby the structural interference between the tiles may be minimized and continuities of the antenna array may be secured.

(31) As described above, optimal embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and the specification. Although specific terms have been used herein, these are only intended to describe the present invention and are not intended to limit the meanings of the terms or to restrict the scope of the present invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible from the above embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be defined by the technical spirit of the accompanying claims.