Deployable disk antenna
AssigneeEagle Technology, LLC
InventorFrancis Parsche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disk antenna includes a plurality of conductive plates forming a stack aligned along a principal axis. The plates include a ground plane plate, a plurality of electrically active plates, and a drive plate disposed between the ground plane plate and the plurality of electrically active plates. A mast is configured to transition from a first condition in which the mast is compactly stowed, to a second condition in which the mast is deployed. Suspension members are configured to couple a radiating end of the mast to the plurality of electrically active plates. The plates are compactly stacked when the mast is in the first condition, and urged to distributed locations along the length of the mast in the second condition.
Claims25
A disk antenna comprising:
- a plurality of plates forming a stack aligned along a principal axis, each plate comprising a major conductive surface extending in directions transverse to the principal axis;
- the plurality of plates including
- a ground plane plate;
- a plurality of electrically active plates;
- and
- a drive plate disposed between the ground plane plate and the plurality of electrically active plates;
- and
- a mast configured to transition from a first condition in which the mast is compactly stowed, to a second condition in which the mast is deployed such that a length of the mast along the principal axis is increased as compared to the first condition;
- and
- one or more suspension members configured to directly or indirectly couple the mast to the plurality of electrically active plates;
- wherein the plates are configured to be compactly stacked when the mast is in the first condition, and are urged by the suspension members to a plurality of distributed locations along the length of the mast in the second condition.
A method for deploying a disk antenna comprising:
- arranging a plurality of plates to form a stack aligned along a principal axis, each plate comprising a major conductive surface extending in directions transverse to the principal axis;
- ordering the plurality of plates in the stack to include a drive plate disposed between a ground plane plate and a plurality of electrically active plates;
- controlling deployment of the disk antenna by transitioning a mast from a first condition in which the mast is compactly stowed, to a second condition in which a length of the mast along the principal axis is increased as compared to the first condition;
- and
- using one or more suspension members which are directly or indirectly coupled to the mast to urge the plurality of electrically active plates, in response to the transitioning, from a stowed configuration in which the plates are compactly stacked, to a deployed configuration in which a spacing between adjacent ones of the electrically active plates is increased, whereby the electrically active plates are distributed at predetermined spaced apart locations along an elongated length of the mast in the second condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.