Portable RF antenna

Abstract

A small, collapsible, high-gain, dipole antenna and a method to make the antenna. The present invention provides a collapsible half-wavelength dipole antenna for use in a portable device, the antenna having a fully collapsed position and a fully extended position. The antenna includes a static dipole arm, and a movable dipole arm. The movable dipole arm is capable of being moved to the fully collapsed position and the fully extended position. The antenna also includes a balun feed assembly electrically coupled to the static dipole arm and to the movable dipole arm. The antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals in either the fully collapsed position or the fully extended position. The balun feed assembly is fixed to the static dipole arm, and the movable dipole arm is movably coupled to the balun feed assembly. According to specific embodiments, the antenna may include a static dipole arm positioned adjacent and parallel to the balun feed assembly to provide a folded dipole antenna when in the fully collapsed position. In accordance with other embodiments, the movable dipole arm of the present antenna may be, for example, retracted or rotated into its collapsed position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.