Reflector antenna with a self-supported feed

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, having a ring focus shape a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, where said elevated region has a constant height over the ring focus main reflector shape, where in the height of the elevated region has a maximum of between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths over the ring focus shaped main reflector, and has a diameter of between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths dependent on the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, having a ring focus shape a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• a dielectric plate in said main reflector around said tube, where the plate has a constant height over the ring focus main reflector shape where in the height of the plate has a maximum over the ring focus main reflector shape which provides a phase delay of between 70 and 180 degrees compared to when the dielectric plate is not present, and where the diameter is between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths, depending on the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• fastening means for creating a strong metal connection between said sub-reflector and said tube being located in a plane through the center axis of said tube and said sub-reflector and on opposite sides of this axis.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• one or more air-filled or dielectric-filled grooves, located in or around the rim of said main reflector, where the depth of these grooves are between 0.25 and 0.5 wavelengths of the material inside the groove.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• one or more open-ended dielectric rings which are metalized on the outermost side in such a way that they form coaxial layers of dielectric material and metal, located around the rim of said main reflector, where the depth of the open-ended dielectric-filled coaxial waveguides formed by the dielectric layers are typically between 0.5 and 0.75 wavelengths of the dielectric material.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• a cylinder, said cylinder comprising said tube and said waveguide, and having a constant thickness along its length, said cylinder being fastened to the main reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• an inner cylindrical tube located inside said waveguide tube such that a coaxial waveguide is formed between the outer wall of said inner tube and the inner wall of said waveguide tube, and where the dielectric joint contains metal parts which are connected to said inner tube.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• the main reflector has a paraboloidal shape and includes an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said elevated region has a constant height above the surface of the main reflector, the elevated region has a maximum height of between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths, and has a diameter between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths depending upon the frequency and focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said elevated region has a height which tapers off gradually from a maximum near the tube to zero at a radial distance from the tube, and wherein the maximum height of the elevated region is between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths and the diameter at the point where the height is reduced to 0.37 of its maximum value is between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths, depending upon the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, said main reflector having an axis of symmetry, the improvement comprising:

• the main reflector has a paraboloidal shape and includes an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said elevated region has a flat planar surface which is perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the main reflector, the flat elevated region has a maximum height of between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths and has a diameter between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths depending upon the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, said main reflector having an axis of symmetry, the improvement comprising:

• an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, a dielectric plate forms the elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said dielectric plate tapers off gradually from a maximum height near the tube to 0 at a radial distance away from the tube, and where the maximum height of the plate provides a phase delay in the associated electromagnetic waves between 70 and 180 degrees compared to when the dielectric plate is not present, and the diameter at the point where the height is reduced to 0.37 of its maximum value is between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths, depending upon the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said elevated region has a constant height above the surface of the main reflector, the elevated region having a maximum height of between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths and has a diameter between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths depending upon the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• one or more dielectric rings are provided having metalized outer and bottom surfaces, said dielectric rings effectively forming a dielectric-filled groove located around the rim of said main reflector, where the depth of these grooves are between 0.25 and 0.5 wavelengths of the material inside the grooves.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• one or more dielectric rings are provided having metalized outer surfaces and being located around the rim of said main reflector, the width of the rings when measured in the axial direction of the reflector are between 0.50 and 0.75 wavelengths of the material inside the grooves.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• a plurality of dielectric rings having metal film positioned between the rings so as to form coaxial layers of dielectric material and metal, and said dielectric rings are located around the rim of said main reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, said main reflector having an axis of symmetry, the improvement comprising:

• the main reflector includes an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said elevated region has a flat planar surface which is perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the main reflector, the flat elevated region has a maximum height of between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths and has a diameter between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths depending upon the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• an elevated region in the center of said main reflector around said tube, said elevated region being formed by a dielectric plate, said dielectric plate having a constant height above the surface of the main reflector, said dielectric plate having a maximum height of between 0.1 and 0.25 wavelengths and having a diameter between 1.9 and 7 wavelengths depending upon the frequency and the focal length of the reflector.

In an antenna system, a reflector and a feed element for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic waves, constructed with a main reflector having a rim around its outer perimeter, a waveguide inside a tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said main reflector, a sub-reflector with circular grooves or corrugations, and a dielectric joint in the space between said sub-reflector and the second end of said waveguide tube, the improvement comprising:

• an inner cylindrical tube located inside said waveguide tube such as that a coaxial waveguide is formed between the outer wall of said inner tube and the inner wall of said waveguide tube, and where the dielectric joint contains metal parts which are not connected to said inner tube.