Low cost reduced-loss printed patch planar array antenna

An antenna comprising:

• a conducting ground plane, a relatively thick first dielectric, at least one conducting radiating element of an antenna being supplied by a conducting transmission line, relatively thin second and third dielelectics respectively between the first dielectric and said radiating element and said transmission line, and between the first dielectric and the ground plane, the relatively thick first dielectric having a relatively lower dielectric constant than that of the second and third dielectrics to increase the band width transmission capability of said transmission line for a given transmission line impedance, each of the second and third dielectrics being relatively thin to couple substantially less power than is coupled with the first dielectric, and at least the second of said dielectrics being of relatively higher dielectric constant promoting surface wave coupling and reduction of wave losses along said transmission line and said radiating element.

An antenna comprising:

• a conducting ground plane, a relatively thick first dielectric, at least one conducting radiating element of an antenna fed by a conducting transmission line, a second relatively thin dielectric between the first dielectric and the radiating element and the conducting transmission line, a third relatively thin dielelectric between the first dielectric and the ground plane, the relatively thick first dielectric having a relatively lower dielectric constant than that of at least the second dielectric of relatively higher dielectric constant to increase the band width transmission capability of said transmission line for a given transmission line impedance, the second dielectric being relatively thin to couple substantially less power than is coupled with the primary dielectric, and the relatively thin second dielectric is of relatively higher dielectric constant promoting surface wave coupling and reduction of wave losses along said transmission line and said radiating element.