Structural antenna for flight aggregates or aircraft
AssigneeEADS Deutschland GmbH
InventorLudwig Mehltretter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A folded microstrip antenna for a flight aggregate or aircraft can be arranged around edges of thin structural parts, such as wings, tail units or control flaps, such that its surface is identical with the structure and folding takes place at the edge of the structure. The antenna is constructed such that its characteristic impedance is much higher at the folding edge than at ends of the structural antenna away from the edge. As a result, an approximately omnidirectional characteristic can be achieved.
Claims17
A structural antenna for a flight aggregate or aircraft having an approximately omnidirectional radiation characteristic which is arranged as a conductive element on a non-conductive layer which forms a base layer of a surface of an aerodynamically effective area of the flight aggregate or aircraft, the conductive element being arranged around a folding edge of the aerodynamically effective area of the flight aggregate or aircraft so as to define a continuous two-dimensional surface,
- wherein the structural antenna is integrated as a conductive area in the aerodynamically effective area, the structural antenna being arranged on electrically insulating material of the non-conductive layer,
- wherein the conductive area is partially or completely surrounded by an area of the non-conductive layer, and
- wherein the structural antenna is fed in the area of the conductive area facing away from the folding edge and not at the folding edge so that a current direction extends perpendicular to the folding edge and a characteristic impedance at the folding edge is much lower than at ends of the structural antenna located away from the edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.