Foam-filled antenna and method of manufacturing same

A method of forming a product with a preferred shape that is maintained against significant deviation from said preferred shape, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing material sections of a deformable material, the material sections being mateable to define a hollow interior cavity;
• (b) maintaining the material sections on a forming die in a configuration corresponding to the preferred shape of the completed product;
• and
• (c) introducing a closed-cell foam slurry into the hollow interior cavity and allowing the closed-cell foam slurry to cure, thereby forming a rigid support structure adequate to maintain the mated material sections against significant deviation from the preferred shape following removal of the mated material sections from the forming die.

A method for forming a parabolic antenna, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a backing section and a reflector made of deformable material, the backing section and reflector being mateable to define a hollow interior cavity, and at least the reflector having a first curvature;
• (b) providing a forming die including at least a male form having a curved surface corresponding to a second, preferred curvature of the reflector;
• (c) positioning and maintaining the reflector on the first, male form in conformance with the curved surface corresponding to the second, preferred curvature of the reflector;
• (d) mating the backing section to the reflector;
• (e) securing the backing section and the reflector in the mated condition thereof;
• (e) injecting an expandable, closed-cell foam slurry into the hollow interior cavity defined between the mated backing section and reflector;
• and
• (f) forming the antenna with the reflector having a curvature corresponding to the second, preferred curvature by curing the closed-cell foam slurry.

A method of forming a product having a preferred shape that is maintained against significant deviation from said preferred shape, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing material sections of a deformable material, the material sections being mateable to define a hollow interior cavity;
• (b) maintaining the material sections on a forming die in a configuration corresponding to the preferred shape of the completed product;
• and
• (c) introducing a foam slurry into the hollow interior cavity and allowing the foam slurry to cure, thereby forming a rigid support structure adequate to maintain the mated material sections in the preferred shape following removal of the mated material sections from the forming die.

A method for forming a parabolic antenna, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a backing section and a reflector made of deformable material, the backing section and reflector being mateable to define a hollow interior cavity, and at least the reflector having a first curvature;
• (b) providing a forming die including at least a male form having a curved surface corresponding to a second, preferred curvature of the reflector;
• (c) positioning and maintaining the reflector on the first, male form in conformance with the curved surface corresponding to the second, preferred curvature of the reflector;
• (d) mating the backing section to the reflector;
• (e) securing the backing section and the reflector in the mated condition thereof;
• (e) injecting an expandable, foam slurry into the hollow interior cavity defined between the mated backing section and reflector;
• and
• (f) forming the antenna with the reflector having a curvature corresponding to the second, preferred curvature by curing the foam slurry.