Helix-spiral combination antenna
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorChristian I. Igwe
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Abstract
Compound antennas are disclosed, as are aircraft comprising compound antennas and methods to use compound antennas. In one embodiment, a compound antenna comprises a ground plane, a helix antenna element comprising a first dielectric core having a first end and a second end and coupled to the ground plane at the first end, the helix antenna element exhibiting a normal mode polarization pattern, and a conical spiral antenna element disposed proximate the helix antenna element, the conical spiral antenna element exhibiting an axial mode polarization pattern, wherein both the normal-mode and the axial mode patterns are circular polarization patterns and have the same sense. Other embodiments may be described.
Claims20
A compound antenna, comprising:
- a ground plane;
- a helix antenna element comprising a first dielectric core having a first end and a second end and coupled to the ground plane at the first end, the helix antenna element exhibiting a first normal mode polarization pattern;
- and
- a conical spiral antenna element disposed proximate the helix antenna element, the conical spiral antenna element exhibiting a second axial mode polarization pattern;
- wherein the first polarization pattern and the second polarization pattern are circular polarization patterns and have the same sense.
An aircraft, comprising:
- a communication system;
- and
- a compound antenna coupled to the communication system, comprising:
- a ground plane;
- a helix antenna element comprising a first dielectric core having a first end and a second end and coupled to the ground plane at the first end, the helix antenna element exhibiting a first normal mode polarization pattern;
- and
- a conical spiral antenna element disposed proximate the helix antenna element, the conical spiral antenna element exhibiting a second axial mode polarization pattern;
- wherein the first polarization pattern and the second polarization pattern are circular polarization patterns and have the same sense.
A method to use an antenna assembly, comprising:
- providing a compound antenna comprising:
- a ground plane;
- a helix antenna element comprising a first dielectric core having a first end and a second end and coupled to the ground plane at the first end, the helix antenna element exhibiting a first normal-mode polarization pattern;
- and
- a conical spiral antenna element disposed proximate the helix antenna element, the conical spiral antenna element exhibiting a second axial mode polarization pattern;
- wherein the first polarization pattern and the second polarization pattern are circular polarization patterns and have the same sense;
- and
- coupling a feed network to the helix antenna element and the conical spiral antenna element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.