Circularly polarized antenna

Claim 1

A circularly polarized antenna operable oVer a given frequency band comprising: a reflecting surface, a first conductive element having a first portion and an electrically continuous second portion spaced forward of said reflecting surface, a second conductive element having a first portion and an electrically continuous second portion spaced forward of said reflecting surface, means coupled to a terminating end of each of said conductive elements for feeding RF electromagnetic signal waves between said first conductive element and said second conductive element at a terminal end thereof to establish a standing wave on said conductive elements at said given frequency, said first portion of said first element and said first portion of said second element being symmetrically disposed relative to each other and extending in a common plane to form a first dipole spaced from said reflecting surface, said second portion of said first conductive element extending parallel to said reflecting surface and perpendicular to and above said common plane, said second portion of said second conductive element extending parallel to said reflecting surface and perpendicular to and below said common plane to form with the second portion of said first element a second dipole orthogonally oriented to said first dipole, said first conductive element and said second conductive element being further arranged so that the straight line spacing between the junctions of the first portion and second portions of said conductive elements and said terminating ends is sufficient to effectively accomplish quadrature phasing between the phase centers of the waves at said first dipole and said second dipole.