Circularly polarized loop and helix panel antennas

Claim 2

A circularly polarized antenna assembly comprising a conductive plane, a plurality of adjacent radiating elements each comprising at least one open radiating loop all portions which lie substantially in a plane, means for supporting each of said radiating elements above said conducting plane in line next to one another with the plane of said at least one loop being substantially parallel to the conducting plane, transmission line means connecting said radiating elements in series from one opened end of the loop to an adjacent loop and means for feeding one end of said series of radiating elements, the impedance of said transmission lines and radiating elements selected so that the radiating elements each support a traveling electrical wave equivalent to a traveling wave on a ring to produce circularly polarized radiation.

Claim 3

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 1 wherein said loops have a circumference of approximately one wavelength at the operating frequency of the antenna assembly.

Claim 4

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 1 wherein the distance between similar points on the series connected radiating elements measured along the transmission lines and radiating elements is an integral number of wavelengths at the operating frequency of the antenna to produce substantially broadside radiation.

Claim 5

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 3 wherein said loops having a circumference of approximately one wavelength at the operating frequency of the antenna assembly.

Claim 6

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 1 wherein said radiating loop is composed of two N/2 turn helices, with a turn length of approximately one wavelength, wound in opposite senses and connected in series where N is the number of turns, a number greater than one.

Claim 7

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 5 wherein said radiating loop is composed of two single turn helices with a turn length of approximately one wavelength wound in opposite senses and connected in series.

Claim 8

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 5 wherein said radiating loop includes two three-quarter turn helical elements with a turn length of approximately one wavelength wound in opposite senses and connected in series.

Claim 9

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 5 wherein the distance between similar points on the series connected radiating elements measured along the transmission lines and radiating elements is an integral number of wavelengths at the operating frequency of the antenna to produce broadside radiation.

Claim 10

A circularly polarized antenna assembly as in claim 1 wherein each of said radiating elements is disposed within a cavity.

Claim 11

A circularly polarized antenna element as in claim 1 wherein said ground plane includes upturned sides.

Claim 12

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting said radiating elements supports the elements at increasing height from the ground plane away from the feed point.

Claim 13

A circularly polarized antenna array including a plurality of antenna assemblies as in claim 1 arranged in line to radiate a predetermined elevational pattern.

Claim 14

A circularly polarized antenna array including a pair of antenna assemblies as in claim 1 placed back to back.

Claim 15

A circularly polarized antenna array including three antenna assemblies as in claim 1 disposed to form a triangle.

Claim 16

A circularly polarized antenna array including four antenna assemblies as in claim 1 placed in a rectangular configuration.

Claim 17

A circularly polarized antenna array including a plurality of antenna assemblies as in claim 3 arranged to radiate a predetermined horizontal pattern.

Claim 18

A circularly polarized antenna array including a pair of antenna assemblies as in claim 3 placed back to back.

Claim 19

A circularly polarized antenna array including three antenna assemblies as in claim 3 disposed to form a triangle.

Claim 20

A circularly polarized antenna array including four antenna assemblies as in claim 3 elements placed in a rectangular configuration.

Claim 21

A circularly polarized antenna comprising a plurality of antenna assemblies as in claim 3 placed one above the other.

Claim 22

A circularly polarized antenna assembly including two antenna assemblies as in cliam 1 extending in line away from one another and common means for feeding the said two antenna assemblies.

Claim 23

A circularly polarized antenna assembly including two antenna assemblies as in cliam 1 extending in line away from one another and common means for feeding the said two antenna assemblies.

Claim 24

A circularly polarized antenna assembly including two antenna assemblies as in claim 3 extending in line away from one another and common means for feeding said two antenna assemblies.

Claim 25

A circularly polarized antenna assembly including two antenna assemblies as in claim 5 extending in line away from one another and common means for feeding said two antenna assemblies.

Claim 26

A circularly polarized antenna assembly comprising a conductive plane, two series of radiating elements, each series including radiating elements supported above said conductive plane in line next to one another, each of said radiating elements comprising a loop lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the conductive plane, said two series of radiating elements having one end adjacent to one another with the other end of each series extending away from said adjacent ends, said radiating elements being at increased heights away from said adjacent ends, transmission line means connected to feed one end of the first of said radiating elements at said one end of each series and transmission line means interconnecting the loops in each series so that the radiating elements are connected in series along the transmission lines, said transmission line means and radiating elements selected so that the impedance of said transmission line means and radiating elements support selected so that the radiating loops support a traveling wave to produce circularly polarized radiation.

Claim 27

A circularly polarized antenna assembly comprising a conductive plane, two series of radiating elements, each series including radiating elements supported above said conductive plane in line next to one another, each of said radiating elements comprising a loop lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the conductive plane, said two series of radiating elements having one end adjacent to one another with the other end of each series extending away from said adjacent ends, said radiating elements being at increased heights away from said adjacent ends, transmission line means connected to feed one end of the first of said radiating elements at said one end of each series and transmission line means interconnecting the loops in each series so that the radiating elements are connected in series along the transmission lines, said transmission line means and radiating elements selected so that the impedance of said transmission line means and radiating elements support selected so that the radiating loops support a traveling wave to produce circularly polarized radiation.

Claim 28

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 24 in which the other end of the last in each series is terminated to ground by a resistor.

Claim 29

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 24 wherein said loops have a circumference of approximately one wavelength at the operating frequency of the antenna assembly.

Claim 30

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 24 wherein the distance between similar points on the series connected radiating elements measured along the transmission lines and radiating elements is an integral number of wavelengths at the operating frequency of the antenna to produce broadside radiation.

Claim 31

A circularly polarized antenna array including a plurality of antenna assemblies as in claim 5 arranged in line to radiate a predetermined elevation pattern.

Claim 32

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 5 wherein said means for supporting said radiating elements supports the elements at increasing height from the ground plane away from the feed point.

Claim 33

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 5 wherein each of said radiating elements is disposed in a cavity.

Claim 34

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 5 wherein said ground plane has upturned sides.

Claim 35

A circularly polarized antenna assembly including two antenna assemblies as in claim 5 extending in line away from one another and common means for feeding adjacent ends of said antenna assemblies.

Claim 36

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 24 wherein said radiating elements are composed of two N/2 turn helices, with a turn length of approximately one wavelength, wound in opposite senses and connected in series where N is the number of turns, a number greater than one.

Claim 37

A circularly polarized antenna as in claim 24 wherein each of said radiating elements is disposed in a cavity.