Antenna deicing apparatus

Claim 1

In an antenna construction including a concave radiation reflecting sheet member, said antenna being oriented in use so that at least a portion of said concave sheet member faces toward space away from earth and is receptive to falling snow which may be retained thereon, a deicing apparatus for heating said portion to melt and remove said snow comprising: a manifold sheet member mounted spaced from the convex side of said reflecting sheet member over about said portion, said manifold sheet member facing and being joined with said convex side to form a single manifold chamber therewith, air inlet means for flowing heated air into said chamber at a single given chamber location, and a plurality of settable spaced port means coupling said chamber to the ambient atmosphere and positioned along an upper edge of the manifold chamber to provide air flow within said chamber over said reflecting sheet member over substantially all said portions, said port means being set at a sufficiently restricted flow area and spaced in a given position with respect to said inlet means flow area to provide an air head pressure within said chamber higher than ambient atmosphere to cause a flow of heated air over substantially all of said portion within said chamber, said chamber having a wall thereof approximately at the mid-section of said concave sheet member extending from one edge of said antenna to an opposite edge, said ports being located in said wall at spaced positions between said edges.