Optical collimator

Claim 2

Antenna apparatus comprising a one-part, biconvex dielectric lens antenna having at least one curved reflective surface provided with reflective media and having at least one refractive surface and having a feed point positioned on the lens opposite one reflective surface.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lens has a first surface provided with reflective media and a second opposite reflective surface at least a portion of which is free of reflective media.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lens antenna has a first surface provided with reflective media and a second opposite surface having a central portion provided with reflective media and having the remaining portion free of reflective material.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lens antenna has a generally biconvex shape.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second surfaces have generally convex shape and said central portion has a generally concave shape.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one reflective surface is metalized.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said central portion is provided with a polarization grating.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective surface is provided with a central feed point for receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted into the lens antenna.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second surface is provided with a central feed point for receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted into the lens antenna.

Claim 11

Antenna apparatus comprising a dielectric convex lens body having first and second oppositely curved reflective and refractive surfaces, a feed in the lens opposite a center of the wave reflective surface, the first surface having wave reflective means for thereby forming a wave reflective surface for reflecting waves impinging thereon, the second surface forming a curved refractive surface for refracting waves as they pass through the refractive surface for collimating the waves as they pass through the refractive surface, the first wave reflective surface and the second curved refractive surface cooperating in retracting waves for collimating the waves.

Claim 12

Antenna apparatus comprising a dielectric convex lens body having first and second oppositely curved reflective and refractive surfaces, a feed in the lens opposite a center of the wave reflective surface, the first surface having wave reflective means for thereby forming a wave reflective surface for reflecting waves impinging thereon, the second surface forming a curved refractive surface for refracting waves as they pass through the refractive surface for collimating the waves as they pass through the refractive surface, the first wave reflective surface and the second curved refractive surface cooperating in retracting waves for collimating the waves.

Claim 13

The antenna apparatus of claim 10 wherein curvatures of the first wave reflective surface and the second curved refractive surface respectively partially collimate and complete collimation.

Claim 14

The antenna apparatus of claim 11 wherein the curvature of the first wave reflective surface is coordinate to cooperate with a predetermined curvature of the second curved refractive surface for collimating waves.

Claim 15

The antenna apparatus of claim 11 wherein the curvature of the second curved refractive surface is coordinated for cooperating with a predetermined curvature of the first wave reflective surface for collimating waves.

Claim 16

The antenna apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a feed point at a center of the second curved refractive surface.

Claim 17

The antenna apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a subreflector having a third concave surface centered within the second curved refractive surface.

Claim 18

The antenna apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a feed point centered in the first wave reflective surface.

Claim 19

The antenna apparatus of claim 16 wherein the subreflector comprises a polarizing grating for permitting passage of collimated waves through the subreflector third surface.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18 further comprising directing waves from a feed point in the first curved surface toward a third concave surface centered in the second curved surface an reflecting waves from the third curved surface toward the first curved surface.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19 further comprising passing collimated waves through the third curved surface.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19 further comprising selecting curvature of the first, second and third curved surfaces in relation to fixed curvature requirements of one of the surfaces for cooperating in reflecting and refracting waves for collimating waves.

Claim 25

An antenna apparatus, comprising: (A) a generally biconvex refractive dielectric lens having first and second surfaces; (B) a twist reflector mounted on the first surface; (C) a subreflector mounted on a portion of the second surface, wherein said subreflector has a polarization grid; (D) a feed point on the twist reflector opposite the subreflector, whereby radiation is reflected by the subreflector grid to impinge on the twist reflector where the radiation is orthogonally rotated to be collimated in a wave front passing through the subreflector grid and refracted by the second dielectric surface.

Claim 26

An antenna apparatus, comprising: (A) a generally biconvex refractive dielectric lens having first and second surfaces; (B) a twist reflector mounted on the first surface; (C) a subreflector mounted on a portion of the second surface, wherein said subreflector has a polarization grid; (D) a feed point on the twist reflector opposite the subreflector, whereby radiation is reflected by the subreflector grid to impinge on the twist reflector where the radiation is orthogonally rotated to be collimated in a wave front passing through the subreflector grid and refracted by the second dielectric surface.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said portion of the second surface is a central portion, and wherein said subreflector has a surface which extends between said first and surfaces.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said subreflector surface is curved opposite of the second surface.

Claim 29

An antenna apparatus comprising: (a) a one-piece, two-sided dielectric lens having a first curved reflective surface and an oppositely curved refractive surface, wherein said refractive surface has a mid-portion, being a second curved reflective surface, and having the same curvature as the first reflective surface; (b) a feed point positioned on the lens opposite one reflective surface.

Claim 30

An antenna apparatus comprising: (a) a one-piece, two-sided dielectric lens having a first curved reflective surface and an oppositely curved refractive surface, wherein said refractive surface has a mid-portion, being a second curved reflective surface, and having the same curvature as the first reflective surface; (b) a feed point positioned on the lens opposite one reflective surface.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said first surface is convex.

Claim 32

The device of claim 26 wherein said refractive surface is convex, and wherein said midportion is concave.

Claim 33

The device of claim 27 wherein said feed point is located between the two reflective surfaces, embedded in the dielectric.