Dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna

Abstract

The present invention discloses a gradient slot antenna loaded with a vibrator and a slot, belonging to the field of wireless communication and radar. The vibrator arm of the upper plate and the vibrator arm of the lower plate together form a vibrator radiator, and the slot arm has a closed internal slot. The internal slot of the upper plate and the internal slot of the lower plate together form a vibrator slot radiator, and the vibrator arm and the slot arm together form a semi-closed conductor ring radiator; the resonant vibrator radiator, the vibrator slot radiator and the conductor ring radiator are loaded into the traveling wave gradient slot antenna to expand the working frequency band of the antenna. The present invention can generate multiple working modes, while reducing the weight of the antenna, solving the problem that the electrical size of the wide-band gradient slot antenna is relatively large, and when the bandwidth is very wide, the standing wave of individual frequency points in the passband is large; at the same time, it has a guiding effect on the loaded vibrator, thereby improving the low-frequency gain; the antenna size of the present invention is small, and at the same time, it can ensure good standing wave and radiation performance at low frequencies and wide bands.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of wireless communications and radar, and specifically relates to an antenna technology for broadband wireless transmission, in particular to a gradient slot antenna loaded with an oscillator and a slot. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, antennas, as key components in wireless systems, must meet increasingly complex requirements, including broadband operation, high efficiency, miniaturization, and multifunctionality. Currently, antennas can be divided into two categories: traveling wave antennas and harmonic antennas, depending on the transmission mode of the excitation current.

[0003] A traveling wave antenna is a type of antenna in which current is transmitted and radiated along the antenna structure. It has a wide operating bandwidth and can cover multiple octaves. However, the electrical size of a traveling wave antenna is large, especially when operating in low-frequency bands. The actual physical size may not meet the requirements of portability or miniaturization. A resonant antenna is a type of antenna in which current is distributed and radiated in the form of standing waves on the antenna structure. Its operating wavelength is usually several times the length of the resonator. Its advantages lie in its small electrical size and compact structure, but its relatively narrow operating bandwidth limits its application range.

[0004] As a typical resonant antenna, the total length of a dipole antenna is typically half the operating wavelength; the structure of a slot antenna is generally considered the dual form of a dipole antenna. Currently, resonant antennas and traveling-wave antennas are typically used independently, and their functional integration has yet to be effectively achieved.

[0005] The tapered slot antenna is a traveling-wave antenna that optimizes wave propagation and radiation characteristics through a tapered design. However, when operating in lower frequency bands, the larger electrical dimensions of the tapered slot antenna increase its physical size, posing significant challenges to its design and use. Typically, to reduce the weight of the antenna, the method of cutting off the areas of weak current on the tapered slot antenna plate is adopted. However, this structural adjustment may introduce edge reflection effects, resulting in high standing waves at certain frequencies within the passband, seriously affecting the antenna's performance, especially when operating in broadband. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a dipole- and slot-loaded tapered slot antenna, combining resonant and traveling-wave radiation structures to achieve antenna miniaturization, optimization of broadband performance and high gain.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a dipole and slot-loaded gradient slot antenna, comprising an upper plate and a lower plate, wherein the upper plate and the lower plate are made of a conductor and have a symmetrical shape and the same size, respectively constituting two plates of the antenna, characterized in that the upper plate comprises a substrate, a dipole arm, and a slot-line arm, wherein:

[0008] The dipole arm of the upper plate and the dipole arm of the lower plate together form a dipole radiator;

[0009] The slot line arm of the upper plate and the slot line arm of the lower plate together form two plates of the tapered slot line antenna, a closed inner gap is provided inside the slot line arm, and the inner gap of the upper plate and the inner gap of the lower plate together form a dipole slot radiator;

[0010] A parallel gap and a gap with a gradually varying width are provided between the upper plate and the lower plate. Both gaps are open at both ends. The parallel gap has a constant width, one end of which is connected to the antenna port, and the other end is connected to the gap with a gradually varying width. The width of the gap with a gradually varying width gradually increases in a direction away from the parallel gap, and the widest part is a slot opening.

[0011] The dipole arm is tilted forward toward the slot line opening direction, and the dipole tail end is close to the slot line tail end of the slot line arm. The dipole arm and the slot line arm are surrounded by each other to form a semi-closed conductor ring, and the conductor ring constitutes a conductor ring radiator;

[0012] The resonant frequencies of the dipole radiator, dipole slot radiator and conductor ring radiator are combined and loaded into the tapered slot antenna to expand the working frequency band of the antenna.

[0013] In a further embodiment, one end of the vibrator arm is connected to the substrate, and the other end thereof gradually widens in the direction of the vibrator tail end, and the vibrator tail end is open; one end of the slot line arm is connected to the substrate, and the other end thereof gradually widens in the direction of the slot line tail end, and the slot line tail end is open;

[0014] There is electromagnetic coupling between the tail end of the vibrator and the tail end of the slot line, which can adjust the resonant frequency.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the inner slot is configured as a long strip, with one end close to the port of the antenna and the other end extending toward the tail end of the slot line, and the width and length of the inner slot are adjustable, thereby being able to change the resonant frequency of the oscillator slot radiator.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the sum of the length of the gradient width gap and the length of the vertical edge of the slot line is greater than one-third of the maximum operating wavelength of the antenna; the sum of the length of the dipole arm and the length of the vertical edge of the slot line is greater than one-sixth of the maximum operating wavelength of the antenna.

[0017] In a further embodiment, the width of the parallel slots is smaller than the lowest operating wavelength of the antenna, so as to make the input impedance at the port of the antenna 50 ohms;

[0018] The largest length of the parallel slot is greater than one seventieth of the lowest working wavelength of the antenna.

[0019] In a further embodiment, the upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate are mounted on a dielectric substrate and are located on the same plane of the dielectric substrate, and a mounting carrier is provided for the upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the slot line arm is located in front of the dipole arm, the length of the dipole arm is greater than the length of the slot line arm, and the slot line arm has a guiding effect on the dipole arm, thereby improving the frequency band gain of the antenna within the passband.

[0021] In a further embodiment, the width and length of the dipole arm are adjustable, so as to change the resonant frequency of the dipole radiator.

[0022] In a further embodiment, the distance between the tail end of the dipole and the tail end of the slot line is adjustable, which can change the size of the coupling capacitor and the resonant frequency of the conductor loop antenna. At the same time, changing the length of the conductor loop can change the resonant frequency of the conductor loop radiator.

[0023] In a further embodiment, the gradual change manner of the width of the gradual change width slot is adjustable, so that the gradual change manner of the width of the gradual change width slot can be changed according to the frequency requirements of the working band.

[0024] Beneficial effects: By integrating the proposed oscillator and slot-loaded tapered slot antenna into various radiation structures such as traveling wave tapered slots, resonant oscillators and slots, a variety of working modes are generated. While reducing the weight of the antenna, the problem of the relatively large electrical size of the wide-band tapered slot antenna and the large standing waves at individual frequency points in the passband when the bandwidth is very wide is solved. At the same time, the antenna in the present invention also has a guiding effect on the loaded oscillator, thereby improving the low-frequency gain. The antenna is small in size and can ensure good standing wave and radiation performance at low frequencies and wide bands. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0026] Figure numerals: 1. dielectric substrate; 2. upper electrode; 21. substrate; 22. dipole arm; 221. vertical edge of dipole; 222. tail end of dipole; 23. slot arm; 231. vertical edge of slot; 232. tail end of slot; 233. inner gap; 24. parallel gap; 25. gap with gradual width; 251. slot opening; 26. port; 27. conductor ring; 3. lower electrode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well known in the art are not described to avoid confusion with the present invention.

[0028] In order to solve the problem of large electrical size of the tapered slot antenna and, while reducing the weight of the antenna, solve the problem of large standing waves at individual frequency points within the passband when the bandwidth is very wide, the present invention provides a tapered slot line antenna loaded with oscillators and slots. By combining resonant and traveling wave radiation structures and integrating multiple radiation structures, the antenna is miniaturized, optimized with wide-band performance and high gain, and can be applied to various radio application scenarios such as communications, radar, and navigation.

[0029] See Figure 1 The dipole and slot-loaded gradient slot antenna provided by the present invention includes a dielectric substrate 1, an upper electrode plate 2, and a lower electrode plate 3. The dielectric substrate 1 is used to provide a mounting carrier for the upper electrode plate 2 and the lower electrode plate 3. The upper electrode plate 2 and the lower electrode plate 3 are fixed on the dielectric substrate 1 and are located in the same plane on the dielectric substrate 1. The upper electrode plate 2 and the lower electrode plate 3 are composed of conductors and have symmetrical shapes and the same size, respectively constituting the two electrodes of the antenna.

[0030] Specifically, the upper plate 2 includes a substrate 21, a vibrator arm 22 and a slot line arm 23, wherein:

[0031] The dipole arm 22 of the upper plate 2 and the dipole arm 22 of the lower plate 3 together form a dipole radiator;

[0032] The slot line arm 23 of the upper plate 2 and the slot line arm 23 of the lower plate 3 together form two plates of the tapered slot line antenna. A closed inner slot 233 is provided inside the slot line arm 23. The inner slot 233 of the upper plate 2 and the inner slot 233 of the lower plate 3 together form a dipole slot radiator.

[0033] A parallel gap 24 and a gradually varying width gap 25 are provided between the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3. Both gaps are open at both ends. The parallel gap 24 has a constant width, and one end is connected to the antenna port 26, and the other end is connected to the gradually varying width gap 25. The width of the gradually varying width gap 25 gradually increases in a direction away from the parallel gap 24, and the widest part is the slot opening 251.

[0034] The dipole arm 22 is tilted forward toward the slot line opening 251 , and its dipole tail end 222 is close to the slot line tail end 232 of the slot line arm 23 . The dipole arm 22 and the slot line arm 23 are mutually surrounded to form a semi-closed conductor loop 27 , and the conductor loop 27 constitutes a conductor loop 27 radiator.

[0035] The resonant frequencies of the dipole radiator, the dipole slot radiator and the conductor ring 27 radiator are combined and loaded into the tapered slot antenna to expand the working frequency band of the antenna.

[0036] Continue reading Figure 1 One end of the vibrator arm 22 is connected to the substrate 21, and the other end gradually widens in the direction of the vibrator tail end 222, and the vibrator tail end 222 is open; one end of the slot line arm 23 is connected to the substrate 21, and the other end gradually widens in the direction of the slot line tail end 232, and the slot line tail end 232 is open; there is electromagnetic coupling between the vibrator tail end 222 and the slot line tail end 232, so that the resonant frequency can be adjusted.

[0037] The inner slot 233 is configured as a long strip, with one end close to the antenna port 26 and the other end extending toward the slot line tail end 232 .

[0038] The sum of the length of the gradient width slot 25 and the length of the vertical edge 231 of the slot line is greater than one-third of the maximum operating wavelength of the antenna; the sum of the length of the dipole arm 22 and the length of the vertical edge 231 of the slot line is greater than one-sixth of the maximum operating wavelength of the antenna.

[0039] The width of the parallel slot 24 is smaller than the lowest operating wavelength of the antenna, so as to make the input impedance at the port 26 of the antenna 50 ohms; the maximum length of the parallel slot 24 is greater than one-seventieth of the lowest operating wavelength of the antenna.

[0040] As a preferred solution, the length of the dipole arm 22 is greater than the length of the slot arm 23. The slot arm 23 has a guiding effect on the dipole arm 22, thereby improving the frequency band gain of the antenna within the passband.

[0041] In the present invention, the width and length of the dipole arm 22 are adjustable. Changing the width and length of the dipole arm 22 can change the resonant frequency of the dipole radiator.

[0042] The distance between the vibrator tail end 222 and the slot line tail end 232 is adjustable. By adjusting the distance between the vibrator tail end 222 and the slot line tail end 232, the size of the coupling capacitor and the resonant frequency of the conductor loop 27 antenna can be changed; further, the length of the conductor loop 27 can be changed, and the resonant frequency of the conductor loop 27 radiator can be changed.

[0043] The width gradient of the gradient-width gap 25 is adjustable, and the width gradient is determined according to the matching requirements within the working frequency band.

[0044] The width and length of the inner slot 233 are adjustable. By changing the width and length of the inner slot 233 , the resonant frequency of the oscillator slot radiator is changed.

[0045] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: In addition to having the characteristics of a tapered slot antenna, the antenna also has the following features: the loaded dipole radiator, dipole slot radiator, and conductor loop 27 radiator are all resonant radiators. These radiators, when loaded onto the tapered slot antenna, can generate at least three resonant radiation modes. Among them:

[0046] The first resonant radiation mode is a radiation mode generated by the vibrator arm 22. The current path of this mode is from the substrate 21 to the vibrator tail end 222, and part of the path is on the substrate 21. This mode is approximately a quarter-wavelength resonant mode. The wider and longer the vibrator arm 22 is, the lower the resonant frequency of this mode is; the wider the vibrator is toward the vibrator tail end 222, the lower the resonant frequency is; the resonant frequency can be adjusted by adjusting the coupling between the vibrator tail end 222 and the slot line tail end 232.

[0047] The second resonant radiation mode is a radiation mode generated by the conductor loop 27. The current path of this mode is along the inner edge of the conductor loop 27, and it is an approximately half-wavelength resonant mode.

[0048] The current path of the third resonant radiation mode is from the substrate 21 along the edges of the parallel gaps 24 and the gradient-width gaps 25 to the slot line tail end 232, bypassing the inner gap 233 and returning to the substrate 21 from the slot line tail end 232, and then from the substrate 21 toward the vibrator tail end 222. This is a resonant mode with the longest current path. Due to the coupling between the two sides of the inner gap 233, the actual path length is shorter than the geometric length. The wider the inner gap 233, the smaller the coupling, and the closer it is to the geometric length.

[0049] Among these three modes, the mode with higher resonant frequency is used to suppress the standing waves at individual frequency points caused by edge reflections in the passband, and the mode with lower resonant frequency is used to lower the low-frequency operating frequency of the antenna.

[0050] In an embodiment, when the maximum operating frequency of the antenna is relatively low, for example, lower than 2 GHz, a direct feeding connection method can be adopted, that is, the inner conductor of the external feed line connector is connected to the upper electrode 2 at the port 26 of the antenna, and the ground end of the external feed line connector is connected to the lower electrode 3 at the port 26 of the antenna; when the maximum operating frequency of the antenna is relatively high, for example, greater than 2 GHz, a broadband transition structure from microstrip to slot line parallel gap 24 can be adopted. At this time, the external feed line is first fed to the microstrip through the connector, and then fed to the antenna through the transition structure of the microstrip to the slot line.

[0051] It should be noted that one end of the slot line vertical edge 231 of the slot line arm 23 is connected to an edge constituting the gradient width gap 25 at the slot line opening 251, and an edge connected to the other end of the slot line vertical edge 231 and away from the parallel gap 24 is set as the slot line tail end 232; one end of the vibrator vertical edge 221 of the vibrator arm 22 is connected to an edge constituting the parallel gap 24 at the port 26, and an edge away from the vibrator vertical edge 221 and close to the slot line tail end 232 is set as the vibrator tail end 222.

[0052] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "in front of" or "behind" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact via another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "in front of," "in front of," or "in front of" a second feature may include the first feature being directly in front of or obliquely in front of the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is vertically ahead of the second feature.

[0053] As described above, although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should not be construed as limiting the present invention itself. Various changes may be made to it in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dipole and slot loaded gradient slot antenna, comprising an upper plate (2) and a lower plate (3), wherein the upper plate (2) and the lower plate (3) are made of conductors and have symmetrical shapes and the same size, respectively constituting two plates of the antenna, characterized in that: The upper electrode plate (2) comprises a substrate (21), a vibrator arm (22) and a slot line arm (23), wherein: The dipole arm (22) of the upper plate (2) and the dipole arm (22) of the lower plate (3) together form a dipole radiator; The slot line arm (23) of the upper plate (2) and the slot line arm (23) of the lower plate (3) together form two plates of a tapered slot line antenna; a closed inner slot (233) is provided inside the slot line arm (23); the inner slot (233) of the upper plate (2) and the inner slot (233) of the lower plate (3) together form a dipole slot radiator; A parallel gap (24) and a gradually changing width gap (25) are provided between the upper plate (2) and the lower plate (3), both gaps being open at both ends, wherein: the parallel gap (24) has a constant width, and one end is connected to the antenna port (26), and the other end is connected to the gradually changing width gap (25), and the width of the gradually changing width gap (25) gradually increases in a direction away from the parallel gap (24), and the widest part is a slot line opening (251); The dipole arm (22) is tilted forward toward the slot line opening (251), and its dipole tail end (222) is close to the slot line tail end (232) of the slot line arm (23). The dipole arm (22) and the slot line arm (23) are mutually surrounded to form a semi-closed conductor ring (27), and the conductor ring (27) constitutes a conductor ring (27) radiator; The resonant frequencies of the dipole radiator, dipole slot radiator and conductor ring (27) radiator are combined and loaded into the tapered slot antenna to expand the working frequency band of the antenna.

2. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the vibrator arm (22) is connected to the substrate (21), and the other end thereof gradually widens in the direction of the vibrator tail end (222), and the vibrator tail end (222) is open; one end of the slot line arm (23) is connected to the substrate (21), and the other end thereof gradually widens in the direction of the slot line tail end (232), and the slot line tail end (232) is open; There is electromagnetic coupling between the vibrator tail end (222) and the slot line tail end (232).

3. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner slot (233) is configured as a long strip, with one end close to the antenna port (26) and the other end extending toward the slot line tail end (232), and the width and length of the inner slot (233) are adjustable.

4. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sum of the length of the gradually varying width slot (25) and the length of the slot line vertical edge (231) is greater than one-third of the maximum operating wavelength of the antenna; and the sum of the length of the dipole arm (22) and the length of the slot line vertical edge (231) is greater than one-sixth of the maximum operating wavelength of the antenna.

5. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the parallel slots (24) is smaller than the lowest operating wavelength of the antenna, and is used to make the input impedance at the port (26) of the antenna 50 ohms; The length of the parallel slots (24) is greater than or equal to one seventieth of the lowest operating wavelength of the antenna.

6. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper electrode plate (2) and the lower electrode plate (3) are mounted on the dielectric substrate (1) and are located on the same plane of the dielectric substrate (1).

7. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slot line arm (23) is located in front of the vibrator arm (22), and the length of the vibrator arm (22) is greater than the length of the slot line arm (23).

8. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width and length of the vibrator arm (22) can be adjusted.

9. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the vibrator tail end (222) and the slot line tail end (232) is adjustable.

10. The dipole and slot loaded tapered slot antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the gradually changing gap (25) can be adjusted in a gradually changing manner.

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