Composite conformal biconical antenna

Abstract

The application discloses a composite conformal double-cone antenna, which comprises an upper cone, a lower cone, a hollow dielectric column, a composite sleeve, a cover plate, a base, and a radome, a conical groove structure is arranged at both ends of the hollow dielectric column and closely matches the conical surface and the top end surface of the upper and lower cones, thus realizing accurate positioning of the upper and lower cones and accurate control of the gap between the cone tops, the coaxiality is ensured, and the influence of the traditional dielectric support structure on the antenna radiation performance is effectively avoided, the composite forming sleeve is adopted to realize cooperative installation of the upper and lower cones, installation guidance and radial fixation are provided, the assembly difficulty is significantly reduced, and the operation process is more simple and efficient, the conformal skin radome formed by curing of the composite layer is adopted and a flange flanging structure is designed, so that the radome, the cover plate and the base are integrally fixed, not only the protection is realized, but also the overall rigidity of the antenna is enhanced, and the structural stability and electrical performance of the antenna under complex working conditions are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of radar antenna technology and relates to a biconical antenna, specifically a composite conformal biconical antenna. Background Technology

[0002] A biconical antenna is a vertically polarized omnidirectional antenna, widely used in radar as a common ultra-wideband antenna. A traditional biconical antenna consists of two metal cones, one above the other, with their axes collinear, apexes facing each other, and a certain gap between them. An electrical signal is fed in between the apexes, resonating between the upper and lower cone surfaces, thus radiating electromagnetic waves. To improve low-frequency characteristics, the antenna height is often increased, leading to increased weight, difficulty in fixing the upper and lower cones, challenges in ensuring coaxiality, and reduced reliability of the antenna's electrical connections.

[0003] In existing technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, the upper and lower cones of a biconical antenna face each other, typically isolated by a hollow cylindrical dielectric to maintain the gap between the cone apexes. When the cone size increases, the size of the hollow cylindrical dielectric must also increase, which leads to impedance mismatch and narrower bandwidth. Alternatively, multiple dielectric rods can be used as a support structure, which, while reducing obstruction and improving impedance matching, disrupts the circular symmetry of the overall antenna structure and worsens the omnidirectionality of the high-frequency radiation pattern. Furthermore, to meet low-frequency requirements, the height of the biconical antenna needs to be increased, resulting in a heavy antenna. Fixing large upper and lower cones is difficult, coaxiality is hard to guarantee, and electrical connection reliability is poor. Installation and matching are challenging, especially when the cone size is large, requiring conformal tooling. After fixing the upper and lower cones, the overall rigidity of the antenna is poor, making it difficult to ensure normal operation during vehicle transport and in windy conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problems existing in the background art, this invention proposes a composite conformal biconical antenna with stable structure and convenient installation, overcoming the problems of high difficulty in fixing the upper and lower cones, difficulty in ensuring coaxiality, poor electrical connection reliability, and insufficient overall rigidity in the prior art.

[0005] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A conformal biconical antenna made of composite material includes: an upper cone, a lower cone, and a hollow dielectric column. The hollow dielectric column is installed between the upper cone and the lower cone. A first conical groove and a second conical groove, which are mutually conductive, are respectively opened at both ends of the hollow dielectric column along the axial direction. The first conical groove and the second conical groove are coaxially arranged and their cone apexes face each other. The first conical groove is adapted to be connected to the upper cone, and the second conical groove is adapted to be connected to the lower cone, so as to position the upper cone and the lower cone at both ends of the hollow dielectric column and to make a clearance fit between the cone apex surfaces of the upper cone and the lower cone.

[0006] Furthermore, the first conical groove and the second conical groove are interconnected by a coaxially arranged through groove. A connector is provided in the through groove, with one end of the connector connected to the top surface of the upper cone and the other end connected to the top surface of the lower cone.

[0007] Furthermore, the inverted conical surfaces of the first and second conical grooves are in close contact with the conical surfaces of the upper and lower cones, respectively, and the apical surfaces of the first and second conical grooves are in close contact with the apical surfaces of the upper and lower cones, respectively. Furthermore, the biconical antenna also includes a composite sleeve, which is adapted to be mounted on the lower cone and used to accommodate the upper cone, so as to tightly fit the upper cone, the hollow dielectric column and the lower cone. The composite sleeve is provided with screw connection structures between itself and the upper cone and the lower cone to achieve radial and axial fixing constraints on the upper cone, the hollow dielectric column and the lower cone.

[0008] Furthermore, the composite sleeve is made by laying up and curing composite materials in a cylindrical mold and then demolding them. The inner diameter of the composite sleeve is adapted to the outer diameter of the upper cone and the lower cone, respectively.

[0009] Furthermore, the composite sleeve includes: an upper composite sleeve, a middle composite sleeve, and a lower composite sleeve. The upper composite sleeve is fitted onto the upper half of the upper cone, the middle composite sleeve is fitted between the lower half of the upper cone and the upper half of the lower cone, and the lower composite sleeve is fitted onto the lower half of the lower cone. The lower end of the upper composite sleeve is inserted into the upper end of the middle composite sleeve, and the upper end of the lower composite sleeve is inserted into the lower end of the middle composite sleeve.

[0010] Furthermore, the biconical antenna also includes a cover plate and a base. The cover plate is installed at one end of the upper cone, and the base is installed at one end of the lower cone. The cover plate and the base are respectively fixedly connected to the end faces of the upper cone and the lower cone by screws.

[0011] Furthermore, the biconical antenna also includes an antenna radome, which is formed by composite material layup curing and wrapping around the upper cone, lower cone and composite sleeve to form a conformal skin structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the ends of the radome are wrapped around the screw areas of the cover plate and the base to form composite flanges, so as to fix the radome to the cover plate and the base in an integral manner.

[0013] A method for assembling the biconical antenna includes: Place the lower cone vertically with its cone surface facing upwards; The composite sleeve is fitted onto the lower cone; The hollow medium column is inserted from the upper port of the composite sleeve, and the second conical groove of the hollow medium column is tightly fitted with the conical surface and the top surface of the lower cone. Invert the upper cone so that its cone surface faces down, and insert it into the composite sleeve from the upper port until the cone surface and the top cone tip of the upper cone are tightly fitted with the first conical groove of the hollow medium column. The composite sleeve is connected and fixed to the upper cone and the lower cone respectively by a screw connection structure; Use screws to fix the cover plate and base to the end faces of the upper and lower cones respectively; The radome is formed using a composite layup curing method, conformally wrapping around the outside of the composite sleeve and covering the screw areas of the cover plate and base to form a composite flange.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention achieves precise positioning of the upper and lower cones by forming a conical surface fit between the conical groove structure at both ends of the hollow dielectric column and the upper and lower cones, ensuring the uniformity and coaxiality of the cone apex gap; the conical surface fit increases the contact area, improves positioning stability, and avoids the influence of traditional dielectric support structures on antenna radiation performance.

[0015] 2. This invention uses a composite-formed sleeve to achieve the matching installation of the upper and lower cones, which serves as a guide and radial fixation, reducing the difficulty of installing the upper and lower cones; the segmented sleeve design makes the assembly process clearer, and the operator only needs to assemble each part step by step, and a single person can complete the insertion and removal operation, which is simpler, more convenient, safer and more efficient.

[0016] 3. This invention employs a conformal skin radome formed by composite material layup and curing, and features a flanged design, resulting in excellent antenna integrity. The radome serves as both a protective structure and an integrated fixing structure, significantly increasing the reliability of the antenna's electrical connections and enhancing the overall rigidity of the biconical antenna, enabling it to withstand harsh operating conditions such as vehicle transport and wind loads.

[0017] 4. This invention achieves reliable transmission of electrical signals by setting the connector in the through slot of the hollow dielectric pillar. At the same time, the through slot structure ensures the structural integrity of the dielectric pillar, simplifies internal wiring, and improves the integration and reliability of the antenna.

[0018] 5. The assembly method of the present invention does not require special tooling, is simple to operate, has high assembly accuracy, and can effectively ensure the consistency and stability of antenna performance, making it suitable for mass production and on-site maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a biconical antenna in the prior art.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a radial cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is an exploded view illustrating the structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the hollow medium column of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle.

[0025] Figure 7 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point C.

[0026] Figure 8 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point D.

[0027] Figure 9 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point E in the middle. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] like Figures 2-9 As shown, this invention provides a composite conformal biconical antenna, comprising: an upper cone 1, a lower cone 2, a hollow dielectric post 3, a connector 4, a composite sleeve 5, a cover plate 6, a base 7, and an radome 8. Both the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2 are metal cones, with their axes collinear and apexes facing each other, forming the basic configuration of a biconical antenna capable of generating wideband vertically polarized omnidirectional radiation characteristics. The hollow dielectric post 3 is installed between the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2, serving as isolation and positioning to ensure a uniform gap between the apexes of the two cones.

[0030] The hollow medium column 3 has a first conical groove 31 and a second conical groove 32 that are axially connected at both ends. The first conical groove 31 and the second conical groove 32 are coaxially arranged with their cone apexes facing each other. The double conical groove structure and the conical surfaces of the upper and lower cones complement each other to achieve precise positioning. The first conical groove 31 is adapted to be connected to the upper cone 1 to position and install the upper cone 1 at one end of the hollow medium column 3. The inverted conical surface of the first conical groove 31 is in close contact with the conical surface of the upper cone 1, and the cone tip surface of the first conical groove 31 is in close contact with the cone tip surface of the upper cone 1. Through the double contact method of the conical surface and the end surface, both radial positioning accuracy and axial clearance are ensured, so that the upper cone 1 and the hollow medium column 3 form a stable connection. The second conical groove 32 is adapted to mate with the lower cone 2 to position and install the lower cone 2 at the other end of the hollow dielectric pillar 3. The inverted conical surface of the second conical groove 32 is in close contact with the conical surface of the lower cone 2, and the top conical surface of the second conical groove 32 is in close contact with the top conical surface of the lower cone 2, ensuring a precise fit between the lower cone 2 and the hollow dielectric pillar 3. Thus, through the precise machining and fit of the hollow dielectric pillar 3, the designed gap size is maintained between the top conical surfaces of the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2, which is crucial for the impedance matching and radiation performance of the antenna.

[0031] Specifically, the first conical groove 31 and the second conical groove 32 are interconnected by a coaxially arranged through groove 33. A connector 4 is provided inside the through groove 33. One end of the connector 4 is connected to the top surface of the upper cone 1, and the other end is connected to the top surface of the lower cone 2. By integrating the connector 4 inside the hollow dielectric pillar 3, the connector 4 is protected from the influence of the external environment, the internal structure of the antenna is simplified, and the integration and reliability are improved.

[0032] The composite sleeve 5 is fitted onto the lower cone 2 and accommodates the upper cone 1. The inner diameter of the composite sleeve 5 matches the outer diameters of the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2, respectively, to ensure a tight fit between the upper cone 1, the hollow medium column 3, and the lower cone 2. The composite sleeve 5 is manufactured by laying up and curing composite materials in a cylindrical mold, ensuring dimensional accuracy and surface quality, and forming a good fit with the metal cones. Screw connections are provided between the composite sleeve 5 and both the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2 to achieve radial and axial fixation of the upper cone 1, the hollow medium column 3, and the lower cone 2, ensuring that their relative positions remain unchanged during operation.

[0033] Specifically, to achieve better assembly processability and structural stability, the composite sleeve 5 in this embodiment adopts a segmented design, including: an upper composite sleeve 51, a middle composite sleeve 52, and a lower composite sleeve 53. The upper composite sleeve 51 is fitted onto the upper half of the upper cone 1, the middle composite sleeve 52 is fitted between the lower half of the upper cone 1 and the upper half of the lower cone 2, and the lower composite sleeve 53 is fitted onto the lower half of the lower cone 2. This makes the assembly process clearer and more orderly, with each sleeve performing its specific function. The middle composite sleeve 52, as a core connecting component, has screw connections at both ends. Secured by screws, the structure is simple and reliable, facilitating disassembly and maintenance. The lower end of the upper composite sleeve 51 is inserted into the upper end of the middle composite sleeve 52, and the upper end of the lower composite sleeve 53 is inserted into the lower end of the middle composite sleeve 52, which facilitates assembly and disassembly and provides good guidance to ensure the coaxiality of each sleeve section.

[0034] A cover plate 6 is installed at one end of the upper cone 1. The cover plate 6 is fixedly connected to the end face of the upper cone 1 with screws to seal the upper end of the biconical antenna and protect the internal structure from external environmental influences. A base 7 is installed at one end of the lower cone 2. The base 7 is fixedly connected to the end face of the lower cone 2 with screws to support the biconical antenna and seal the bottom end of the biconical antenna. The bottom of the base 7 has multiple antenna mounting holes 71, which facilitate the fixed connection of the entire biconical antenna to external equipment or a mounting platform.

[0035] The radome 8 is formed by composite layering and curing, wrapping around the upper cone 1, lower cone 2, and composite sleeve 5 to form a conformal skin structure. This not only protects the internal structure of the biconical antenna but also enhances its structural rigidity through overall wrapping. The radome 8 covers the screw areas of the cover plate 6 and base 7 at both ends, forming composite flanges to integrally fix the radome 9 with the cover plate 6 and base 7, creating a continuous, integrated structure. This structure offers high connection strength and reliability, eliminating the gaps between traditional radomes and end caps, improving the sealing and structural integrity of the biconical antenna, and enhancing its appearance.

[0036] The present invention also provides an assembly method for the biconical antenna, which is simple to operate, requires no special tooling, and can be completed by a single person. The method includes the following steps: S1, place the lower cone 2 vertically with its cone surface facing upwards.

[0037] S2, the middle section composite sleeve 52 is fitted onto the upper half of the lower cone 2.

[0038] S3, the hollow medium column 3 is inserted from the upper port of the middle composite sleeve 52, and the second conical groove 32 of the hollow medium column 3 is tightly fitted with the conical surface and the top surface of the lower cone 2. S4, invert the upper cone 1 so that its cone surface faces down, and insert it into the middle composite sleeve 52 from the upper port until the cone surface and the top cone surface of the upper cone 1 are tightly fitted with the first cone groove 31 of the hollow medium column 3. S5, the two ends of the middle composite sleeve 52 are connected and fixed to the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2 respectively by the screw connection structure, so as to achieve radial and axial fixed constraint after the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2 are engaged.

[0039] S6, insert the upper composite sleeve 51 and the lower composite sleeve 53 from the upper end of the upper cone 1 and the lower end of the lower cone 2 respectively, and fit them into place with the middle composite sleeve 52.

[0040] S7. Use screws to fix the cover plate 6 and the base 7 to the end faces of the upper cone 1 and the lower cone 2, respectively.

[0041] S8, the antenna is formed by a composite material layup curing method, 9, conformally wrapped around the outside of the composite sleeve 5, and covers the screw area of ​​the cover plate 6 and the base 7 to form a composite flange.

[0042] This assembly method makes full use of the structural characteristics of each component, assembling them in the order from the inside out and from the core to the periphery. Each step has a clear positioning and fixing method, ensuring the final assembly accuracy and performance consistency of the biconical antenna.

[0043] The above description is merely an example and illustration of the structure of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described, or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not deviate from the structure of the invention or exceed the scope defined in the claims, all of which should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A composite conformal biconical antenna, characterized in that, include: The upper cone (1), the lower cone (2), and the hollow medium column (3) are installed between the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2). The two ends of the hollow medium column (3) are respectively provided with a first conical groove (31) and a second conical groove (32) that are mutually connected along the axial direction. The first conical groove (31) and the second conical groove (32) are coaxially arranged and their cone apexes are opposite each other. The first conical groove (31) is adapted to be connected with the upper cone (1), and the second conical groove (32) is adapted to be connected with the lower cone (2) so as to position the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2) at both ends of the hollow medium column (3) and make the cone apex surfaces of the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2) fit together with a clearance.

2. The biconical antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first conical groove (31) and the second conical groove (32) are connected to each other through a through groove (33) arranged coaxially. A connector (4) is provided in the through groove (33). One end of the connector (4) is connected to the top surface of the upper cone (1), and the other end is connected to the top surface of the lower cone (2).

3. The biconical antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inverted conical surfaces of the first conical groove (31) and the second conical groove (32) are in close contact with the conical surfaces of the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2), respectively. The top conical surfaces of the first conical groove (31) and the second conical groove (32) are in close contact with the top conical surfaces of the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2), respectively.

4. The biconical antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The composite sleeve (5) is adapted to be installed on the lower cone (2) and is used to accommodate the upper cone (2) so as to tightly fit the upper cone (1), the hollow medium column (3) and the lower cone (2). The composite sleeve (5) is provided with screw connection structure between the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2) to achieve radial and axial fixed constraints on the upper cone (1), the hollow medium column (3) and the lower cone (2).

5. The biconical antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that, The composite sleeve (5) is made by laying up and curing the composite material in a cylindrical mold and then demolding it. The inner diameter of the composite sleeve (5) is adapted to the outer diameter of the upper cone (1) and the lower cone (2).

6. The biconical antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that, The composite sleeve (5) includes: an upper composite sleeve (51), a middle composite sleeve (52) and a lower composite sleeve (53). The upper composite sleeve (51) is fitted on the upper half of the upper cone (1), the middle composite sleeve (52) is fitted between the lower half of the upper cone (1) and the upper half of the lower cone (2), and the lower composite sleeve (53) is fitted on the lower half of the lower cone (2). The lower end of the upper composite sleeve (51) is inserted into the upper end of the middle composite sleeve (52), and the upper end of the lower composite sleeve (53) is inserted into the lower end of the middle composite sleeve (52).

7. The biconical antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: Cover plate (6) and base (7). Cover plate (6) is installed at one end of upper cone (1), and base (7) is installed at one end of lower cone (2). Cover plate (6) and base (7) are fixedly connected to the end faces of upper cone (1) and lower cone (2) respectively by screws.

8. The biconical antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: The radome (8) is formed by composite material layup curing and is wrapped around the upper cone (1), lower cone (2) and composite sleeve (5) to form a conformal skin structure.

9. The biconical antenna according to claim 8, characterized in that, The radome (8) is wrapped around the screw areas of the cover plate (6) and the base (7) at both ends to form a composite flange to fix the radome (9) to the cover plate (6) and the base (7) in an integral manner.

10. A method for assembling a biconical antenna as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, include: Place the lower cone vertically with its cone surface facing upwards; The composite sleeve is fitted onto the lower cone; The hollow medium column is inserted from the upper port of the composite sleeve, and the second conical groove of the hollow medium column is tightly fitted with the conical surface and the top surface of the lower cone. Invert the upper cone so that its cone surface faces down, and insert it into the composite sleeve from the upper port until the cone surface and the top cone tip of the upper cone are tightly fitted with the first conical groove of the hollow medium column. The composite sleeve is connected and fixed to the upper cone and the lower cone respectively by a screw connection structure; Use screws to fix the cover plate and base to the end faces of the upper and lower cones respectively; The radome is formed using a composite layup curing method, conformally wrapping around the outside of the composite sleeve and covering the screw areas of the cover plate and base to form a composite flange.

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