Closed-Shell Antenna Lens With Gyroid Core for Contamination Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna lenses, such as the Luneburg lens, are susceptible to penetration by foreign substances due to their open cell structure and are fragile, requiring complex and expensive 3D printing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printed antenna lens with a closed outer shell and inner gyroid layer, made from ASA material, featuring a uniform outer layer with low permittivity and a high-permittivity inner layer, housed within a conical or layered structure, enhancing structural integrity and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an open cell structure is used for the antenna lens, then the lens can be manufactured with simpler technology, but the lens becomes susceptible to penetration by foreign substances and edges become fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where an inner lens is placed inside an outer shell. The outer shell provides protection against foreign substance penetration and edge breakage, while the inner lens maintains the optical functionality. This nested configuration resolves the contradiction by combining the simplicity of open cell structure manufacturing with the reliability of enclosed protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a closed outer shell structure that encloses the lens material. This shell acts as a protective barrier that prevents foreign substances from penetrating the lens while maintaining the overall lens shape and functionality, thereby improving reliability without compromising manufacturing ease.
2Reliability
If a closed outer shell structure is added to protect the lens, then the lens becomes more durable and resistant to contamination, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the lens system into two main segments: an inner lens and an outer shell. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the inner lens for optical performance and the outer shell for protection - while simplifying the overall manufacturing process through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the protective outer shell with the functional inner lens into a single integrated antenna lens assembly. This merging approach maintains durability and contamination resistance while avoiding the complexity of separate protective mechanisms, as the shell itself becomes part of the functional structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If advanced 3D printing technology is used to create the lens, then the lens achieves high precision and performance, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes 3D printing technology to precisely control the relative permittivity parameter of the lens material by varying the infill density or material composition during printing. This allows achievement of the required optical precision through parameter optimization rather than requiring more expensive post-processing or alternative manufacturing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures in the 3D printed lens, combining different materials or material densities to achieve the desired permittivity gradient. This approach enables high precision optical performance through material composition control, reducing the need for expensive precision machining or assembly of multiple components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides improved durability and reduced susceptibility to contamination while maintaining high gain and directivity, utilizing a cost-effective 3D printing process.
Implementation Method 1
The principle of this lens is that the center of the lens has a higher relative permittivity than the outer layers. This gradient causes the electromagnetic waves to bend towards the center of the lens as they pass through the lens and focus to a point on its surface.
Implementation Method 2
the lens can collimate RF signals from the antenna into a plane beam or, conversely, focus a plane wave into the antenna
Implementation Method 3
A special UV (ultraviolet) curable ceramic composite material is used for printing
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna lens placed within an outer shell having an outer side comprising a circular surface and opposed side dimensioned to fit into an upper end of an antenna, the lens densificated centrically and having antenna ridges in some embodiments. This antenna lens is useful to provide a cost-effective solution to problems associated with relative permittivity.