Folded Waveguide Antenna Layout for Sidelobe Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna devices face challenges in minimizing sidelobes while maintaining a compact size, as ensuring adequate spacing between radiation apertures for phase alignment leads to increased device size and heightened sidelobes.
Innovation Solution
The antenna device incorporates a configuration with waveguide sections, partition walls, and radiation apertures that allow for phase alignment through a distribution section folding back to propagate radio waves, reducing the need for extensive spacing and thus minimizing size while suppressing sidelobes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If radiation apertures are arranged with adequate spacing for phase alignment, then phase alignment is improved, but device size increases and sidelobes are heightened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional planar arrangement of radiation apertures to a three-dimensional folded waveguide structure. The distribution waveguide folds back on itself, allowing radiation apertures to be positioned at different spatial locations while maintaining compact overall dimensions. This dimensional transformation enables phase alignment without requiring large lateral spacing between apertures.
Solution Approach 2:
The distribution waveguide is configured to fold back and nest within the overall antenna structure. The waveguide path returns on itself, with the folded section positioned within the envelope of the overall antenna device. This nesting approach allows the distribution path to be compact while still providing adequate electrical length for phase alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If radiation apertures are arranged with adequate spacing for phase alignment, then phase alignment is improved, but sidelobes are heightened
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the folded waveguide configuration, the patent achieves precise phase control through three-dimensional path management rather than simple lateral spacing. The folded structure allows for optimized electrical path lengths that can precisely control the phase relationship between radiation apertures, thereby reducing sidelobes while maintaining phase alignment.
3Area of stationary object
If the distribution waveguide is folded back to reduce spacing, then device size is reduced, but path length for phase control is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution waveguide folds back and nests within the antenna structure, allowing the electrical path length to be extended while keeping the physical footprint compact. The waveguide returns on itself, with the folded section positioned within the overall device envelope, effectively nesting the distribution path within a reduced spatial volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses three-dimensional folding of the waveguide to decouple electrical path length from physical device dimensions. By manipulating the waveguide in multiple dimensions through folding, the design achieves extended electrical length for phase control without proportionally increasing the overall device size.
4Area of stationary object
If the distribution waveguide is folded back to reduce spacing, then device size is reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution waveguide is divided into distinct segments: a first section extending in a first direction, a second section extending in a second direction, and a third section extending in a third direction. This segmentation into orthogonal sections simplifies the overall design and manufacturing by breaking down the complex folded structure into manageable, standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide is folded along three orthogonal directions (first, second, and third directions), creating a structured three-dimensional configuration. This orthogonal folding approach provides a systematic method for achieving compactness while maintaining design regularity, making the complex structure more manageable through consistent geometric repetition.
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
This configuration effectively suppresses sidelobes and reduces the overall size of the antenna device without compromising performance, achieving efficient radio wave propagation.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of waveguide sections 20, 30 each forming a waveguide path 20a, 30a for radio waves
Implementation Method 2
forming a distribution waveguide 40a to distribute and propagate the radio waves, introduced through the feeding aperture 411, to each of the waveguide sections 20, 30
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna device includes: waveguide sections; a partition wall section disposed to partition the waveguide sections; radiation aperture sections connected to the waveguide sections, respectively; and a distribution section including a feeding aperture through which radio waves are introduced and forming a distribution waveguide to each of the waveguide sections. The waveguide sections extend in a first direction, and are arranged in a second direction. The positions of two of the radiation aperture sections are shifted from each other in the first direction. The distribution section is formed by being folded back from the one side to the other side in the first direction to make phases of the radio waves opposite to each other.