Flexible Surface Wave Generator With Slit Radiator for Curved Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flat surface wave generators are not bendable due to the thickness of dielectric materials required for desired transmission performance, limiting their application to curved surfaces or complex spaces.
Innovation Solution
A flexible surface wave generator is designed by removing a third dielectric material and thinning the first and second dielectric materials, allowing the generator to be bendable and maintaining communication performance applicable to the ISM band through pattern changes and slit formation in the radiator body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional flat surface wave generators use thick dielectric materials to secure desired transmission performance, then communication performance is improved, but the generator becomes non-bendable and cannot be applied to curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by replacing the conventional thick rigid dielectric material structure with a thin flexible substrate that can be bent and conformally attached to curved surfaces. The substrate has a thickness of 0.1-0.5mm, enabling flexibility while maintaining surface wave generation functionality through the use of flexible conductive patterns and dielectric layers that can withstand bending without compromising electrical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the dielectric material, specifically reducing the thickness from conventional values to 0.1-0.5mm, and modifies the geometric pattern of the surface wave generation element to maintain effective surface wave coupling despite the reduced thickness. This parameter change enables the generator to be bent and applied to curved surfaces while preserving communication performance.
2Reliability
If conventional flat surface wave generators are designed with specific geometric patterns and thick dielectric materials, then transmission performance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies manufacturing by adopting a thin-film flexible substrate structure that can be produced using standard flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) techniques. This approach eliminates the need for complex assembly of thick dielectric layers and allows for integrated fabrication of conductive patterns and dielectric layers in a single manufacturing process, significantly reducing manufacturing difficulty.
3Reliability
If conventional surface wave generators use thick dielectric materials, then desired transmission performance is achieved, but the generator cannot be tightly attached to curved surfaces such as cylindrical pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements this principle by using a thin flexible substrate that can be easily conformally attached to curved surfaces such as cylindrical pipes. The flexibility of the thin substrate allows it to wrap around curved surfaces and maintain intimate contact, enabling effective surface wave transmission along curved transmission paths while preserving the desired transmission performance.
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 flexible surface wave generator achieves efficient surface wave communication on curved surfaces, such as cylindrical pipes, maintaining performance similar to conventional flat generators while being easily attachable to curved structures.
Implementation Method 1
When light or radio waves may be reflected from an arbitrary transmission medium, electric and magnetic fields may be caused by electromagnetic radiation over a certain area at the boundary, and this electromagnetic radiation is called surface waves (evanescent waves).
Implementation Method 2
this electromagnetic radiation has a property that the electric field may rapidly decrease in intensity whereas the magnetic field does not rapidly decrease in intensity when this electromagnetic radiation travels along the surface of a transmission medium, such as a metal surface.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to solve the problems of a conventional flat surface wave generator which has limitations on being applied to a curved structure due to more than a certain required thickness of a dielectric material, proposed are a flexible surface wave generator and system and method for surface wave communication using the same where the flexible surface wave generator is bendable by removing a third dielectric material and by making a first and a second dielectric material thin and at the same time reaches communication performance applicable to the ISM band by changing a pattern of a surface wave generation member and by forming a slit in a radiator material, so it is possible to easily establish a surface wave communication system even in environments where a conventional flat surface wave generator is difficult to be applied by being tightly attached to the surface of a metal medium with curvature.