Split-Ring Antenna With Discrete Terminals for Thermal Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing antennas with split-ring resonator structures fabricated using printed circuit boards face challenges in maintaining desired characteristics due to fabrication variations, leading to increased costs and potential changes in antenna characteristics during mounting on objects due to differing coefficients of linear expansion.

Innovation Solution

The antenna is designed as a discrete part with a specific positional relationship between feeding terminals and facing portions, allowing for stable characteristics by maintaining relative positional relationships during mounting, and is formed by punching and bending a single metal sheet to create a split-ring resonator structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the antenna is fabricated using a printed circuit board, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the antenna characteristics become unstable due to fabrication variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidantenna characteristics stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from printed circuit board to metal sheet, and the manufacturing process from PCB fabrication to punching and bending. This parameter change allows the antenna to maintain stable characteristics while remaining cost-effective through simple discrete manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the antenna is produced as a discrete part, then the antenna characteristics stability is improved, but the antenna characteristics change during reflow process due to coefficient of linear expansion difference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantenna characteristics stabilityVSAvoidrelative positional relationship
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent explicitly addresses thermal expansion by designing the mounting structure to account for coefficient of linear expansion differences between the antenna and the object. The feeding terminals and additional terminals are positioned to maintain stable relative positional relationships despite thermal expansion during reflow processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #37Thermal expansion

3Ease of manufacture

If the antenna is produced as a discrete part, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the antenna characteristics may change during mounting process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidantenna characteristics stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary design of the mounting structure, positioning feeding terminals and additional terminals in advance to account for potential characteristic changes during mounting. This preliminary action ensures stable characteristics while maintaining the benefits of discrete part manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3706240B1antenna
Publication Date: 2022.03.23 JAPAN AVIATION ELECTRONICS IND LTD
  • EP3706240B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3706240B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3706240B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A main portion of an antenna has a ring-shape with a split and has a first end portion and a second end portion which form the split. A facing portion has a first facing portion provided on the first end portion and a second facing portion provided on the second end portion. The first facing portion and the second facing portion are arranged apart from each other and face each other. A first feeding terminal, a second feeding terminal and an additional terminal are provided on the main portion and used to be fixed to an object when the antenna is mounted on the object. On the main portion, the first feeding terminal is situated nearer to the first end portion than the second feeding terminal is situated, and the additional terminal is situated nearer to the second end portion than the second feeding terminal is situated.