Patents Represented by Law Firm Cooley Godward Anderson & Adamson
  • Patent number: 5973652
    Abstract: An improved reflector antenna with far improved return loss than prior art subreflector antennas is disclosed herein. The invention uses a circular waveguide antenna feed employing a non-planar, subreflector having a radial cavity which reflects the energy from the waveguide onto a rotationally symmetrical main reflector. The dimensions of the feed tube, the subflector, and the connection between them are chosen to make the total reflection back into the feed tube very close to zero. The dimensions of the antenna feed are also chosen such that its radiation pattern has an amplitude null along the antenna feed axis. This further improves return loss by minimizing the amount of energy from the main reflector that gets directed back into the feed tube. An alternate embodiment features a feed radiation pattern with an asymmetric amplitude taper for improvement of the sidelobe envelope in a preferred plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Endgate Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Sanford, William Comisky