Method for integrating an antenna with a vehicle fuselage

摘要

An antenna frame for reducing radar cross section of a vehicle provided with a flat microstrip patch antenna array comprising a number of microstrip patches arranged in an array pattern, the antenna frame: —being arranged to surround the outer periphery of the flat antenna array —the frame comprising a first conductive sheet; —the first conductive sheet extending from the most peripheral patches and outward in a sloping manner; wherein dielectric and magnetic absorbent material are arranged to improve impedance transition from a point of the antenna to a point on the periphery of the frame, which is also contemplated as adjoining a vehicle fuselage.

主权项

1. A thin antenna frame for a microstrip array antenna suitable for a vehicle, the frame being configured to minimize a radar-cross section of the vehicle when the antenna and the frame are attached to the vehicle, wherein:
the frame surrounds an antenna aperture periphery of the microstrip array antenna; the frame comprises a transition region that, when seen in cross section, has a first width; the frame has a frame section with a gradually decreasing thickness of a material of the frame in a direction from a frame periphery towards the antenna periphery, so as to define, via the gradually decreasing thickness, a recess in the frame material, said recess being configured to house the microstrip array antenna, the microstrip array antenna having a corresponding section with a gradually decreasing thickness complementary to said gradually decreasing thickness of the material of the frame; the frame has a tapering profile ending in a tip; a first thin absorbent material is attached to the frame section with said gradually decreasing thickness of the material of the frame and clamped between the frame section with said gradually decreasing thickness of the material of the frame and the corresponding section of the microstrip array antenna with the gradually decreasing thickness complementary to said gradually decreasing thickness of the material of the frame; and an upper surface of the first thin absorbent material at said tip of the taper is at the same height as microstrip elements of the microstrip array antenna when it is housed in the recess.