PATCH ANTENNA

Abstract

A dielectric substrate has a first face which is formed with a cavity, and a second face opposite to the first face. The dielectric substrate formed with a substrate hole which connects the cavity and the second face. An antenna radiation electrode is comprised of a conductive film and is formed on the first face of the dielectric substrate. A ground electrode is comprised of a conductive film, is formed on the second face of the dielectric substrate and is formed with a ground hole which is substantially concentric with the substrate hole and has a diameter larger than that of the substrate hole. One end of a feeding pin is connected to the antenna radiation electrode and the other end of the feeding pin is extended toward the second face of the dielectric substrate through the substrate hole and the ground hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the related-art first patch antenna;

FIG. 2(A) is a plan view illustrating the patch antenna in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2(B) is a front view illustrating the patch antenna in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2(C) is a left side view illustrating the patch antenna in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2(D) is a bottom view illustrating the patch antenna in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line III-III in FIG. 2(A);

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the related-art second patch antenna;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the related-art third patch antenna;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a patch antenna according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a patch antenna according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a patch antenna according to a third embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a patch antenna according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A patch antenna 10C according to a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the patch antenna 10C. The patch antenna 10C has the same configuration as the related-art first patch antenna 10 except that the configuration of the dielectric substrate is different from that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 as described below. Accordingly, reference numeral 12A is given to the dielectric substrate. The same reference numerals are given to the constituents having the same functions as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The exterior shape of the patch antenna 10C, as described below, is the same as that of the related-art first patch antenna 10 except that the extent how the feeding point 15 protrudes is different. Accordingly, hereinafter, the patch antenna 10C according to the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 in addition to FIG. 6.

The patch antenna 10C is used as an SDARS antenna operable to receive an electric wave (a radio wave) transmitted from an SDARS satellite or a GPS satellite antenna operable to receive an electric wave (a radio wave) transmitted from a GPS satellite.

The patch antenna 10C includes a dielectric substrate 12A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, an antenna radiation electrode (radiation element) 14, a ground electrode (ground conductor) 16, and a feeding pin 18.

The dielectric substrate 12A is made of, for example, high-permittivity ceramic materials consisting of barium titanate. The dielectric substrate 12A has a top surface (front surface) 12u, a bottom surface (back surface) 12d facing each other, and side surfaces 12s. The corners of the side surfaces 12s of the dielectric substrate 12A are chamfered. In the dielectric substrate 12A, a substrate hole 12a from the top surface 12u to the bottom surface 12d is formed in a position where a feeding point 15 is disposed.

The antenna radiation electrode (radiation element) 14 is formed of a conductive film and formed on the top surface 12u of the dielectric substrate 12A. The antenna radiation electrode (radiation element) 14 has a substantially squire shape. The antenna radiation electrode (radiation element) 14 is formed, for example, by a silver-pattern printing method.

The ground electrode (ground conductor) 16 is formed of a conductive film and formed on the bottom surface 12d of the dielectric substrate 12A. The ground electrode (ground conductor) 16 has a ground hole 16a being substantially concentric with the substrate hole 12a and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate hole 12a.

The feeding point 15 is provided at a position shifted in an x-direction and a y-direction from the center of the antenna radiation electrode 14. The feeding point 15 is connected to one end 18a of the feeding pin 18. The feeding pin 18 is extended through the substrate hole 12a and the ground hole 16a at a distance from the ground electrode (ground conductor) 16.

The dielectric substrate 12A has a cavity 121 which is formed in the top surface 12u, which is substantially concentric with the substrate hole 12a, and which has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate hole 12a. The cavity 121 is shaped in a mold used for manufacturing the dielectric substrate 12A. Accordingly, the cost of the dielectric substrate 12A does not increase in comparison with the relater-art dielectric substrate 12.

Meanwhile, solder is used as the feeding point 15. For this reason, the feeding point 15 has a convex portion protruding slightly up from the main surface of the antenna radiation electrode 14 with the feeding point 15 buried in the cavity 121. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the patch antenna 10C has a height H3 from the ground electrode 16 to the feeding point 15.

Clearly, the height H3 is smaller than the height H1 of the relater-art first patch antenna 10 shown in FIG. 3 (H3<H1).

With such a configuration, since the cavity 121 for burying the solder is formed in the dielectric substrate 12A, the height H3 of the patch antenna 10C can be reduced smaller than the height H1 of the relater-art first patch antenna 10 shown in FIG. 3.

A patch antenna 10D according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the patch antenna 10D. The patch antenna 10D has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 6, except that a structure of the feeding point is different from that shown in FIG. 6. That is, in FIG. 7, the rivet pin 18A shown in FIG. 4 is used as the feeding pin.

In other words, the patch antenna 10D has the same configuration as that of the relater-art second patch antenna 10A shown in FIG. 4, except that the dielectric substrate 12A having the cavity 121 is used as a dielectric substrate.

The rivet pin 18A has a head portion 181 provided at one end 18a thereof and a rod-shaped body portion 182 extending from the one end 18a to the other end 18b.

As shown in FIG. 7, the head portion 181 of the rivet pin 18A is buried in the cavity 121. The head portion 181 of the rivet pin 18A is soldered to the antenna radiation electrode 14 in the state where the head portion 181 of the rivet pin 18A is buried in the cavity 121 of the dielectric substrate 12A as described above. For this reason, the feeding point 15 as the soldered part can protrude from the main surface of the antenna radiation electrode 14 lower than the relater-art second patch antenna 10A shown in FIG. 4. In other words, the feeding point 15 has a slightly convex shape. That is, the patch antenna 10D shown in FIG. 7 has a height H4 from the ground electrode 16 to the feeding point 15. The height H4 is smaller than the height H2 of the relater-art second patch antenna 10A shown in FIG. 4 (H4<H2).

With such a configuration, since the cavity 121 for burying the head portion 181 of the rivet pin 18A is formed in the dielectric substrate 12A, the height H4 of the patch antenna 10D can be reduced smaller than the height H2 of the relater-art second patch antenna 10A shown in FIG. 4.

A patch antenna 10E according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the patch antenna 10E. The patch antenna 10E has the same configuration as that of the patch antenna 10C shown in FIG. 6 except that the configuration (structure) of the dielectric substrate is different from that shown in FIG. 6 as described below. Accordingly, reference numeral 12B is given to the dielectric substrate. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, only the parts different from the patch antenna 10C shown in FIG. 6 will be described.

The dielectric substrate 12B has the same configuration as that of dielectric substrate 12A shown in FIG. 6 other than the fact that the dielectric substrate 12B has the other cavity 122. In this embodiment, the cavity 121 is referred to as a first cavity and the other cavity 122 is referred to as a second cavity.

The first cavity 121, as described above, is formed in the top surface 12u of the dielectric substrate 12B, is substantially concentric with the substrate hole 12a, and has the inner diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate hole 12a. The second cavity 122 is formed in the bottom surface 12d of the dielectric substrate 12B, is opposed to the first cavity 121, and has the same shape as that of the first cavity 121.

Since the top surface (front surface) 12u and the bottom surface (back surface) 12d of the dielectric substrate 12B with such a structure have all the same shape, the number of management and process can be reduced in comparison with the dielectric substrate 12A shown in FIG. 6. In other words, when the antenna radiation electrode 14 and the ground electrode 16 are formed, it is not required to check the front and back of the dielectric substrate 12B. Accordingly, mistakes in manufacture can be reduced.

The inventor has confirmed that there is no problem in performance of the dielectric substrate even when the cavities 121 and 122 are formed in both surfaces 12u and 12d of the dielectric substrate 12B as described above.

Further, in the patch antenna 10E with such a structure, the first cavity 121 for burying the solder in the dielectric substrate 12B is formed in the same way as the patch antenna 10C shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, the height H3 of the patch antenna 10E can be reduced smaller than the height H1 of the relater-art first patch antenna 10 shown in FIG. 3.

A patch antenna 10F according to a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the patch antenna 10. The patch antenna 10F shown in FIG. 8 has the same configuration as the patch antenna 10D shown in FIG. 7, except that the dielectric substrate 12B shown in FIG. 8 is used as the dielectric substrate.

Further, in the patch antenna 10F with such a structure, since the first cavity 121 for burying the head portion 181 of the rivet pin 18A is formed in the dielectric substrate 12B in the same way as the patch antenna 10D shown in FIG. 7, the height H4 of the patch antenna 10F can be reduced smaller than the height H2 of the relater-art second patch antenna 10A shown in FIG. 4.

While the preferred embodiments according to the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the squire antenna radiation electrode in the above-mentioned embodiments may be circular in shape as shown in FIG. 5. The materials of the dielectric substrate are not limited to the ceramic materials, but the dielectric substrate may be made of resin materials. In addition, the patch antenna according to the invention is suitable for the GPS antenna or the SDARS antenna, but is not limited thereto and is applicable to any mobile-communication antenna for receiving any other satellite wave and terrestrial wave.

Claims

1. A patch antenna comprising: a dielectric substrate, having a first face which is formed with a cavity, and a second face opposite to the first face, the dielectric substrate formed with a substrate hole which connects the cavity and the second face;an antenna radiation electrode, comprised of a conductive film and formed on the first face of the dielectric substrate;a ground electrode, comprised of a conductive film, formed on the second face of the dielectric substrate and formed with a ground hole which is substantially concentric with the substrate hole and has a diameter larger than that of the substrate hole; anda feeding pin, one end of which is connected to the antenna radiation electrode and the other end of which is extended toward the second face of the dielectric substrate through the substrate hole and the ground hole.

2. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cavity is substantially concentric with the substrate hole.

3. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the feeding pin includes a head portion provided at the one end and a rod-shaped body portion extending from the one end to the other end; andthe head portion is buried in the cavity.

4. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dielectric substrate has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

5. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dielectric substrate is comprised of a ceramic material.

6. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the antenna radiation electrode is comprised of a silver pattern printed on the first face.

7. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the antenna radiation electrode has a substantially squire shape.

8. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the antenna radiation electrode has a substantially circular shape.

9. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the patch antenna is an SDARS antenna operable to receive a radio wave transmitted from an SDARS satellite.

10. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 1, wherein the patch antenna is a GPS antenna operable to receive a radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite.

11. A patch antenna comprising: a dielectric substrate, having a first face which is formed with a first cavity, and a second face opposite to the first face and formed with a second cavity, the dielectric substrate formed with a substrate hole which connects the first cavity and the second cavity;an antenna radiation electrode, comprised of a conductive film and formed on the first face of the dielectric substrate;a ground electrode, comprised of a conductive film and formed on the second face of the dielectric substrate; anda feeding pin, one end of which is connected to the antenna radiation electrode and the other end of which is extended toward the second face of the dielectric substrate through the substrate hole and the ground hole.

12. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein: the first cavity and the second cavity are substantially concentric with the substrate hole; andthe first cavity has the same shape as the second cavity.

13. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein: the feeding pin includes a head portion provided at the one end and a rod-shaped body portion extending from the one end to the other end; andthe head portion is buried in the first cavity.

14. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the dielectric substrate has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

15. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the dielectric substrate is comprised of a ceramic material.

16. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the antenna radiation electrode is comprised of a silver pattern printed on the first face.

17. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the antenna radiation electrode has a substantially squire shape.

18. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the antenna radiation electrode has a substantially circular shape.

19. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the patch antenna is an SDARS antenna operable to receive a radio wave transmitted from an SDARS satellite.

20. The patch antenna as set forth in claim 11, wherein the patch antenna is a GPS antenna operable to receive a radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite.