Inventors:
Robert Charles Taylor - Melbourne FL
Benedikt A. Munk - Columbus OH
Timothy Earl Durham - Palm Bay FL
Assignee:
Harris Corporation - Melbourne FL
International Classification:
H01Q 138
Abstract:
A wideband phased array antenna includes an array of dipole antenna elements on a flexible substrate. Each dipole antenna element has a medial feed portion and a pair of legs extending outwardly therefrom, and adjacent legs of adjacent dipole antenna elements have respective spaced apart end portions to provide increased capacitive coupling between the adjacent dipole antenna elements. Preferably, each leg has an elongated body portion, and an enlarged width end portion connected to an end of the elongated body portion. Thus, a phased array antenna with a wide frequency bandwith and a wide scan angle is obtained by utilizing tightly packed dipole antenna elements with large mutual capacitive coupling. Conventional approaches have sought to reduce mutual coupling between dipoles, but the present invention makes use of, and increases, mutual coupling between the closely spaced dipole antenna elements to prevent grating lobes and achieve the wide bandwidth.