Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
  • H01Q1/36—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
  • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
  • C23C2/00—Hot-dipping or immersion processes for applying the coating material in the molten state without affecting the shape; Apparatus therefor
  • C23C2/04—Hot-dipping or immersion processes for applying the coating material in the molten state without affecting the shape; Apparatus therefor characterised by the coating material
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q13/00—Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
  • H01Q13/10—Resonant slot antennas
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q13/00—Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
  • H01Q13/10—Resonant slot antennas
  • H01Q13/16—Folded slot antennas

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of manufacturing antenna elements.
• antenna elements are understood to mean both the antennas themselves, the microwave circuits (such as the waveguides in particular) associated with them, the energy dissipators and shielding boxes associated with such antennas and such microwave circuits.
• the present invention particularly finds its application for the production of three-dimensional antennas.
• the main objective of the present invention is to present a method which allows the easy production of three-dimensional antennas. Such three-dimensional antennas indeed find numerous applications.
• Another objective of the present invention is to describe such a process which also allows the deposition of graphite layers on blocks of foam, in order to form coatings which can be used as charges for adaptation or dissipation of the residual energy d antenna elements, such as waveguides.
• Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide such a method which can be implemented at low cost, with high reproducibility, and according to simple implementation steps.
• an antenna element characterized in that it comprises at least one step consisting in bringing into contact direct at least part of a block of foam of synthetic material having a pH of less than 7 with at least one metallization bath and / or a graphite bath for a time sufficient to coat all of said part of the surface of said block of foam with a layer of metal and / or graphite.
• the invention therefore proposes to dip all or part of a block of foam in a metallization bath and / or a graphite bath allowing the deposition of the metal and / or graphite on a given surface of the block.
• the metallization baths and / or graphite baths which can be used are known from the state of the art and conventionally used for metallization and / or the deposition of a graphite coating on metallic supports.
• the method can be implemented on only one side of a block of foam.
• the method according to the present invention very particularly finds its application for the production of antennas in three dimensions. Consequently, according to a preferred variant of the invention, the method comprises a step consisting in fully dipping said block of foam of synthetic material in said metallization bath and / or said graphite bath.
• the soaking time of the foam block in the metallization bath and / or the graphite bath can be easily determined by those skilled in the art depending on the nature of the bath used. However, in general, this soaking time will generally be between 10 minutes and 20 minutes.
• the method will find its interest in particular for the production of three-dimensional antennas, in particular when these have a complex shape.
• the foam block therefore has an irregular shape including at least one non-planar face.
• this block of foam will have at least one hole and / or a slot which may, thanks to the process, be entirely metallized or coated with graphite. Such holes will advantageously have a diameter greater than or equal to 0.2 mm.
• the treatment bath used may be either a metallization bath or a graphite bath.
• the method according to the invention can be used to produce antenna elements having certain metallized surfaces and certain surfaces coated with graphite. This is why, according to an advantageous variant of the method, it comprises at least one step consisting in dipping at least part of a surface of a block of foam in a metallization bath and at least one step consisting in dipping in at least part of a surface of said foam block in a graphite bath.
• the method according to the invention comprises a preliminary step consisting in coating one or more parts of the surface of said block of foam with one or more elements forming cover (s) and in removing the said element (s) forming cover ( s) after said soaking step. It will thus be possible to manufacture antenna elements of which certain parts will not be metallized, in particular for coating these non-metallized parts subsequently with graphite.
• the method comprises a step consisting in removing said layer of metal deposited on one or more parts of the surface of said block of foam.
• This step of removing part of the metal layer on one or more parts of the surface of the foam block can be carried out by also removing part of this foam block.
• the metallization baths used will be baths containing a metal preferably chosen from the group consisting of copper, nickel, gold, silver, titanium.
• the method also comprises at least one chemical and / or physicochemical step of preparing the surface state of said block of foam aimed at improving the deposition of metal and / or graphite.
• the method according to the invention comprises a subsequent step of depositing a metal by electrochemistry on the part of said block of foam previously metallized.
• Different foams can be used to carry out the process according to the invention from the moment when it has a pH of less than 7.
• Such a foam can for example consist of certain foams based on polyvinyl chloride.
• the invention also covers any antenna element produced by the method according to the invention, characterized in that it consists of a block of foam, at least part of at least one of the faces of which is coated with a layer of metal in direct contact with said foam.
• said antenna element comprises at least one metallized part and at least one part coated with a layer of graphite.
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a metallized 3D antenna according to the method of the invention
• FIG. 2 and 3 show the impedance matching curves of such an antenna
• FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a metallized antenna-patch according to the method of the invention
• FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a "magic tee", constituting a microwave circuit, produced according to the method according to the invention.
• blocks of foam of different sizes and of different shapes have been metallized and, in certain cases, provided on some of their faces with graphite.
• a foam sold under the name DIVINYCELL sold by the company was used.
• foam blocks have undergone a pretreatment aimed at preparing their surfaces for the action of a metallization bath. All the products mentioned in the following two paragraphs are marketed by the company Shipley - 2 rue Pierre Josse - ZA Les Bordes -91921 EVRY Cedex 9, France)
• the pretreatment consisted of soaking the blocks in a degreaser (reference 813) for 4 min then in an acid bath
• the foam blocks were then rinsed with tap water for 2 min before being soaked for 3 min in a conditioner bath "Circuposit catalyst 3344" constituted by a colloidal tin-palladium system allowing metallization by catalysis.
• the foam blocks were then rinsed with tap water for 2 min and then soaked in an accelerator bath "19H” for 2 min, promoting the start of the metal deposit.
• the blocks thus prepared were soaked in a metallization bath based on copper and sold under the trade name "CH 251" for 20 min depending on the case.
• This bath is a bath stabilized with EDTA, the formulation of which allows a uniform copper deposit to be obtained.
• the metallized block shown in FIG. 5 constitutes a patch antenna and shows a U-shaped adaptation slot 4 and a coaxial power connector 5.
• the metallized block constituting a "magic tee" shown in part in FIG. 4 constitutes a microwave power supply device which makes it possible to feed two antennas either in phase (Sum channel 6) or in phase opposition (Difference channel 7).
• the end of the track was first cut in a V shape and then dipped in a graphite bath sold by the company Shipley.
• the V shape is an example and improves energy absorption and therefore improves the performance of the load.
• foam blocks treated according to the invention may therefore have different sizes and shapes from those indicated without departing from the scope of the invention.
• Other foams, other metallization or graphite baths may also be used.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Chemically Coating (AREA)
• Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
• Details Of Aerials (AREA)
• Waveguide Aerials (AREA)
• Aerials With Secondary Devices (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Porous Articles, And Recovery And Treatment Of Waste Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9527950

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1998
  • 1998-06-24 FR FR9808182A patent/FR2780319B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-06-24 AT AT99926541T patent/ATE251679T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-06-24 AU AU43752/99A patent/AU4375299A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-06-24 DE DE69911969T patent/DE69911969T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-06-24 WO PCT/FR1999/001527 patent/WO1999067441A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-06-24 EP EP99926541A patent/EP1097254B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-06-24 JP JP2000556079A patent/JP2002518964A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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