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US-12627035-B2 - Antenna device

US12627035B2US 12627035 B2US12627035 B2US 12627035B2US-12627035-B2

Abstract

An element holder supporting an antenna element can be accommodated in a compact manner in an accommodated state and held such that the position thereof does not change due to an impact or the like, including at launch. An antenna device can be in an accommodated state of being accommodated in a casing and a deployed state of extending outside the casing. The antenna device includes an extension shaft member to extend from inside the casing in an axial direction, element holders movable along the extension shaft member, and a deployable antenna element. The element holder includes a concave portion formed in one surface of the element holder and a convex portion formed in another surface of the element holder. In the accommodated state, the convex portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other enters into the concave portion of the other of the element holders.

Inventors

  • Hiroshi Yano

Assignees

  • ARKEDGE SPACE INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241202
Priority Date
20240430

Claims (10)

  1. 1 . An antenna device embedded in an artificial satellite, the antenna device including a casing and being capable of being in an accommodated state of being accommodated in the casing and a deployed state of extending to an outside of the casing, the antenna device comprising: an extension shaft member extendable in an axial direction from inside the casing; a plurality of element holders movable along the extension shaft member; and an antenna element deployable from the element holder, wherein the casing includes: a casing main body including an opening on one side of the casing main body; and an opening/closing lid rotatably connected to the casing main body and capable of closing the opening, and a central axis of the extension shaft member is closer than a central axis of the casing to a rotation shaft of the opening/closing lid.
  2. 2 . The antenna device of the artificial satellite according to claim 1 , wherein the element holder includes: a concave portion formed in one surface of the element holder; and a convex portion formed in another surface of the element holder, and in the accommodated state, the convex portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other enters into the concave portion of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other.
  3. 3 . An antenna device capable of being in an accommodated state of being accommodated in the casing and a deployed state of extending to an outside of the casing, the antenna device comprising: an extension shaft member extendable in an axial direction from inside of the casing; a plurality of element holders movable along the extension shaft member; and an antenna element deployable from the element holder, wherein the element holder includes: a concave portion formed in one surface of the element holder; and a convex portion formed in another surface of the element holder, in the accommodated state, the convex portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other enters into the concave portion of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other, the antenna element is wound around an outer peripheral surface of the element holder in the accommodated state, the element holder includes element guides configured to guide the antenna element in the accommodated state, the element guides being provided at both edges of the outer peripheral surface of the element holder in the axial direction, and in the accommodated state, the element guide on a casing side of the one of the element holders adjacent to each other does not interfere with the element guide on a tip side of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other.
  4. 4 . An antenna device capable of being in an accommodated state of being accommodated in the casing and a deployed state of extending to an outside of the casing, the antenna device comprising: an extension shaft member accommodated in the casing in a state of being retracted in an axial direction with respect to an opening of the casing; a plurality of element holders each including an opening and stacked in the casing in a state of the extension shaft member being inserted through the openings; and an antenna element deployably held by the element holder, wherein the element holder includes: a concave portion formed in one surface of the element holder; and a convex portion formed in another surface of the element holder, in the accommodated state, the convex portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other enters into the concave portion of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other, the antenna element is wound around an outer peripheral surface of the element holder in the accommodated state, the element holder includes element guides configured to guide the antenna element in the accommodated state, the element guides being provided at both edges of the outer peripheral surface of the element holder in the axial direction, and in the accommodated state, the element guide on a casing side of the one of the element holders adjacent to each other does not interfere with the element guide on a tip side of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other.
  5. 5 . The antenna device according to claim 3 , further comprising a holding member formed of a filament and configured to hold the plurality of element holders at a predetermined interval in the deployed state, wherein the element holder includes a housing portion configured to house the holding member in the accommodated state.
  6. 6 . The antenna device according to claim 5 , wherein the housing portion is formed between the concave portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other and the convex portion of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other, the convex portion entering into the concave portion.
  7. 7 . The antenna device according to claim 6 , further comprising a lid member configured to close the housing portion.
  8. 8 . The antenna device according to claim 7 , wherein the lid member is fixed to the holding member and fixed to the element holder.
  9. 9 . The antenna device according to claim 3 , wherein the element holder includes: a frame portion, the extension shaft member being inserted through a center of the frame portion; and a protruding portion protruding, in a radial direction, from a portion of the element holder in contact with each of sides of the frame portion, and the convex portion and the concave portion are formed in the protruding portion.
  10. 10 . The antenna device according to claim 9 , wherein a base end portion of the antenna element is fixed to the protruding portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an antenna device. BACKGROUND ART An artificial satellite is equipped with an antenna device for transmitting and receiving radio signals. Since the antenna device is very large in a deployed state, at the time of launching a rocket, the antenna device is mounted on the rocket in a state of being stored in a compact manner, and when the rocket reaches outer space, the antenna device is expanded into the deployed state. As such an antenna device, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a support structure in which a plurality of openings are formed in a cylindrical main body to form foldable tape spring hinges. The support structure is configured to be deployable as a result of the tape spring hinges generating a force that urges the support structure to be in a deployed state. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses an antenna structure using the support structure. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Document 1: JP 7040874 B SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem In order to perform transmission and reception with a desired beam width and communication efficiency, not a simple rod-like structure but elements protruding sideways are required. Further, since intervals between the elements affect the performance gain (communication efficiency of an antenna) and the reception frequency, the intervals between the elements are designed to achieve a desired frequency and communication efficiency. When it is intended to provide antenna elements protruding sideways by using such a support structure, element holders supporting the antenna elements are required. However, at the time of launching an artificial satellite, it is necessary to accommodate an antenna device including the element holders in a compact manner, and also to hold the antenna device including the element holders so as to withstand an impact at the time of the launch, any other impact, or the like. The present invention has been made in light of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable an element holder supporting an antenna element to be accommodated in a compact manner in an accommodated state and to enable the element holder to be held such that the position of the element holder does not change due to an impact at the time of a launch, any other impact, or the like. Means for Solving the Problem According to an aspect of the present invention, an antenna device can be in an accommodated state of being accommodated in a casing and a deployed state of extending to an outside of the casing. The antenna device includes an extension shaft member extendable in an axial direction from inside of the casing, a plurality of element holders movable along the extension shaft member, and an antenna element deployable from the element holder. The element holder includes a concave portion formed in one surface of the element holder, and a convex portion formed in another surface of the element holder. In the accommodated state, the convex portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other enters into the concave portion of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other. According to an aspect of the present invention, an antenna device can be in an accommodated state of being accommodated in a casing. The antenna device includes an extension shaft member accommodated in the casing in a state of being retracted in an axial direction, a plurality of element holders each including an opening and stacked in the casing in a state of the extension shaft member being inserted through the openings, and an antenna element deployably held by the element holder. The element holder includes a concave portion formed in one surface of the element holder, and a convex portion formed in another surface of the element holder. In the accommodated state, the convex portion of one of the element holders adjacent to each other enters into the concave portion of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other. According to an aspect of the present invention, the antenna element is wound around an outer peripheral surface of the element holder in the accommodated state, the element holder includes element guides configured to guide the antenna element in the accommodated state, the element guides being provided at both edges of the outer peripheral surface of the element holder in the axial direction. In the accommodated state, the element guide on a casing side of the one of the element holders adjacent to each other does not interfere with the element guide on a tip side of the other of the element holders adjacent to each other. According to an aspect of the present invention, the antenna device further includes a holding member formed of a filament and configured to hold the plurality of element holders at a predetermined interval in the deployed state. The element holder includes a housing portion configured to housing the holding member in the accommodated