Radome attachment band clamp
View Patent ↗A band clamp for coupling a radome to a distal end of a reflector dish for improving the front to back ratio of a reflector antenna, is provided with an inward projecting proximal lip and an inward projecting distal lip. The distal lip is dimensioned with an inner diameter equal to or less than a reflector aperture of the reflector dish. The proximal lip may be provided with an inward bias dimensioned to engage the reflector dish in an interference fit and/or turnback region dimensioned to engage an outer surface of a signal area of the reflector dish in an interference fit. A variety of different configurations of protruding portions extending from the band clamp may be applied to further improve electrical performance.
1. A band clamp for coupling a radome to a distal end of a reflector dish, comprising:
a band with an inward projecting proximal lip and an inward projecting distal lip;
the distal lip dimensioned with an inner diameter less than or equal to a reflector aperture of the reflector dish;
the proximal lip provided dimensioned to engage an outer surface of the reflector dish in an interference fit; and
a protruding portion extending from an outer diameter of the band clamp;
the proximal lip, the distal lip and the protruding portion provided as a unitary contiguous portion.
2. The band clamp of claim 1 , wherein a distal edge of the protruding portion is serrated.
3. The band clamp of claim 1 , wherein a distal edge of the protruding portion is castellated.
4. The band clamp of claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion extends toward a proximal end of the reflector dish.
5. The band clamp of claim 1 wherein the protruding portion has a length dimensioned as a multiple of one quarter wavelength of a desired operating frequency of the reflector dish.
6. The band clamp of claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion extends outward at an angle of approximately 60 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the reflector dish.
7. The band clamp of claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion extends from an outer diameter of the band clamp; the protruding portion forming at least one choke groove open to a distal end of the reflector dish.
8. The band clamp of claim 7 wherein a width of the choke groove is dimensioned as a multiple of one quarter wavelength of a desired operating frequency of the reflector dish.
9. The band clamp of claim 7 , wherein the at least one choke groove is two concentric choke grooves.
10. A method for manufacturing a band clamp for coupling a radome to a distal end of a reflector dish, comprising the steps of:
forming a band with an inward projecting proximal lip and an inward projecting distal lip;
a protruding portion extending from an outer diameter of the band clamp;
the proximal lip, the distal lip and the protruding portion provided as a unitary contiguous portion;
the distal lip dimensioned with an inner diameter less than or equal to a reflector aperture of the reflector dish;
the proximal lip provided dimensioned to engage an outer surface of the reflector dish in an interference fit.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the band is formed by extrusion.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the band is formed by injection molding and metalizing.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the band is formed by progressive punching.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the band is formed by stretch forming.