Planar inverted F-antenna
A Planar Inverted-F Antenna, PIFA, comprises a sheet of conductive material including first, second, third and fourth contiguous sections, the first and third sections extending orthogonally away from the second section and the fourth section extending away from the third section. The sections are folded relative to one another to define a volume with a heights of the second section, a width of the second section, and a depth of the third section extending away from the second section. A supporting pin and a feed pin extend from the second section along an outer edge. A supporting leg extends from either the third or fourth sections, the supporting leg lying outside the plane of the supporting pin to support the PIFA when mounted on a printed circuit board, while allowing components to at least partially occupy the volume under the PIFA.
1. A planar inverted-F antenna, the antenna comprising a sheet comprising conductive material, the sheet including:
a first section having a first slot defined therein, the first slot comprising:
a first leg running adjacent a first edge of the first section; and
a second leg running adjacent a second edge of the first section;
a second section, the second section connected at a first edge of the second section to a third edge of the first section, the second section oriented at a first angle to the first section, the second section comprising:
a shorting leg separated from a remainder of the second section by a second slot, the shorting leg running along a second edge of the second section and terminating in a shorting pin extending from a third edge of the second section opposite the first edge of the second section; and
a feed pin extending from the remainder of the second section along the third edge of the second section;
a third section, the third section connected at a first edge of the third section to a fourth edge of the second section, the third section oriented at a second angle to the second section; and
a fourth section, the fourth section connected at a first edge of the fourth section to a second edge of the third section, the fourth section oriented at a third angle to the third section.
2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth sections are folded relative to one another to define a volume.
3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the second section is generally parallel to the fourth section.
4. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first section is generally orthogonal to the second section.
5. The antenna of claim 4 , wherein the second section is generally orthogonal to the third section, and wherein the third section is generally orthogonal to the fourth section.
6. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the second section additionally comprises a supporting pin extending from the remainder of the second section along the third edge of the second section.
7. The antenna of claim 6 , wherein the feed pin and the supporting pin are bent out of plane of the second section.
8. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first slot defines a path extending from the shorting leg around a periphery of the antenna.
9. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first slot is an L-shaped slot.
10. The antenna of claim 1 , additionally comprising a support connected to at least one of the third and fourth sections.
11. The antenna of claim 10 , wherein the support comprises a supporting leg defined by a portion of the fourth section extending parallel to the first edge of the fourth section.
12. The antenna of claim 10 , wherein the support comprises a supporting leg defined by a portion of the third section extending parallel to the first and second edges of the third section.
13. A planar inverted-F antenna, the antenna comprising a sheet comprising conductive material, the sheet including first, second, third, and fourth sections folded relative to one another to define a volume, the first section connected to and folded at a first angle to the second section, the third section connected to and folded at a second angle to the second section, and the fourth section connected to and folded at a third angle to the third section, wherein:
the second section comprises:
a shorting leg separated from a remainder of the second section by a linear slot, the linear slot running along a first outer edge of the second section opposite the third section, the shorting leg terminating in a shorting pin extending from a second outer edge of the second section opposite the first section; and
a feed pin extending from the remainder of the second section along
the second outer edge; and
the first section comprises:
a slot having a first leg running adjacent a first outer edge of the first section adjacent the first outer edge of the second section, and a second leg running adjacent a second outer edge of the first section opposite the second section to define a path extending from the shorting leg around a periphery of the antenna.
14. The antenna of claim 13 , wherein the second section is generally parallel to the fourth section.
15. The antenna of claim 13 , wherein the second section additionally comprises a supporting pin extending from the remainder of the second section along the second outer edge of the second section, and wherein the feed pin and the supporting pin are bent out of the plane of the second section.
16. The antenna of claim 13 , additionally comprising a support connected to at least one of the third and fourth sections.
17. The antenna of claim 16 , wherein the support comprises a supporting leg defined by a portion of one of the third or fourth sections.
18. The antenna of claim 17 , wherein a base of the supporting leg is coplanar with the second outer edge of the second section.
19. The antenna of claim 17 , wherein the supporting leg is coplanar with a remainder of the one of the third or fourth sections.
20. The antenna of claim 13 , wherein the third and fourth sections comprise a narrowed arm extending along an inner edge adjacent to and running round the first section.