SINGLE-PIECE CORRUGATED COMPONENT OF AN ANTENNA AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF
A single-piece corrugated component, such as a feed horn, of an antenna includes a main body having a generally hollowed frustopyramidal shape which defines a body axis. The body extends from a base to an aperture, and includes a plurality of generally polygonal corrugations centered about the body axis, respectively. Each corrugation has a frustopyramidal ridge extending inwardly of the main body at an angle relative to the body axis varying between 10-60 degrees in a direction either toward the first end or the second end. A plurality of the frustopyramidal ridges are oriented to have a respective inward virtual extension thereof crossing the body axis and intersecting the main body. A method of manufacturing the corrugated component includes the step of printing the component using an additive manufacturing technology.
1 . A single-piece corrugated component of an antenna comprising:
a main body having a generally hollowed frustopyramidal shape defining a body axis, the main body extending from a first end to a second end, the main body including a plurality of generally polygonal corrugations centered about the body axis, respectively, each said corrugation having a frustopyramidal ridge extending inwardly of the main body at an angle relative to the body axis varying between about 10 and about 60 degrees in a direction either toward the first end or the second end; and
wherein a plurality of the frustopyramidal ridges being oriented to have a respective inward virtual extension thereof crossing the body axis and intersecting the main body.
2 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein the first end is a base and the second end is an aperture, the main body flaring out from the base toward the aperture at a flare angle being less than 45 degrees (<45°) relative to the body axis.
3 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein said ridge of each said corrugation extends inwardly in a direction toward the second end.
4 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein said ridge of each said corrugation extends inwardly in a direction toward the first end.
5 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 2 , wherein an attachment bracket extends outwardly from the main body.
6 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 2 , wherein at least one of a circular waveguide to rectangular waveguide transition, an orthomode transducer, a diplexer, a filter, a polarizer, a coupler, and another feeding network component extends outwardly from the main body adjacent the first end.
7 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein the main body has a generally hollowed frustoconical shape.
8 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 7 , wherein the main body has a generally hollowed cylindrical shape.
9 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein the main body has a generally hollowed frustoprismatic shape.
10 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 9 , wherein the hollowed frustoprismatic shape is a frustohexagonal prism, a frustorectangular prism or a frustosquare prism.
11 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein the main body has a first section having a generally hollowed frustoconical shape and a second section having a generally hollowed prismatic shape.
12 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein the body axis is generally rectilinear.
13 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 12 , wherein the first end and the second end are generally parallel to one another.
14 . The single-piece corrugated component of claim 1 , wherein the body axis is generally curvilinear.
15 . A method for manufacturing a single-piece corrugated component in accordance with claim 1 comprising the step of printing said corrugated component using an additive manufacturing technology.