Compact omnidirectional antennas having stacked reflector structures
A base station antenna includes a first reflector structure that extends along a first longitudinal axis, the first reflector structure having a first transverse cross-section, a second reflector structure that extends along a second longitudinal axis, the second reflector structure having a second transverse cross-section that is different from the first transverse cross-section, and the second reflector structure extending above the first reflector structure, a first array of first frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure, a second array of second frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the second reflector structure, the first frequency band being non-overlapping with the second frequency band, and a radome that extends around the first reflector structure and the second reflector structure.
1. A base station antenna, comprising:
a first reflector structure that extends about a first longitudinal axis, the first reflector structure having a first transverse cross-section;
a second reflector structure that extends about a second longitudinal axis, the second reflector structure having a second transverse cross-section that is different from the first transverse cross-section, wherein the first and second reflectors are vertically stacked;
a first array of first frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure;
a second array of second frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the second reflector structure, the first frequency band being non-overlapping with the second frequency band; and
a radome that extends around the first reflector structure and the second reflector structure.
2. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are substantially collinear.
3. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first transverse cross-section or the second transverse cross-section is an octagonal transverse cross-section.
4. The base station antenna of claim 3 , wherein the other of the first or second transverse cross-section is a rectangular transverse cross-section.
5. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein a first perimeter of the first transverse cross-section is different than a second perimeter of the second transverse cross-section.
6. The base station antenna of claim 5 , wherein the second frequency band is at higher frequencies than the first frequency band, and wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter.
7. The base station antenna of claim 6 , further comprising a third array of third frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure, the third frequency band being non-overlapping with both the first frequency band and the second frequency band.
8. The base station antenna of claim 7 , wherein the second transverse cross-section is an octagonal transverse cross-section and the first transverse cross-section is a rectangular transverse cross-section.
9. The base station antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a third array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure, wherein the first and third arrays of radiating elements are configured to generate a first antenna beam that has a peanut-shaped cross-section in the azimuth plane.
10. A base station antenna, comprising:
a first reflector structure having first and second generally opposed sides;
a first array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first side of the first reflector structure and a second array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the second side of the first reflector structure;
a second reflector structure having third and fourth generally opposed sides; and
a third array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the third side of the second reflector structure and a fourth array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the fourth side of the second reflector structure,
wherein the first side is a first distance from the second side and the third side is a second distance from the fourth side, and
wherein the second distance is different from the first distance.
11. The base station antenna of claim 10 , wherein the first reflector structure and the second reflector structure each extend along a common longitudinal axis, and wherein the base station antenna further comprises a radome that extends about the first reflector and the second reflector and is configured so that the first array, the second array, the third array and the fourth array reside inside the radome.
12. The base station antenna of claim 10 , wherein the first reflector structure has a first transverse cross-section and the second reflector structure has a second transverse cross-section that is different from the first transverse cross-section.
13. The base station antenna of claim 12 , wherein the first transverse cross-section is a rectangular transverse cross-section and the second transverse cross-section is an octagonal transverse cross-section.
14. The base station antenna of claim 12 , wherein a first perimeter of the first transverse cross-section is different than a second perimeter of the second transverse cross-section.
15. The base station antenna of claim 14 , wherein the first array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a first frequency band and the second array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a second frequency band that is at higher frequencies than the first frequency band, and wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter.
16. The base station antenna of claim 10 , wherein the first reflector structure has a first transverse cross-section and the second reflector structure has a second transverse cross-section, and wherein the first transverse cross-section is an octagonal transverse cross-section and the second transverse cross-section is an octagonal transverse cross-section.
17. A base station antenna, comprising:
a first reflector structure having first and second generally opposed sides;
a first array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first side of the first reflector structure and a second array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the second side of the first reflector structure;
a second reflector structure having third and fourth generally opposed sides;
a third array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the third side of the second reflector structure and a fourth array of radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the fourth side of the second reflector structure; and
a fifth array of radiating elements mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure,
wherein the first side is a first distance from the second side and the third side is a second distance from the fourth side, and
wherein the second distance is different from the first distance,
wherein the first reflector structure has a first transverse cross-section and the second reflector structure has a second transverse cross-section that is different from the first transverse cross-section,
wherein a first perimeter of the first transverse cross-section is different than a second perimeter of the second transverse cross-section,
wherein the first array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a first frequency band and the second array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a second frequency band that is at higher frequencies than the first frequency band, wherein the fifth array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a third frequency band that is at higher frequencies than the second frequency band, and wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter.
18. A base station antenna, comprising:
a first reflector structure that extends along a first longitudinal axis and that has a transverse cross-section having a first perimeter;
a plurality of arrays of first frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from respective sides of the first reflector structure;
a second reflector structure that extends along a second longitudinal axis and that has a transverse cross-section having a second perimeter that is different from the first perimeter; and
a plurality of arrays of second frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from respective sides of the second reflector structure, the first and second frequency band radiating elements having different configurations.
19. The base station antenna of claim 18 , wherein the first reflector structure and the second reflector structure each extend along a common longitudinal axis, and wherein the first and second reflector have a configuration that extends entirely about and thereby encloses the longitudinal axis.
20. The base station antenna of claim 19 , wherein the transverse cross-section of the first reflector structure is a rectangular transverse cross-section and the transverse cross-section of the second reflector structure is an octagonal transverse cross-section.
21. The base station antenna of claim 18 , wherein the first array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a first frequency band and the second array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a second frequency band that is at higher frequencies than the first frequency band, wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter, and wherein the base station antenna further comprises a radome that extends about the first reflector and the second reflector.
22. A base station antenna, comprising:
a first reflector structure that extends along a first longitudinal axis and that has a transverse cross-section having a first perimeter;
a plurality of arrays of first frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from respective sides of the first reflector structure;
a second reflector structure that extends along a second longitudinal axis and that has a transverse cross-section having a second perimeter that is different from the first perimeter; and
a plurality of arrays of second frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from respective sides of the second reflector structure, the first and second frequency band radiating elements having different configurations; and
a third array of radiating elements that are configured to operate in a third frequency band, wherein the third array is mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure,
wherein the first array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a first frequency band and the second array of radiating elements are configured to operate in a second frequency band that is at higher frequencies than the first frequency band, wherein the third frequency band is at higher frequencies than the second frequency band, and wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter.