1. A patch antenna suitable for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, comprising:
a conductive ground plane;
a resonator positioned on top of said conductive ground plane, wherein said resonator includes:
a top conductive layer,
a middle conductive layer,
a plurality of slots spanning said top and middle conductive layers, and
conductive meandering along a perimeter of the plurality of slots connecting said top and middle conductive layers; and
a dielectric substrate separating said conductive ground plane and said resonator.
2. The patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein outer dimensions of said resonator are less than \u03bbg2.
3. The patch antenna according to claim 2, wherein said slots are spaced in a regular pattern along said resonator.
4. The patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein said conductive ground plane and said resonator are realized in a multi-layer printed circuit board.
5. The patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein said meandering includes plated holes that interconnect said top and middle conductive layers.
6. The patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein the patch antenna includes symmetry that facilitates circularly polarized operation.
7. A circularly polarized patch antenna, comprising:
a conductive ground plane;
top and bottom conductive layers disposed in a dielectric substrate and positioned in parallel with the conductive ground plane; and
plated holes integrated with the plurality of slots and electrically joining the top and bottom conductive layers.
8. A method for providing a patch antenna, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a conductive ground plane;
providing a multi-layer resonator parallel to said conductive ground plane, wherein conductive meandering electrically interconnects the multi-layer resonator around a perimeter of a plurality of slots within the resonator that integrates with the meandering; and
separating the resonator and the conductive ground plane with a dielectric substrate.
9. The method according to claim 8, comprising the step of forming top and middle conductive layers comprising the multi-layer resonator.
10. The method according to claim 8, comprising the step of forming a multi-layer printed circuit board using the conductive ground plane, the top and middle conductive layers with associated meandering, and the plurality of slots.
11. The method according to claim 10, comprising the step of forming the meandering as plated holes.
12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising forming a circularly polarized patch antenna wherein outer dimensions of the resonator are less than \u03bbg2.
13. A method for providing a circularly polarized patch antenna, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a conductive ground plane;
providing a resonator with top and middle conductive layers;
adding plated holes outside a plane of the patch antenna for electrically connecting the top and middle conductive layers;
interposing a plurality of slots spanning the top and middle conductive layers; and
disposing a dielectric substrate between the top and middle conductive layers and the conductive ground plane.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An exhaust system for a motorcycle, comprising:
a bracket including a joint portion, an engine support portion, and a swing-arm support portion, the joint portion being configured to be connected to a vehicle-body frame, the engine support portion being configured to support an engine, the swing-arm support portion being provided separately from the joint portion and configured to support a swing arm which is swingable with respect to the vehicle-body frame and at a rear end of which a rear wheel is provided;
an exhaust pipe extending rearwards from the engine;
a muffler connected to a rear end of the exhaust pipe and disposed along the swing arm; and
a muffler support stay having a front end and a rear end, the muffler being connected to the rear end, the front end being connected to the bracket separately from the joint portion.
2. The exhaust system for a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the muffler support stay has a longitudinal direction and is disposed so that the longitudinal direction extends along the swing arm in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body.
3. The exhaust system for a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein a drive shaft configured to drive the rear wheel is disposed at one side of the swing arm, and wherein the muffler and the muffler support stay are disposed at an opposite side of the swing arm.
4. The exhaust system for a motorcycle according to claim 2, wherein a drive shaft configured to drive the rear wheel is disposed at one side of the swing arm, and wherein the muffler and the muffler support stay are disposed at an opposite side of the swing arm.
5. A motorcycle comprising:
a vehicle-body frame;
a swing arm swingable with respect to the vehicle-body frame;
a rear wheel provided at a rear end of the swing arm;
a bracket including a joint portion, an engine support portion, and a swing-arm support portion, the joint portion being connected to the vehicle-body frame, the engine support portion supporting an engine, the swing-arm support portion supporting the swing arm and being provided separately from the joint portion;
an exhaust pipe extending rearwards from the engine;
a muffler connected to a rear end of the exhaust pipe and disposed along the swing arm; and
a muffler support stay having a front end and a rear end, the muffler being connected to the rear end, the front end being connected to the bracket separately from the joint portion.