1. An apparatus, comprising:
an antenna;
a metamaterial lens; and
a reflector,
the antenna being located proximate the metamaterial lens, the antenna being configured so as to generate radiation when the antenna is energized,
the reflector being positioned so as to receive radiation from the antenna, and to reflect the radiation through the metamaterial lens so as to provide output radiation.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, the reflector having a generally concave reflective surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, the reflector being generally parabolic.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, the reflector having a focal point, the antenna being located proximate the focal point.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, the metamaterial lens and the antenna being integrated into a lens assembly, the lens assembly being a unitary structure.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, the lens assembly further including a radio-frequency front-end electronic circuit in electrical communication with the antenna.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, the antenna being formed on a dielectric substrate, the dielectric substrate also being a component of the metamaterial lens.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, the metamaterial lens being a gradient index metamaterial lens.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a metamaterial lens assembly, including a metamaterial lens;
an antenna, the antenna being a radar antenna; and
a reflector,
the metamaterial lens comprising a plurality of resonant circuits disposed on a dielectric substrate,
the metamaterial lens assembly supporting the antenna,
the reflector being positioned so as to reflect radiation from the antenna through the metamaterial lens.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, the reflector having a generally concave reflective surface.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, the metamaterial lens comprising a plurality of conducting patterns disposed on the dielectric substrate,
the dielectric substrate further supporting a radio-frequency electronic circuit associated with the antenna.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, the radio-frequency electronic circuit being in electrical communication with the antenna.
13. The apparatus of claim 9, the antenna being disposed on the dielectric substrate.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
a metamaterial lens assembly, including a metamaterial lens comprising a plurality of conducting elements disposed on a dielectric substrate;
an antenna, the antenna being a radar antenna supported by the metamaterial lens assembly; and
a reflector, the reflector having a generally concave reflecting surface,
the reflector being positioned so as to reflect radiation from generated by the antenna through the metamaterial lens.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, the metamaterial lens comprising an active metamaterial.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, an output beam divergence being controllable using an electronic control signal applied to the active metamaterial.
17. The apparatus of claim 15, an output beam direction being controllable using an electronic control signal applied to the active metamaterial.
18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the metamaterial lens is a gradient index metamaterial lens.
19. The apparatus of claim 14, the antenna being located proximate a focal point of the reflector.
20. The apparatus of claim 14, the metamaterial lens and antenna being integrated into a unitary structure.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, the unitary structure further including radio-frequency electronic circuit in electrical communication with the antenna.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, the unitary structure including a multilayer circuit board.
23. The apparatus of claim 20, the unitary structure being a generally planar structure, having a thickness of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm.
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. Terminal board component for an electrical device composed of an assembly of modular components provided on their ends with mechanical and electrical connection means, said terminal board component being composed of a box traversed by electrical current-carrying means (30), with an end surface (10, 110) bearing mechanical (11, 111) and electrical (30, 114) connection means allowing its attachment to a modular component of said electrical device and one end surface (150) bearing means for connection to at least one electric power cable, said box comprising at least one housing (104) for accommodating a connection means designed to be electrically connected to at least one electric power cable, characterized in that said connection means is a screwless connector (4) and that said box bears a plunger (136, 137, 138) that is obtained by molding with its upper surface (13, 113) and that is movable perpendicular to said upper surface (13, 113), positioned above each housing (104) for accommodating a screwless connector (4).
2. Terminal board component according to claim 1, wherein said screwless connector (4) is composed of a cage (40) in which an elastic blade (5) is located.
3. Terminal board component according to claim 2, wherein the cage (40) comprises a lower surface (41), a front surface (42) located on the end of said lower surface (41) and perpendicular to it, an upper surface (43) perpendicular to the front surface (42) and parallel to the lower surface (41), and side surfaces (46) located perpendicular to the upper surface (43) and extending on both sides from the front surface (42) in the direction of the lower surface (41).
4. Terminal board component according to claim 3, wherein two tabs (44) that cut into the front surface (42) of the cage (40) extend perpendicular to said front surface (42), toward the interior of said cage (40).
5. Terminal board component according to claim 3, wherein the upper surface (43) is traversed by a central opening (45).
6. Terminal board component according to claim 2, wherein said elastic blade (5) is composed of a lower surface (51) and an oblique surface separated into two parts (54) by a groove (55).
7. Terminal board component according to claim 6, wherein each part (54) of the oblique surface bears\u2014on its end that is not connected to the lower surface (51) and along the groove (55)\u2014a lug (56) that is curved in the direction of said lower surface (51).
8. Terminal board component according to claim 1, wherein said plungers (136, 137, 138) are composed of a cylinder traversing an opening (141) of the upper surface (13, 113) of the terminal board and a foot (139).
9. Terminal board component according to claim 8, wherein the contour of the section of said feet (139) fits into the contour of the central opening (45) of the cage (40).
10. Terminal board component according to claim 1, wherein each plunger (136, 137, 138) is carried by the end of an elastic tongue (142) located parallel to the upper surface (13, 113) of the box, along the wall of the latter turned toward the interior of the box, and connected to it by its end (143) opposite the one bearing the cylinder comprising the plunger.
11. Terminal board component according to claim 1, wherein the end surface (150) bearing the means of connection to at least one electric power cable has round cylindrical openings (140) distributed transversely and arranged in pairs facing the housings (104) designed for the screwless connectors (4).
12. Screwless connector composed of a cage (40) in which an elastic blade (5) is placed, wherein the cage (40) comprises a lower surface (41), a front surface (42) located on the end of said lower surface (41) and perpendicular to it, an upper surface (43) perpendicular to the front surface (42) and parallel to the lower surface (41), and side surfaces (46) located perpendicular to the upper surface (43) and extending on both sides from the front surface (42) in the direction of the lower surface (41), and wherein two tabs (44) cut into the front surface (42) of the cage (40) extend perpendicular to said front surface (42), toward the interior of said cage (40).
13. Screwless connector according to claim 12, wherein the cage (40) has two guide passages (400) delineated by a tab (44), a cutout of the front surface (42), the upper surface (43) and a side surface (46).
14. Screwless connector according to claim 12, wherein the side surfaces (46) have a height that is less than the height of the front surface (42) and bear extensions (47) continuing to the lower surface (41) and ending in hooks (48) turned under said lower surface (41).
15. Screwless connector according to claim 12, wherein the upper surface (43) is traversed by a central opening (45).
16. Screwless connector according to claim 12, wherein said elastic blade (5) is composed of a lower surface (51) and an oblique surface separated into two parts (54) by a groove (55).
17. Screwless connector according to claim 16, wherein each part (54) of the oblique surface bears\u2014on its end that is not connected to the lower surface (51) and along the groove (55)\u2014a lug (56) that is curved in the direction of said lower surface (51).
18. Screwless connector according to claim 17, wherein the elastic blade (5) is positioned in the cage (40) with its lower surface (51) on the lower surface (41) of the cage (40) and its oblique surface in two parts (54) turned toward the front surface (42) of the cage (40) and is kept in position in said cage (40) by the interworking of a cutout (53) of its lower surface (51) with a tab (49) that is formed in the lower surface (41) of the cage (40) based on a slash (35).
19. Screwless connector according to claim 18, wherein the lugs (56) of the elastic blade (5) are arranged under the central opening (45) of the upper surface (43) of the cage (40).
20. Screwless connector according to claim 16, wherein the lower surface (51) of said elastic blade (5) has a corrugated part (52).