Low cost 3D tin sheet multiband shark-fin antenna for LTE MIMO vehicular application

A low cost and low-profile multiband 3D antenna for roof-top vehicular applications is presented. The radiating element is obtained through a folded metal sheet shaping a geometry that makes the antenna works in the LTE (Long-Term Evolution) bands. Thanks to its particular shape and its small size the antenna can be positioned under the automotive common used shark-fin case. Furthermore, the design allows an easy industrialization process, using low cost material. In fact, the designed shape needs only to be cut and folded without any welding process. In addition to the designed antenna, simulations and measurements take into account another radiating element in order to analyze its behavior in a MIMO (Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output) configuration. For the proposed solution good performances have been demonstrated from both numerical and measurements results.