Tile to tile RF grounding

Abstract

An assembly comprises a first subassembly, a second subassembly, and a conductive grounding element. The first subassembly comprises a first module comprising a first ground plane and a first conductive region in operable communication with the first ground plane. The second subassembly comprises a second module comprising a second ground plane distinct from the first ground plane and a second conductive region in operable communication with the second ground plane. The first and second subassemblies attach to each other along a seam. The conductive grounding element comprises an electrically conductive material including a first portion disposed adjacent to the first conductive region and a second portion disposed adjacent the second conductive region. The conductive grounding element is configured to fill one or more gaps in the seam and to operably couple together the first and second ground planes of the first and second subassemblies into a third common ground plane.

Description

[00124] FIG. 22 is an exemplary cross sectional view 500 of a grounding arrangement that uses a conductive gasket 442a and a wire mesh gasket 442b, in accordance with one embodiment. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 10, but where the two gaskets 442a, 442b, are explicitly made of different materials. It can be assembled similar to the manner described in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 10, wherein each respective gasket 442a, 442b is attached to each tile side, before the tiles are assembled together.

[00125] FIG. 23 is an exemplary cross sectional view 510 of a grounding arrangement that uses a folded conductive shim 512, in accordance with one embodiment. The shim 512 is configured to make both mechanical and electrical contact with the radiators 204. The shim 512 can be formed using any good electrical conductor material (e.g., gold or copper), whether alone or in combination with other materials. If the folded shim 512 is under tension, it can be easier to be held into place during assembly. For example, if the folded shim 512 were a type of spring, it could be stretched prior to assembly. Having the folded shim 512 be thin and lightweight can help to reduce the overall weight of the array, as well. In certain embodiments, the folded shim 512 can be tacked to one of the two support structures 212 during system assembly, such as with one of the optional adhesives listed in connection with FIG. 10.

[00126] FIG. 24 is an exemplary cross sectional view 520 of a grounding arrangement that uses a hollow conductive structure 522, in accordance with one embodiment. The hollow conductive structure 522, in certain embodiments, can be one of metal O-ring stock, syringe tubing, or a metal extrusion. In certain embodiments, the hollow conductive structure 522 can be tacked to one of the two support structures 212 during system assembly, such as with one of the optional adhesives listed in connection with FIG. 10.

[00127] FIG. 25 is an exemplary cross sectional view 530 of a grounding arrangement that uses a thermal spring 532, in accordance with one embodiment. In certain embodiments, the thermal spring 532 can be a so-called Indium Heat-spring (R) (available from Indium Corporation of Clinton NY). Heat-springs® are dimpled Indium foil sheets, which can compress from 6.5 to 3.2 mils. The thermal spring 532 can be tacked to one tile radiator side during system assembly, using one of the aforementioned optional adhesives. Depending on tile size, gap 112 size, etc., before assembly, the desired size of the spring can be determined. In certain embodiments, before assembly, one of three thicknesses can be selected, to cover a range of tolerances for different tile assemblies (e.g., one of 3.2 -6.5 mils, 6.4 - 13.0 mils, and 9.6 - 19.5 mils. The embodiment of FIG. 25 can be advantageous where a tile assembly requires top grounding. The thermal spring 532, in certain embodiments, can be slipped into the gap 112 after assembly, an alternative to tacking to one of the two radiators 204.

[00128] FIG. 26 is an exemplary cross sectional view 540 of a grounding arrangement that uses a conductive shim 542, in accordance with one embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 26, the conductive shim 542 is configured to be in direct electrical and mechanical contact with both radiators 204 and is sized to have a thickness to fit therebetween. In certain embodiments, for example, the conductive shim 542 to be formed using gold or copper. In certain embodiments, the conductive shim 542 is held into place during assembly (e.g., via a test fixture, manually, etc.). In certain embodiments, the conductive shim 542 can be tacked to a conductive region of a CCA associated with one radiator 204 or the other during a first stage of assembly, then later attached to a conductive region of a CCA associated with the other radiator 204. It can be challenging to pick a thickness for the conductive shim 542 that also can work with the manufacturing tolerance variations, and some trial and error may be required during assembly, along with having a large range of shim 542 thicknesses available.

[00129] FIG. 27 is an exemplary cross sectional view 550 of a grounding arrangement that uses a conductive shim with statistical sizing 552, in accordance with one embodiment. The arrangement of FIG. 27 is similar to that of Fig. 26, except that a different process can be used to select the size of the shim 552. The conductive material of the shim 552 is, in certain embodiments, is made using a good material such as gold or copper. In certain embodiments, it is preferable if the good conductor material also is relatively soft, to enable conforming to the gap 112. For “statistical sizing,” Monte Carlo analysis or other appropriate analysis can be used to help determine the number and range of thicknesses required for the shim 552, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.

[00130] FIG. 28 is an exemplary cross sectional view 560 of a grounding arrangement that uses a dispensable conductive gasket 562, in accordance with one embodiment. For example, in at least some embodiments, the dispensable conductive gasket 562 can be implemented using conductive silicone or conductive epoxy. Note that, if a dispensable conductive gasket is used, in certain embodiments, such a dispensable conductive gasket need not be compressible, because the dispensable material inherently flows into the dimensional variations between modules / tiles and would stay into place once the dispensable conductive material is cured. The gasket 562 is formed using a dispensed conductive material that advantageously is not viscous, to avoid too much wicking. In certain embodiments, the dispensable conductive gasket 562 is dispensed on just one radiator 204 edge prior to assembly, then during assembly the dispensable conductive gasket makes contact with the other radiator 204. The actual squeezing out of the dispensable conductive gasket may need to be controlled to ensure that it is consistent and not variable. In addition, in some embodiments, it can be necessary to add a process step to clean the radiator surfaces of extra dispensed conductive material to avoid an issue with any short circuits caused by leftover conductive gasket material. This embodiment is another embodiment that can be useful if top grounding is required.

[00131] FIG. 29 is an exemplary flowchart 3400 of a process for creating and assembling a common ground plane between components, in accordance with one embodiment. This process also illustrates several optional steps that may be applicable to certain embodiments, but not all embodiments. The method of FIG. 29 is described in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 10, but those of skill in the art will readily appreciate its applicability to the various embodiments of FIGs. 14-28 as well as to any situation where two modules need to be joined to a common ground and / or where certain very tight spacings must be maintained (e.g., tight lattice spacings on antenna arrays).

[00132] Referring to FIG. 29, 1st and 2nd modules (e.g., CCAs) are provided to be joined (block 3410), where each CCA has a so-called “conductive region” that is in operable electrical communication with the ground plane / RF ground, of that CCA and where it is positioned / disposed to be able to be in electrical and physical contact with a conductive ground element that is to be put into electrical and physical contact with it, during assembly. For example, the conductive region, in certain embodiments, corresponds built in portion of its external surface with a connection to ground, such as an edge wrap or a ground connection on a bottom side, or both. The conductive region also can correspond to a portion of a CCA ground plane that is available to or projecting from, an edge of a board in the CCA. The conductive region also can correspond to a region in physical and / or electrical communication with one or more conductive vias of the CCA, where the conductive vias are in operable electrical communication with the CCA ground plane.

[00133] For each pair of CCAs to be joined, a conductive grounding element is provided (block 3420), where the conductive element can comprise one or more sub elements, in certain embodiments. As noted in the embodiments of FIGs. 10-28, the conductive grounding element can take many different forms, and can correspond forms such as: -          a single integral piece of compressible conductive material configured to be disposed between the 1st and 2nd conductive regions (e.g., as in at least some embodiments of FIGs. 14-16, 18, 19, and 23-27); -         two separate pieces of compressible conductive material configured to be joined during assembly (e.g., as in at least some embodiments of FIGs. 10, 17, 22); -         a dispensable conductive product, which may or may not be compressible when cured, which is configured to be applied to make contact with the conductive regions during assembly (e.g., as in at least some embodiments of FIGs. 20, 28); -          one or more portions of compressible conductive material that are specifically molded, shaped, configured and / or sized to fit the junction between two tiles (e.g., as in at least some embodiments of FIGs. 15, 18, 19, and 23-27); -          an electrically conductive built-in or applied region on the support structures of on one or both of the tiles to be joined, made using an electrically conductive material such as a metal (e.g., as in at least some embodiments of FIG. 21).

[00134] The conductive grounding element is operably coupled (block 3430) to a first location that can enable the conductive grounding element to later be in electrical and mechanical communication with the first conductive region of the 1st CCA to be joined, when the first and second modules are later assembled together. This first location, in certain embodiments, can correspond to a first side of the support structure (which can be a cold plate, but that is not limiting) or and / a first side of the module, etc.

[00135] For example, in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 10, the conductive grounding element comprises one or more sub elements (per block 3420) and is positioned at a first location, where in FIG. 10 the first location is along the edge 205 of the support structure 212 (for example, in certain embodiments, the edge 205 of a cold plate). This first location is one where, when the tiles 102a, 102b are later assembled, the conductive grounding element can later be in electrical and mechanical communication with at least the first conductive region of the module to be joined, which in certain embodiments is located at a bottom side of the radiator 204 (but this is not limiting) or is located along a side (edge) of the module to be joined, e.g., as noted above. In certain embodiments, the first location is on part of the support structure 212.

[00136] As applied to embodiments such as those of FIGs. 15, 15, 18, 19, and 22, the first location generally may be more limited, especially if the conductive grounding element is not going to experience significant compression that causes it to make contact with more surfaces, as in FIG. 10B.

[00137] As applied to embodiments where there is only a top conductive connection from radiator to radiator (e.g., as in FIGs. 23-28), those of skill in the art will appreciate that the action of block 3430 can be adapted as to positioning of the conductive grounding element so that it does not have to be mechanical communication with the support structure.

[00138] Referring again to the method of FIG. 29, if the conductive grounding element comprises one or more sub-elements, then optional block 3440 is performed, to position the optional 2nd sub element in a similar way to the first sub element, e.g., so that it is in a 2nd location, where the 2nd location is one where, when the tiles 102a, 102b are later assembled, the 2nd sub element of the conductive grounding element can later be in electrical and mechanical communication with at least the conductive region of the CCA associated with the other radiator 204,

[00139] In block 3450, the 1st and 2nd CCAs to be joined are assembled together, at either a system or tile level, optionally having a defined spacing. In certain embodiments, the assembly is performed so that the conductive grounding element is positioned to provide electrical communication between the first and second conductive regions of the 1st and 2nd CCAs. In certain embodiments, in block 3450, the 1st and 2nd CCAs to be joined are assembled together, at either a system or tile level, optionally having or in accordance with a defined spacing (e.g., an array lattice spacing), where the assembly is performed so that the conductive grounding element is positioned to provide electrical communication between first and second conductive regions of the 1st and 2nd CCAs. In certain embodiments, at least one of the 1st and 2nd conductive edge wraps are in operable electrical communication one or more circuit ground connections and / or a circuit ground plane, e.g., disposed on each of the bottom surfaces of the 1st and 2nd CCAs.

[00140] In block 3460, an optional action can take place to compress at least a portion of the conductive grounding element, during assembly of the 1st module to the 2nd module, where the compression is configured to enable the conductive grounding element to deform slightly so as contact more surfaces. In this case, the compression of the conductive grounding element results in providing an operable electrical and mechanical connection and RF ground between the first and second conductive regions and also helps to bridge the gap therebetween, all at the same time. This helps to provide a capability of creating a common ground plane across multiple modules, such as high frequency RF array tiles. This also helps to maintain element lattice spacing across multiple RF tiles.

[00141] The compression of at least a portion of the conductive grounding element (block 3460) can take place in any way or manner that works with the assembly process, and which is capable of slightly deforming the shape of the conductive grounding element so that it makes mechanical contact with the support structure (e.g., in certain embodiments, making mechanical contact with a support structure formed using cold plates) and a ground plane on the tile (e.g., a ground plane located at the bottom of the tile, at a conductive edge wrap, at a conductive via, etc. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGs. 10A and 10B (described previously), the support structures are able to be moved, during assembly of the two tiles together, so that the support structure slightly deforms the conductive grounding element to enable it to contact more ground surfaces in the circuit, all at once.

[00142] An added advantage, in at least certain embodiments, is optional block 3470, which recites that the compression of the conductive grounding element helps to compensate for gaps that can arise during assembly as a result of tolerance gaps (e.g., where components are out of tolerance or at the edge of the range of tolerance for that component.

[00143] It is envisioned that any or all of the embodiments described herein and / or illustrated in the Figures herein could be combined with and / or adapted to work with the technologies described in one or more of the commonly assigned U.S. patent applications and patents, including but not limited to: U.S, Patent no. 4,208,642 (“Modular Microstrip Transmission Line Circuitry”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,180 ("Embedded Planar Circulator"); U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,787, entitled "Slot Coupled, Polarized, Egg-Crate Radiator"; U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,189, entitled "Multilayer stripline radio frequency circuits and interconnection methods”); U.S. Patent no. 7,348,932 (“Tile Sub-Array and Related Techniques”); U.S. Patent no. 9,172,145 (“Transmit / receive daughter card with integral circulator”) and U.S. Patent No. 10,541,461, entitled, “Tile for an active electronically scanned array (AESA).” The contents of the above-listed patents and published patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

[00144] For purposes of illustrating the present embodiments, the disclosed embodiments are described as embodied in a specific configuration and using specific arrangements, but one skilled in the art will appreciate that the device is not limited to the specific configuration but rather only by the claims included with this specification. In addition, it is expected that during the life of a patent maturing from this application, many relevant technologies will be developed, and the scopes of the corresponding terms are intended to include all such new technologies a priori.

[00145] The terms "comprises,” "comprising", "includes", "including", "having" and their conjugates at least mean "including but not limited to". As used herein, the singular form “a,” “an” and “the” includes plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Various elements, which are described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts that have been described and illustrated herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.

[00146] Throughout the present disclosure, absent a clear indication to the contrary from the context, it should be understood individual elements as described may be singular or plural in number. For example, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" may include either a single component or a plurality of components, which are either active and / or passive and are connected or otherwise coupled together to provide the described function. Additionally, the term "signal" may refer to one or more currents, one or more voltages, and / or or a data signal. Within the drawings, like or related elements have like or related alpha, numeric or alphanumeric designators. Further, while the disclosed embodiments have been discussed in the context of implementations using discrete components, including some components that include one or more integrated circuit chips), the functions of any component or circuit may alternatively be implemented using one or more appropriately programmed processors, depending upon the signal frequencies or data rates to be processed and / or the functions being accomplished.

[00147] Similarly, in addition, in the Figures of this application, in some instances, a plurality of system elements may be shown as illustrative of a particular system element, and a single system element or may be shown as illustrative of a plurality of particular system elements. It should be understood that showing a plurality of a particular element is not intended to imply that a system or method implemented in accordance with the invention must comprise more than one of that element, nor is it intended by illustrating a single element that the invention is limited to embodiments having only a single one of that respective elements. In addition, the total number of elements shown for a particular system element is not intended to be limiting; those skilled in the art can recognize that the number of a particular system element can, in some instances, be selected to accommodate the particular user needs.

[00148] In describing and illustrating the embodiments herein, in the text and in the figures, specific terminology (e.g., language, phrases, product brands names, etc.) may be used for the sake of clarity. These names are provided by way of example only and are not limiting. The embodiments described herein are not limited to the specific terminology so selected, and each specific term at least includes all grammatical, literal, scientific, technical, and functional equivalents, as well as anything else that operates in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Furthermore, in the illustrations, Figures, and text, specific names may be given to specific features, elements, circuits, modules, tables, software modules, systems, etc. Such terminology used herein, however, is for the purpose of description and not limitation.

[00149] Although the embodiments included herein have been described and pictured in an advantageous form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. Having described and illustrated at least some the principles of the technology with reference to specific implementations, it will be recognized that the technology and embodiments described herein can be implemented in many other, different, forms, and in many different environments. The technology and embodiments disclosed herein can be used in combination with other technologies. In addition, all publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. It should be appreciated that individual elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above. Various elements, which are described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination. It should also be 41 appreciated that other embodiments not specifically described herein are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:a first subassembly comprising a first support structure operably coupled to a first module, the first module comprising a first ground plane, wherein the first module comprises at least a first conductive region in operable communication with the first ground plane;a second subassembly comprising a second support structure operably coupled to a second module, the second module comprising a second ground plane distinct from the first ground plane, wherein the second module comprises at least a second conductive region in operable communication with the second ground plane, wherein the first and second subassemblies are configured to attach to each other along a seam; anda conductive grounding element configured to operably couple together the first and second ground planes of the first and second subassemblies into a third common ground plane, the conductive grounding element comprising an electrically conductive material that includes a first piece disposed adjacent to a region of the first support structure and adjacent to the first conductive region and a second piece disposed adjacent to a region of the second support structure and adjacent to the second conductive region, wherein the first piece is configured to be disposed adjacent to the second piece during operation of the assembly, wherein the conductive grounding element comprises a material that is resilient and which has a compressibility that is operable to dynamically compensate, during operation of the assembly, for variations in at least one of a shape and a size of a gap in the seam between the first and second subassemblies, wherein a dynamic compensation, that arises from the compressibility, helps to ensure consistent spacing between the first subassembly and the second subassembly; andwherein the conductive grounding element is configured to remain resilient during operation of the assembly and is configured to fill the gap in the seam between the first and second subassemblies.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the gap filling is configured to minimize a length of a grounding path between the first and second ground planes.2022346622   09 Sep 20263. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductive grounding element is configured to be in compressive contact with the region of the first support structure, the region of the second support structure, the first conductive region, and the second conductive region.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductive grounding element comprises at least one of a dispensed electrically conductive material, a compressible electrically conductive material, and an electrically conductive polymer material.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second modules comprises a plurality of antenna elements.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of antenna elements is arranged in a lattice pattern having a spacing, and wherein the conductive grounding element is configured to maintain a continuity of the spacing across the seam.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first piece and the second piece of the conductive grounding element comprise distinct and separate adjacent structures that are configured to be in operable mechanical and electrical communication when the first subassembly, second subassembly, and conductive grounding element are assembled together into the assembly.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first subassembly comprises a first antenna tile and the second subassembly comprises a second antenna tile.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second subassemblies comprises an opening, and wherein the first piece and the second piece of the conductive grounding element together form a T shape having at least a portion configured to mate to the opening so as to enable secure attachment of the conductive grounding element to at least one of the first and second subassemblies.

10. A method, comprising:providing a first subassembly comprising a first support structure operably coupled2022346622   09 Sep 2026to a first module, the first module comprising a first ground plane, wherein the first module comprises at least a first conductive region in operable communication with the first ground plane;providing a second subassembly comprising a second support structure operably coupled to a second module, the second module comprising a second ground plane distinct from the first ground plane, wherein the second module comprises at least a second conductive region in operable communication with the second ground plane, wherein the first and second subassemblies are configured to attach to each other along a seam; andcoupling the first and second subassemblies together into an assembly using a conductive grounding element configured to operably couple together the first and second ground planes of the first and second subassemblies into a third common ground plane, the conductive grounding element comprising an electrically conductive material that includes a first piece disposed adjacent to a region of the first support structure and adjacent to the first conductive region and a second piece disposed adjacent to a region of the second support structure and adjacent to the second conductive region, wherein the first piece is configured to be disposed adjacent to the second piece during operation of the assembly, wherein the conductive grounding element comprises a material that is resilient and which has a compressibility that is operable to dynamically compensate, during operation of the assembly, for variations in at least one of a shape and a size of a gap in the seam between the first and second subassemblies, wherein a dynamic compensation, that arises from the compressibility, helps to ensure consistent spacing between the first subassembly and the second subassembly, and wherein the conductive grounding element is configured to remain resilient during operation of the assembly and is configured to fill the gap in the seam between the first and second subassemblies.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring the conductive grounding element to minimize a length of a grounding path between the first and second ground planes.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and second modules comprises a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a lattice pattern having a spacing, and wherein the conductive grounding element is configured to maintain a continuity of the spacing across the seam.2022346622   09 Sep 202613. The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive grounding element is configured to be in compressive contact with the region of the first support structure, the region of the second support structure, the first conductive region, and the second conductive region.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive grounding element comprises at least one of a dispensed electrically conductive material, a compressible electrically conductive material, and an electrically conductive polymer material.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises applying compression to the conductive grounding element, wherein the compression is configured to deform a shape of the conductive grounding element enough to cause the first piece to make electrical contact with the region of the first support structure and to cause the second piece to make electrical contact with the region of the second support structure, whereby the first ground plane and the second ground plane are coupled together into the third common ground plane.

16. An assembly, comprising:a first subassembly comprising a first module having a first ground plane, wherein the first module comprises at least a first conductive region in operable communication with the first ground plane;a second subassembly comprising a second module having a second ground plane distinct from the first ground plane, wherein the second module comprises at least a second conductive region in operable communication with the second ground plane, wherein the first and second subassemblies are configured to attach to each other along a seam; anda conductive grounding element configured to operably couple together the first and second ground planes of the first and second subassemblies into a third common ground plane, the conductive grounding element comprising an electrically conductive material that includes a first piece disposed adjacent to the first conductive region and a second piece disposed adjacent to the second conductive region, wherein the first piece is configured to be disposed adjacent to the second piece during operation of the assembly, wherein the conductive grounding element comprises a material that is resilient and which2022346622   09 Sep 2026has a compressibility that is operable to dynamically compensate, during operation of the assembly, for variations in at least one of a shape and a size of a gap in the seam between the first and second subassemblies, wherein a dynamic compensation, that arises from the compressibility, helps to ensure consistent spacing between the first subassembly and the second subassembly; andwherein the conductive grounding element is configured to remain resilient during operation of the assembly and is configured to fill the gap in the seam between the first and second subassemblies.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the gap filling is configured to minimize a length of a grounding path between the first and second ground planes.

18. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the first and second modules each comprise a respective plurality of antenna elements arranged in a lattice pattern having a spacing, and wherein the conductive grounding element is configured to maintain a continuity of the spacing across the seam.

19. The assembly of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second subassemblies comprises an opening, and wherein the first piece and the second piece of the conductive grounding element together form a T shape having at least a portion configured to mate to the opening so as to enable secure attachment of the conductive grounding element to at least one of the first and second subassemblies.

20. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the conductive grounding element comprises at least one of a dispensed electrically conductive material, an electrically conductive polymer material, and a compressible electrically conductive material.

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