Active antenna unit and antenna unit for base station

Abstract

The present application discloses an active antenna unit and antenna unit for a base station, the active antenna unit for a base station comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls connected to the bottom wall to define a receiving cavity with an opening at one end, wherein a plurality of side walls are provided with a boss protruding toward the receiving cavity at one end away from the bottom wall, and at least one side wall is inclined outward, thereby defining a supporting end surface with a width greater than the thickness of the side wall; a base station antenna, the base station antenna comprising an antenna substrate and a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array on a first main surface of the antenna substrate, wherein the antenna substrate is supported on the supporting end surfaces of the plurality of side walls away from one end of the bottom wall, thereby covering the receiving cavity. The present application can increase the use space of the receiving cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and more particularly to an active antenna unit (AAU) and an antenna unit for a base station. Background Art

[0002] At present, wireless communication technology is developing rapidly, and base station antennas play an increasingly important role in network coverage. The inventors of the present application have found in their long-term research and development work that the existing active antenna unit includes a shell and a base station antenna, and an opening is provided at one end of the shell, and the base station antenna is arranged on the opening. The shell includes a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall, and the side wall is close to the end face of the base station antenna, and a boss protruding away from the accommodating cavity of the shell is provided on the end face. When the size of the shell is fixed, the internal usable space of the shell is small. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the above problems existing in the active antenna unit in the prior art, the present application provides an active antenna unit and an antenna unit for a base station.

[0004] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides an active antenna unit for a base station, comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall, so as to define a receiving cavity with an opening at one end, at least one of the side walls being inclined outward, wherein a boss protruding toward the receiving cavity is provided at one end of the plurality of side walls away from the bottom wall, thereby defining a supporting end surface with a width greater than a thickness of the side wall;

[0005] A base station antenna comprises an antenna substrate and a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array on a first main surface of the antenna substrate, wherein the antenna substrate is supported on a supporting end surface of the plurality of side walls away from one end of the bottom wall, thereby covering the accommodating cavity.

[0006] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides another antenna unit for a base station, comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall, so as to define a receiving cavity with an opening at one end, at least one of the side walls being inclined outward, wherein a boss protruding toward the receiving cavity is provided at one end of the plurality of side walls away from the bottom wall, thereby defining a supporting end surface with a width greater than a thickness of the side wall;

[0007] A base station antenna comprises an antenna substrate and a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array on a first main surface of the antenna substrate, wherein the antenna substrate is supported on a supporting end surface of the plurality of side walls away from one end of the bottom wall, thereby covering the accommodating cavity.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the multiple side walls of the present application are provided with a boss protruding toward the accommodating cavity at one end away from the bottom wall, thereby defining a supporting end surface whose width is greater than the thickness of the side wall. When the size of the shell is fixed, the boss protrudes toward the accommodating cavity, and the distance between the two relatively arranged side walls becomes larger, which can increase the usable space of the accommodating cavity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0010] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an active antenna unit according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the base station antenna;

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle boss;

[0013] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the middle shell along line II-II;

[0014] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a sealing groove and a first assembly hole in an active antenna unit of a second embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a reinforcement frame in an active antenna unit according to a third embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a housing in an active antenna unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of the convex ribs and the heat sink in the active antenna unit of the fifth embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Fig. 9 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross section of the base station antenna along line II;

[0019] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment of a base station antenna of the present application;

[0020] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another embodiment of the base station antenna of the present application;

[0021] Fig.12 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the middle shell;

[0022] Fig.13 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the filter component close to the power amplifier board;

[0023] Fig.14 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the filter component facing away from the power amplifier board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It is particularly noted that the following examples are only used to illustrate the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Similarly, the following examples are only some embodiments of the present application rather than all embodiments, and all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can, for example, be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0026] See also Figure 1-4 As shown, Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an active antenna unit according to a first embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the base station antenna; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle boss; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The active antenna unit 50 of this embodiment is applied to a base station of a communication system, and at least comprises a housing 51 and a base station antenna 10 .

[0027] The housing 51 includes a bottom wall 511 and a plurality of side walls 512 connected to the bottom wall 511 to define an open accommodating cavity. The housing 51 may be provided with four side walls 512 connected to the bottom wall 511. A boss 550 protruding toward the accommodating cavity is provided at one end of the side wall 512 away from the bottom wall 511, thereby defining a supporting end surface 513 whose width is greater than the thickness of the side wall 512.

[0028] At least one side wall 512 is inclined outward, that is, at least one side wall 512 is inclined away from the accommodating cavity with one end close to the bottom wall 511 as the origin, and an obtuse angle is formed between at least one side wall 512 and the bottom wall 511 .

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the base station antenna 10 includes an antenna substrate 11 and a plurality of antenna elements 12 arranged in an array on a first main surface 111 of the antenna substrate 11. The antenna substrate 11 is supported on a supporting end surface 513 of a plurality of side walls 512 away from one end of the bottom wall 511, thereby covering the accommodating cavity.

[0030] The side wall 512 of this embodiment is provided with a boss 550 protruding toward the accommodating cavity at one end away from the bottom wall 511. The size (length, width, height) of the shell 51 is preset, that is, when the size of the shell 51 is fixed, the boss 550 faces the accommodating cavity, and the distance between the two relatively arranged side walls 512 becomes larger, which can increase the usable space of the accommodating cavity.

[0031] The support end surface 513 is divided into a first platform and a second platform in the direction toward the bottom wall 511 , and the cross-sectional width of the first platform along the length direction of the shell 51 is greater than the cross-sectional width of the second platform along the length direction of the shell 51 .

[0032] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a first assembly hole 514 and a sealing groove 515 are provided on the support end surface 513, wherein the depth of the first assembly hole 514 is greater than the height of the first platform and extends into the second platform; the depth of the sealing groove 515 is less than the height of the first platform, so that the first assembly hole 514 and the sealing groove 515 are provided on the support end surface 513.

[0033] The active antenna unit 50 of the present application further includes a seal, such as a waterproof rubber strip, which is buried in the sealing groove 515; the antenna substrate 11 is pressed onto the seal by a fastener inserted into the first assembly hole 514, that is, the first assembly hole 514 is used to insert the fastener so that the antenna substrate 11 is supported on the supporting end surface 513, and the antenna substrate 11 is pressed onto the seal.

[0034] The active antenna unit 50 of the present application is not an antenna in the traditional sense. It organically combines the radio frequency subsystem (such as the filter component 20 and the power amplifier board 56 of the present application) and the base station antenna 10; that is, the active antenna unit 50 digitizes the feeding network of the traditional antenna. The radio frequency unit and the antenna of the traditional base station are designed separately, while the active antenna unit 50 integrates the active radio frequency unit (filter component 20, power amplifier board 56) and the antenna (base station antenna 10) into one design. The active antenna unit 50 integrates the remote radio module (RRU) unit and the antenna into one design so that the power amplification and reception of the RRU unit can be fully utilized. The active antenna unit 50 of the present application integrates the RRU unit and the antenna in a radome, and provides an external radio frequency port, which is used to send radio frequency signals to the external vector network analyzer.

[0035] The present application further includes an active antenna unit 50 of a second embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the sealing groove 515 includes a first groove section 516 extending along the length direction D1 of the supporting end surface 513 and located on both sides of the first assembly hole 514, and a second groove section 517 arranged around the periphery of the first assembly hole 514 and connecting the two adjacent first groove sections 516. The second groove section 517 can be located on the side of the first assembly hole 514 close to the accommodating cavity, that is, the first assembly hole 514 is located on the outside of the sealing groove 515, which can improve the waterproofness of the active antenna unit 50.

[0036] The support end surface 513 is rectangular, the first slot section 516 is straight, and the second slot section 517 is arc-shaped. The extension line of the center line 518 of the first slot section 516 can pass through the center of the first assembly hole 514.

[0037] In this embodiment, an arc-shaped second groove section 517 and a first assembly hole 514 are arranged between each first groove section 516 of the support end surface 513. Compared with the support end surface 513 being arranged as a continuous whole straight groove section, it is equivalent to dividing the whole straight groove section into a plurality of shorter first groove sections 516, so that the seal buried in the sealing groove 515 is subjected to more uniform force, has stronger fixation, and better waterproof performance.

[0038] The present application further includes an active antenna unit 50 of a third embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the active antenna unit 50 of the present application further includes a reinforcement frame 54, which is used to press and fix the antenna substrate 11 on the supporting end surface 513, that is, when the antenna substrate 11 is supported on the supporting end surface 513, the reinforcement frame 54 presses the antenna substrate 11 so that the antenna substrate 11 is fixed on the supporting end surface 513.

[0039] The active antenna unit 50 of this embodiment is provided with a reinforcing frame 54 for pressing and fixing the antenna substrate 11 on the supporting end surface 513 , thereby improving the strength of fixing the antenna substrate 11 on the supporting end surface 513 .

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, the reinforcement frame 54 includes a first frame body 541 and a second frame body 542 connected in an L shape, wherein the first frame body 541 is pressed on a side of the antenna substrate 11 away from the support end surface 513, and the second frame body 542 is arranged on a side of the side wall 512 away from the accommodating cavity. The reinforcement frame 54 presses and fixes the antenna substrate 11 on the support end surface 513 through the first frame body 541, and the reinforcement frame 54 realizes a limiting function through the second frame body 542.

[0041] The support end surface 513 and the first frame body 541 may be respectively provided with a first assembly hole 514 and a second assembly hole 543, that is, the support end surface 513 is provided with a plurality of first assembly holes 514, and a plurality of second assembly holes 543 are provided at corresponding positions of the first frame body 541, and the number of the plurality of first assembly holes 514 is the same as the number of the second assembly holes 543.

[0042] The first frame 541 and the support end face 513 are further fixed to each other by fasteners inserted into the first assembly hole 514 and the second assembly hole 543; when the second assembly hole 543 is aligned with the corresponding first assembly hole 514, the fastener is used to fix the first frame 541 and the support end face 513, that is, to fix the reinforcement frame 54 on the support end face 513; the fastener can be a screw, and the first assembly hole 514 and the second assembly hole 543 can both be screw holes. Among them, the support end face 513 and the reinforcement frame 54 are both set in a rectangular shape.

[0043] The present application further provides an active antenna unit according to a fourth embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the side wall 512 includes two first side walls 530 connected at two ends opposite to the bottom wall 511 and integrally formed with the bottom wall 511, and two second side walls 540 independently formed relative to the bottom wall 511 and respectively fixedly connected to the other two ends of the bottom wall 511 and the first side walls 530, and the first side wall 530 may form an obtuse angle with the bottom wall 511. The obtuse angle may range from 95 to 120°, and may specifically be 95°, 98°, 110°, 112°, 115°, 118°, 120°, etc.

[0044] The bottom wall 511 and the two first side walls 530 are integrally formed by an extrusion process;

[0045] In one application scenario, the material used to make the shell 51 is first heated and melted to make the material fluid; then a screw or a plunger is used to push the head mold to extrude the melted material in a fixed direction. With the help of the extrusion action of the screw or the plunger, the melted material can be forced through the opening of the head mold under the pressure to be formed into a continuous profile with a constant cross-section. The continuous profile includes a bottom wall 511 and two first side walls 530, and the extrusion direction of the head mold is parallel to the length direction of the two first side walls 530; finally, the continuous profile is cooled by a cooling device so that the continuous profile loses its plastic state and solidifies.

[0046] The shape of the opening of the die head mold is the same as the cross section of the bottom wall 511 and the two first side walls 530 in a plane perpendicular to the extrusion direction.

[0047] In this embodiment, the two second side walls 540 can be manufactured by die-casting or extrusion molding, and then the two second side walls 540 are spliced ​​to the other two ends of the bottom wall 511 where the first side wall 530 is not provided, and are fixedly connected to the first side wall 530 .

[0048] The housing cavity of the shell 51 is used to accommodate the internal components of the active antenna unit (not shown), such as the antenna element and the feeding circuit, etc. The shell 51 can protect the internal components and prevent foreign objects such as rain and dust from damaging the internal components.

[0049] In this embodiment, the housing 51 can be made of plastic material, which includes one or more of PE (Polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene), PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), PS (Polystyrene), PA (Polyamide), PPS (Polyphenylenesulfide), PC (Polycarbonates) or PI (Polyimide Film). In other embodiments, the housing can also be made of glass fiber reinforced plastic, which not only has super corrosion resistance and impact resistance, but also can play a beautifying role and has strong electromagnetic penetration ability.

[0050] Different from the prior art, the shell of the active antenna unit for the base station of the present application adopts an extrusion process to integrally form the bottom wall and the two opposite side walls. Compared with the existing molding process, no cutting and grinding processes are required, so there is no waste of materials and the manufacturing process can be simplified. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can simplify the manufacturing of the shell and save production costs.

[0051] The two second side walls 540 can be fixedly connected to the other two ends of the bottom wall 511 and the first side wall 530 by welding. In this embodiment, the second side wall 540 can be fixed to the bottom wall 511 and the first side wall 530 by stir friction welding. In this way, the thermal influence of the welding joint on the welding point can be reduced, the residual stress is small, the shell 51 is not easy to deform, and the welding automation level can be improved, and there is less pollution.

[0052] Specifically, Fig.12 As shown, a knife exit structure 712 can be provided at the end 711 of the welding path of the bottom wall 511, the first side wall 530 and the second side wall 540; when friction welding is performed, the tool rubs against the bottom wall 511 and the second side wall 540, the first side wall 530 and the second side wall 540 respectively to melt their contact surfaces, and the knife exit structure 712 can collect the liquid brought out when the tool exits the welding path to prevent the liquid from dripping into the shell 51. After the liquid cools and solidifies, the knife exit structure 712 and the solid inside it can be milled off.

[0053] Of course, in other embodiments, the second side wall may be fixed to the bottom wall and the first side wall by means of screws or snaps, and the connection between the second side wall, the bottom wall and the first side wall may be sealed to increase the sealing effect of the shell.

[0054] The connection between the first side wall 530 and the bottom wall 511 is in a chamfered transition connection close to the accommodating cavity; the connection between the first side wall 530 and the bottom wall 511 is in a non-transition connection away from the accommodating cavity.

[0055] Optionally, the end faces of the bottom wall 511 and the first side wall 530 adjacent to the second side wall 540 are arranged in a stepped shape, the second side wall 540 is arranged on the step, and the outer surface of the second side wall 540 is coplanar with the outermost surface of the stepped end face, and the top surface of the second side wall 540 is coplanar with the top surface of the first side wall 530 to form a flat shell surface, which is convenient for assembling the shell 51 with other components.

[0056] Through the above-mentioned manner, the second side wall 540 can be abutted against the stepped end surface, so as to prevent the second side wall 540 from sliding into the accommodating cavity, thereby improving the stability of the shell 51 .

[0057] The present application further provides an active antenna unit according to a fifth embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, a convex rib 519 is integrally formed on the bottom wall 511 away from the accommodating cavity, that is, the bottom wall 511 and the convex rib 519 are integrally formed; an assembly hole 520 is provided on the bottom wall 511. The depth of the assembly hole 520 is greater than the thickness of the bottom wall 511 and extends into the convex rib 519.

[0058] The assembly hole 520 of this embodiment extends into the convex rib 519 , so the assembly hole 520 does not need to penetrate the bottom wall 511 , thereby ensuring the sealing of the housing 51 and preventing the signal in the housing 51 from leaking and being interfered with.

[0059] The rib 519 may be arranged in a columnar shape, and the axis direction of the rib 519 is parallel to the bottom wall 511. A plurality of heat sinks 55 arranged at intervals are further formed integrally on the side of the bottom wall 511 away from the accommodating cavity, wherein some of the heat sinks 55 are arranged on the rib 519.

[0060] The heat sink 55 is vertically arranged with the bottom wall 511. The surface of the heat sink 55 may also be provided with protrusions or grooves to increase the heat dissipation area and improve the heat dissipation effect of the housing 51.

[0061] The heat sink 55 may be a sheet with good thermal conductivity such as a copper sheet or an aluminum sheet.

[0062] Please see further Figure 1 As shown, the active antenna unit 50 of the present application further includes a power amplifier board 56 and a filter assembly 20. The power amplifier board 56 is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the filter assembly 20 is covered on the top of the power amplifier board 56 for electromagnetic shielding of the power amplifier board 56. Among them, the power amplifier board 56 is electrically connected to the filter assembly 20. The power amplifier board 56 is used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal and transmit the amplified radio frequency signal to the filter assembly 20. The filter assembly 20 is used to obtain a radio frequency signal of a specific frequency or a radio frequency signal other than a specific frequency from the amplified radio frequency signal. Different from the prior art, this embodiment can achieve electromagnetic shielding of the power amplifier board through the filter assembly without the need to install an additional shielding cover, thereby simplifying the installation process of the active antenna unit.

[0063] The power amplifier board 56 may be disposed on the bottom wall 511 , and the heat sink 55 is used to dissipate heat from the power amplifier board 56 .

[0064] The thickness of the heat sink 55 may be smaller than the thickness of the rib 519. The cross section of the rib 519 perpendicular to the axial direction is arranged in an arc shape, and at least part of the heat sink 55 is arranged at the top of the arc of the rib 519.

[0065] There may be a plurality of convex ribs 519 , which are arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction of the heat sinks. The remaining heat sinks 55 are arranged in the interval area of ​​the convex ribs 519 .

[0066] In other embodiments, the heat sinks 55 are all disposed at the arc top positions of the convex ribs 519 , or are all disposed at intervals between the convex ribs 519 .

[0067] like Fig.13As shown, the filter assembly 20 of the present application is provided with a partition assembly 23 protruding from one side close to the power amplifier board 56 , and the partition assembly 23 is used to form a avoidance groove 24 , and the avoidance groove 24 is used to accommodate components on the power amplifier board 56 .

[0068] The partition assembly 23 can be integrally formed with the filter assembly 20; the partition assembly 23 can be formed by stamping, CNC or injection molding.

[0069] Among them, the partition assembly 23 includes a first partition 231 arranged on the outer periphery of one side of the filter assembly 20 close to the power amplifier board 56 and a plurality of second partitions 232 and a third partition 233 arranged in the first partition 231; the outer surface of the first partition 231 is flush with the side of the filter assembly 20, the inner surface of the first partition 231 is connected to the second partition 232 and the third partition 233, the third partition 233 is evenly divided and perpendicular to the second partition 232, and the third partition 233 is perpendicular to one side of the first partition 231, so that the formed avoidance groove 24 is arranged in a rectangular shape.

[0070] In other embodiments, the shape of the avoidance groove formed by the partition assembly can also be elliptical, hexagonal, etc.; and it is not limited whether the shape of each avoidance groove is the same. The specific shape of the avoidance groove is related to the layout of components on the power amplifier unit, and the avoidance groove should be able to accommodate the components on the power amplifier unit.

[0071] The first partition plate 231 , the second partition plate 232 and the third partition plate 233 are flush with one end surface close to the power amplifier board 56 , so that the filter assembly 20 can be stably installed on the power amplifier board 56 , which can reduce the electromagnetic leakage of the power amplifier board 56 and improve the electromagnetic shielding performance of the power amplifier board 56 .

[0072] The filter assembly 20 of this embodiment includes 4 groups of filter assemblies 20, each group of filter assemblies 20 includes 16 filter units 22 arranged in two rows, and the partition assembly 23 forms 16 avoidance grooves 24 on the side of the filter assembly 20 close to the power amplifier board 56 to accommodate the components on the 16 power amplifier units respectively.

[0073] Among them, the component includes a power amplifier.

[0074] Furthermore, the active antenna unit used for the base station in this embodiment also includes a base station antenna 50, which is covered on the top of the filter assembly 20, and the antenna element (not marked in the figure) of the base station antenna 50 is electrically connected to the filter unit 22 of the filter assembly 20, and is used to transmit the radio frequency signal filtered by the filter unit 22, or to receive the radio frequency signal and transmit it to the filter unit 22 for clutter filtering.

[0075] The filter unit 22 is a cavity filter, and a plurality of cavity filters share a substrate (not shown). The substrate is a metal substrate, and the metal may be copper, aluminum or other metals, or alloys.

[0076] like Fig.14 As shown, the filter unit 22 includes a plurality of cascaded open-end resonant cavities 221, in which a resonant rod (not shown) and a tuning screw (not shown) are provided, and each resonant cavity 221 and the resonant rod and the tuning screw in its cavity form a resonator; the two cascaded resonant cavities 221 are connected by a window (not shown), and the two cascaded resonant cavities 221 transmit signals through the window; the first-stage resonant cavity 221 and the last-stage resonant cavity 221 are arranged at the edge to facilitate connection with the input and output ports 412.

[0077] The filter unit 22 of this embodiment is provided with 10 resonant cavities 221 , which are arranged in three rows or three columns, and the resonant cavities 221 in each row or column are arranged alternately with the resonant cavities 221 in adjacent rows or columns.

[0078] The filter assembly 20 of this embodiment includes four substrates. The filter units 22 on each substrate are arranged in two rows or two columns. The resonant cavities 221 of the filter units 22 in each row or column are arranged in the same manner.

[0079] Of course, in other embodiments, the number of substrates is not limited; the number of filter units on the substrate is not limited; the number and arrangement of resonant cavities in the filter unit is not limited; whether the structures of multiple filter units are the same is not limited, etc.

[0080] The opening of the resonant cavity 221 faces the base station antenna 10 .

[0081] Among them, the filter unit 22 of this embodiment includes one filter channel to realize unidirectional transmission of signals. In other embodiments, the filter unit can also be replaced with a filter unit including a signal receiving channel and a signal transmitting channel, so that one filter unit can realize signal transmission and reception at the same time. Of course, multiple filter channels can also be set in one filter unit, and the resonator in the filter unit can be divided into multiple channels to form multiple filter channels, and then a common cavity is used to connect the multiple filter channels, and so on.

[0082] Different from the prior art, the active antenna unit used for the base station in this embodiment integrates the filter component and the base station antenna into the shell, which can improve the integration of the active antenna unit and meet the integration requirements of the 5G communication system.

[0083] The present application further includes an antenna unit for a base station. The antenna unit is a passive antenna, which includes a shell and a base station antenna. The shell is the shell 51 disclosed in the above embodiment, and the base station antenna is the base station antenna 10 disclosed in the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0084] The antenna substrate 11 of the above embodiment is made of insulating material, and the insulating material may include one or more of plastic material, inorganic material, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, silicon dioxide or carbon fiber.

[0085] like Figure 2 As shown, multiple antenna elements 12 are arranged in an array on the first main surface 111 of the antenna substrate 11, and the array may include a circular array or a rectangular array; each antenna element 12 is arranged in a sheet shape and attached to the first main surface 111, and the shape of the antenna element 12 may be rectangular, square or polygonal.

[0086] Among them, the antenna vibrator 12 can be attached to the first main surface 111 by hot stamping, printing, coating, electroplating or pasting; since the antenna vibrator 12 is attached to the first main surface 111, compared with the base station antenna in the prior art, the height of the antenna vibrator 12 relative to the antenna substrate 11 is reduced, which can effectively reduce the volume of the base station antenna 10.

[0087] The assembly process of the base station antenna 10 may include: preparing an antenna substrate 11 of a preset size using insulating material; attaching the antenna element 12 to a preset position of the first main surface 111 to obtain the above-mentioned base station antenna 10 .

[0088] The base station antenna 10 of this embodiment includes an antenna substrate 11 made of insulating material and a plurality of antenna elements 12. No additional buckles are required, which reduces components and reduces costs. In addition, the assembly process of the base station antenna 10 is simple, which improves production efficiency.

[0089] like Fig. 9 As shown, the base station antenna 10 of this embodiment may further include a reflective layer 13, and the reflective layer 13 is attached to the second main surface 112 of the antenna substrate 11, which is arranged opposite to the first main surface 111, that is, the reflective layer 13 may be attached to the second main surface 112 by hot stamping, printing, coating, electroplating or pasting, and the second main surface 112 is arranged opposite to the first main surface 111. The material of the reflective layer 13 may include one or more of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, iron, chromium, manganese or titanium; specifically, the material of the reflective layer 13 of this embodiment is aluminum.

[0090] Among them, the distance between the antenna vibrator 12 and the reflective layer 13 can be one-eighth wavelength of the center frequency of the base station antenna 10; this one-eighth wavelength is a theoretical value, and the actual distance between the antenna vibrator 12 and the reflective layer 13 can be around one-eighth wavelength, which can meet the corresponding radiation performance.

[0091] The reflective layer 13 is used to focus the antenna signal on the corresponding antenna element 12 to enhance the receiving capability of the base station antenna 10; the reflective layer 13 can also be used to block or shield the interference signal located on the back of the antenna substrate 11 to prevent the base station antenna 10 from being interfered when receiving the antenna signal.

[0092] The antenna substrate 11 may be made of a plastic material, including one or more of PE (Polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene), PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), PS (Polystyrene), PA (Polyamide), PPS (Polyphenylenesulfide), PC (Polycarbonates) or PI (Polyimide Film). The antenna element 12 is made of a metal material, which may include one or more of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, iron, chromium, manganese or titanium.

[0093] See also Fig.10 As shown, the base station antenna 10 of this embodiment may not be provided with the reflective layer 13 disclosed in the second embodiment; the base station antenna 10 further includes a plurality of antenna ports 14 whose number is equal to the antenna element 12, that is, the number of the plurality of antenna ports 14 is the same as the number of the plurality of antenna elements 12; each antenna port 14 is electrically connected to the corresponding antenna element 12, respectively.

[0094] In other embodiments, the number of multiple antenna ports 14 may be proportional to the number of multiple antenna elements 12 . For example, the ratio of the number of multiple antenna ports 14 to the number of multiple antenna elements 12 is 1:3, that is, three antenna elements 12 are connected to one antenna port 14 .

[0095] A plurality of antenna ports 14 may be provided on the second main surface 112, and the projection of the antenna port 14 on the first main surface 111 may at least partially overlap with the antenna vibrator 12. In this embodiment, the projection of the antenna port 14 on the first main surface 111 completely overlaps with the antenna vibrator 12, and a plurality of through holes 113 corresponding to the number of the antenna ports 14 are provided on the antenna substrate 11, that is, the number of the plurality of through holes 113 is the same as the number of the plurality of antenna ports 14; the through holes 113 connect the first main surface 111 and the second main surface 112 of the antenna substrate 11.

[0096] The base station antenna 10 further includes a plurality of conductive columns 114 corresponding to the through holes 113 respectively, that is, the number of the plurality of conductive columns 114 is the same as the number of the plurality of through holes 113; the end surface of the conductive column 114 close to the antenna element 12 is flush with the first main surface 111 of the antenna substrate 11, and the antenna element 12 is attached to the end surface of the conductive column 114.

[0097] In the assembly process of the base station antenna 10: the conductive column 114 is arranged in the through hole 113 so that the end face of the conductive column 114 close to the antenna vibrator 12 is flush with the first main surface 111 of the antenna substrate 11; the antenna vibrator 12 is attached to the first main surface 111 of the antenna substrate 11, and since the projection of the antenna port 14 on the first main surface 111 at least partially overlaps with the antenna vibrator 12, the antenna vibrator 12 is attached to the end face of the conductive column 114.

[0098] The material of the conductive column 114 may include one or more of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, chromium, manganese or titanium. The end surface of the conductive column 114 away from the antenna element 12 may be connected to the corresponding antenna port 14 .

[0099] The base station antenna 10 of this embodiment is further connected to the filter component 20, which can be arranged below the second main surface 112 of the antenna substrate 11, that is, the base station antenna 10 is arranged on the filter component 20, and the filter component 20 includes a plurality of filter ports 21, and the number of the plurality of filter ports 21 is the same as the number of the plurality of antenna ports 14; each antenna port 14 is respectively connected to the corresponding antenna element 12 and to the corresponding filter port 21.

[0100] The filter assembly 20 may include a plurality of filter units 22 arranged in an array, each filter unit 22 corresponds to an antenna element 12 , and the antenna element 12 is electrically connected to the corresponding filter unit 22 via the antenna port 14 and the filter port 21 .

[0101] The base station antenna 10 of the present application can be applied to a 5G communication system, and the filter assembly 20 can include a plurality of dielectric filters, and the material of the dielectric body of the dielectric filter can be a material with high dielectric constant and low loss and other properties, such as ceramic, glass or titanate, etc. In other embodiments, the base station antenna 10 can also be applied to other communication systems, such as a 4G communication system.

[0102] When the base station antenna 10 is covered on the filter assembly 20, the antenna port 14 and the corresponding filter port 21 are aligned and plugged with each other. That is, the position of the antenna port 14 and the position of the filter port 21 are set correspondingly. When the base station antenna 10 is covered on the filter assembly 20, the antenna port 14 can be aligned and plugged with the corresponding filter port 21. At this time, the antenna port 14 is connected to the corresponding filter port 21.

[0103] The antenna port 14 of this embodiment is connected to the corresponding filter port 21 in a aligned manner, and the base station antenna 10 and the filter assembly 20 do not need to be connected with an additional cable, thereby avoiding signal interference and saving costs.

[0104] and Fig.10 The difference between the base station antenna in the Fig.11 As shown, the base station antenna 10 further includes a feeder line 15 attached to the first main surface 111 and used to electrically connect the antenna port 14 and the antenna element 12. The feeder line 15 and the antenna element 12 are made of the same material and process, so the antenna element 12 and the feeder line 15 can be attached to the first main surface 111 together.

[0105] Multiple antenna ports 14 can be arranged on the second main surface 112, and the antenna substrate 11 is provided with multiple through holes 113 whose number corresponds to the antenna ports 14, that is, the number of the multiple through holes 113 is the same as the number of the multiple antenna ports 14; the through holes 113 connect the first main surface 111 and the second main surface 112 of the antenna substrate 11.

[0106] Optionally, the base station antenna 10 further includes a plurality of conductive columns 114 corresponding to the through holes 113 respectively, the end surface of the conductive column 114 close to the antenna vibrator 12 is flush with the first main surface 111 of the antenna substrate 11, and the feed line 15 is attached to the end surface of the conductive column 114; the end surface of the conductive column 114 away from the antenna vibrator 12 can be electrically connected to the corresponding antenna port 14.

[0107] It should be noted that the above embodiments all belong to the same inventive concept, and the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For matters that are not described in detail in some embodiments, reference may be made to the description in other embodiments.

[0108] The protection circuit and control system provided in the embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. At the same time, for general technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. An active antenna unit for a base station, characterized in that: The active antenna unit comprises: A shell, the shell comprising a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls connected to the bottom wall to define a receiving cavity with an opening at one end, wherein the plurality of side walls are provided with a boss protruding toward the receiving cavity at one end away from the bottom wall, and at least one of the side walls is inclined outward to define a supporting end surface whose width is greater than the thickness of the side wall; A base station antenna, comprising an antenna substrate and a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array on a first main surface of the antenna substrate, wherein the antenna substrate is supported on a supporting end surface of the plurality of side walls away from one end of the bottom wall, thereby covering the accommodating cavity; A reinforcement frame, the reinforcement frame is used to press and fix the antenna substrate on the support end surface to improve the strength of fixing the antenna substrate on the support end surface; A convex rib is integrally formed on one side of the bottom wall away from the accommodating cavity, and an assembly hole is arranged on the bottom wall. The depth of the assembly hole is greater than the thickness of the bottom wall and extends into the convex rib.

2. The active antenna unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support end surface is divided into a first platform and a second platform in a direction toward the bottom wall, wherein a cross-sectional width of the first platform along the length direction of the shell is greater than a cross-sectional width of the second platform along the length direction of the shell.

3. The active antenna unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first assembly hole and a sealing groove are further provided in the support end surface. The depth of the first assembly hole is greater than the height of the first platform and extends into the second platform. The depth of the sealing groove is less than the height of the first platform.

4. The active antenna unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sealing groove includes a first groove section extending along the length direction of the supporting end surface and located on both sides of the first assembly hole, and a second groove section arranged around the periphery of the first assembly hole and connecting two adjacent first groove sections, wherein the extension line of the midline of the first groove section passes through the center of the first assembly hole.

5. The active antenna unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wall includes two first side walls connected at two ends opposite to the bottom wall and integrally formed with the bottom wall, and two second side walls independently formed relative to the bottom wall and respectively fixedly connected to the other two ends of the bottom wall and the first side wall.

6. The active antenna unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna substrate is made of insulating material, and a plurality of antenna elements are attached to the first main surface.

7. The active antenna unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The base station antenna further includes a reflective layer, which is attached to a second main surface of the antenna substrate that is arranged opposite to the first main surface.

8. The active antenna unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active antenna unit further includes a filter assembly and a power amplifier board arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the filter assembly cover is arranged above the power amplifier board; the base station antenna further includes a plurality of antenna ports whose number is equal to or proportional to the antenna element, and each of the antenna ports is electrically connected to the corresponding antenna element and connected to the filter port of the corresponding filter assembly.

9. An antenna unit for a base station, characterized in that: The antenna unit comprises: A shell, the shell comprising a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls connected to the bottom wall to define a receiving cavity with an opening at one end, wherein the plurality of side walls are provided with a boss protruding toward the receiving cavity at one end away from the bottom wall, and at least one of the side walls is inclined outward to define a supporting end surface whose width is greater than the thickness of the side wall; A base station antenna, comprising an antenna substrate and a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array on a first main surface of the antenna substrate, wherein the antenna substrate is supported on a supporting end surface of the plurality of side walls away from one end of the bottom wall, thereby covering the accommodating cavity; A reinforcement frame, the reinforcement frame is used to press and fix the antenna substrate on the support end surface to improve the strength of fixing the antenna substrate on the support end surface; A convex rib is integrally formed on one side of the bottom wall away from the accommodating cavity, and an assembly hole is arranged on the bottom wall. The depth of the assembly hole is greater than the thickness of the bottom wall and extends into the convex rib.

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