A frequency-converting antenna and a signal transceiver

Abstract

The present invention discloses a frequency-converting antenna and a signal transceiver, wherein the frequency-converting antenna comprises: an elastomer; a metal antenna sealed inside the elastomer and presenting a planar spiral structure; the metal antenna adopts a low-melting-point metal; under the action of an external force, the center and the outer edge of the metal antenna gradually move away from each other in the vertical direction to form a spatial three-dimensional spiral structure. The present invention manufactures a flexible antenna through a flexible substrate, which can realize the stretching deformation of the flexible antenna in the vertical direction, and can realize the mutual conversion between a one-dimensional antenna and a three-dimensional antenna. Compared with the stretching of a traditional one-dimensional antenna in the length direction, the frequency band of the signal transmission and reception is wider and the directionality is stronger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of wireless signal communication, and in particular relates to a variable frequency antenna and a signal transceiver. Background Art

[0002] An antenna is a converter that converts guided waves propagating on a transmission line into electromagnetic waves propagating in an unbounded medium (usually free space), or vice versa. A component used to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves in radio equipment. Engineering systems such as radio communications, broadcasting, television, radar, navigation, electronic countermeasures, remote sensing, and radio astronomy, all of which use electromagnetic waves to transmit information, rely on antennas to work. In addition, in terms of transmitting energy using electromagnetic waves, non-signal energy radiation also requires antennas. Generally, antennas are reversible, that is, the same antenna can be used as both a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna.

[0003] The frequency modulation range of the wireless signal receiving and transmitting antenna in the prior art is still relatively low. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a variable frequency antenna and a signal transceiver device to solve the problem of low frequency modulation range of wireless signal transceiver antenna in the prior art.

[0005] In some illustrative embodiments, the variable frequency antenna includes: an elastomer; a metal antenna sealed inside the elastomer and having a planar spiral structure; the metal antenna is made of a low-melting-point metal; under the action of an external force, the center and the outer edge of the metal antenna gradually move away from each other in the vertical direction to form a spatial three-dimensional spiral structure.

[0006] In some optional embodiments, the variable frequency antenna further includes: a rigid fixing part fixed on the elastomer and close to the outer edge of the metal antenna.

[0007] In some optional embodiments, the rigid fixing member is a ring-shaped structure; at least two cross-connected fixing reinforcement members are arranged on the inner side of the rigid fixing member.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the intersection of the fixed reinforcement is opposite to the center of the metal antenna; a telescopic axis perpendicular to the fixed reinforcement is installed at the intersection of the fixed reinforcement, and the telescopic axis provides the external force to make the metal antenna with a planar spiral structure form a spatial three-dimensional spiral structure.

[0009] In some optional embodiments, the telescopic shaft is a telescopic sleeve structure.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the surface of the telescopic shaft has an external thread; the intersection of the fixed reinforcement has an internal thread hole that cooperates with the external thread, the telescopic shaft is fixed to the fixed reinforcement by threaded cooperation, and the degree of deformation of the metal antenna is controlled by the number of turns.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, the elastomer is made of transparent silicone, polydimethylsiloxane or polyurethane.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the elastomer is a planar spiral structure corresponding to the planar spiral structure of the metal antenna; the line width of the planar spiral structure of the elastomer is greater than the line width of the metal antenna, and the elastomer uniformly supports the metal antenna.

[0013] In some optional embodiments, the variable frequency antenna further includes: a conductive connecting line that penetrates the elastic body and is connected to the center of the metal antenna, and is used to connect a signal source to the metal antenna.

[0014] In some optional embodiments, the metal antenna is a low-melting-point metal that is liquid at room temperature.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a signal transceiver.

[0016] In some illustrative embodiments, the signal transceiver device has the above-mentioned variable frequency antenna.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] The present invention manufactures a flexible antenna through a flexible substrate, which can realize the stretching deformation of the flexible antenna in the vertical direction and the mutual conversion between the one-dimensional antenna and the three-dimensional antenna. Compared with the traditional one-dimensional antenna stretched in the length direction, the frequency band of the receiving and transmitting signals is wider and the directionality is stronger. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a frequency-variable antenna in a planar state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a frequency-variable antenna in a planar state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a frequency-variable antenna in a planar state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a frequency-variable antenna in a three-dimensional state according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following description and the accompanying drawings fully illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention so that those skilled in the art can practice them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, process and other changes. The examples represent possible variations only. Unless explicitly required, separate components and functions are optional, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace parts and features of other embodiments. The scope of the embodiments of the present invention includes the entire scope of the claims, and all available equivalents of the claims. In this article, these embodiments of the present invention may be represented individually or collectively by the term "invention", which is merely for convenience, and if more than one invention is disclosed in fact, it is not intended to automatically limit the scope of the application to any single invention or inventive concept.

[0024] One-dimensional antennas (also called microstrip antennas or narrowband antennas) can only transmit and receive sinusoidal wave signals in a single frequency band, and their structure is mainly a linear structure. Three-dimensional antennas (also called ultra-wideband antennas) (such as dish-type antennas) can transmit and receive square wave signals in multiple frequency bands because they have multiple resonance points, and their structure is mainly a spatial three-dimensional structure.

[0025] Now refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a variable frequency antenna in an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown in the structural schematic diagram, the present invention discloses a variable frequency antenna, including: an elastomer 100; a metal antenna 200 sealed inside the elastomer 100 and having a planar spiral structure; the metal antenna 200 can be made of a low-melting-point metal; under the action of an external force, the spiral center and the outer edge of the metal antenna 200 gradually move away from each other in the vertical direction to form a spatial three-dimensional spiral structure.

[0026] The present invention manufactures a flexible antenna through a flexible substrate, which can realize the stretching deformation of the flexible antenna in the vertical direction and the mutual conversion between the one-dimensional antenna and the three-dimensional antenna. Compared with the traditional one-dimensional antenna stretched in the length direction, the frequency band of the receiving and transmitting signals is wider and the directionality is stronger.

[0027] The metal antenna 200 in the embodiment of the present invention has a planar spiral structure when no external force is applied. The planar spiral structure can be a uniform regular spiral structure or an irregular spiral structure. The uniform regular spiral structure can be, for example, a circular spiral, a square spiral, and a regular polygonal spiral, and the irregular spiral structure can be, for example, a spiral bending / bending segment with non-uniform changes. By selecting a metal antenna 200 with a spiral structure, the metal antenna stretched into a three-dimensional structure can have the directional function of a pot-type antenna, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the antenna in transmitting and receiving signals.

[0028] The metal antenna in the embodiment of the present invention adopts a low melting point metal, which includes a low melting point metal single substance or alloy with a melting point below 300 degrees Celsius, and the alloy components include one or more of gallium, indium, tin, zinc, bismuth, lead, cadmium, mercury, silver, copper, sodium, potassium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese, titanium, vanadium, boron, carbon, silicon, etc., and its form can be a metal single substance, an alloy, or a conductive nanofluid formed by mixing metal nanoparticles and a fluid dispersant. Specifically, the fluid dispersant is preferably one of ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene glycol, and polymethyl methacrylate.

[0029] Preferably, the low melting point metal includes one or more of mercury, gallium, indium, tin, gallium-indium alloy, gallium-indium-tin alloy, gallium-tin alloy, gallium-zinc alloy, gallium-indium-zinc alloy, gallium-tin-zinc alloy, gallium-indium-tin-zinc alloy, gallium-tin-cadmium alloy, gallium-zinc-cadmium alloy, bismuth-indium alloy, bismuth-tin alloy, bismuth-indium-tin alloy, bismuth-indium-zinc alloy, bismuth-tin-zinc alloy, bismuth-indium-tin-zinc alloy, tin-lead alloy, tin-copper alloy, tin-zinc-copper alloy, tin-silver-copper alloy, and bismuth-lead-tin alloy. Such low melting point metals have excellent electrical conductivity and liquid phase fluidity, and therefore have unique application value in the field of new electronic structure manufacturing.

[0030] Preferably, the metal antenna 200 can be made of a low melting point metal that is liquid at room temperature, such as a gallium-indium alloy, wherein the specific gallium-indium ratio is 75.5% gallium and 24.5% indium. The melting point of the alloy is 15.5 degrees, and it is basically in liquid form at room temperature.

[0031] The elastic body 100 in the embodiment of the present invention can be a planar structure covering the entire metal antenna 200, or a planar spiral structure corresponding to the planar spiral structure of the metal antenna. The spiral line width of the elastic body 100 should be greater than the spiral line width of the metal antenna 200, and the elastic body 100 can evenly cover each spiral structure of the metal antenna 200. Compared with the elastic body 100 with a planar structure, the elastic body 100 with a spiral structure can provide the tensile deformation of the metal antenna 200 in the maximum range, so that the tensile deformation of the metal antenna 200 is minimally affected by the tensile restoring force of the elastic body 100.

[0032] When manufacturing the elastic body 100 with a spiral structure, a spiral cutter of corresponding specifications may be used to apply pressure on the elastic body 100 with a planar structure, so that the elastic body 100 with a planar structure is transformed from a whole into a continuous spiral structure.

[0033] In some embodiments, the material of the elastomer 100 can be selected from silicone, polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane, polylactic acid, etc. Silicone and polydimethylsiloxane have good elastic deformation recovery ability and can be released to restore the original size after being stretched. Preferably, in some embodiments, the material of the elastomer 100 can be selected from thermosetting materials such as polyurethane and polylactic acid. After the antenna is stretched, the antenna is maintained in a stretched shape by providing curing conditions to ensure the stability of the antenna after deformation. Moreover, this material can also be restored to its original shape under certain conditions, so that reversible antenna deformation can be achieved.

[0034] The variable frequency antenna in the embodiment of the present invention can also realize the conversion of the variable frequency antenna from one dimension to three dimensions more conveniently and quickly through a fixed structure and a deformation maintaining structure, and maintain the three-dimensional shape after the conversion.

[0035] In some embodiments, the variable frequency antenna in the embodiments of the present invention may further include: a rigid fixing member 300; the rigid fixing member 300 is disposed on the elastic body 100 and is located near the outer edge of the spiral structure of the metal antenna 200. The outer ring of the elastic body 100 (the outer edge of the metal antenna 200) can be easily fixed by the rigid fixing member, and the overall deformation of the variable frequency antenna can be achieved by stretching the center of the elastic body 100 (the metal antenna 200). Among them, the rigid fixing member 300 can be any shape or structure that is easy to fix.

[0036] In some embodiments, the rigid fixing member 300 is a ring-shaped structure, which can realize the unified fixation of the outer ring of the elastomer 100 (the outer edge of the metal antenna 200). Preferably, one or more fixed reinforcement members 400 (such as reinforcement ribs) can be arranged inside the ring-shaped rigid fixing member 300, and both ends of the fixed reinforcement member 400 are fixed on the ring-shaped structure of the rigid fixing member 300 to enhance the stability of the rigid fixing member 300. When there are two or more fixed reinforcement members 400, the fixed reinforcement members 400 are cross-connected with each other. In some embodiments, the rigid fixing member 300 and the fixed reinforcement member 400 can be an integrated structure for easy installation.

[0037] In some embodiments, the variable frequency antenna in the embodiment of the present invention may further include: a telescopic shaft 500 (telescopic rod), wherein the intersection of multiple fixed reinforcements 400 is opposite to the center of the metal antenna 200; a telescopic shaft 500 perpendicular to the fixed reinforcement 400 is installed at the intersection of the fixed reinforcement 400, and the telescopic shaft 500 provides an external force for the variable frequency antenna to stretch in the vertical direction, so that the metal antenna 200 with a planar spiral structure forms a three-dimensional spiral structure. The telescopic shaft 500 may be a sleeve telescopic structure, that is, the telescopic shaft 500 is composed of several tubes of different calibers, and there is a clamping structure between the interconnected tubes to realize the telescopic function of the telescopic shaft 500. In some embodiments, the rigid fixing member 300, the fixed reinforcement 400, and the telescopic shaft 500 may be an integrated structure for easy installation.

[0038] In some embodiments, each tube of the telescopic shaft 500 is of the same length, and a corresponding frequency band is engraved on the surface of each tube of the telescopic shaft 500 to indicate the specific frequency band of the variable frequency antenna corresponding to the vertical length of the tube combination. For example, when the telescopic shaft 500 has a telescopic length of three tube units, the frequency band engraved on the third tube is the actual signal receiving and transmitting frequency band of the variable frequency antenna at that moment.

[0039] In some embodiments, the surface of the telescopic shaft 500 has an external thread; the intersection of the fixed reinforcement 400 has an internal thread hole that cooperates with the external thread, the telescopic shaft 500 is fixed to the fixed reinforcement through threaded cooperation, and the deformation degree of the metal antenna is controlled by the number of turns.

[0040] In some embodiments, along the direction of the telescopic shaft 500, the surface thereof is also intermittently engraved with corresponding frequency bands to indicate the specific frequency band of the variable frequency antenna under the condition of the rotation degree.

[0041] In some embodiments, the frequency-converting antenna further includes: a conductive connecting wire 600 that penetrates the elastic body 100 and is connected to the center of the metal antenna 200, for connecting the signal source to the metal antenna. The conductive connecting wire 600 can be connected to the metal antenna by penetrating the elastic body 100 before the frequency-converting antenna works, or it can be integrated with the frequency-converting antenna when the frequency-converting antenna is prepared.

[0042] Based on the above-mentioned embodiment of the variable frequency antenna, the present invention further proposes a signal transceiver having the variable frequency antenna, so as to satisfy the advantages of the variable frequency antenna described in the present invention.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic steps described in conjunction with the embodiments herein can all be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described above around their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware or software depends on specific applications and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. A skilled person can implement the described functions in an alternative manner for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as departing from the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A variable frequency antenna, characterized in that: include: Elastomers; A metal antenna sealed inside the elastic body and having a planar spiral structure, and a rigid fixing member fixed on the elastic body and close to the outer edge of the metal antenna; The metal antenna is made of low melting point metal; Under the action of external force, the center and the outer edge of the metal antenna gradually move away from each other in the vertical direction, forming a three-dimensional spiral structure; The elastic body is made of polyurethane or polylactic acid, which can meet the requirements of deformation and maintenance of the frequency-converting antenna under specific conditions; The rigid fixing member is a ring-shaped structure; at least two cross-connected fixing reinforcement members are arranged on the inner side of the rigid fixing member; The intersection of the fixed reinforcement member is opposite to the center of the metal antenna; a telescopic shaft perpendicular to the fixed reinforcement member is installed at the intersection of the fixed reinforcement member, and the telescopic shaft provides the external force to make the metal antenna with a planar spiral structure form a three-dimensional spiral structure; The telescopic shaft is a sleeve telescopic structure; The surface of the telescopic shaft has an external thread; the intersection of the fixed reinforcement has an internal thread hole that matches the external thread, the telescopic shaft is fixed to the fixed reinforcement by threaded matching, and the degree of deformation of the metal antenna is controlled by the number of turns; The surface of each tube of the telescopic shaft is engraved with a corresponding frequency band to indicate the specific frequency band of the variable frequency antenna corresponding to the vertical length of the tube combination.

2. The variable frequency antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic body is a planar spiral structure corresponding to the planar spiral structure of the metal antenna; the line width of the planar spiral structure of the elastic body is greater than the line width of the metal antenna, and the elastic body uniformly supports the metal antenna.

3. The variable frequency antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The conductive connecting line penetrating the elastic body and connected to the center of the metal antenna is used to connect a signal source and the metal antenna.

4. The variable frequency antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal antenna is a low melting point metal that is liquid at room temperature.

5. A signal transceiver, characterized in that: A variable frequency antenna as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images