A Luneburg sphere device and electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a Luneburg sphere device and an electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna, wherein the Luneburg sphere device comprises an upper cover, a lens body, a gradient compensation layer, and a lower cover; the upper cover and the lower cover are symmetrically arranged up and down to form a cavity structure, and the cavity structure comprises a plurality of first cylindrical cavities and second cylindrical cavities arranged alternately; the lens body is arranged in the first cylindrical cavity and abuts against the inner wall of the first cylindrical cavity; the gradient compensation layer is arranged in the second cylindrical cavity and abuts against the inner wall of the second cylindrical cavity; the lens body and the gradient compensation layers on both sides thereof have a common central axis; the lens body and the gradient compensation layer are both cylinders composed of multiple layers of dielectrics; along the central axis direction, the dielectric constants of each layer of dielectric decrease successively from the inside to the outside of the lens body; the electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna comprises the above-mentioned Luneburg sphere device, antenna body, and antenna cover; the present application can conveniently and quickly adjust the antenna downtilt angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a Luneburg sphere device and an electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna. Background Art

[0002] In the field of mobile communication network technology, Luneburg lens antennas have seen considerable adoption and application. These antennas primarily consist of core components such as a Luneburg sphere, radiating element, phase shifter, feed network, transmission mechanism, reflector, and housing. Traditional Luneburg lens antennas require adjustment of the downtilt angle to alter the radiation angle of the feed source. This requires maintenance workers to climb a tower and adjust the pitch angle of the bracket on-site to achieve optimal signal coverage. This labor-intensive and time-consuming process increases the difficulty of installation in inclement weather, such as wind or snow. Furthermore, manual adjustment can result in significant errors. Therefore, these lens antennas, which require manual downtilt adjustment, no longer meet the needs of operators.

[0003] In order to solve the problem of difficult antenna installation and adjustment and avoid the need for staff to climb the tower every time to adjust the antenna, the communications field is in urgent need of providing Luneburg lens antennas that can easily and quickly adjust the antenna downtilt angle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a Luneburg sphere device and an electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial choice or create conditions.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a Luneburg sphere device, comprising an upper cover, a lens body, a gradient compensation layer, and a lower cover;

[0007] The upper cover and the lower cover are symmetrically arranged up and down to form a cavity structure, and the cavity structure includes a plurality of first cylindrical cavities and second cylindrical cavities arranged alternately, and the inner diameter of the first cylindrical cavity is larger than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical cavity;

[0008] The lens body is disposed in the first cylindrical cavity and abuts against the inner wall of the first cylindrical cavity; the gradient compensation layer is disposed in the second cylindrical cavity and abuts against the inner wall of the second cylindrical cavity; the gradient compensation layer is symmetrically disposed on both side end surfaces of the lens body;

[0009] The lens body and the gradient compensation layer are both cylindrical bodies composed of multiple layers of dielectrics; the lens body and the gradient compensation layers on both sides of it have a common central axis, and along the axial direction of the central axis, the dielectric constants of each layer of dielectric decrease successively from the inside of the lens body to the outside.

[0010] Furthermore, a cover support block is provided at the top end of the upper cover; and a support plate is provided at the bottom end of the lower cover.

[0011] Furthermore, the Luneburg sphere device further includes an L-shaped connector and a cross screw, the L-shaped connector is provided with a rivet nut, the upper cover is further provided with a first mounting hole, and the lower cover is further provided with a threaded hole and a second mounting hole;

[0012] The cross screw passes through the first mounting hole and the threaded hole to connect the upper cover and the lower cover; the rivet nut is adapted to the second mounting hole.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application provides an electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna, comprising: the Luneburg sphere device described in the first aspect, an antenna body, and an antenna cover; the Luneburg sphere device and the antenna body are jointly arranged in the antenna cover.

[0014] Furthermore, the antenna cover includes an outer cover, an upper end cover, and a lower end cover, and the upper end cover and the lower end cover are respectively arranged at both ends of the outer cover; the outer cover, the upper end cover and the lower end cover together constitute a cavity structure.

[0015] Furthermore, the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna further includes an inner bracket, which is disposed on the outer cover and abuts against the bottom end of the antenna body.

[0016] Furthermore, the antenna body further comprises: a transmission mechanism, a sector-shaped phase shifter assembly, and a reflector, wherein the transmission mechanism and the sector-shaped phase shifter assembly are both arranged on the reflector;

[0017] The transmission mechanism includes: a motor device, a screw assembly, a scale, a pull rod adapter, a pull rod support, a pull rod and a slide connection member; the sector phase shifter assembly includes: a phase shifter circuit and a slide;

[0018] The motor device is connected to the rotating shaft of the screw assembly, the screw assembly is rigidly connected to the pull rod adapter, the front end of the pull rod adapter is connected to the marking ruler, and the rear end of the pull rod adapter is connected to the pull rod; the pull rod support is clearance-matched with the pull rod, the pull rod is rigidly connected to the slide connector, and the slide connector and the slide are clearance-matched with the shaft hole.

[0019] Furthermore, the antenna body also includes: a radiation network, an isolation plate and an antenna connector, the radiation network includes a radiation unit and a feeding network, the radiation unit, the feeding network and the antenna connector are connected in sequence, and the isolation plate is arranged around the radiation unit.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present application are: the present application provides a Luneburg sphere device and an electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna, the Luneburg lens device adopts a linear array module design of a radiation unit, and the upper part of each group of linear array units corresponds to a group of Luneburg lenses. The modular design has the advantages of simple and reasonable structure, convenient assembly and low production cost; the electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna adopts a motor-driven screw, a pull rod is connected to the screw connecting seat, and the other end of the pull rod is connected to the phase shifter. The electric downtilt function is realized by the motor-driven phase shifting transmission system, and the antenna downtilt angle can be adjusted indoors by connecting a handheld controller. The technical solution of the present application can adjust the antenna downtilt angle conveniently and quickly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. 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 any creative labor.

[0022] Figure 1 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the Luneburg sphere device in the embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the Luneburg sphere device in the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is an overall schematic diagram of the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] This section will describe the specific embodiments of the present application in detail. The preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the accompanying drawings is to supplement the description of the text part of the specification with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present application, but it cannot be understood as a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] In the description of this application, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on this application.

[0030] In the description of this application, if there are words such as "several", it means one or more, and the meaning of "more" is more than two. Greater than, less than, and exceed are understood to exclude the number itself, and above, below, and within are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of first or second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly defined, words such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense. Technical personnel in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above words in this application in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the present application provides a Luneburg sphere device 100, comprising: an upper cover 110, a lens body 120, a gradient compensation layer 130, and a lower cover 140;

[0032] The upper cover 110 and the lower cover 140 are symmetrically arranged up and down to form a cavity structure, which includes a plurality of first cylindrical cavities 111 and second cylindrical cavities 112 arranged alternately. The inner diameter of the first cylindrical cavity 111 is larger than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical cavity 112;

[0033] The lens body 120 is disposed in the first cylindrical cavity 111 and abuts against the inner wall of the first cylindrical cavity 111; the gradient compensation layer 130 is disposed in the second cylindrical cavity 112 and abuts against the inner wall of the second cylindrical cavity 112; the gradient compensation layer 130 is symmetrically disposed on both side end surfaces of the lens body 120;

[0034] The lens body 120 and the gradient compensation layer 130 are both cylinders composed of multiple layers of dielectrics; the lens body 120 and the gradient compensation layers 130 on both sides of it have a common central axis, and along the axial direction of the central axis, the dielectric constants of each layer of dielectric decrease successively from the inside of the lens body 120 to the outside.

[0035] It should be noted that the gradient compensation layer 130 is used to compensate for the lens body 120, forming a spherical shape with the lens body 120, thereby converging electromagnetic waves propagating at different angles. The number and dielectric constant of the gradient compensation layer 130 are determined through simulation calculations to ensure that the equivalent dielectric constant distribution of the lens body 120 in both TEM mode and TE10 mode is consistent with the preset dielectric constant distribution, with the dielectric constant decreasing from the intermediate dielectric to the surface of the sphere.

[0036] It is understandable that, since the inner diameter of the first cylindrical cavity 111 is larger than that of the second cylindrical cavity 112, the outer diameter of the gradient compensation layer 130 is smaller than that of the lens body 120. Optionally, the upper cover 110 and the lower cover 140 are detachably connected for easy installation and maintenance.

[0037] In some embodiments, a cover support block 114 is provided at the top end of the upper cover 110 ; and a support plate 144 is provided at the bottom end of the lower cover 140 .

[0038] In this embodiment, two outer cover support blocks 114 are respectively provided at the left and right ends of the upper cover 110 . The four outer cover support blocks 114 can provide a stable support for the Luneburg ball device 100 .

[0039] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the Luneburg sphere device 100 further includes an L-shaped connector 150 and a cross screw 160 . The L-shaped connector 150 is provided with a rivet nut 151 . The upper cover 110 is further provided with a first mounting hole 113 . The lower cover 140 is further provided with a threaded hole 143 and a second mounting hole 145 .

[0040] The cross screw 160 passes through the first mounting hole 113 and the threaded hole 143 to connect the upper cover 110 and the lower cover 140 ; ​​the rivet nut 151 is adapted to the second mounting hole 145 .

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, in an exemplary Luneburg sphere device 100, a total of 3 lens bodies 120 and 4 gradient compensation layers 130 are included, which are sequentially installed in corresponding positions of the lower cover 140, and then covered with the upper cover 110 at the corresponding positions, so that the lens body 120 is fixedly set in the first cylindrical cavity 111, and the gradient compensation layer 130 is fixedly set in the second cylindrical cavity 112. The lens body 120 and the gradient compensation layers 130 on both sides of the lens body 120 are packaged, and then the first mounting hole 113 set in the upper cover 110 and the threaded hole 143 set in the lower cover 140 are connected and fixed with a cross screw 160; the L-shaped connector 150 is fixedly connected to the second mounting hole 145 by using a screw and a rivet nut 151 passing through the second mounting hole 145, and a single Luneburg sphere device is assembled.

[0042] It can be seen that the Luneburg sphere device provided in the present application adopts an upper and lower cover assembly method to completely encapsulate the lens body and the gradient compensation layer. The modular design has the advantages of simple and reasonable structure, easy assembly and low production cost. The Luneburg sphere device provided in the embodiment of the present application has a simple structural design, a convenient and quick installation process, and a design structure that stably and reliably supports the Luneburg sphere. The use of modular design is conducive to mass production.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna of this embodiment includes: the Luneburg sphere device 100 in the above embodiment, the antenna body 200, and the antenna cover 300; the Luneburg sphere device 100 and the antenna body 200 are jointly arranged in the antenna cover 300.

[0044] In some embodiments, the antenna cover 300 includes an outer cover 310, an upper end cover 320, and a lower end cover 330. The upper end cover 320 and the lower end cover 330 are respectively arranged at both ends of the outer cover 310; the outer cover 310, the upper end cover 320 and the lower end cover 330 together constitute a cavity structure.

[0045] In some embodiments, the electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna further includes an inner bracket 400 , which is disposed on the outer cover 310 and abuts against the bottom end of the antenna body 200 , thereby providing good fixed support for the antenna body 200 .

[0046] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the L-shaped connector 150 is connected to the reflector 260 via a rivet nut 151. For example, the L-shaped connector 150 and the reflector 260 are tightened correspondingly by a screw and a rivet nut 151 to achieve the connection between the L-shaped connector 150 and the reflector 260.

[0047] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the antenna body 200 further includes: a transmission mechanism 240, a sector-shaped phase shifter assembly 250, and a reflector 260, wherein the transmission mechanism 240 and the sector-shaped phase shifter assembly 250 are both disposed on the reflector 260;

[0048] The transmission mechanism 240 includes: a motor device 241, a screw assembly 242, a scale 243, a pull rod adapter 244, a pull rod support 245, a pull rod 246 and a slide connector 247; the sector phase shifter assembly 250 includes: a phase shifter circuit 251 and a slide 252;

[0049] The motor device 241 is connected to the rotating shaft of the screw assembly 242, the screw assembly 242 is rigidly connected to the pull rod adapter 244, the front end of the pull rod adapter 244 is connected to the marking scale 243, and the rear end of the pull rod adapter 244 is connected to the pull rod 246; the pull rod support 245 and the pull rod 246 are clearance-fitted, the pull rod 246 is rigidly connected to the slide connector 247, and the slide connector 247 and the slide 252 are clearance-fitted with the shaft hole.

[0050] Specifically, the motor device 241 is connected to the rotating shaft of the screw assembly 242, the screw assembly 242 is provided with a connecting seat, the connecting seat is rigidly connected to the pull rod adapter 244, the front end of the pull rod adapter 244 is provided with a slot, the pull rod adapter 244 is connected to the marking ruler 243 through the slot, the rear end of the pull rod adapter 244 is provided with a mounting hole, the pull rod adapter 244 is connected to the pull rod 246 through the mounting hole; the pull rod support 245 is provided with a square hole, the pull rod support 245 is clearance-fitted with the pull rod 246 through the square hole, the pull rod 246 can slide smoothly and steadily in the square hole and play a role in supporting the pull rod, the pull rod 246 is rigidly connected to the slide connector 247, and the slide connector 247 and the slide 252 are clearance-fitted with the shaft hole.

[0051] The electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna provided herein utilizes a motor assembly 241 to drive a screw assembly 242. Screw assembly 242 is connected to a pull rod 246 via a pull rod adapter 244. The other end of pull rod 246 is connected to a sector phase shifter assembly 250. When motor assembly 241 drives screw assembly 242, pull rod 246 drives sector phase shifter assembly 250. This application utilizes motor assembly 241 to drive transmission mechanism 240 to electrically tilt sector phase shifter assembly 250, enabling adjustment of the downtilt angle of the Luneburg lens antenna. The electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna provided herein has a rationally designed transmission mechanism, is easy to assemble, provides smooth phase shifter movement, and offers a reliable structure. The electrically adjustable function is quick and easy to operate, meeting the functional requirements of current base station antennas.

[0052] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the antenna body 200 further includes: a radiation network 210, an isolation plate 220 and an antenna connector 230, wherein the radiation network 210 includes a radiation unit and a feeding network, wherein the radiation unit, the feeding network and the antenna connector 230 are connected in sequence, and the isolation plate 220 is arranged around the radiation unit.

[0053] In some embodiments, the antenna connector 230 is a DIN type connector, the isolation plate 220 and the radiation unit are arranged on the front of the reflector 260, and the feeding network is arranged on the back of the reflector 260; the isolation plate 220 is arranged around the radiation unit, which can optimize the electrical performance indicators of the antenna, such as the radiation pattern and isolation.

[0054] Although the description of the present disclosure has been quite detailed and specifically describes several embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to any of these details or embodiments or any particular embodiment, but should be considered to provide a broad possible interpretation of these claims by reference to the appended claims, taking into account the prior art, so as to effectively cover the intended scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the above description of the present disclosure is based on the embodiments foreseen by the inventors, which is intended to provide a useful description, and those non-substantial changes to the present disclosure that have not yet been foreseen may still represent equivalent changes to the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A Luneburg ball device, characterized in that: It includes an upper cover, a lens body, a gradient compensation layer, and a lower cover; The upper cover and the lower cover are symmetrically arranged up and down to form a cavity structure, and the cavity structure includes a plurality of first cylindrical cavities and second cylindrical cavities arranged alternately, and the inner diameter of the first cylindrical cavity is larger than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical cavity; The lens body is disposed in the first cylindrical cavity and abuts against the inner wall of the first cylindrical cavity; the gradient compensation layer is disposed in the second cylindrical cavity and abuts against the inner wall of the second cylindrical cavity; the gradient compensation layer is symmetrically disposed on both side end surfaces of the lens body; The lens body and the gradient compensation layer are both cylindrical and composed of multiple layers of dielectrics. The lens body and the gradient compensation layers on both sides thereof have a common central axis. Along the axis of the central axis, the dielectric constants of the dielectric layers decrease from the inside of the lens body to the outside. The top end of the upper cover is provided with an outer cover support block; the bottom end of the lower cover is provided with a support plate.

2. The Luneburg sphere device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Luneburg sphere device further includes an L-shaped connector and a cross screw, the L-shaped connector is provided with a rivet nut, the upper cover is further provided with a first mounting hole, and the lower cover is further provided with a threaded hole and a second mounting hole; The cross screw passes through the first mounting hole and the threaded hole to connect the upper cover and the lower cover; the rivet nut is adapted to the second mounting hole.

3. An electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna, characterized in that: include: The Luneburg sphere device, antenna body, and antenna cover according to any one of claims 1-2; the Luneburg sphere device and antenna body are jointly arranged in the antenna cover.

4. The electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 3, wherein: The antenna cover includes an outer cover, an upper end cover, and a lower end cover, wherein the upper end cover and the lower end cover are respectively arranged at two ends of the outer cover; the outer cover, the upper end cover and the lower end cover together constitute a cavity structure.

5. The electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that: The electrically adjustable Luneburg lens antenna further includes an inner bracket, which is arranged on the outer cover and abuts against the bottom end of the antenna body.

6. The electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that: The antenna body further comprises: a transmission mechanism, a sector-shaped phase shifter assembly, and a reflector, wherein the transmission mechanism and the sector-shaped phase shifter assembly are both arranged on the reflector; The transmission mechanism includes: a motor device, a screw assembly, a scale, a pull rod adapter, a pull rod support, a pull rod and a slide connection member; the sector phase shifter assembly includes: a phase shifter circuit and a slide; The motor device is connected to the rotating shaft of the screw assembly, the screw assembly is rigidly connected to the pull rod adapter, the front end of the pull rod adapter is connected to the marking ruler, and the rear end of the pull rod adapter is connected to the pull rod; the pull rod support is clearance-matched with the pull rod, the pull rod is rigidly connected to the slide connector, and the slide connector and the slide are clearance-matched with the shaft hole.

7. The electrically tunable Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that: The antenna body further comprises: a radiation network, an isolation plate and an antenna connector. The radiation network comprises a radiation unit and a feeding network. The radiation unit, the feeding network and the antenna connector are connected in sequence. The isolation plate is arranged around the radiation unit.

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