Antenna element and antenna array

Abstract

The application discloses an antenna element unit and an antenna array, the antenna element unit wall body, surrounding formation installation space, the reflection plate, setting in the inner wall of the installation space, and the installation space is divided into second chamber and first chamber, the resonant structure includes the feed conductor arranged in the first chamber and the first slot arranged on the reflection plate, the radiation sheet assembly is arranged in the second chamber, and the feed conductor and the radiation sheet assembly are located on the opposite sides of the first slot respectively. Through the resonant structure, the feed can be carried out in the mode of electromagnetic coupling, equivalent to introducing an additional matching circuit, which is beneficial to the impedance matching of the wideband antenna element unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to antenna elements and antenna arrays. Background Technology

[0002] 5G is a new generation of broadband mobile communication technology characterized by high speed, low latency and massive connectivity. It is the network infrastructure for realizing the interconnection of people, machines and things.

[0003] In recent years, with the diversification of 5G base station application scenarios, the structural requirements for 5G base station antenna vibrators have become increasingly stringent in many situations. Traditional 5G antenna vibrators with narrow frequency bands, high thickness, heavy weight, large loading loss, complex operation procedures, and high connection difficulty can no longer meet the usage requirements.

[0004] Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the existing 5G antenna vibrator unit to enhance its adaptability to different scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention aims to provide an antenna element and an antenna array. The resonant structure enables electromagnetic coupling for power supply, which is equivalent to introducing an additional matching circuit and is beneficial for impedance matching of the broadband antenna element.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an antenna element, comprising:

[0007] The walls surround the space to form the installation area;

[0008] A reflector is disposed on the inner wall of the installation space, dividing the installation space into a first chamber and a second chamber;

[0009] The resonant structure includes a feed conductor disposed in the first cavity and a first groove disposed in the reflector.

[0010] A radiating sheet assembly is disposed in the second chamber, and the feed conductor and the radiating sheet assembly are respectively located on opposite sides of the first slot.

[0011] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, a second groove corresponding to the feed conductor is provided at a preset position of the reflector, and the second groove connects the second chamber and the first chamber.

[0012] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first groove and the second groove are arranged rotationally symmetrically.

[0013] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the first groove and the second groove is an I-shaped groove.

[0014] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the reflector has a groove unit, the groove unit comprising at least two first grooves arranged symmetrically to each other.

[0015] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the antenna vibrator unit further includes a dielectric sheet disposed in the first chamber and located between the feed conductor and the base plate, the dielectric sheet being disposed opposite to the radiating sheet assembly.

[0016] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the medium sheet is integrally formed with the wall.

[0017] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the coating applied to a predetermined position on the inner wall of the first chamber forms a medium sheet.

[0018] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the dielectric constant of the dielectric sheet is greater than 8.5.

[0019] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, when air is used as the medium to achieve the same antenna performance, the first cavity has a first thickness and when the dielectric sheet is used as the medium, the first cavity has a second thickness, satisfying (first thickness / second thickness)^2 = dielectric constant of the dielectric sheet.

[0020] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the wall includes a base plate and a side plate, the side plate is disposed on one side of the base plate and surrounds to form the installation space, and the base plate has a through hole corresponding to the position of the power supply conductor.

[0021] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the wall further includes a sealing cavity disposed in the through hole of the base plate, the sealing cavity surrounding a hollow cavity communicating with the through hole, and the end of the sealing cavity away from the base plate being closed.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, an antenna array is further provided, comprising: an antenna element as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna element comprises two or more of the resonant mechanisms and the radiating sheet assemblies, wherein the two or more resonant mechanisms and the two or more radiating sheet assemblies correspond one-to-one and are arranged in an array.

[0023] In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the feed conductors of two or more of the resonant mechanisms are interconnected.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the antenna element and antenna array provided by the present invention have at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. The antenna element and antenna array provided by the present invention can be fed through electromagnetic coupling via the resonant structure, which is equivalent to introducing an additional matching circuit, which is beneficial to the impedance matching of the broadband antenna element.

[0026] 2. The antenna element and antenna array provided by the present invention adopt LC electromagnetic coupling feeding, which reduces the welding of the feeding network and the element, reduces the risk of passive intermodulation, and reduces the inconsistency of antenna ports caused by welding;

[0027] 3. The antenna vibrator unit and antenna array provided by the present invention, by setting a second slot on the reflector plate corresponding to the radiating plate assembly as a non-LC resonant part, can be used to improve the orthogonality of the fields generated by the two polarizations between the radiating plate assembly and the cavity, so as to improve the cross-polarization pair shaping of the far-field radiation pattern;

[0028] 4. The antenna vibrator unit and antenna array provided by the present invention, by setting the dielectric sheet between the feed conductor and the base plate, is equivalent to increasing the distance between the feed conductor and the base plate, which facilitates the coupling of the radiating field to the radiating sheet assembly through the coupling structure formed by the resonant structure;

[0029] 5. The antenna vibrator unit and antenna array provided by the present invention further include a cavity with a through hole disposed on a base plate, the cavity forming a hollow cavity communicating with the through hole, the end of the cavity near the reflector extending into the first chamber, and the feed conductor being disposed corresponding to the hollow cavity, which is equivalent to increasing the distance between the feed conductor and the base plate, and facilitating the coupling of the radiating field to the radiating plate assembly through the coupling structure formed by the resonant structure. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The preferred embodiments will now be described in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, to further explain the above-mentioned characteristics, technical features, advantages, and implementation methods of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the antenna vibrator unit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the antenna vibrator unit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is the radiation pattern of the antenna vibrator element without a second slot in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4This is the radiation pattern of the antenna vibrator unit of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the second slot is provided;

[0035] Figure 5 This is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the antenna array of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a second preferred embodiment of the antenna array of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is an exploded structural diagram of a second preferred embodiment of the antenna array of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the antenna array of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0040] Wall 10, base plate 11, side plate 12, reflector 13, second groove 130, through hole 131, installation space 14, first chamber 141, second chamber 142, dielectric sheet 16, sealed cavity 17, hollow cavity 170, resonant structure 20, feed conductor 21, first groove 22, radiating sheet assembly 30, first layer radiating sheet 31, second layer radiating sheet 32. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the specific implementation methods of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0042] To keep the drawings concise, each figure only schematically shows the parts relevant to the invention, and these do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to facilitate understanding, in some figures, only one of components with the same structure or function is schematically depicted, or only one is labeled. In this document, "one" not only means "only one," but can also mean "more than one."

[0043] It should also be further understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0044] In this document, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0045] Furthermore, in the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0046] The antenna array unit provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a wall 10, a resonant structure 20, a radiating plate assembly 30, and a reflector 13. The wall 10 surrounds and forms an installation space 14. The reflector 13 is disposed on the inner wall of the installation space 14, dividing the installation space 14 into a first chamber 141 and a second chamber 142. The resonant structure 20 includes a feed conductor 21 disposed in the first chamber 141 and a first slot disposed in the reflector 13. Preferably, the first slot 22 on the reflector 13, which connects the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142, forms the first slot. The radiating plate assembly 30 is disposed in the second chamber 142, and the feed conductor 21 and the radiating plate assembly 30 are respectively located on opposite sides of the first slot 22.

[0047] It should be noted that in this preferred embodiment, the resonant structure 20 can be fed via electromagnetic coupling, which is equivalent to introducing an additional matching circuit, thus benefiting the impedance matching of the broadband antenna element. Preferably, the resonant structure 20 is an LC electromagnetic coupling structure. The feeding conductor 21, located in the first cavity 141, reduces the space occupied by the second cavity 142, which in turn reduces the space occupied by the antenna element on the front of the reflector, thereby reducing the height of the antenna element.

[0048] The feed conductor 21 and the first slot 22 form an LC resonant structure as a combination. The feed conductor 21 is equivalent to an inductor, and the first slot 22 is equivalent to a capacitor. The field generated when the feed conductor 21 is energized is coupled to the radiating plate assembly 30 through the first slot 22, and the energy is radiated into space through the radiating plate assembly 30. The feed conductor 21, the reflector 13, the sidewall of the first chamber 14 opposite to the reflector 13, and the air / dielectric plate in the first chamber 14 together constitute a stripline.

[0049] It should also be noted that the use of LC electromagnetic coupling feeding reduces the welding of the feeding network and the vibrator unit, reduces the risk of passive intermodulation, and reduces the inconsistency of antenna ports caused by welding.

[0050] Specifically, the radiating plate assembly 30 further includes a first radiating plate 31 and a second radiating plate 32, with the second radiating plate 32 located between the first radiating plate 31 and the reflector 13. The second radiating plate 32 is the main radiating plate; the radiation field of the antenna vibrator mainly exists between the second radiating plate 32 and the wall 10, primarily determining the operating frequency band of the antenna vibrator's radiation pattern. The first radiating plate 31 is used to expand the operating frequency band of the antenna vibrator, improving the beam convergence of the antenna pattern.

[0051] The antenna vibrator unit further includes a support member (not shown in the figure), one end of which is connected to the radiating plate assembly 30 and the other end is connected to the wall 10 or the reflector 13, for fixing the radiating plate assembly 30.

[0052] In some modified embodiments, the reflector 13 has a groove unit, which includes at least two first grooves 22 arranged rotationally symmetrically to each other, which can improve the orthogonality of the polarization field generated between the radiating plate assembly 30 and the sidewall of the second chamber 142.

[0053] refer to Figure 2 The reflector 13 has a second groove 130 at a preset position corresponding to the feed conductor 21. The second groove 130 connects the second chamber 142 and the first chamber 141, and is used to improve the orthogonality of the field generated by polarization between the radiating plate assembly 30 and the side wall of the second chamber 142.

[0054] It should be noted that the second slot 130, as a non-LC resonant part, mainly serves to improve the orthogonality of the two polarization fields generated between the radiating plate assembly 30 and the wall 10, so as to improve the cross-polarization pair formation of the far-field pattern.

[0055] Preferably, the number of the second slot 130 and the first slot 22 are both two or more, and the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 are arranged rotationally symmetrically. In some modified embodiments, the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 can also be arranged asymmetrically, which can be adjusted according to actual usage needs, as long as the orthogonality of the field generated by the entire antenna element is satisfied. Preferably, the number of the second slot 130 and the first slot 22 is the same. In some modified embodiments, the number of the second slot 130 and the first slot 22 can also be different, as long as the orthogonality of the field generated by the entire antenna element is satisfied. The specific number of the second slot 130 and the first slot 22 should not constitute a limitation of this application.

[0056] Preferably, at least one of the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 is in the shape of an I-beam. Within a certain length range, shaping the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 into an I-beam shape can increase space utilization and improve power supply efficiency. In some modified embodiments, the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 can also be elongated, circular, or other irregular shapes; the specific shapes of the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 should not constitute a limitation on the present invention.

[0057] refer to Figure 3 It displays the radiation pattern structure generated when only the first slot 22 is provided on the reflector 13, and its cross-polarization symmetry is relatively weak. (Reference) Figure 4 The diagram shows the radiation pattern when the first slot 22 and the second slot 130 are simultaneously provided on the reflector 13, and the symmetry of its cross-polarization is significantly improved. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents the angle of the antenna pattern on the horizontal plane, and the vertical axis represents the voltage level of the pattern at each angle. A higher voltage level indicates better cross-polarization performance. By creating the second slot 130 symmetrically around the first slot 22 of the reflector 13, the signal generated by the feed conductor 21 can propagate more uniformly into the second cavity 142, effectively improving the cross-polarization of the antenna element. This is of great significance for improving the cross-polarization of the element's pattern.

[0058] refer to Figure 2 Furthermore, the antenna element unit further includes a dielectric sheet 16 disposed in the first chamber 141 and located between the feed conductor 21 and the base plate 11, the dielectric sheet 16 being disposed opposite to the radiating sheet assembly 30. (Reference) Figure 2The statement that the dielectric sheet 16 is positioned opposite the radiating sheet assembly 30 means that at least a portion of the dielectric sheet 16 is located directly below the radiating sheet assembly 30.

[0059] It should be noted that the dielectric sheet 16 is a dielectric sheet with a high DK (Dielectric Constant), which is greater than 8.5. The distance between the feed conductor 21 and the base plate 11 located in the first chamber 141 is very small, preferably less than 2 mm. Therefore, the radiation field is almost confined to the space between the feed conductor 21 and the base plate 11, and the energy cannot be effectively coupled to the radiating sheet assembly 30 through the LC coupling structure formed by the resonant structure 20. In this preferred embodiment, by placing the dielectric sheet 16 between the feed conductor 21 and the base plate 11, it is equivalent to increasing the distance between the feed conductor 21 and the base plate 11, which facilitates the coupling of the radiation field to the radiating sheet assembly 30 through the LC coupling structure formed by the resonant structure 20.

[0060] By placing the dielectric sheet 16 in the first chamber 141, the distance between the reflector 13 and the base plate 11 can be effectively reduced, thus reducing the thickness of the first chamber 141. To achieve the same antenna performance, when air is used as the medium, the first chamber 141 has a first thickness; when the dielectric sheet 16 is used as the medium, the first chamber 141 has a second thickness, satisfying (first thickness / second thickness)^2 = the dielectric constant of the dielectric sheet 16.

[0061] In some modified embodiments, the dielectric sheet 16 is integrally formed with the wall 10, which can reduce the thickness of the first chamber 141 and help to further reduce the overall thickness of the antenna element. In some modified embodiments, the dielectric sheet 16 is formed by coating a dielectric constant greater than 8.5 at a predetermined position on the inner wall of the first chamber 141.

[0062] Further, the wall 10 includes a base plate 11 and a side plate 12. The side plate 12 is disposed on one side of the base plate 11, and the side plate 12 surrounds to form the mounting space 14. The base plate 11 has a through hole 131 corresponding to the position of the feed conductor 21. By opening the through hole 131 on the base plate 11, it is possible to facilitate the coupling of the energy generated by the resonant structure 20 to the radiating plate assembly 30. It should be noted that as long as the side plate 12 can surround to form the mounting space 14, the shape of the side plate 12 should not constitute a limitation of this application. For example, but not limited to, the side plate 12 is an annular side plate surrounding to form the mounting space 14 with an annular cross-section; the side plate 12 includes three or more sub-side plates that are connected end to end, and the three or more sub-side plates that are connected end to end surround to form the mounting space 14.

[0063] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 Furthermore, the antenna element unit also includes a sealed cavity 17 disposed in the through hole 131 of the base plate 11. The sealed cavity 17 surrounds and forms a hollow cavity 170 communicating with the through hole 131, and the end of the sealed cavity 17 away from the base plate 11 is closed. The sealed cavity 17 can achieve the effect of increasing the resonance distance, and the closure of the end away from the base plate 11 can also solve the technical problem of resonant wave leakage.

[0064] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the sealing cavity 17 is annular. Optionally, the shape of the sealing cavity 17 can also be polygonal or irregular.

[0065] Furthermore, the end of the sealed cavity 17 away from the reflector 13 extends out of the base plate 11, thereby reducing the distance between the base plate 11 and the reflector 13 while keeping the length of the sealed cavity 17 constant.

[0066] The present invention further provides an antenna array, the antenna array comprising the antenna element, the antenna element comprising two or more of the resonant mechanisms 20 and the radiating sheet assemblies 30, the two or more resonant mechanisms 20 and the two or more radiating sheet assemblies 30 corresponding one-to-one and arranged in an array. (Reference) Figure 5 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 The resonant mechanisms 20 and radiating plate assemblies 30 of the multiple antenna element units are arranged in a straight line. Figure 5 In the middle, the dielectric sheet 16 is disposed between the feed conductor 21 and the base plate 11; in Figure 6 and Figure 7 In this configuration, the sealing cavity 17 is provided within the through hole 131 of the base plate 11. (Reference) Figure 8The resonant mechanisms 20 and radiating plate assemblies 30 of the antenna array are arranged in two rows in a straight line. The antenna array, comprising multiple orderly arranged resonant mechanisms 20 and radiating plate assemblies 30, can effectively improve the operating efficiency of the antenna array. In some modified embodiments, the multiple resonant mechanisms 20 and radiating plate assemblies 30 of the antenna array can also be arranged in a ring.

[0067] Preferably, the feed conductors 21 of two or more of the resonant mechanisms 20 are interconnected, which can improve the installation efficiency of the antenna array and simplify the power supply structure of the antenna array, making it easier to power all the antenna elements. The feed conductors 21, the reflector 13, the base plate 11, and the air / dielectric plate between the reflector 13 and the base plate 11 together form a stripline.

[0068] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed. The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna element, characterized in that, include: A wall surrounds and forms an installation space, the wall including a base plate and side plates, the side plates being disposed on one side of the base plate; A reflector is disposed on the inner wall of the installation space, dividing the installation space into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is closer to the base plate than the second chamber; The resonant structure includes a feed conductor disposed in the first cavity and a first groove disposed in the reflector. A radiating sheet assembly is disposed in the second chamber. The feed conductor and the radiating sheet assembly are respectively located on opposite sides of the first slot. The radiating sheet assembly includes a first radiating sheet and a second radiating sheet, with the second radiating sheet located between the first radiating sheet and the reflector.

2. The antenna element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector is provided with a second groove at a preset position corresponding to the feed conductor, and the second groove connects the second chamber and the first chamber.

3. The antenna element according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first slot and the second slot are arranged symmetrically.

4. The antenna element according to claim 2, characterized in that, At least one of the first groove and the second groove is an I-shaped groove.

5. The antenna element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector has a groove unit, which includes at least two first grooves arranged symmetrically to each other.

6. The antenna element according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It also includes a dielectric sheet disposed in the first chamber and located between the feed conductor and the base plate, the dielectric sheet being disposed opposite to the radiating sheet assembly.

7. The antenna element according to claim 6, characterized in that, The medium sheet is integrally formed with the wall.

8. The antenna element according to claim 6, characterized in that, A coating applied to a predetermined location on the inner wall of the first chamber forms a medium sheet.

9. The antenna element according to claim 6, characterized in that, The dielectric constant of the dielectric sheet is greater than 8.

5.

10. The antenna element according to claim 6, characterized in that, To achieve the same antenna performance, when air is used as the medium, the first cavity has a first thickness, and when the dielectric sheet is used as the medium, the first cavity has a second thickness, satisfying (first thickness / second thickness)^2 = dielectric constant of the dielectric sheet.

11. The antenna element according to claim 6, characterized in that, The side plate surrounds to form the installation space, and the base plate has through holes corresponding to the position of the power supply conductor.

12. The antenna element according to claim 11, characterized in that, The wall also includes a sealed cavity disposed in the through hole of the base plate, the sealed cavity surrounding a hollow cavity communicating with the through hole, and the end of the sealed cavity away from the base plate being closed.

13. An antenna array, characterized in that, include: The antenna vibrator unit according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the antenna vibrator unit comprises two or more of the resonant structures and the radiating sheet assemblies, wherein the two or more resonant structures and the two or more radiating sheet assemblies correspond one-to-one and are arranged in an array.

14. The antenna array according to claim 13, characterized in that, The feed conductors of two or more of the resonant structures are interconnected.

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