Cavity filter components for cavity filters

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cavity filter element for a cavity filter. An apparatus includes: at least one cavity filter element, wherein the cavity filter element includes a first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support. In some examples, there is a series of cavity filter elements. In some examples, (multiple) cavity filter elements are part of a cavity filter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cavity filter element for a cavity filter. Background Art

[0002] Cavity filters are a form of RF filter that can have a reasonable size, low insertion loss in the operating band, and high out-of-band attenuation.

[0003] The cavity filter has a plurality of cavity filter elements in an electromagnetically coupled cavity. The cavity filter elements operate as resonators. Summary of the invention

[0004] A cavity filter element having less mass and / or lower cost and / or in a form suitable for automated manufacturing would be desirable.

[0005] According to various but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided an apparatus comprising:

[0006] At least one cavity filter element, wherein the cavity filter element comprises a first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support.

[0007] In some but not necessarily all examples, the first support member includes:

[0008] a first edge extending from a base distal to the coupling element to a top proximate to the coupling element, and a second edge extending from the base distal to the coupling element to a top proximate to the coupling element;

[0009] The second support member comprises:

[0010] a first edge extending from a base distal to the coupling element to a top proximate to the coupling element, and a second edge extending from the base distal to the coupling element to a top proximate to the coupling element;

[0011] The first support and the second support are opposite to each other across a gap, a first edge of the first support is separated from a first edge of the second support across the gap, and a second edge of the first support is separated from a second edge of the second support across the gap.

[0012] In some but not necessarily all examples, the first support, the second support, and the coupling element are electrically conductive, and a galvanic current path extends via the first support, via the coupling element, to the second support.

[0013] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the first support, the second support, and the coupling element are formed from a single sheet of metal.

[0014] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the first support, the second support, and the coupling element are formed from folded metal sheets.

[0015] In some but not necessarily all examples, the coupling element includes a deformable portion that is deformable for tuning the cavity filter element.

[0016] In some but not necessarily all examples, the apparatus includes a series of cavity filter elements, wherein the cavity filter element includes:

[0017] At least a first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support.

[0018] In some but not necessarily all examples, adjacent ones of the cavity filter elements are interconnected by metal interconnects.

[0019] In some but not necessarily all examples, the metal interconnects extend between adjacent first supports of the cavity filter element.

[0020] In some but not necessarily all examples, the series of cavity filter elements and metal interconnects are formed from a single piece of metal or from multiple interconnect components.

[0021] In some but not necessarily all examples, the apparatus includes:

[0022] A first series of cavity filter elements, wherein the cavity filter elements of the first series include:

[0023] at least one first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support; and

[0024] A second series of cavity filter elements, wherein the second series of cavity filter elements comprises:

[0025] at least a first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support; and

[0026] At least one electrically conductive cross-coupling interconnect extends between the first series of cavity filter elements and the second series of cavity filter elements.

[0027] In some but not necessarily all examples, the apparatus is configured as a cavity filter including a conductive housing providing a conductive cavity for a cavity filter element.

[0028] In some but not necessarily all examples, the cavity filter element is an inner conductor relative to a surrounding outer conductive cavity provided by the housing.

[0029] In some but not necessarily all examples, the cavity filter element is configured to have an electrical length from a base of the first support or the second support of the cavity filter element to a top of the cavity filter element at the coupling element that is substantially one quarter of a resonant wavelength of the cavity filter.

[0030] In some but not necessarily all examples, there is a thermal expansion mismatch between the conductive housing and the cavity filter element such that as temperature increases, the conductive housing expands more than the cavity filter element and the gap between the coupling element and the housing of the cavity filter element increases rather than decreases.

[0031] In some but not necessarily all examples, the apparatus also includes a transmitter and / or a receiver.

[0032] According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments, examples are provided as claimed in the following claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Examples of cavity filter elements are shown from different angles;

[0035] Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D Examples of cavity filter elements are shown from different angles;

[0036] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Different examples of cavity filter elements are shown;

[0037] Figure 4 An example of a cavity filter including a cavity filter element is shown;

[0038] Figure 5 An example of a series of cavity filter elements is shown;

[0039] Figure 6 is an example of a housing for a cavity filter;

[0040] Figure 7 is an example of an assembled cavity filter;

[0041] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B The frequency response of the S parameters of the cavity filter is shown;

[0042] Fig. 9 illustrates cross-coupling between cavity filter elements in a cavity filter;

[0043] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10E Different examples of cavity filter elements are shown;

[0044] Fig.11A and Fig. 11B A cavity filter element with deformable tuning is illustrated;

[0045] Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B An example of a cavity filter element and an example of a series of cavity filter elements are illustrated;

[0046] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B An example of a cavity filter element and an example of a series of cavity filter elements are illustrated;

[0047] Fig.14 An apparatus comprising a cavity filter including a cavity filter element is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following description describes various examples of devices including at least one cavity filter element 10. In some examples, the device is a cavity filter element 10. In some examples, the device is a series 100 of cavity filter elements 10. In some examples, the device is a cavity filter including a cavity filter element 10.

[0049] In the following description, the cavity filter element 10 includes a first support member 12 1 , different from the first support member 12 1 The second support member 12 2 And the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 Supporting coupling element 14.

[0050] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The cavity filter element 10 is shown in the figure from different angles. The cavity filter element 10 comprises a first support member 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 And the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 The coupling element 14 of the support. For example, the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 Can be separated by a gap 11.

[0051] The cavity filter element 10 is self-supporting. 1 and the second support member 12 2 Besides, no other supports are required to support the coupling element 14 .

[0052] In this example, the first support member 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 The and coupling elements 14 are electrically conductive. For example, they may be formed from metal or metallized dielectric or plastic material.

[0053] The current path passes through the first support member 12 1 , coupling element 14 and second support member 12 2 extend.

[0054] In some but not necessarily all examples, the first support member 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 and coupling element 14 are formed from a single piece of metal. In some but not necessarily all examples, first support member 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 The coupling element 14 is formed from a folded sheet of metal. The metal sheet may be, for example, copper or silver-plated steel.

[0055] In this example but not necessarily in all examples, the first support member 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 It is a flat sheet.

[0056] In this example but not necessarily in all examples, the first support member 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 Extending in parallel and separated by a gap.

[0057] In some examples, the cavity filter element 10 is connected to a conductive base 20. A current path (a path through which a DC current may flow but does not necessarily flow) is formed from the conductive base 20 via the first support 12. 1 , coupling element 14 and second support member 12 2 Extends back to the conductive base 20 .

[0058] In some examples, the cavity filter element 10 is positioned within a conductive cavity 30 of a cavity filter. In this example, the cavity filter element 10 acts as a resonator.

[0059] Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2DThe cavity filter element 10 is illustrated from different angles A, B, C, and D.

[0060] like Figure 2A and Figure 2C As shown in the figure, the first support member 12 1 The base 17 of the coupling element 14 is provided with a 1 Extends to near the top 19 of the coupling element 14 1 The first edge 15 1 .

[0061] like Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown in the figure, the first support member 12 1 The base 17 of the coupling element 14 is provided with a 2 Extends to near the top 19 of the coupling element 14 2 The second edge 15 2 .

[0062] like Figure 2A and Figure 2D As shown in the figure, the second support member 12 2 The base 17 of the coupling element 14 is provided with a 1 Extends to near the top 19 of the coupling element 14 1 The first edge 15 1 .

[0063] like Figure 2B and Figure 2D As shown in the figure, the second support member 12 2 The base 17 of the coupling element 14 is provided with a 2 Extends to near the top 19 of the coupling element 14 2 The second edge 15 2 .

[0064] The first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 The two electrodes are opposite to each other across a gap 11. The gap 11 may be an air gap or a gap filled with a non-conductive material. The material may be a solid, a liquid, a gas or a gel or a mixture thereof.

[0065] The first support member 12 1 The first edge 15 1 The second support member 12 2 The first edge 15 1 Split across gap 11 ( Figure 2A ). The first support member 12 1 The second edge 15 2 The second support member 12 2 The second edge 15 2 Split across gap 11 ( Figure 2B ).

[0066] In these examples, the dimensions of the conductive cavity 30 are a height h2 , a length l2 in the longitudinal direction, and a width w2 in the transverse direction.

[0067] In these examples, the dimensions of the cavity filter element 10 are a height h1 (less than h2), a length l1 in the longitudinal direction (less than l2), and a width W=w1+2t in the transverse direction (less than w2), wherein the gap 11 has a width w1, and the first support 12 1 The transverse thickness of the second support member 12 is t. 2 The transverse thickness is t.

[0068] The values ​​of w2 and l2 depend on the available space of the conductive cavity 30 or what filter performance (maximum insertion loss) is required. This size affects the Q factor and insertion loss. Typically, w2 and l2 are much smaller than the resonant wavelength λ of the filter. For example, values ​​of λ / (7 to 9) are typical in space-limited 5Gm MIMO filters.

[0069] h2 is determined by the available space and the peak power handling that must be met. h2 is usually much smaller than λ / 4, such as λ / 7, to create a capacitively loaded structure.

[0070] The value h1 depends on the resonant wavelength λ of the filter. The cavity filter element 10 is configured to have a first support 12 extending from the cavity filter element 10. 1 Or the second support member 12 2 Base 17 1 , 17 2 The electrical length L to the top of the coupling element 14 of the cavity filter element 10 (which is closest to the ceiling of the cavity 30) is e . Electrical length L e It is substantially one quarter of the resonant wavelength of the cavity filter 200, namely, L e =λ / 4. The electrical length depends on the relative permittivity of the dielectric in the cavity 30. For a cavity 30 filled with air, the relative permittivity is very close to 1. If it is a capacitive load, the height h1 can be about λ / 4 or shorter.

[0071] The width W of the cavity filter element 10 is determined by the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 The width (w1) of the gap 11 between the first support member 12 1 The width (thickness) (t) and the second support member 12 2 The width (thickness) (t) of the film is thus composed of W = w1 + 2*t.

[0072] The dimensions W, l1 of the cavity filter element 10 and their relationship to the respective dimensions w2, l2 of the cavity 30 can be used to control the impedance of the cavity filter element 10. For example, the impedance can be controlled between 60 and 90 ohms. Approximately 77 ohms gives the best Q factor. W is typically ~w2 / 3 and l1 is typically ~l2 / 3.

[0073] Double support 12 1 , 12 2 Providing a line impedance similar to that of a single thicker line, for example, with thickness W.

[0074] The thickness t is not a critical parameter for the electrical performance, but is chosen for mechanical strength. It therefore depends on the material used. The thickness t is usually greater than h1 / 30. In practice, for a resonant frequency of 2-5 GHz, then 0.5-0.2 mm is a suitable value for the thickness t.

[0075] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Both diagrams show the cavity filter element 10 as described above. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The cavity filter elements 10 in FIG. 1 are all configured to be used in a cavity filter having the same resonant frequency.

[0076] The cavity filter element 10 can be described as U-shaped because the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 are elongated, interconnected at their tops by coupling elements 14 and are symmetrical. Figure 3A In the embodiment, the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 are straight and parallel, and Figure 3B They are not. Figure 3B The height h1 of the cavity filter element 10 is less than Figure 3A The height h1 of the cavity filter element 10 is denoted as follows.

[0077] Figure 3A The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. Figure 1A and Figure 1B as well as FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D As shown in FIG. 1 , the cavity filter element 10 is substantially in the shape of an open rectangular parallelepiped. The first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 are relatively rectangular with the same size (l1 x h1), and the outer surfaces of the relatively rectangular are separated by W. The coupling element 14 is a rectangle with the size l1 xW.

[0078] Figure 3BThe cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an enlarged-area cavity filter element 10. The enlarged-area cavity filter element 10 has an enlarged-area coupling element 14 having a larger area than the enlarged-area coupling element 14. Figure 3A The coupling element 14 has a larger surface area. Figure 3B The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a coupling element 14 having a surface area greater than l1*W. The surface area of ​​the coupling element is significantly greater than that of the first and second support members 12. 1 , 12 2 The area between (w1*l1).

[0079] The increased surface area of ​​the enlarged area coupling element 14 increases the capacitive coupling between the coupling element 14 and the adjacent portion of the conductive housing defining the cavity 30 .

[0080] Increasing the capacitive coupling will reduce the effective resonant frequency of the design, which can be traded off for a reduction in the height h1 of the cavity filter element 10. Therefore, for the same operating resonant frequency, the height h2 of the cavity 30 and the height h1 of the cavity filter element are greater for an enlarged area cavity filter element 10 (e.g. Figure 3B ) can be compared with the coupling element 14 ( Figure 3A ) is designed to be smaller.

[0081] In this example, but not necessarily in all examples, the cavity filter element 10 has a first support member 12 that is bent outward. 1 and the second support member 12 bent outwardly 2 In this example, the first support member 12 1 The periphery of the coupling element 14 is joined via a gooseneck bend. In this example, the second support 12 2 The periphery of the coupling element 14 is joined by a gooseneck bend.

[0082] The cavity filter element 10 is, for example, a quarter-wavelength coaxial cavity resonator.

[0083] Figure 4 An example of an assembled cavity filter 200 is illustrated.

[0084] In this example, the conductive housing 110 of the cavity filter 200 is illustrated as transparent. It is usually opaque. The conductive housing 110 is transparent in the figure to enable the arrangement of the cavity filter element 10 within the cavity filter 200 to be seen.

[0085] The cavity filter 200 comprises a plurality of cavity filter elements 10 operating as resonator elements. One, some or all of the plurality of cavity filter elements 10 are as described above.

[0086] Each cavity filter element 10 includes a first support member 12 1 , and the first support member 12 1 Different second support members 12 2 And the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2 Supporting coupling element 14.

[0087] In this example, but not necessarily in all examples, the cavity filter element 10 is identical except for the configuration of the deformable tuning element, if present.

[0088] Adjacent cavity filter elements 10 are interconnected into a series 100 by conductive or metal interconnects 40. In this example, the metal interconnects 40 are located between adjacent first supports 12 of the cavity filter elements 10 in the series 100. 1 Extend between.

[0089] In some examples, but not necessarily all, the series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 and the metal interconnects 40 are formed from a single piece of metal, such as a sheet of metal. In other examples, some or all of the cavity filter elements 10 are formed from metallized plastic or some other non-conductive material.

[0090] Figure 4 The series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 within the cavity filter 200 shown in FIG. Figure 5 1 and 12 are shown as components separate from the conductive housing 110.

[0091] The cavity filter 200 includes a conductive housing 110 that provides a conductive cavity 30 for the cavity filter element 10 .

[0092] In the illustrated example, but not necessarily all examples, the cavity filter 200 includes a conductive housing 110 that provides a plurality of conductive cavities 30. In at least some examples, there is a conductive cavity 30 for each cavity filter element 10. In at least this example and in some other examples, one or more of the plurality of conductive cavities 30 does not include a cavity filter element 10.

[0093] The cavity filter element 10 is an inner conductor (extending in the height direction / upwards in the page). It is the "inner conductor" relative to the surrounding "outer" conductor provided by the lateral walls of the conductive cavity 30 in which the cavity filter element 10 is located. The relationship of the "inner conductor" to the surrounding "outer conductor" forms a so-called coaxial cavity filter. A series 100 of such filters forms a cavity filter 200.

[0094] The cavity filter element 10 is, for example, a quarter-wavelength coaxial cavity resonator.

[0095] The cavity filter 200 is a radio frequency filter. For example, it can be used for frequencies above -0.7 GHz. When the cavity filter 200 operates at a higher frequency, the size of the cavity filter 200 can be reduced. For example, it can be used for frequencies above 5 GHz.

[0096] It is generally desirable to have a smaller and lighter cavity filter 200. The cavity filter element 10 described above enables the manufacture of a cavity filter 200 having a reduced mass.

[0097] In some applications, it is particularly desirable to have a smaller and lighter cavity filter 200. For example, in a massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) configuration, it may be desirable to have a separate cavity filter 200 for each mMIMO transmission signal path. The number of mMIMO channels may be a design parameter, but it may be, for example, 32, 64, 128, or more.

[0098] In the illustrated example, the conductive housing 110 is combined with the conductive base 20 to form a conductive enclosure.

[0099] Each cavity filter element 10 is connected to a conductive base 20. For each cavity filter element 10, the current path is from the conductive base 20 via the first support 12 1 , coupling element 14 and second support member 12 2 The first support member 12 extends back to the conductive base 20. In some examples, the first support member 12 1 is welded to the conductive base 20 and the second support member 12 2 is soldered to the conductive base 20 .

[0100] The conductive housing 110 may be metal or a metallized dielectric such as plastic. The conductive substrate 20 may be metal, metallized dielectric plastic or a printed wiring board (PWB), or any combination of metal, metallized dielectric plastic and printed wiring board.

[0101] Figure 4 The conductive housing 110 having the cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. Figure 6 1 and 2 are shown as components separate from the cavity filter element 10 .

[0102] In the illustrated example, the plurality of cavity filter elements 10 within the cavity filter 200 comprises one or more series 100 of cavity filter elements 10. In the illustrated example, Figure 4 The four cavity filter elements 10 in the foreground are interconnected by interconnectors 40 to form a first series 100 1 The cavity filter element 10. In the example shown in the figure, Figure 4The four cavity filter elements 10 in the background are interconnected by interconnectors 40 to form a second series 100. 2 A cavity filter element 10 is provided.

[0103] In the illustrated example, the first series 100 1 The second series 100 extends from the feed 50 to the coupler 60, and 2 Extending from the feed 50 to the coupler 60. In the illustrated example, the first series 100 1 and the second series 100 2 The first series 100 are capacitively coupled together at the coupler 60 and separated by a gap. 1 and the second series 100 2 The coupling at coupler 60 may be done in different ways and may be physically (galvanically) interconnected.

[0104] The feed portion 50 is configured as a stripline that can be directly connected to a printed wiring board (PWB) line or connected to a coaxial line through the base 20. Changing the contact point between the feed portion 50 and the cavity filter element 10 can change the coupling bandwidth. 1 The height of the contact point can vary.

[0105] Coupling between adjacent cavity filter elements 10 is via apertures 32 in the conductive housing that separates the cavity filter elements 10. In at least some examples, metal interconnects 40 may pass through the apertures 32.

[0106] The coupling between adjacent cavity filter elements 10 in the series 100 may be configured by configuring a metal interconnect 40 that interconnects adjacent cavity filter elements 10 in the series 100 .

[0107] The coupling provided by the metal interconnects 40 between adjacent cavity filter elements 10 can be controlled by controlling the electrical impedance of the metal interconnects 40 and by controlling the location of the contact point on the base 20 where the metal interconnects 40 meet the cavity filter elements 10 .

[0108] The coupling provided by the metal interconnect 40 can be minimized by:

[0109] Minimizing the cross-sectional area of ​​the metal interconnect, such as by minimizing the height of the metal interconnect 40; and

[0110] For example, by placing the metal interconnect 40 on the submount 20 , the height of the contact point above the submount 20 where the metal interconnect 40 meets the cavity filter element 10 is minimized.

[0111] In some examples, the metal interconnects 40 between different adjacent cavity filter elements 10 are the same. In some examples, the metal interconnects 40 between different adjacent cavity filter elements 10 are different, for example, along the first support member 12 1 The positions of the components are different (at different heights above the base 20) or at different heights.

[0112] Figure 7 The diagram shows the Figure 4 An example of the assembly process of the cavity filter 200 is shown in FIG.

[0113] Series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 1 , 100 2 The cavity filter element 10 is inserted into the conductive housing 110. Each cavity filter element 10 is inserted into the cavity 30 of the conductive housing 110.

[0114] Inserting a series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 1 , 100 2 Before or after, the cavity 30 of the conductive housing 110 may be filled with a dielectric material. In some examples, the dielectric is air.

[0115] Series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 1 , 100 2 The conductive base 20 is added to be enclosed in a conductive housing 110. A series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 1 , 100 2 It may be soldered to the conductive base 20 before being enclosed in the conductive housing 110 .

[0116] The series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 may be formed as a single component. For example, the series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 may be formed from a flat metal blank that is stamped to produce the desired shape and then folded to produce the series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10. The first support 12 1 , the second support member 12 2 The and coupling elements 14 are positioned relative to each other to form the cavity filter element 10 by folding a metal sheet. The metal may be copper or silver-plated steel, for example.

[0117] In other examples, the series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 may be formed as a single component using a molded interconnect device (MID) such as laser direct structuring (LDS) technology or any other suitable molding and plating / metallization technology.

[0118] The LDS process enables metallization of injection molded plastics using an electroless plating process.

[0119] For example, the conductive housing 110 may be formed by cold extrusion, metal casting, bending sheet metal, electroplating plastic, additive manufacturing, etc.

[0120] In at least some examples, there is an intentional thermal expansion mismatch between the conductive housing 110 and the cavity filter element 10 such that as temperature increases, the conductive housing expands more than the cavity filter element 10 and the gap between the coupling element 14 of the cavity filter element 10 and the ceiling of the housing 110 increases rather than decreases. That is, referring back to Figure 2A-2D As the temperature increases, the height h2 of the cavity 30 increases faster than the height h1 of the cavity filter element 10. The material defining the cavity 30 may have a larger thermal expansion coefficient.

[0121] The thermal expansion coefficient (linear) of aluminum (Al) is about 21-24 μm / °C. This is a suitable material for the conductive housing 110. The thermal expansion coefficient of copper (Cu) is about 16-17 μm / °C. This is a suitable material for the cavity filter element 10. The thermal expansion coefficient of steel (Fe) is about 11-13 μm / °C. This is a suitable material for the cavity filter element 10.

[0122] Fig. 8A The simulated frequency responses of the S parameters S11 and S21 of the previously described cavity filter 200 when operating in the 5G n78 band are illustrated.

[0123] Figure 8B The simulated frequency response of the S parameter S21 over a wide frequency range is shown.

[0124] The filter has Fig. 8A The wider relative bandwidth (11.4%) shown in FIG. Figure 8B The wide stopband up to 12 GHz is shown in FIG.

[0125] Fig. 9 A more detailed illustration Figure 4 A portion of the filter cavity 200 is shown in FIG.

[0126] There is a first series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 1 and a second series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 2 .

[0127] The cavity filter element comprises a first support member 12 1 , different from the first support member 12 1 The second support member 12 2 And the first support member 12 1 and the second support member 12 2Supporting coupling element 14.

[0128] One or more conductive cross-coupling interconnects 70 are arranged in a first series 100 1 The cavity filter element 10 and the second series 100 2 The cavity filter element 10 extends between.

[0129] exist Fig. 9 The first series of 100 1 The second support member 12 of the cavity filter element 10 2 Having a cross-coupling interconnect 70 1 , the cross-coupling interconnect 70 1 The conductive housing 110 is directed toward the second series 100 through the gap in the wall of the conductive housing 110. 2 The second support member 12 of the cavity filter element 10 2 Cross-coupling interconnect 70 1 The distal portion 70 2 is enlarged to increase the cross-coupling interconnect 70 1 and the second series 100 2 The second support member 12 of the cavity filter element 10 2 Capacitive coupling between them.

[0130] exist Fig. 9 , the second series 100 2 The second support member 12 of the cavity filter element 10 2 Having a cross-coupling interconnect 70 2 , the cross-coupling interconnect 70 2 The conductive housing 110 is directed toward the first series 100 through the gap in the wall of the conductive housing 110. 1 The second support member 12 of the cavity filter element 10 2 Cross-coupling interconnect 70 2 The distal portion 72 2 is enlarged to increase the cross-coupling interconnect 70 2 and the first series 100 1 The second support member 12 of the cavity filter element 10 2 Capacitive coupling between them.

[0131] In the example shown, the cross-coupling interconnect 70 is between the third and fifth resonators, that is, between the first and second series 100. 1 , 100 2 Between the third cavity filter element 10 of the feed line.

[0132] Compared to the next adjacent cavity filter element 10, the cross-coupling interconnect 70 1 , 702 The magnetic field direction of the cross-coupled cavity filter element 10 is reversed.

[0133] like Fig. 8A As shown in , the cross-coupled interconnect 70 creates transmit zeros on both sides of the passband.

[0134] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10E Different examples of cavity filter elements 10 for use as previously described are illustrated.

[0135] Fig. 10A The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The coupling element 14 has an enlarged portion at its longitudinal edge forming an I-bar shape. The support member 12 is a parallel flat rectangular sheet without cutouts.

[0136] Fig. 10B The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. Fig. 10A 1 is similar to the cavity filter element 10 shown in , except that the supports 12 are not parallel but splayed.

[0137] Fig. 10C The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. Fig. 10A The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. 1 is similar to the cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. 1 , except that the coupling element 14 is Fig. 10A The middle part of the enlarged part is further enlarged. The support member 12 is a parallel flat rectangular sheet with a cutout.

[0138] Fig. 10D The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. Fig. 10A The cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. 1 is similar to the cavity filter element 10 shown in FIG. 1 , except that the coupling element 14 is Fig. 10A The middle part of the enlarged part is further enlarged. The support member 12 is a vertically curved rectangular sheet without a cutout.

[0139] Fig.10E The diagram shows Fig. 10A 1. A series 100 of interconnected cavity filter elements 10 is illustrated in FIG. Each pair of adjacent cavity filter elements 10 is interconnected via a conductive interconnect 40. The cavity filter elements 10 are located in separate cavities 30, and the conductive interconnect 40 extends through a wall of a housing 110 that separates the cavities 30 (without contacting it).

[0140] Fig.11A and Fig. 11BAn example of a coupling element 14 of a cavity filter element 10 is illustrated in detail. In this example, the coupling element 14 comprises a deformable portion 16 which can be deformed for tuning the cavity filter element 10. The deformable portion in this example is a tongue.

[0141] Deformation of the deformable portion 16 adapts the effective area of ​​the coupling element 14 of the cavity filter element 10. In at least some examples, the deformation is a one-time operation during manufacturing and the tabs are "set" in place, ie, the filter is tuned.

[0142] In the assembled cavity filter 200, the conductive housing 110 may include an insertion hole adjacent to the deformable portion 16. A tool may be inserted through the insertion hole to deform the deformable portion 16.

[0143] Fig. 12A Different examples of cavity filter elements 10 having a deformable portion 16 are shown. Figure 3B The shape of the cavity filter element 10 is described.

[0144] Fig. 12B The diagram shows Fig. 12A 1 . A series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 is illustrated in FIG.

[0145] Fig.13A Different examples of cavity filter elements 10 having a deformable portion 16 are shown. The shape of the cavity filter element 10 is similar to Fig. 12A , but the coupling element 14 has a downwardly protruding lip at its longitudinal edge.

[0146] Fig. 13B The diagram shows Fig.13A 1 . A series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 is illustrated in FIG.

[0147] It should be noted that in this example and in other examples not shown, the second support members 12 of the adjacent cavity filter elements 10 2 The Y-shaped support rises from this base and splits to provide a second support 12 2 A cavity filter element 10 is provided and a second support member 12 is provided 2 to another adjacent cavity filter element 10. The shared support also provides a conductive interconnect 40 between adjacent cavity filter elements 10.

[0148] Despite Fig. 13B12 illustrates a shared support in a series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 as illustrated in FIG. 12 , but other configurations of cavity filter elements 10 may be used.

[0149] The cavity filter 200 may be configured to operate in one or more operating resonant frequency bands. For example, the operating frequency bands may include (but are not limited to) those specified in the current version of 3GPP TS36.101.

[0150] The frequency band in which the cavity filter 200 can effectively operate is the return loss of the cavity filter (-20log 10 |S11|) is more negative than the operating threshold and the insertion loss (-20log 10 |S21|) is negative in the frequency range smaller than the operation threshold.

[0151] Fig.14 A radio device 300 is illustrated, which includes at least one cavity filter 200, the cavity filter 200 including the cavity filter element 10. The device 300 may be any suitable device, for example, a base station / remote radio head / client local equipment / radio device, etc. The device 300 may be, for example, a radio device including a transmitter (Tx) and / or a receiver (Rx) for a radio signal. The radio device is configured to transmit and / or receive radio signals. The radio device 300 may, for example, include a transmitter and / or a receiver of a wireless telecommunication signal for transmitting data. The radio device 300 may, for example, be a transmitter and / or a receiver for a wireless cellular telecommunication signal.

[0152] As used herein, "module" refers to a unit or device that does not include certain parts / components added by the final manufacturer or user. The cavity filter element 10 can be a module. The series 100 of cavity filter elements 10 can be a module. The cavity filter 200 including the cavity filter element 10 can be a module.

[0153] The term "comprising" as used in this document is inclusive and not exclusive. That is, any reference to X including Y indicates that X may include only one Y or may include multiple Ys. If the exclusive meaning of "comprising" is intended, it will be clearly stated in the context by referring to "including only one .." or using "consisting of . . . ".

[0154] In this description, reference is made to various examples. The description of features or functions associated with an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. The use of the term "example" or "for example" or "can" or "may" in the text indicates that: whether explicitly stated or not, these features or functions are present in at least the example described, whether described as an example or not, and they may but not necessarily be present in some or all other examples. Therefore, "example" or "for example" or "can" or "may" refers to a specific instance in a class of examples. The attributes of an instance may be attributes of only that instance or attributes of that class or attributes of a subclass of that class including some but not all instances in that class. Therefore, it is implicitly disclosed that features described with reference to one example rather than with reference to another example may be used as part of a working combination in that other example where possible, but do not necessarily have to be used in that other example.

[0155] Although the examples have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0156] Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described above.

[0157] Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

[0158] Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not.

[0159] The terms "a", "an" or "the" used in this document are inclusive and not exclusive. That is, any reference that X includes one / the Y indicates that X may include only one Y or may include more than one Y, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. If "a" or "the" is intended to be used in an exclusive sense, it will be clearly stated in the context. In some cases, "at least one" or "one or more" may be used to emphasize the inclusive meaning, but the absence of these terms should not be regarded as inferring any exclusive meaning.

[0160] The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature or (combination of features) itself, and also a reference to features (equivalent features) that achieve substantially the same technical effect. Equivalent features include, for example, features that are variants and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. Equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result.

[0161] In this specification, reference is made to various examples, using adjectives or adjective phrases to describe characteristics of the examples. Such description of a characteristic associated with an example indicates that the characteristic exists in some examples exactly as described and exists in other examples substantially as described.

[0162] While attention has been drawn in the foregoing description to those features regarded as essential, it should be understood that the applicant may seek protection by way of claims for any patentable feature or combination of features mentioned above and / or shown in the drawings, whether or not emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A device comprising: A series (100) of cavity filter elements (10), wherein the cavity filter elements (10) comprise: a first support member (121), a second support member (122) different from the first support member (121), and a coupling element (14) supported by the first support member (121) and the second support member (122), wherein adjacent cavity filter elements (10) of the series (100) of cavity filter elements (10) are interconnected by conductive interconnects (40), wherein the series (100) of cavity filter elements (10) and the conductive interconnect (40) are formed as a single component, The conductive interconnect extends between and contacts adjacent first supports of the cavity filter elements in the series of cavity filter elements, and the conductive interconnect is separated from the second support of each cavity filter element in the series of cavity filter elements.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first support member (121) of the cavity filter element (10) comprises: a first edge (151) extending from a base (171) away from the coupling element (14) to a top (191) near the coupling element, and a second edge (152) extending from a base (172) away from the coupling element (14) to a top (192) near the coupling element (14); The second support member (122) of the cavity filter element (10) comprises: a first edge (151) extending from a base (171) away from the coupling element (14) to a top (191) near the coupling element (14), and a second edge (152) extending from a base (172) away from the coupling element (14) to a top (192) near the coupling element (14); The first support member (121) and the second support member (122) are opposite to each other across a gap (11), the first edge (151) of the first support member (121) is separated from the first edge (151) of the second support member (122) across the gap (11), and the second edge (152) of the first support member (121) is separated from the second edge (152) of the second support member (122) across the gap (11).

3. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first support, the second support and the coupling element of the cavity filter element are electrically conductive, and a current path extends via the first support, via the coupling element to the second support.

4. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the first support, the second support and the coupling element of the cavity filter element and the conductive interconnect are formed from folded metal sheets.

5. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one coupling element of the cavity filter element comprises a deformable portion (16) which is deformable for tuning the cavity filter element.

6. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the conductive interconnect is a metal interconnect.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the conductive interconnects have different positions along the first support.

8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the series of cavity filter elements and the conductive interconnect are formed from a single piece of metal.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity filter elements in the series of cavity filter elements are identical except for the configuration of the deformable tuning element, if present.

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: A first series (1001) of cavity filter elements, wherein the cavity filter elements of the first series comprise: at least a first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support, wherein adjacent ones of the cavity filter elements in the first series of cavity filter elements are interconnected by a conductive interconnect, wherein the first series of cavity filter elements and the conductive interconnect are formed as a single component; and A second series (1002) of cavity filter elements, wherein the cavity filter elements of the second series include: at least a first support, a second support different from the first support, and a coupling element supported by the first support and the second support; and at least one electrically conductive cross-coupling interconnect extending between the first series of cavity filter elements and the second series of cavity filter elements, wherein adjacent ones of the cavity filter elements in the second series of cavity filter elements are interconnected by the electrically conductive interconnect, wherein the series of cavity filter elements and the electrically conductive interconnect are formed as a single component.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first series of cavity filter elements are formed from a single piece of metal, and wherein the second series of cavity filter elements are formed from a different single piece of metal.

12. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the device is configured as a cavity filter comprising a conductive housing providing a conductive cavity for the cavity filter element.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cavity filter element is an inner conductor relative to a surrounding outer conductive cavity provided by the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 or 13, wherein the cavity filter element is configured to have an electrical length from a base of the first support or the second support of the cavity filter element to a top of the cavity filter element at the coupling element, the electrical length being substantially one quarter of a resonant wavelength of the cavity filter.

15. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a transmitter and / or a receiver.

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