A waveguide-fed offset full turntable pedestal

Abstract

The present invention discloses a waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal, belonging to the technical field of antennas; its pitch rotation mechanism includes a pitch rotation box, an antenna counterweight, and a feed source sleeve; wherein, the upper part of the pitch rotation box is connected to the antenna main surface device through a main surface interface, the lower part is connected to the antenna counterweight, and the upper inclined part is connected to the feed source sleeve of the antenna. A feed horn and a sub-reflector device are installed on the feed source sleeve; the antenna counterweight includes a fixed part and a detachable part, and the weight of the antenna counterweight can be adjusted according to the weight of the antenna main and sub-reflector loads; the feeder system includes an azimuth rotation joint, a pitch rotation joint, and a transmission waveguide; the transmission waveguide starts from a transmitter installed on a vehicle platform and is connected to the feed horn through the azimuth rotation joint and the pitch rotation joint in sequence. The present invention can realize the installation and arrangement of the antenna and the transmitter on the vehicle, enable the system to meet road and railway transportation, and greatly improve the mobility of the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of antennas, and specifically to a waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal. Background Art

[0002] An antenna pedestal is a structure for carrying an antenna reflector and is the basis for the rotation of the antenna and tracking of the target. The traditional antenna pedestal system includes an azimuth mechanism and an elevation mechanism. The elevation mechanism is installed in the center of the azimuth mechanism. The stress condition of this structural form is better than that of the antenna pedestal with the elevation mechanism offset from the azimuth mechanism. However, with the increasing requirements for the feed power and transportation mobility of the antenna system in actual combat, users' demand for high-power microwave vehicle-mounted antennas is becoming more and more urgent.

[0003] The high-power antenna transmitter is limited by its size and weight and cannot be carried on the antenna back frame. It needs to be placed on the vehicle platform. Due to the central arrangement of the elevation mechanism in the traditional antenna pedestal, it is impossible to arrange the high-power transmitter and the antenna system in the vehicle width direction during loading. Moreover, the transmission feeder of the transmitter passes through the azimuth and elevation axes of the antenna and then is connected to the feed horn. The shorter the length of the waveguide between the transmitter and the feed horn, the lower the system insertion loss introduced and the better the electrical performance of the antenna. For the traditional antenna pedestal with the azimuth and elevation mechanisms placed vertically, after the transmission waveguide comes out of the elevation joint, it needs to go through a "U-shaped bend" before reaching the feed horn. This way has a long feeder length and a large introduced insertion loss. Therefore, designing an antenna pedestal with a short waveguide transmission length and capable of meeting the loading and transportation requirements of high-power transmitters has become the key to solving the problem. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems of long waveguide transmission length of the high-power transmitter and the loading and transportation of the high-power transmitter and the antenna system, the present invention proposes a structure of a waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal includes an azimuth drive mechanism, an elevation drive mechanism, an elevation rotation mechanism, and a feeder system; the elevation drive mechanism is connected to the top of the azimuth drive mechanism, and the elevation rotation mechanism is connected to one side of the azimuth drive mechanism.

[0007] The azimuth drive mechanism includes an azimuth base, an azimuth drive, an azimuth angle measurement structure and a winding assembly; the pitch drive mechanism includes a pitch box; the pitch box is connected to the azimuth base bearing, and the azimuth drive includes an azimuth motor and reducer combination, an azimuth turntable and an azimuth bearing; the azimuth turntable is connected to the azimuth base through the azimuth bearing, and the azimuth motor and reducer combination drives the pitch box to rotate along the azimuth axis through the azimuth turntable; the azimuth angle measurement structure is coaxially installed with the azimuth axis, one end of the azimuth angle measurement structure is fixed on the azimuth base, and the other end faces the pitch box;

[0008] The pitch drive mechanism further includes a pitch motor and a reducer combination, a pitch angle measurement structure, a pitch turntable and a pitch bearing; the pitch turntable is connected to the pitch box through the pitch bearing, and the pitch turntable and the azimuth turntable are vertically arranged; the pitch motor and the reducer combination are fixedly arranged in the pitch box, and the pitch rotation mechanism is driven to rotate through the pitch turntable; the pitch angle measurement structure is coaxially installed with the pitch axis, one end of which is installed on the pitch box, and the other end is directly opposite to the pitch rotation box;

[0009] The pitch rotation mechanism includes a pitch rotation box, an antenna counterweight and a feed sleeve; wherein the upper part of the pitch rotation box is connected to the antenna main surface device through the main surface interface, the lower part is connected to the antenna counterweight, and the oblique upper part is connected to the antenna feed sleeve, and the feed horn and the secondary surface device are installed on the feed sleeve; the antenna counterweight includes a fixed part and a detachable part, and the weight of the antenna counterweight can be adjusted according to the weight of the antenna main and secondary surface loads;

[0010] The feeder system includes an azimuth rotation joint, a pitch rotation joint, and a transmission waveguide; the transmission waveguide starts from a transmitter installed on a vehicle-mounted platform and is connected to a feed horn through the azimuth rotation joint and the pitch rotation joint in sequence.

[0011] Furthermore, the azimuth angle measurement structure is a rotary transformer.

[0012] Furthermore, the azimuth bearing and pitch bearing both use crossed cylindrical roller bearings with internal teeth, and the motor reducer combination drives the corresponding turntable to rotate through the internal teeth of the bearing; both the pitch drive and the azimuth drive use a dual-motor anti-backlash structure to improve the system positioning accuracy and transmission chain stiffness.

[0013] Furthermore, the winding assembly includes a slip ring, a stator of the slip ring is fixed on the azimuth base, and a rotor of the slip ring is shifted by a shift fork arranged on the pitch box.

[0014] Furthermore, the pitch box and the pitch rotation box are both provided with lifting ears for hoisting the entire antenna.

[0015] Furthermore, a feeder vacuum pumping device or a feeder gas charging device is arranged in the pitching box, and the corresponding air extraction port or gas charging port is arranged at the waveguide at the top end of the pitching box to prevent electrical performance loss.

[0016] Furthermore, a pitching locking device is provided on the pitching box; the pitching locking device includes a fixed ring arranged on the pitching rotating box; the fixed rings are arranged circumferentially around the pitching axis; a lead screw assembly and a lead screw motor for driving the lead screw assembly are arranged inside the pitching box; a pin shaft is fixed on the nut of the lead screw assembly; in the locked state of the pitching locking device, the outer end of the pin shaft is located inside the fixed ring.

[0017] Furthermore, pitching limit switches are arranged in the pitching box. The pitching limit switches are in the form of induction or touch, and the interval angle of the pitching limit switches is determined according to the pitching rotation range of the antenna.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention for the above technical solutions are as follows:

[0019] For a traditional antenna pedestal, the waveguide needs to go through a "U-shaped bend" after coming out of the pitching joint before reaching the feed horn. In the offset antenna pedestal of the present invention, the waveguide only needs to go through an "L-shaped bend" after coming out of the pitching joint to reach the feed horn. This form of pedestal shortens the feeder length, reduces the system insertion loss, and improves the overall electrical performance.

[0020] There are two common ways for high-power microwave transmission: waveguide transmission and beam waveguide transmission. In beam waveguide transmission, several mirrors need to be arranged in the antenna pedestal, and a microwave optical path is formed between the mirrors. The diameter of this optical path is thicker than that of the waveguide, and the mirror support needs to use sufficient materials and have high stiffness, which has the disadvantages of large volume and heavy weight. The present invention uses waveguide feeding to achieve microwave propagation through azimuth and pitching rotary joints, reducing the size of the transmission line and reducing the system weight.

[0021] Due to the pitching mechanism of the traditional antenna pedestal being placed directly on the azimuth, it is impossible to arrange the large-volume transmitter in the vehicle width direction. In the offset antenna pedestal of the present invention, the pitching rotating mechanism is offset to one side, providing width space for installing the large-volume transmitter on the other side. Through the present invention, the antenna and the transmitter can be arranged on the vehicle, enabling the system to meet road and railway transportation, and greatly improving the mobility of the system. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the left front of the antenna pedestal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a front schematic diagram of the antenna pedestal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure at the azimuth rotation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of azimuth and elevation drive in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure at the elevation rotation part in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the right front of the antenna pedestal in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the counterweight in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a layout diagram of the antenna pedestal and the high-power transmitter loaded on a vehicle in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the figure: 1. Azimuth drive mechanism, 2. Elevation drive mechanism, 3. Elevation rotation mechanism, 4. Feeder system, 5. Azimuth drive, 6. Elevation drive, 7. Azimuth base, 8. Azimuth angle measuring mechanism, 9. Slip ring, 10. Azimuth turntable bearing, 11. Driving motor, 12. Planetary speed reducer, 13. Elevation box, 14. Elevation angle measuring mechanism, 15. Elevation turntable bearing, 16. Elevation rotation box, 17. Antenna counterweight, 18. Feed horn sleeve, 19. Mounting surface with the antenna head, 20. Removable counterweight block, 21. Azimuth rotary joint, 22. Elevation rotary joint, 23. Horn, 24. High-power transmitter, 25. Elevation locking device, 26. Lifting lug, 27. Air extraction and inflation port, 28. Elevation upper limit switch, 29. Elevation lower limit switch, 30. Elevation hard mechanical limit. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal includes an azimuth drive mechanism, an elevation drive mechanism, an elevation rotation mechanism and a feeder system; the elevation drive mechanism is connected to the top of the azimuth drive mechanism, and the elevation rotation mechanism is connected to one side of the azimuth drive mechanism;

[0032] The azimuth drive mechanism includes an azimuth base, an azimuth drive, an azimuth angle measuring structure and a wire winding assembly; the elevation drive mechanism includes an elevation box; the elevation box is connected to the azimuth base through a bearing, the azimuth drive includes an azimuth motor and reducer combination, an azimuth turntable and an azimuth bearing; the azimuth turntable is connected to the azimuth base through the azimuth bearing, and the azimuth motor and reducer combination drives the elevation box to rotate along the azimuth axis through the azimuth turntable; the azimuth angle measuring structure is coaxially installed with the azimuth axis, one end of the azimuth angle measuring structure is fixed on the azimuth base, and the other end faces the elevation box;

[0033] The pitch drive mechanism further includes a pitch motor and a reducer combination, a pitch angle measurement structure, a pitch turntable and a pitch bearing; the pitch turntable is connected to the pitch box through the pitch bearing, and the pitch turntable and the azimuth turntable are vertically arranged; the pitch motor and the reducer combination are fixedly arranged in the pitch box, and the pitch rotation mechanism is driven to rotate through the pitch turntable; the pitch angle measurement structure is coaxially installed with the pitch axis, one end of which is installed on the pitch box, and the other end is directly opposite to the pitch rotation box;

[0034] The pitch rotation mechanism includes a pitch rotation box, an antenna counterweight and a feed sleeve; wherein the upper part of the pitch rotation box is connected to the antenna main surface device through the main surface interface, the lower part is connected to the antenna counterweight, and the oblique upper part is connected to the antenna feed sleeve, and the feed horn and the secondary surface device are installed on the feed sleeve; the antenna counterweight includes a fixed part and a detachable part, and the weight of the antenna counterweight can be adjusted according to the weight of the antenna main and secondary surface loads;

[0035] The feeder system includes an azimuth rotation joint, a pitch rotation joint, and a transmission waveguide; the transmission waveguide starts from a transmitter installed on a vehicle-mounted platform and is connected to a feed horn through the azimuth rotation joint and the pitch rotation joint in sequence.

[0036] Furthermore, the azimuth angle measurement structure is a rotary transformer.

[0037] Furthermore, the azimuth bearing and pitch bearing both use crossed cylindrical roller bearings with internal teeth, and the motor reducer combination drives the corresponding turntable to rotate through the internal teeth of the bearing; both the pitch drive and the azimuth drive use a dual-motor anti-backlash structure to improve the system positioning accuracy and transmission chain stiffness.

[0038] Furthermore, the winding assembly includes a slip ring, a stator of the slip ring is fixed on the azimuth base, and a rotor of the slip ring is shifted by a shift fork arranged on the pitch box.

[0039] Furthermore, the pitch box and the pitch rotation box are both provided with lifting ears for hoisting the entire antenna.

[0040] Furthermore, a feeder vacuuming device or a feeder inflation device is arranged in the pitch box, and the corresponding vacuum port or inflation port is arranged at the waveguide at the top of the pitch box to prevent electrical performance loss.

[0041] Furthermore, a pitch locking device is provided on the pitch box; the pitch locking device includes a fixed ring arranged on the pitch rotation box; and is fixedly arranged in a circle around the pitch axis; a screw assembly and a screw motor driving the screw assembly are provided inside the pitch box; a pin shaft is fixed on the nut of the screw assembly; in the locked state of the pitch locking device, the outer end of the pin shaft is located in the fixed ring.

[0042] Further, a pitch limit switch is arranged inside the pitch box. The pitch limit switch is in an induction or touch form, and the interval angle of the pitch limit switch is determined according to the antenna pitch rotation range.

[0043] The following is a more specific embodiment:

[0044] Referring to Figures 1 to 8 , this antenna pedestal includes, arranged in sequence from bottom to top and from left to right: an azimuth drive mechanism for carrying the entire system, a pitch drive mechanism for carrying the antenna azimuth and pitch rotation, a pitch rotation mechanism for carrying the main and sub-reflectors and horns of the antenna, and a feeder system for realizing microwave transmission. Among them, the pitch drive mechanism is placed upright on the azimuth drive mechanism, and the pitch rotation mechanism is arranged on one side of the pitch drive mechanism. All three boxes are connected through turntable bearings to realize the rotary motion of the mechanism.

[0045] The described azimuth drive mechanism includes an azimuth base, an azimuth drive, an azimuth angle measurement mechanism, and a wire winding mechanism. The azimuth base provides support for the entire system, is formed by welding ribs inside a cylinder rolled from steel plates, and the mounting and positioning stop surfaces for the azimuth turntable bearing are reserved on the upper flange surface of the base, and the connection surface for the azimuth drive is machined on the flange surface. The turntable bearing uses an internally toothed crossed roller bearing, and the azimuth drive is a combination of a motor and a planetary reducer, which is inserted upside down into the azimuth base and meshes with the bearing.

[0046] The described pitch mechanism includes a pitch box, a pitch drive, and a pitch angle measurement mechanism. The pitch box is an intermediate connecting part between the azimuth mechanism and the pitch rotation mechanism. The pitch box is a box-shaped structure formed by welding ribs on steel plates, and includes the connection horizontal plane of the azimuth turntable bearing and the connection vertical plane of the pitch turntable bearing. The two planes are arranged in an L shape, and the connection surface for the pitch drive is machined on the vertical plane. The pitch bearing uses an externally toothed crossed roller bearing, and the pitch drive is a combination of a motor and a planetary reducer, which meshes with the outside of the bearing.

[0047] The described pitch rotation mechanism includes a pitch rotation box, an antenna counterweight, a feeder sleeve, and a main and sub-reflector connection interface. The pitch rotation box is a box body formed by welding ribs on steel plates. Its upper part is connected to the antenna main reflector device, its lower part is connected to the counterweight supporting the antenna main and sub-reflectors, and its upper oblique part is connected to the feeder sleeve of the antenna. A feeder horn and a sub-reflector device are installed on the feeder sleeve. The counterweight includes a fixed part and a detachable part, and the weight of the counterweight can be adjusted according to the weight of the antenna main and sub-reflector loads. The weight of a single detachable counterweight block does not exceed 20 kg, which can meet the assembly by a single person.

[0048] The described feeder system includes an azimuth rotary joint, a pitch rotary joint, a number of waveguides, and a transmission horn. The transmission waveguide starts from a transmitter installed on the vehicle platform and is connected to the feeder horn through the azimuth rotary joint and the pitch rotary joint in sequence.

[0049] As an improvement of the embodiment, the azimuth drive and the azimuth turntable bearing, the pitch drive and the pitch turntable bearing all adopt a dual-motor anti-backlash structure to improve the system positioning accuracy and the transmission chain stiffness.

[0050] As an improvement of the embodiment, the azimuth angle measuring mechanism is installed coaxially with the azimuth axis of the antenna base, one end of which is fixed on the basis of the azimuth base, and the other end is connected to the basis of the pitch box; the pitch angle measuring mechanism is installed coaxially with the pitch axis of the antenna base, one end of which is installed on the basis of the pitch box, and the other end is installed on the basis of the pitch rotation box.

[0051] As an improvement of the embodiment, the azimuth winding mechanism may use a slip ring to achieve 360° infinite rotation in azimuth, the slip ring stator is fixed on the azimuth base, and the rotor is moved by the shift fork on the pitch box.

[0052] As an improvement to the embodiment, in order to reduce the number of azimuth slip rings and reduce the size of the slip rings, the servo device of the pitch drive part can be placed in the pitch box, and the servo device is packaged in an independent chassis and fixed on the side wall of the pitch box.

[0053] As an improvement to the embodiment, a pitch locking device may be arranged at the pitch box, and the locking device may lock the pitch rotation of the antenna, and may achieve stable locking of the antenna at a certain pitch angle.

[0054] As an improvement to the embodiment, lifting ears for hoisting the entire antenna are reserved on the pitch box and the pitch rotation box for use in subsequent loading of the antenna onto a vehicle.

[0055] As an improvement of the embodiment, if the microwave power transmitted in the waveguide feeder is relatively large, in order to prevent the loss of electrical performance, a feeder vacuum pumping device or a feeder gas filling device may be arranged in the pitch box. The gas extraction port or the gas filling port may be arranged at the waveguide at the upper end of the pitch angle measuring device.

[0056] As an improvement to the embodiment, a limit switch for the antenna pitch can be arranged in the pitch box. The switch can be in the form of induction or contact. The interval angle of the limit switch is determined according to the pitch rotation range of the antenna. A hard mechanical limit of the antenna is arranged on the pitch rotation box and the pitch box as a safety protection for the antenna after passing the upper and lower power limit.

[0057] As an improvement of the embodiment, the antenna base can be used as a vehicle-mounted station antenna base as well as a fixed station antenna base.

Claims

1. A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal, comprising an azimuth drive mechanism, an elevation drive mechanism, an elevation rotation mechanism and a feeder system; characterized in that, The pitch driving mechanism is connected to the top of the azimuth driving mechanism, and the pitch rotation mechanism is connected to one side of the azimuth driving mechanism; The azimuth drive mechanism includes an azimuth base, an azimuth drive, an azimuth angle measurement structure and a winding assembly; the pitch drive mechanism includes a pitch box; the pitch box is connected to the azimuth base bearing, and the azimuth drive includes an azimuth motor and reducer combination, an azimuth turntable and an azimuth bearing; the azimuth turntable is connected to the azimuth base through the azimuth bearing, and the azimuth motor and reducer combination drives the pitch box to rotate along the azimuth axis through the azimuth turntable; the azimuth angle measurement structure is coaxially installed with the azimuth axis, one end of the azimuth angle measurement structure is fixed on the azimuth base, and the other end faces the pitch box; The pitch drive mechanism further includes a pitch motor and a reducer combination, a pitch angle measurement structure, a pitch turntable and a pitch bearing; the pitch turntable is connected to the pitch box through the pitch bearing, and the pitch turntable and the azimuth turntable are vertically arranged; the pitch motor and the reducer combination are fixedly arranged in the pitch box, and the pitch rotation mechanism is driven to rotate through the pitch turntable; the pitch angle measurement structure is coaxially installed with the pitch axis, one end of which is installed on the pitch box, and the other end is directly opposite to the pitch rotation box; The pitch rotation mechanism includes a pitch rotation box, an antenna counterweight and a feed sleeve; wherein the upper part of the pitch rotation box is connected to the antenna main surface device through the main surface interface, the lower part is connected to the antenna counterweight, and the oblique upper part is connected to the antenna feed sleeve, and the feed horn and the secondary surface device are installed on the feed sleeve; the antenna counterweight includes a fixed part and a detachable part, and the weight of the antenna counterweight can be adjusted according to the weight of the antenna main and secondary surface loads; The feeder system includes an azimuth rotation joint, a pitch rotation joint, and a transmission waveguide; the transmission waveguide starts from a transmitter installed on a vehicle-mounted platform, and is connected to a feed horn through an azimuth rotation joint and a pitch rotation joint in sequence; the azimuth angle measurement structure is a rotary transformer; the azimuth bearing and the pitch bearing both use cross cylindrical roller bearings with internal teeth, and the motor reducer combination drives the corresponding turntable to rotate through the internal teeth of the bearing; both the pitch drive and the azimuth drive use a dual-motor anti-backlash structure to improve the system positioning accuracy and the transmission chain stiffness.

2. The offset full turntable antenna pedestal fed by waveguide according to claim 1, characterized in that The winding assembly comprises a slip ring, a stator of the slip ring is fixed on an azimuth base, and a rotor of the slip ring is shifted by a shift fork arranged on a pitch box.

3. A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pitch box and the pitch rotation box are both provided with lifting ears for hoisting the entire antenna.

4. A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal according to claim 1, characterized in that, A feeder vacuum pumping device or a feeder inflation device is arranged in the pitch box, and the corresponding vacuum port or inflation port is arranged at the waveguide at the top of the pitch box to prevent electrical performance loss.

5. A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pitch box is provided with a pitch locking device; the pitch locking device includes a fixed ring arranged on the pitch rotation box; and is fixedly arranged in a circle around the pitch axis; a lead screw assembly and a lead screw motor driving the lead screw assembly are provided inside the pitch box; a pin shaft is fixedly provided on the nut of the lead screw assembly; in the locked state of the pitch locking device, the outer end of the pin shaft is located in the fixed ring.

6. A waveguide-fed offset full turntable antenna pedestal according to claim 1, characterized in that, A pitch limit switch is arranged in the pitch box. The pitch limit switch is in the form of induction or contact. The interval angle of the pitch limit switch is determined according to the pitch rotation range of the antenna.

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