A self-embedding extensible antenna array

Abstract

The application discloses a self-embedded extendable antenna array, which is composed of an antenna unit, a multifunctional column, a mounting back plate, a connector, a self-embedded film and a fastening screw. The antenna printed board is composed of two layers of microwave substrates and one layer of a semi-cured sheet, one exponential metal patch and one feather-shaped metal patch, one feather-shaped metal patch, one exponential metal patch and one feather-shaped metal patch are respectively arranged on three surfaces of the microwave substrates, and a sandwich structure is formed. When the antenna printed board is mounted, 0.2mm-thick self-embedded films are pasted on both sides of the antenna printed board, the antenna printed board, the self-embedded film and the multifunctional column are in interference fit, so that self-embedded assembly is realized. The antenna unit and the multifunctional column are both modular units, so the size of the antenna array can be expanded by changing the size of the mounting back plate, meanwhile, the overall thickness of the antenna array is 18.5mm, the working bandwidth covers 9 times of frequency, and the antenna array has the characteristics of low profile and light weight.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ultra-wideband array antenna, in particular to a self-embedded expandable antenna array, which can be applied to the fields of communication and electronic countermeasures. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a medium for electromagnetic wave transmission from a phased array system to free space, in order to achieve multi-band coverage, the antenna array is usually required to have ultra-wideband radiation capability. The antenna array designed with ultra-wideband technology not only enables a single antenna array to complete the reception and transmission of wideband or relatively discrete frequency signals, but also facilitates the multi-functional aperture integration of platform electronic devices, thereby effectively saving the space and hardware costs of the platform.

[0003] Conventional ultra-wideband phased array antennas usually adopt tapered slot antennas, which have a relatively high antenna profile height. For example, the height of a unit in the 6GHz-18GHz frequency band is usually greater than 1 high frequency wavelength, which makes it difficult to realize low profile design of the antenna array. With the further increase of the working frequency band, the profile height of the antenna unit will increase significantly. In addition, if a metal material is selected for such an antenna, although it is beneficial to the flexible and expandable design of the antenna array, the use of the metal material also brings the disadvantage of additional increase in the weight of the antenna array. If a microwave substrate material is selected, for a dual-polarized antenna array, a vertical polarization and a horizontal polarization antenna are usually arranged in a linear array to form a cross-shaped slot and are vertically inserted for installation, at this time, the feed structure of the antenna array becomes complex, and it is not conducive to the flexible and expandable design of the antenna. At the same time, with the increase of the array size, the cross-shaped slot and vertical insertion installation form brings greater challenges to the structural strength of the printed board. When the two polarized antenna arrays are assembled, the insertion stress easily causes the deformation of the printed board, and further causes the fracture of the copper layer inside the antenna printed board, thereby causing additional risks to the electrical performance.

[0004] In summary, the conventional antenna array applied to the wideband phased array system has the problems of large profile height of the antenna unit, heavy weight, complex feed structure when the dual-polarized antenna array is assembled, and high risk of structural fracture. In order to simplify the installation mode of the antenna array, realize the lightness and thinness of the dual-polarized phased array antenna, and achieve flexible and expandable design, the present application provides a self-embedded expandable antenna array, which has a working bandwidth covering 9 times the ultra-wideband, a profile height lower than 0.1 times the low frequency wavelength, and a flexible and variable array size. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to provide a self-embedded expandable antenna array, realize the self-embedded installation and flexible and expandable design of the antenna unit in the antenna array, and solve the problems of structural fracture risk, lightness and thinness, and modular design of the dual-polarized ultra-wideband antenna array.

[0006] The technical scheme for achieving the object of the present application is as follows: a self-embedded extendable antenna array, comprising an antenna unit (101), a multifunctional column (102), a mounting backboard (103), a connector (104), a self-embedded film (105) and a fastening screw (116), wherein the antenna unit (101) is in the form of a printed board, the multifunctional column (102), the connector (104) and the fastening screw (116) are made of metal, and the self-embedded film (105) is a polyimide film.

[0007] Further, the printed board is formed by pressing a first microwave substrate (106), a prepreg (107) and a second microwave substrate (108) together, wherein the dielectric constant of the first microwave substrate (106) and the second microwave substrate (108) is 2.92, and the dielectric constant of the prepreg (107) is 2.8.

[0008] Further, the surface of the microwave substrate of the printed board is left with a copper coating layer, wherein an exponential metal patch (109) is distributed on the left side of the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106), and a first feather-like metal patch (110) is distributed on the right side of the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106); a feather-like metal patch (112) is distributed on the left side of the upper surface of the second microwave substrate (108), and an exponential metal patch (109) is also distributed on the left side of the lower surface of the second microwave substrate (108), and a second feather-like metal patch (111) is distributed on the right side of the lower surface of the second microwave substrate (108); the metal patches on the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106), the upper and lower surfaces of the second microwave substrate (108) form a symmetrical sandwich structure.

[0009] Further, the first feather-like metal patch (110) and the second feather-like metal patch (111) have the same size, and the second feather-like metal patch (111) has a U-shaped groove (115) at the bottom, thereby forming a coplanar waveguide structure; a metalized via hole (113) connects the coplanar waveguide structure and the feather-like metal patch (112), thereby realizing the direct welding and feeding of the antenna printed board (101) and the inner core of the connector (104).

[0010] Further, the first feather-like metal patch (110) is composed of four curves, i.e., curve 1 to curve 4, and the equations of the curves 1 to 4 are y=-8.4×e 60x +7.1, y=-8.63×e 40x +9.04, y=-0.003×e 18x +10.52, and y=5.63×e -10x +5.93, respectively; and the feather-like metal patch (112) is composed of four curves, i.e., curve 5 to curve 7, and the equations of the curves 5 to 7 are y=5.63×e -10x +5.93, y=-8.4×e 60x +7.1, and y=-8.63×e40x +9.04; Exponential metal patch (109) with curve equation y = 0.02 x e 1.5x +5.72.

[0011] Further, the printed board is provided with a metallized via (114) composed of four circular holes with a diameter of 0.6 mm, which penetrates the first microwave substrate (106), prepreg (107) and the second microwave substrate (108), and connects the first feather-like metal patch (110) and the second feather-like metal patch (111) to suppress unnecessary electromagnetic resonance.

[0012] Further, the multifunctional column is composed of two cylinders with different diameters, wherein the diameter of the bottom cylinder is larger than that of the upper cylinder, and the upper cylinder has four U-shaped grooves. The multifunctional column has two functions of electricity and structure. Electrically, the U-shaped grooves are beneficial to enhance the coupling effect between antenna units, improve the working bandwidth of the antenna array, and reduce the profile height of the antenna unit. Structurally, the U-shaped grooves provide a mounting groove for the antenna unit, which is beneficial to the fastening of the antenna unit.

[0013] Further, the diameter of the bottom cylinder is 4 mm, and the height is 4.5 mm. The diameter of the upper cylinder is 3.4 mm, and the height is 11.3 mm. The upper cylinder has four U-shaped grooves with a depth of 0.8 mm and a width of 0.8 mm.

[0014] Further, the antenna unit (101) and the multifunctional column (102) are both modular units. By changing the size of the mounting backboard (103), the scale of the antenna array can be expanded.

[0015] Further, the specific installation process is as follows:

[0016] Firstly, the self-embedded film (105) is applied to both ends of the antenna unit (101);

[0017] Secondly, the multifunctional column (102) is inserted into the mounting backboard (103) in sequence, and the bottom cylinder is just in it. The fastening screw (116) is lightly tightened to connect the multifunctional column (102) and the mounting backboard (103) together. By rotating the multifunctional column (102), the direction of the U-shaped grooves on it presents row and column orthogonal distribution.

[0018] Thirdly, the antenna unit (101) with the self-embedded film (105) applied is inserted into the U-shaped groove of the multifunctional column (102) in sequence. Due to the introduction of the self-embedded film (105), the antenna unit (101) and the multifunctional column (102) are in interference fit, thereby realizing the structural fastening of the two.

[0019] Fourthly, further tighten the fastening screw (116), and then realize the self-embedded installation of the antenna unit (101), the multifunctional column (102) and the mounting backboard (103), and then install the connector (104) through the thread form.

[0020] Since the antenna unit and the multifunctional column are both modular units, the scale of the antenna array can be expanded by changing the size of the mounting backboard.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following advantages: (1) the antenna unit and the multifunctional column are both modular designs, so the scale of the antenna array can be flexibly expanded by changing the size of the mounting backboard; (2) when the antenna printed board is installed, it is in interference fit with the multifunctional column through a self-embedded film, so as to realize the self-embedded assembly of the antenna array unit and simplify the installation structure of the antenna unit; (3) a U-shaped groove is used on the feather-shaped metal patch of the antenna unit to form a coplanar waveguide structure, and the inner core of the connector is directly welded to the common mode waveguide, thus simplifying the feed structure of the dual-polarized printed antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a self-embedded expandable antenna array 3D schematic view provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 2 is an exploded schematic view of the antenna unit provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 3 is a top view of the self-embedded expandable antenna array of the embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 4 is a mounting schematic view of the multifunctional column of the embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 5 is the H-plane radiation pattern of the antenna unit of the embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 6 is the E-plane radiation pattern of the antenna unit of the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application is further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and do not limit the present application.

[0029] The self-embedded extendable antenna array comprises an antenna unit (101), a multifunctional column (102), a mounting backboard (103), a connector (104), a self-embedded film (105) and a fastening screw (116). The antenna unit (101) is in the form of a printed board, the multifunctional column (102), the connector (104) and the fastening screw (116) are made of metal, and the self-embedded film (105) is made of polyimide film.

[0030] (1) Antenna printed board

[0031] The antenna printed board (101) is formed by pressing a first microwave substrate (106), a prepreg (107) and a second microwave substrate (108). The dielectric constants of the first microwave substrate (106) and the second microwave substrate (108) are 2.92, and the dielectric constant of the prepreg (107) is 2.8.

[0032] Further, the antenna printed board (101) has a copper layer with a specific shape on a specific microwave substrate surface. On the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106), there is an exponential metal patch (109) on the left side and a first feather-like metal patch (110) on the right side; on the upper surface of the second microwave substrate (108), there is a feather-like metal patch (113) on the left side, and on the lower surface of the second microwave substrate (108), there is an exponential metal patch (109) on the left side and a second feather-like metal patch (111) on the right side. The specific shape metal patches on the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106), the upper and lower surfaces of the second microwave substrate (108) form a symmetrical sandwich structure.

[0033] The first feather-like metal patch (110) and the second feather-like metal patch (111) have the same size, and the only difference is that the second feather-like metal patch (111) has a U-shaped groove (115) at the bottom, thereby forming a coplanar waveguide structure; the metalized via hole (113) connects the coplanar waveguide structure and the feather-like metal patch (112), thereby realizing the direct soldering and feeding of the antenna printed board (101) and the inner core of the connector (104).

[0034] The first feather-like metal patch (110) is composed of four curves, and the equations of the curves 1 to 4 are y=-8.4×e 60x +7.1, y=-8.63×e 40x +9.04, y=-0.003×e 18x +10.52, and y=5.63×e -10x +5.93. Similarly, the feather-like metal patch (112) is composed of three curves, and the equations of the curves 5 to 7 are y=5.63×e -10x +5.93, y=-8.4×e60x +7.1, y = -8.63 x e 40x +9.04; while the exponential metal patch (109) has a curve equation of y = 0.02 x e 1.5x +5.72

[0035] Wherein, the metallized via (114) is composed of four circular holes with a diameter of 0.6 mm, which penetrates the first microwave substrate (106), prepreg (107) and the second microwave substrate (108), connects the first feather-like metal patch (110) on the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106) and the second feather-like metal patch (111) on the lower surface of the second microwave substrate (108), thereby suppressing unnecessary electromagnetic resonance.

[0036] The multifunctional column (102) is composed of two cylindrical segments with different diameters, wherein the bottom segment has a diameter of 4 mm and a height of 4.5 mm, and the upper segment has a diameter of 3.4 mm and a height of 11.3 mm, and there are four U-shaped grooves on the upper segment, with a groove depth of 0.8 mm and a groove width of 0.8 mm.

[0037] The self-embedded expandable antenna array is installed as follows:

[0038] First, the self-embedded film (105) with a thickness of 0.2 mm is applied to both ends of the antenna unit (101);

[0039] Secondly, the multifunctional column (102) is inserted into the mounting back plate (103) in sequence, and the bottom segment with a diameter of 4 mm and a height of 4.5 mm is just in it, and the fastening screw (116) is lightly tightened to connect the multifunctional column (102) and the mounting back plate (103) together, and by rotating the multifunctional column (102), the U-shaped grooves on it are arranged in row and column orthogonal distribution;

[0040] Thirdly, the antenna unit (101) with the self-embedded film (105) applied is inserted into the U-shaped grooves of the multifunctional column (102) in sequence. Due to the introduction of the self-embedded film (105), the antenna unit (101) and the multifunctional column (102) are in interference fit, thereby realizing the structural fastening of the two;

[0041] Finally, the fastening screw (116) is further tightened to realize the self-embedded installation of the antenna unit (101), the multifunctional column (102) and the mounting back plate (103), and then the connector (104) is installed in the form of threads.

[0042] Based on the above means, a self-embedded expandable antenna array is obtained, which has a size of 12 x 12 and works in a frequency band of 2 GHz to 18 GHz with dual-polarized radiation. Figure 5 and Figure 6The H-plane and E-plane radiation patterns of the units in the array are respectively given, the frequency range is 2GHz-18GHz, and the step is 1GHz, and it can be seen from the figures that the radiation characteristics of the embodiment are good, and no abnormal pits are generated in the working air space.

[0043] In conclusion, the self-embedded scalable antenna array is realized, the self-embedded film is used between the antenna printed board and the multifunctional column to realize self-embedded assembly, and since the antenna unit and the multifunctional column are both modular units, the size of the installed back plate can be changed to realize the scale expansion of the antenna array.

[0044] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily, and to make the description simple, all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are not described, however, as long as the combinations of the technical features do not exist contradictory, they should be considered as the range disclosed in the specification.

[0045] The above embodiments only express several implementation manners of the application, the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as the limitation on the scope of the application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the application. Therefore, the protection scope of the application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A self-embedding extensible antenna array, characterized by, It comprises: Antenna unit (101), multifunctional column (102), installation backboard (103), connector (104), self-embedded film (105) and fastening screw (116), wherein the antenna unit (101) adopts the form of printed board, the multifunctional column (102), the connector (104) and the fastening screw (116) are metal materials, and the self-embedded film (105) is a polyimide film. The specific installation process is as follows: Firstly, the self-embedded film (105) is applied to both ends of the antenna unit (101); Secondly, the multifunctional column (102) is inserted into the installation backboard (103) in sequence, the bottom section of the column is just in the backboard, the fastening screw (116) is lightly screwed, the multifunctional column (102) and the installation backboard (103) are connected together, and the U-shaped slot on the multifunctional column (102) is rotated to present the row and column orthogonal distribution; Thirdly, the antenna unit (101) with the self-embedded film (105) is inserted into the U-shaped slot of the multifunctional column (102) in sequence, since the self-embedded film (105) is introduced, the antenna unit (101) and the multifunctional column (102) are in interference fit, so as to realize the structural fastening of the two; Fourthly, the fastening screw (116) is further screwed to realize the self-embedded installation of the antenna unit (101), the multifunctional column (102) and the installation backboard (103), and then the connector (104) is installed in the form of screw thread.

2. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 1, wherein, The printed board is composed of a first microwave substrate (106), a prepreg (107) and a second microwave substrate (108), the dielectric constant of the first microwave substrate (106) and the second microwave substrate (108) is 2.92, and the dielectric constant of the prepreg (107) is 2.

8.

3. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 2, wherein, The surface of the microwave substrate of the printed board is left with a copper layer, wherein an exponential metal patch (109) is distributed on the left side of the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106), and a first feather-like metal patch (110) is distributed on the right side; a feather-like metal patch (112) is distributed on the left side of the upper surface of the second microwave substrate (108), and an exponential metal patch (109) is also distributed on the left side of the lower surface of the second microwave substrate (108), and a second feather-like metal patch (111) is distributed on the right side; the metal patches on the upper surface of the first microwave substrate (106), the upper and lower surfaces of the second microwave substrate (108) form a symmetrical sandwich structure.

4. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 3, wherein, The first feather-like metal patch (110) and the second feather-like metal patch (111) have the same size, the second feather-like metal patch (111) has a U-shaped slot (115) at the bottom, thereby forming a coplanar waveguide structure; the metalized via hole (113) connects the coplanar waveguide structure and the feather-like metal patch (112), and then realizes the direct welding feeding between the antenna unit (101) and the inner core of the connector (104).

5. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 3, wherein, The first feather-like metal patch (110) is composed of four curves of curve 1 to curve 4, the equations of curve 1 to curve 4 are respectively y = -8.4 x e 60x +7.1, y = -8.63 x e 40x +9.04, y = -0.003 x e 18x +10.52, y = 5.63 x e -10x +5.93; and the feather-like metal patch (112) is composed of four curves of curve 5 to curve 7, the equations of curve 5 to curve 7 are respectively y = 5.63 x e -10x +5.93, y = -8.4 x e 60x +7.1, y = -8.63 x e 40x +9.04; the exponential metal patch (109) has a curve equation of y = 0.02 x e 1.5x +5.

72.

6. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 3, wherein, A metalized via hole (114) is set on the printed board, which is composed of four circular holes with a diameter of 0.6 mm, and penetrates through the first microwave substrate (106), the prepreg (107) and the second microwave substrate (108), and connects the first and second feather-shaped metal patches (110 and 111) to suppress unnecessary electromagnetic resonance.

7. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 1, wherein, The multifunctional column (102) is composed of two cylindrical segments with different diameters, wherein the diameter of the bottom segment is larger than that of the upper segment, and the upper segment has four U-shaped grooves.

8. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 7, wherein, The diameter of the bottom segment is 4 mm, and the height is 4.5 mm; the diameter of the upper segment is 3.4 mm, and the height is 11.3 mm; and the upper segment has four U-shaped grooves with a depth of 0.8 mm and a width of 0.8 mm.

9. The self-embedding extensible antenna array of claim 1, wherein, Both the antenna unit (101) and the multifunctional column (102) are modular units, and the size of the mounting back plate (103) can be changed to realize the scale expansion of the antenna array.

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