Conductive connecting piece, radio frequency assembly, base station antenna and base station

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a conductive connecting piece, a radio frequency assembly, a base station antenna and a base station. The conductive connecting piece comprises a base material and a film layer structure, the base material is an elastic polymer; the film layer structure comprises a flexible substrate layer and at least one metal plating layer, and the flexible substrate layer wraps the surface of the base material; the at least one metal coating is sequentially stacked on one side, deviating from the base material, of the flexible substrate layer; the at least one metal coating comprises a silver coating, and the silver coating is located on the surface, away from the base material, of the film layer structure. The conductive connecting piece can play a reliable electrical connection role at the metal connection position of the radio frequency assembly, and also has good passive intermodulation performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a conductive connector, a radio frequency component, a base station antenna and a base station. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the mobile communications industry, the requirements for the integration of base station antennas are becoming increasingly higher, and the performance requirements for base station antennas are also becoming increasingly higher.

[0003] Base station antenna products have many metal connection locations to achieve electrical connection, and there are currently two types of connections: hard connection and soft connection. Hard connection refers to screw fastening or various welding processes, which require high tolerance matching between components and have problems such as difficulty in disassembly. Soft connection includes reed connection and conductive glue connection, which have the problem of poor passive intermodulation (PIM) performance. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a conductive connector, a radio frequency component, a base station antenna, and a base station, which can improve the performance of the base station antenna.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a conductive connector, which can be used in the metal connection position of a base station antenna and other radio frequency components to achieve electrical connection. The conductive connector includes a substrate and a film layer structure, and the substrate is an elastic polymer, which provides good compressibility and elasticity for the conductive connector, so that the conductive connector can adapt to different application spaces. The substrate also has a low water absorption rate and a high temperature resistance to improve the weather resistance of the conductive connector. The film layer structure includes a flexible base layer and at least one metal coating layer, the flexible base layer is wrapped on the surface of the substrate, and at least one metal coating layer is sequentially stacked on the side of the flexible base layer away from the substrate. The flexible base layer can ensure that the film layer structure can be deformed with the compression of the substrate, and the metal coating layer can be connected between two metal conductors to ensure a good and reliable electrical connection. Among them, the at least one metal coating layer includes a silver coating, and the silver coating is located on the surface of the film layer structure away from the substrate. The silver coating is a surface coating of the film layer structure, which can improve the conductivity and weather resistance of the conductive connector. The conductive connector provided in the embodiment of the present application is arranged between two fixedly connected metal conductors when used, and the two metal conductors can contact the film structure to achieve reliable electrical connection. The conductive connector can be squeezed and fixed by the two metal conductors, so that the conductive connector does not need to be provided with conductive glue for connecting the metal conductors, which can avoid the conductive glue from having an adverse effect on the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna.

[0006] When the metal plating layer is one layer, the metal plating layer is a silver plating layer. When the metal plating layer is two or more layers, the at least one metal plating layer includes a bottom plating layer, and the bottom plating layer can be specifically located on the surface of the film structure facing the substrate. The bottom plating layer has good bonding force with the flexible base layer, so that the bottom plating layer will not be easily peeled off from the flexible base layer.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the bottom plating layer is a copper plating layer, and in order to protect the copper plating layer, the copper plating layer is treated with a passivation solution. The passivation solution here can be a heterocyclic passivation solution, such as benzotriazole (BTA).

[0008] When the metal plating layer is three or more layers, the at least one metal plating layer includes an intermediate plating layer located between the bottom plating layer and the silver plating layer. The conductivity of the film structure is further improved by combining multiple metal plating layers. The intermediate plating layer may include at least one of a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer, and a titanium plating layer.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the substrate includes at least one of silicone rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, butyl rubber, styrene rubber, silicone foam, polyurethane foam, and acrylic foam. The substrate has low water absorption, high temperature resistance, and high resilience. When applied to base station antennas, it can improve the passive intermodulation performance of base station antennas. When the substrate is conductive, conductive particles such as silver, aluminum, nickel, and carbon can be doped into the substrate. Alternatively, the substrate is an organic conductive polymer, such as polyethylene dioxythiophene (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, PEDOT).

[0010] In some possible implementations, the material of the flexible base layer includes any one of polyimide (PI), polyethylene glycol terephthalat (PET), and liquid crystal polymer (LCP). The flexible base layer can be bonded to the surface of the substrate through an adhesive layer, so that the film layer structure can be wrapped on the surface of the substrate, which can provide structural stability and electrical connection reliability of the conductive connector, and is conducive to improving the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna. The adhesive layer includes at least one of high temperature resistant organic silicone, polyimide glue, and phenolic resin glue.

[0011] In some possible implementations, along the direction in which the film structure wraps the substrate, the film structure has a first side and a second side. There is a seam between the first side and the second side, which reserves a certain error space for the edge docking of the film structure. The first side and the second side can be located in the same plane, and when the conductive connector is used to connect two metal conductors, the two metal conductors can contact the two sides of the conductive connector in the thickness direction respectively. The seam is located on one side of the conductive connector in the thickness direction, and does not affect the electrical connection of the metal conductor through the film structure.

[0012] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a radio frequency component, which includes a first conductor, a second conductor, and at least one conductive connector of any one of the above-mentioned first aspects. The first conductor and the second conductor are arranged at intervals, the conductive connector is arranged between the first conductor and the second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor are fixedly connected and squeeze the conductive connector, and at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor is electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connector. Since the conductive connector is fixed by squeezing the first conductor and the second conductor, conductive glue is not used, and the passive intermodulation performance of the radio frequency component can be improved. The conductive connector is fixed by squeezing the first conductor and the second conductor, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the first conductor and the second conductor, can increase the flexibility of the radio frequency component design, and reduce the tolerance requirements of the component.

[0013] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a base station antenna, comprising a reflector, a phase shifter cavity, and any one of the conductive connectors provided in the first aspect above. The reflector and the phase shifter cavity are spaced apart, the conductive connector is disposed between the reflector and the phase shifter cavity, the reflector is fixedly connected to the phase shifter cavity and extrude the conductive connector, and the reflector is connected to at least one metal coating of the conductive connector. The phase shifter cavity includes a ground connection for grounding, which is at least partially electrically connected to at least one metal coating of the conductive connector. Since the conductive connector is fixed by extrusion through the reflector and the phase shifter cavity, conductive glue is not used, and the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna can be improved. The conductive connector is fixed by extrusion through the reflector and the phase shifter cavity, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the reflector and the phase shifter cavity, can increase the flexibility of the ground connection design of the phase shifter cavity, and reduce the tolerance requirements of the components.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the conductive connector is in the shape of an elongated strip, and the length direction of the conductive connector is parallel to the length direction of the reflector, so as to achieve continuous grounding between the ground connection of the phase shifter cavity and the reflector.

[0015] In some possible implementations, there are multiple conductive connectors, and the multiple conductive connectors are arrayed along the length direction of the reflector to achieve segmented grounding between the ground connection of the phase shifter cavity and the reflector.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a base station antenna, which includes an inner conductor, a first outer conductor, a second outer conductor, and any one of the conductive connectors provided in the first aspect. The first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are respectively arranged around the outside of the inner conductor, and the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are arranged at intervals, and the conductive connector is arranged between the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor. The first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are fixedly connected and squeeze the conductive connector, and the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are respectively electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connector. Since the conductive connector is squeezed and fixed by the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor, conductive glue is not used, which can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna. The conductive connector is squeezed and fixed by the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor, can increase the flexibility of the outer conductor design, and reduce the tolerance requirements of the components.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the conductive connector is ring-shaped and surrounds the inner conductor.

[0018] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a base station antenna, which includes a metal plate, at least two feeders, a dielectric layer, and any one of the conductive connectors provided in the first aspect. The at least two feeders and the conductive connector are both arranged between the metal plate and the dielectric layer, and a conductive connector is arranged between at least two adjacent feeders, the metal plate and the dielectric layer are fixedly connected and extrude the conductive connector, and at least one of the metal plate and the dielectric layer is electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connector. Since the conductive connector is fixed by extrusion between the metal plate and the dielectric layer, conductive glue is not used, and the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna can be improved. The conductive connector is fixed by extrusion between the metal plate and the dielectric layer, which can increase the design method of shielding and isolation of the base station antenna and reduce the tolerance requirements of the components.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a base station, the base station comprising a pole, a baseband processing unit, and any one of the base station antennas provided in the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or the fifth aspect. The base station antenna is fixed on the pole, and the base station antenna is electrically connected to the baseband processing unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a base station provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a base station provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5a A schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5b A schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5c A schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6a A schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6b A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6c A schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 9a A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 9b A partial structural top view of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig.9c A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 9d A partial structural top view of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig.10a A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig.10b for Fig.10a Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at the middle PP;

[0038] Fig.11aA schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.11b A schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig.11c A schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a structure in which a plurality of conductive connecting members provided in an embodiment of the present application are distributed around an inner conductor;

[0042] Fig.13a A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig.13b for Fig.13a Schematic diagram of the cross-section structure at RR;

[0044] Fig.13c A partial structural top view of a base station antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] With the development of mobile communications, the usage rate of mobile terminals is increasing, and the network coverage of mobile cellular networks is the key to mobile communications. The key equipment of mobile cellular networks is base station antennas. In order to meet the requirements of mobile communications, base station antennas are developing towards integration, making base station antennas have lower weight, smaller volume, higher power, more frequency bands, etc. In the process of integrating multiple components of base station antennas, the challenges of tolerance matching of dimensions between different components and reliability of electrical connections are becoming increasingly greater. At present, most metal connection positions in base station antennas can be electrically connected by hard connection or soft connection. Hard connection has disadvantages such as high tolerance matching requirements and relatively difficult disassembly, while soft connection has the problem of poor passive intermodulation performance.

[0046] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a conductive connector, a radio frequency component, a base station antenna and a base station. The conductive connector can be used in the base station antenna to achieve reliable and flexible electrical connection at low cost, and has good passive intermodulation performance, meeting the high integration requirements of the base station antenna.

[0047] Figure 1 The following is a schematic diagram of a system architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application. Figure 1As shown, the system architecture may include base stations and terminals. Wireless communication can be achieved between base stations and terminals. The base station can also be called access network equipment, which can be located in a base station subsystem (base btation bubsystem, BBS), a terrestrial radio access network (UMTSterrestrial radio access network, UTRAN) or an evolved terrestrial radio access network (evolved terrestrial radio access, E-UTRAN), and is used to provide cell coverage for signals to achieve communication between terminal equipment and wireless networks. Among them, UMTS stands for universal mobile telecommunication system, which refers to the universal mobile communication system.

[0048] Specifically, the base station can be a base transceiver station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) or (code division multiple access, CDMA) system, or a node B (NB) in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, or an evolutionary node B (eNB or e node B) in a long term evolution (LTE) system, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Alternatively, the base station can also be a relay station, an access point, an on-board device, a wearable device, a g node (g node B or gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, an access network device in a future evolution network, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0049] The base station is equipped with antennas to enable signal transmission in space. Figure 2 Shows how Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of the antenna equipped in the base station is shown. Figure 2The structure of the pole 200 and the base station antenna 100 is shown. Thus, the antenna system can be protected from the external environment. The pole 200 is fixed to the ground at a certain height from the ground, and the base station antenna 100 is fixed on the pole 200, which can meet the radiation distance requirements of the antenna. The base station antenna 100 is specifically fixed to the pole 200 detachably by adjusting the bracket 600, so that the base station antenna 100 receives or transmits signals. In the height direction perpendicular to the pole 200, the orientation of the base station antenna 100 can be adjusted by adjusting the bracket 600. The base station may also include a radio frequency processing unit 700 and a baseband processing unit 300, and the baseband processing unit 300 may be connected to the base station antenna 100 through the radio frequency processing unit 700. In some examples, the radio frequency processing unit 700 may also be referred to as a remote radio unit (RRU), and the baseband processing unit 300 may also be referred to as a baseband unit (BBU). The RF processing unit 700 can be integrated with the base station antenna 100, and the baseband processing unit 300 is located at the far end of the base station antenna 100. In this case, the RF processing unit 700 and the base station antenna 100 are collectively referred to as an active antenna unit (AAU). Figure 2 This is just an example of the positional relationship between the RF processing unit 700 and the base station antenna 100. In other examples, the RF processing unit 700 and the baseband processing unit 300 may also be located at the remote end of the base station antenna 100. The RF processing unit 700 and the baseband processing unit 300 may be connected via a connecting wire 400. A grounding device 500 is provided between the baseband processing unit 300 and the connecting wire 400, and the grounding device 500 generally includes a grounding electrode buried underground.

[0050] In the base station antenna 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the metal connection positions between different components can be as follows: Figure 3 The conductive connector 10 is connected as shown. Figure 3 As shown, the conductive connecting component 10 includes a substrate 1 and a film structure 2 .

[0051] The conductive connector 10 can be arranged between two metal conductors in the application and fixed by squeezing the two metal conductors. In order to make the conductive connector 10 have good elasticity and compressibility, the substrate 1 is selected from elastic polymers. The substrate 1 can specifically be silicone rubber, such as dimethyl silicone rubber, methyl vinyl silicone rubber, nitrile silicone rubber, ethyl silicone rubber, etc. The substrate 1 can also be chloroether rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, butyl rubber, styrene rubber, silicone foam, polyurethane foam, acrylic foam, etc. The substrate 1 is an elastic polymer, and its compressibility can reach 10%-60%, and the compressibility is specifically related to the material, shape and application environment of the substrate 1. In the embodiment of the present application, the substrate 1 can be used for a long time in an environment of -40℃-120℃ and maintain good elasticity and low water absorption. Specifically, the water absorption rate of the substrate 1 can be less than 5% to ensure that the substrate 1 maintains good performance. It can be seen that the substrate 1 in the embodiment of the present application has low water absorption, high temperature resistance and high resilience, and when applied to the base station antenna 100, it can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100.

[0052] The substrate 1 can make the conductive connector 10 maintain good elasticity and change its shape in different application environments to adapt to different spaces. When the conductive connector 10 is squeezed between two metal conductors, the direction from one metal conductor to the other metal conductor can be considered as the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10. The cross-sectional shape of the substrate 1 is not limited, such as cylindrical, rectangular and special-shaped structures. According to the approximate structural dimensions of the base station antenna 100, the dimension of the substrate 1 along the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10 can be selected between 0.5-10mm, for example, the thickness of the substrate 1 can be 0.5mm, 0.56mm, 1mm, 5mm, 6.6mm, 8mm, 10mm, etc.

[0053] The membrane structure 2 is wrapped on the surface of the substrate 1. The membrane structure 2 is at least partially or entirely a conductor, and the membrane structure 2 can be connected between two metal conductors to achieve electrical connection between the two metal conductors. The membrane structure 2 can be bonded by an adhesive layer 3. The adhesive layer 3 can be made of at least one of high-temperature resistant organic silicone, polyimide glue, and phenolic resin glue. For example, the adhesive layer 3 uses epoxy glue, which can withstand temperatures of 150°C and has a water absorption rate of 0.1%-0.5%. The adhesive layer 3 can better bond the membrane structure 2 to the substrate 1, and is also beneficial to improving the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100.

[0054] Please continue to refer to Figure 3The conductive connector 10 shown, the film layer structure 2 includes a plurality of stacked film layers, and the plurality of film layers may specifically include a flexible base layer 21 and at least one metal plating layer 22. The flexible base layer 21 is wrapped on the surface of the substrate 1 by the adhesive layer 3, that is, the flexible base layer 21 is the film layer closest to the substrate 1. The flexible base layer 21 is made of polyimide film, polyethylene terephthalate or liquid crystal polymer. The thickness of the flexible base layer 21 is 10μm-100μm, and it can withstand temperatures above 120°C. It has good weather resistance while ensuring good flexibility. For example, when the flexible base layer 21 is made of polyimide film, the polyimide film can withstand temperatures of 280°C and has a water absorption rate of 1.5%-3%. Figure 3 Two layers of metal plating 22 are exemplified, and the metal plating 22 can exert conductive properties. It can be considered that the film structure 2 is a special electroplated flexible film layer, and when the conductive connector 10 is squeezed between two metal conductors, the two metal conductors can be electrically connected through at least one layer of metal plating 22. Among them, the flexible base layer 21 can ensure that the film structure 2 can be deformed with the compression of the substrate 1, and the metal plating 22 can be connected between the two metal conductors to ensure a good and reliable electrical connection.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the conductive connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application is arranged between two metal conductors 20 when used, and the two metal conductors 20 are respectively in contact with the film structure 2 to achieve electrical connection through the film structure 2. Among them, the two metal conductors 20 are connected and fixed by a connecting portion 30, and the connecting portion 30 here can select a structure such as a screw or a snap, which is convenient for the installation or removal of the two metal conductors 20, and can also reduce the assembly tolerance requirements of the component. The distance between the two metal conductors 20 is less than the thickness of the conductive connector 10, so that the two metal conductors 20 squeeze the conductive connector 10. Along the direction in which one of the metal conductors 20 points to the other metal conductor 20, the conductive connector 10 is compressed, and the substrate 1 in the conductive connector 10 generates elastic potential energy, so that the conductive connector 10 is fixedly clamped between the two metal conductors 20. In other words, the conductive connector 10 is fixed by extrusion and clamping through other structures in application, so the conductive connector 10 may not be provided with a conductive glue for connecting the metal conductors. The two metal conductors 20 can be directly conductive through the film structure 2, without the need for conductive adhesive to achieve electrical connection, which can avoid the conductive adhesive from having an adverse effect on the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100. It should be understood that in some application scenarios, the two metal conductors 20 can also be fixed by welding, structural groove fixing, adhesive backing fixing, etc., and a reasonable fixing method can be designed according to different scenario requirements.

[0056] It should be understood that the metal plating layer 22 of the conductive connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application is formed on the flexible base layer 21, which is implemented based on current technology and process. With the development of science and technology, the metal plating layer 22 may also be directly formed on the substrate 1, and the flexible base layer 21 may be omitted, and the technical effect that can be achieved by the conductive connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be achieved.

[0057] Combination Figure 3 , Figure 5a The partial structure of the film structure 2 and the substrate 1 is shown. The at least one metal coating 22 may include a surface coating 221 and a bottom coating 222, wherein the surface coating 221 is a coating located on the surface of the entire film structure 2, and the bottom coating 222 is a coating contacting the flexible substrate layer 21. Among them, the surface coating 221 is a silver coating, and the material of the silver coating is silver, which can maintain a high conductivity. When the conductive connector 10 is used, the surface coating 221 is located on the surface of the structure, and the silver coating has better weather resistance and can adapt to more complex and harsh environments. The material of the bottom coating 222 is not limited, and can be a copper coating, a titanium coating, a nickel coating, and the like. It should be noted that when the bottom coating 222 in contact with the flexible substrate layer 21 is a copper coating, it is necessary to add a heterocyclic passivation solution to protect the silver coating, such as benzotriazole.

[0058] Possibly, if Figure 5b As shown, the at least one metal plating layer 22 includes a metal plating layer 22, which is formed on the surface of the flexible base layer 21, and the metal plating layer 22 is equivalent to the surface layer of the entire film structure 2. At this time, the metal plating layer 22 is a silver plating layer.

[0059] Or, if Figure 5c As shown, the at least one metal plating layer 22 includes a surface plating layer 221, a bottom plating layer 222, and an intermediate plating layer 223 between the surface plating layer 221 and the bottom plating layer 222, and the intermediate plating layer 223 can be at least one of a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer, and a titanium plating layer. An intermediate plating layer 223 is exemplified here. The surface plating layer 221 is a silver plating layer, and the bottom plating layer 222 and the intermediate plating layer 223 can be a combination of any two of a copper plating layer, a titanium plating layer, and a nickel plating layer. For example, the bottom plating layer 222 is a nickel plating layer, and the intermediate plating layer 223 can be at least one of a copper plating layer and a titanium plating layer. Alternatively, the bottom plating layer 222 is a copper plating layer, and the intermediate plating layer 223 is at least one of a nickel plating layer and a titanium plating layer. Of course, when the bottom plating layer 222 is a copper plating layer, the copper plating layer needs to be protected by a passivation solution.

[0060] When forming the above-mentioned at least one metal coating 22, the conductivity of the film structure 2 is further improved by combining multiple metal coatings 22. Among them, the metal coating 22 formed on the flexible substrate 21 can be formed by sputtering coating using a physical vapor deposition process (physical vapor deposition, PVD), and the bonding force between the metal coating 22 and the flexible substrate 21 is greater than 5B, so that the metal coating 22 will not easily fall off from the flexible substrate 21. When the metal coating 22 is two or more layers, except for the bottom coating 222 formed on the flexible substrate 21, other metal coatings 22 can continue to be formed by electroplating. After all the metal coatings 22 are formed, the overall thickness of all the metal coatings 22 ranges from 1μm to 10μm. Among them, when one of the metal coatings 22 is a nickel coating, the thickness of the nickel coating is less than 0.1μm.

[0061] In the conductive connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the film structure 2 is wrapped on the surface of the substrate 1 and connected to the substrate 1 through the adhesive layer 3. Specifically, the film structure 2 can cover most of the surface of the substrate 1. Due to material and process limitations, such as Figure 6a As shown, the film structure 2 may have a gap Q. The gap Q can be considered as a seam when the film structure 2 is wrapped on the surface of the substrate 1. Of course, the adhesive layer 3 can be only provided between the film structure 2 and the substrate 1, and there is no adhesive layer 3 at the gap Q.

[0062] For example, in combination Figure 6a The structure of the conductive connecting member 10 shown, Figure 6b 1 shows a cross-sectional structure of the conductive connector 10. Along the direction in which the film layer structure 2 wraps the substrate 1, that is, the direction in which the film layer structure 2 extends when wrapping the substrate 1, the film layer structure 2 has a first side c1 and a second side c2. Figure 6c In the schematic structural diagram of the conductive connector 10 from another perspective, there is the gap Q between the first side c1 and the second side c2, and the existence of the gap Q reserves a certain error space for the edge docking of the film layer structure 2. It should be understood that the docking edge of the film layer structure 2 can be considered as the first side c1 and the second side c2.

[0063] Please continue to refer to Figure 6c As shown, the film layer structure 2 has a relatively small thickness in practical applications. Without considering the thickness of the film layer structure 2 , it can be considered that the first side c1 and the second side c2 are located in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10 .

[0064] like Figure 7As shown, when the conductive connector 10 is used to connect two metal conductors 20, the two metal conductors 20 can contact the two sides of the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10 respectively, and it can be considered that the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10 refers to the direction in which one metal conductor 20 points to the other metal conductor 20. The notch Q is located on one side of the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10, and the plane where the first side c1 and the second side c2 of the film structure 2 are located is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the conductive connector 10. It can be seen that the existence of the notch Q does not affect the electrical connection of the metal conductor 20 through the film structure 2.

[0065] In some embodiments, the substrate 1 may also be conductive. Specifically, the substrate 1 may be conductive by doping with conductive particles, and the conductive particles may include particles of silver, aluminum, nickel, carbon, etc. Alternatively, the substrate 1 is an organic conductive polymer, such as polyethylene dioxythiophene.

[0066] In summary, the conductive connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the substrate 1 can ensure that the conductive connector 10 has good elasticity to adapt to the different position spaces of the base station antenna 100, and realize reliable electrical connection through the membrane structure 2. The membrane structure 2 is a special plastic film coating structure that can deform with the deformation of the substrate 1. The metal coating 22 and the flexible base layer 21 have a high bonding force, and the risk of coating peeling is low. The selection of the material of the membrane structure 2 makes the membrane structure 2 have the advantages of temperature resistance and moisture resistance, and the selection of silver coating for the surface coating 221 can ensure the good conductivity of the membrane structure 2. In addition, the conductive connector 10 can be connected to the metal structure without the use of conductive glue, and the selection of the materials of the substrate 1, the membrane structure 2 and the adhesive layer 3 can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100.

[0067] Combination Figure 2 , Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the internal components of a possible base station antenna 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the base station antenna 100 may include a radome 104 and a radiation element 101 , a reflection plate 102 and a feeding network 103 disposed in the radome 104 .

[0068] Among them, the radiation unit 101 can also be called an antenna vibrator, a vibrator and an antenna unit, etc. The radiation unit 101 is a unit constituting the basic structure of the antenna array, which can effectively radiate or receive antenna signals. The frequencies of different radiation units 101 can be the same or different. The reflector 102 can also be called a bottom plate, an antenna panel or a metal reflective surface, etc. The reflector 102 can reflect the received signal and gather it at the receiving point. The radiation unit 101 is usually placed on one side of the reflector 102, which can not only greatly enhance the signal reception or transmission capability, but also block and shield the interference signal from the back of the reflector 102. It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the back of the reflector 102 refers to the side opposite to the reflector 102 for setting the radiation unit 101. The feeding network 103 is located between the radiation unit 101 and the power amplifier of the RF processing unit 700. The feeding network 103 can provide specific power and phase to the radiation unit 101. For example, the feed network 103 may include a power divider 1031 that can be used in a forward direction or a reverse direction, and is used to divide one signal into multiple signals or combine multiple signals into one. Here, the power divider 1031 can also be replaced by a combiner. The feed network 103 may also include a filter 1033 for filtering out interference signals. For an electrically adjustable antenna, the feed network 103 may also include a transmission component 1034 to achieve different radiation beam pointing directions, and a phase shifter 1035 to change the maximum direction of signal radiation. In some cases, the phase shifter 1035 also has the function of the power divider 1031 or the combiner, and the power divider 1031 or the combiner can be omitted in the feed network 103. In some examples, the feed network 103 may also include a calibration network 1036 to obtain the required calibration signal.

[0069] Next, combine Figure 2 The structure of the base station antenna 100 shown in FIG. 1 is used to exemplarily illustrate an implementation scheme in which different metal connection positions in the base station antenna 10 are connected using a conductive connector 10. The conductive connector 10 is Figures 6a to 6c The structures shown are examples.

[0070] like Figure 9aThe reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 in the base station antenna 100 shown are electrically connected to each other through a conductive connector 10. Specifically, the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 are spaced apart, and the conductive connector 10 is disposed between the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351. The reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 are fixedly connected, and the conductive connector 10 is squeezed by the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351. The reflector 102 is electrically connected to at least one metal coating 22 of the conductive connector 10 to achieve electrical connection. The phase shifter cavity 10351 has a ground connection D for grounding, and part of the ground connection D or all of the ground connection D is electrically connected to at least one metal coating 22 of the conductive connector 10 to achieve electrical connection. Among them, the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 can be connected by structures such as screws, pressure rods, and buckles, and the distance between the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 also determines the compression amount of the conductive connector 10 in the thickness direction. In other words, the compression amount of the conductive connector 10 in the thickness direction can be adjusted and controlled by the connector between the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351. The conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 without using conductive glue, which can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100. The conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351, can increase the flexibility of the ground connection D design of the phase shifter cavity 10351, and reduce the tolerance requirements of the components.

[0071] Figure 9b Shows Figure 9a The top view of the structure. Figure 9a and Figure 9b The conductive connector 10 is in the shape of a long strip and extends along the length direction of the reflector 102 , so as to realize a reliable electrical connection between the ground connection D of the phase shifter cavity 10351 and the reflector 102 .

[0072] Exemplarily, two conductive connectors 10 are disposed between the reflective plate 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 , and the two conductive connectors 10 are arranged in an approximately parallel manner. Figure 9b In FIG. 1 , the conductive connection member 10 is located between the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 and is shielded by the ground connection D, so the conductive connection member 10 is shown by a dotted line.

[0073] In some embodiments, Fig.9c As shown, the conductive connecting member 10 is block-shaped, and a plurality of conductive connecting members 10 are arranged between the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351 , and the plurality of conductive connecting members 10 may be distributed in an array. Figure 9d Shows Fig.9c The top view of the structure in FIG. 3 shows, illustratively, eight conductive connectors 10 are arranged between the reflector 102 and the phase shifter cavity 10351, and the eight conductive connectors 10 are divided into two columns and four rows. Specifically, the column direction of the plurality of conductive connectors 10 is parallel to the length direction of the reflector 102, and the row direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the reflector 102. Among the plurality of conductive connectors 10 located in the same column, there is a certain gap between any two adjacent conductive connectors 10. Exemplarily, along the length direction of the reflector 102, the size of each conductive connector 10 along the length direction of the reflector 102 can be between 0.2 mm and 1000 mm, and the distance between any two adjacent conductive connectors 10 can be between 0.1 mm and 500 mm.

[0074] It should be understood that, with the length direction of the reflector 102 as a reference, Fig.9c The plurality of conductive connecting members 10 in the same row can be considered as Figure 9a A conductive connecting member 10 is formed by segmentation. It can be considered that Figure 9a The conductive connecting member 10 is a continuous grounding method. Fig.9c The conductive connecting member 10 is a segmented grounding method.

[0075] like Fig.10a The base station antenna 100 shown includes an inner conductor 01, a first outer conductor 02, and a second outer conductor 03. The inner conductor 01 is illustratively cylindrical, and the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are respectively arranged around the inner conductor 01, and the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are insulated from the inner conductor 01. Among them, the inner conductor 01 can be a feeding plate of the central radiation unit 101 of the base station antenna 100, the inner core of a coaxial line, an inner pin of a connector, etc. The first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are two separate components, which can be the balun and the reflector 102 of the radiation unit 101, or the cavity of the reflector 102 and the filter 1033, or the cavity of the reflector 102 and the duplexer. Fig.10a In the structure shown, the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are spaced apart along the extension direction of the inner conductor 01 , and the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are connected via a conductive connector 10 .

[0076] Fig.10b Shows Fig.10aSchematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at PP of the antenna 100, the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are fixedly connected, the conductive connector 10 is squeezed by the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03, and the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 are respectively electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer 22 of the conductive connector 10 to achieve electrical connection. Among them, the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 can be connected by structures such as screws, pressure rods, and buckles, and the distance between the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 also determines the compression amount of the conductive connector 10 in the thickness direction. Since the conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03, no conductive glue is used, which can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100. The conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03, can increase the flexibility of the outer conductor design, and reduce the tolerance requirements of the components.

[0077] Combination Fig.10a and Fig.10b As shown, the conductive connecting member 10 is connected between the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03. The conductive connecting member 10 can be Figures 11a to 11c The shape of the conductive connector 10 can be Fig.11a The ring shown can also be Fig.11b The square ring in Fig.11c Of course, the shape of the conductive connector 10 can also be an irregular ring, as long as the electrical connection between the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 can be achieved. The shape of the conductive connector 10 inside the ring is not limited, as long as it does not contact the inner conductor 01.

[0078] In some embodiments, a plurality of conductive connectors 10 may be disposed between the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03. The plurality of conductive connectors 10 may be Fig.12 The diagram is shown distributed around the inner conductor 01 , thereby electrically connecting the first outer conductor 02 and the second outer conductor 03 .

[0079] like Fig.13a The feed network 103 of the base station antenna 100 shown includes a metal plate 04, a feed line 05 and a dielectric layer 06. The feed line 05 is arranged between the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06, and the number of the feed lines 05 is at least two. Here, there are two feed lines 05, and a conductive connector 10 is arranged between the two feed lines 05. Fig.13b shown Fig.13aIn the cross-sectional structural diagram at RR, the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06 are fixedly connected, and the conductive connector 10 is squeezed by the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06. The metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06 can be fixedly connected by screws, pressure rods, buckles and other structures, and the distance between the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06 also determines the compression amount of the conductive connector 10 in the thickness direction. Since the conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06, no conductive glue is used, which can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the base station antenna 100.

[0080] Among them, at least one of the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06 is electrically connected to at least one metal coating 22 of the conductive connector 10. Specifically, the metal plate 04 can be electrically connected to at least one metal coating 22 of the conductive connector 10, while the dielectric layer 06 has no electrical connection with the conductive connector 10. Alternatively, the dielectric layer 06 can be electrically connected to at least one metal coating 22 of the conductive connector 10, while the metal plate 04 has no electrical connection with the conductive connector 10. Alternatively, the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06 are electrically connected to at least one metal coating 22 of the conductive connector 10, respectively.

[0081] Fig.13c Shows Fig.13a In the top view, the two feeders 05 and the conductive connector 10 are shielded by the dielectric layer 06 and shown as dotted lines. The conductive connector 10 is located between the two feeders 05, and the conductive connector 10 is electrically connected to the metal plate 04 and / or the dielectric layer 06, which can separate the two feeders 05 and improve the isolation between different feeders 05. When multiple feeders 05 are provided, a conductive connector 10 can be provided between any two adjacent feeders 05 to improve the isolation between different feeders 05, thereby improving the isolation of the base station antenna 100, and can also play a certain shielding role. Among them, different feeders 05 can be feeders 05 of different polarizations, or feeders 05 of different radiation units 101. The conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the metal plate 04 and the dielectric layer 06, which can increase the design method of shielding and isolation of the base station antenna 100 and reduce the tolerance requirements of the components.

[0082] It should be understood that the conductive connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the metal connection position of the base station antenna 100, and can also be applied to other RF components. The RF component may specifically include a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor are arranged at intervals, and the conductive connector 10 is arranged between the first conductor and the second conductor. The first conductor and the second conductor can be fixedly connected by structures such as screws, pressure rods, and buckles, or can be fixed by welding, structural grooves, and adhesive backing. The conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the first conductor and the second conductor, and at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor is electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer 22 in the conductive connector 10. The conductive connector 10 can improve the passive intermodulation performance of the RF component and expand the application scenarios of the RF component. The conductive connector 10 is squeezed and fixed by the first conductor and the second conductor, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the first conductor and the second conductor, can increase the flexibility of the RF component design, and reduce the tolerance requirements of the component. It can be considered that the base station antenna 100 is an implementation of the RF component, and the RF component provided in the embodiment of the present application can also have other implementation methods.

[0083] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A conductive connector, characterized in that: include: Substrate and film structure; The substrate is an elastic polymer; The film layer structure includes a flexible base layer and at least one metal coating layer, wherein the flexible base layer is wrapped on the surface of the base material; the at least one metal coating layer is sequentially stacked on the side of the flexible base layer away from the base material; the at least one metal coating layer includes a silver coating layer, and the silver coating layer is located on the surface of the film layer structure away from the base material.

2. The conductive connector according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one metal plating layer includes a bottom plating layer, and the bottom plating layer is attached to a surface of the flexible base layer facing away from the substrate.

3. The conductive connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom plating layer is a copper plating layer, and the copper plating layer is treated with a passivation solution.

4. The conductive connector according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The at least one metal plating layer includes an intermediate plating layer located between the bottom plating layer and the silver plating layer.

5. The conductive connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The intermediate plating layer includes at least one of a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer and a titanium plating layer.

6. The conductive connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The substrate includes at least one of silicone rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, butyl rubber, styrene rubber, silicone foam, polyurethane foam, and acrylic foam.

7. The conductive connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The substrate is doped with conductive particles; or the substrate is an organic conductive polymer.

8. The conductive connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The material of the flexible base layer includes any one of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, and liquid crystal polymer.

9. The conductive connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: Along the direction in which the film layer structure wraps the substrate, the film layer structure has a first side edge and a second side edge, and a seam is formed between the first side edge and the second side edge.

10. A radio frequency component, characterized in that: comprising a first conductor, a second conductor and at least one conductive connecting member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; The first conductor and the second conductor are arranged at intervals, and the conductive connecting member is arranged between the first conductor and the second conductor; the first conductor and the second conductor are fixedly connected and squeeze the conductive connecting member, and at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor is electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connecting member.

11. A base station antenna, characterized in that: comprising a reflector, a phase shifter cavity and a conductive connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; The reflective plate and the phase shifter cavity are spaced apart, and the conductive connecting member is disposed between the reflective plate and the phase shifter cavity; the reflective plate is fixedly connected to the phase shifter cavity and presses the conductive connecting member; The reflective plate is electrically connected to at least one metal coating of the conductive connector; The phase shifter cavity comprises a ground connection for grounding, and at least a portion of the ground connection is electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connection member.

12. The base station antenna according to claim 11, characterized in that: The conductive connecting member is in the shape of an elongated strip, and the length direction of the conductive connecting member is parallel to the length direction of the reflecting plate.

13. The base station antenna according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: There are multiple conductive connecting members, and the multiple conductive connecting members are arranged along the length direction of the reflective plate.

14. A base station antenna, characterized in that: comprising an inner conductor, a first outer conductor, a second outer conductor and a conductive connecting member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; The first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are respectively arranged around the inner conductor, and the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are arranged at intervals, and the conductive connecting member is arranged between the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor; the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are fixedly connected and squeeze the conductive connecting member, and the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor are respectively electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connecting member.

15. The base station antenna according to claim 14, characterized in that: The conductive connecting member is ring-shaped and surrounds the inner conductor.

16. A base station antenna, characterized in that: comprising a metal plate, at least two feeders, a dielectric layer and a conductive connecting member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; The at least two feeders and the conductive connector are both disposed between the metal plate and the dielectric layer, and one conductive connector is disposed between at least two adjacent feeders; The metal plate and the dielectric layer are fixedly connected and press the conductive connecting member, and at least one of the metal plate and the dielectric layer is electrically connected to at least one metal plating layer of the conductive connecting member.

17. A base station, characterized in that: The invention comprises a pole, a baseband processing unit and a base station antenna according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the base station antenna is fixed on the pole and is electrically connected to the baseband processing unit.

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