Radiating elements and base station antennas integrating phase shifters

Abstract

The application relates to an integrated phase shifter radiating unit and a base station antenna. The integrated phase shifter radiating unit comprises a radiator, a feeding structure connected to one side of the radiator, and the feeding structure comprising a balun and a feeding core, the first feeding cavity and the second feeding cavity being formed in the balun, the feeding core being coupled with the radiator, one end of the feeding core extending into the first feeding cavity, and the other end extending into the second feeding cavity, for feeding the feeding signal input from outside to the radiator; the side wall of the balun is provided with a first through hole in communication with the first feeding cavity; and the phase shifting medium is at least partially inserted into the first feeding cavity along a first direction from the first through hole, the first direction having an angle alpha with the plane where the radiator is located, 0 DEG ≤ alpha < 90 DEG or 90 DEG < alpha ≤ 180 DEG. The space dimension below the radiator is fully utilized, the feeding structure and the phase shifting medium are integrated, the phase of the radiating unit is adjusted, and the antenna is miniaturized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of antennas, in particular to a radiation unit integrated with a phase shifter and a base station antenna. BACKGROUND

[0002] The mobile communication system is in a long-term coexistence period with the existing system mode, and the 5G communication base station is in a period of rapid construction and development. The number of multi-system coexistence base stations of the existing 2G, 3G, 4G and other system modes is huge, which leads to extremely tight wireless communication space resources. The communication base station is the second largest consumer of information infrastructure energy consumption, and it is estimated that the power consumption will account for about 1.1% of the total social power consumption in 2025, leading to the contradiction between the rapid construction of 5G communication base stations and the continuous increase of energy consumption. In order to solve the two core problems of extremely tight space resources and reduce the energy consumption of base stations, low-carbon and efficient multi-frequency fusion antennas have become the development trend of the industry. The frequency range and system mode of each country are different, which leads to more and more frequencies and system modes.

[0003] The space resources of the base station antenna are extremely limited, and many radiation units of different frequencies need to be in the same array. Different feed networks also need to be integrated into the same base station antenna. These accelerate the increasingly small space inside the antenna. In addition, with the development trend of antenna miniaturization, an urgent technical solution is required to solve the problem of limited space inside the antenna. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems or at least partially solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a radiation unit integrated with a phase shifter and a base station antenna.

[0005] The first aspect of the present application provides a radiation unit integrated with a phase shifter, comprising:

[0006] a radiator,

[0007] a feed structure connected to one side of the radiator, and the feed structure comprises a balun and a feed core, the balun forms a first feed cavity and a second feed cavity inside, the feed core is coupled with the radiator, and one end of the feed core extends into the first feed cavity and the other end extends into the second feed cavity, for feeding the external input feed signal to the radiator; a first through hole is provided on the side wall of the balun and is in communication with the first feed cavity;

[0008] a phase shift medium, which is at least partially inserted into the first feed cavity along a first direction from the first through hole, the first direction has an angle a with the plane where the radiator is located, 0°≤a<90° or 90°<a≤180°.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first direction is parallel to a plane in which the radiator is located.

[0010] In some embodiments, the phase-shifting medium comprises a plug-in structure and a connecting portion, the plug-in structure is arranged in the first feeding cavity and at least partially overlaps with the feeding core, and the connecting portion is arranged outside the balun and used to pull the plug-in structure to move along the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plug-in structure comprises a plurality of medium pieces arranged oppositely, and a plug-in slot is formed between the medium pieces, and the feeding core in the first feeding cavity is arranged in the plug-in slot along the first direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the feeding core comprises a first feeding section, a second feeding section, a third feeding section and a fourth feeding section arranged along a transmission direction of a signal in sequence, the first feeding section is arranged in the second feeding cavity, the third feeding section is arranged in the first feeding cavity, the second feeding section is connected between the first feeding section and the third feeding section and arranged outside the radiator, and the fourth feeding section extends out of the first feeding cavity from an end of the first feeding cavity away from the radiator and is used to be connected with an external feeding network.

[0013] In some embodiments, a depth of the plug-in slot along the first direction is greater than or equal to a size of the third feeding section along the first direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the connecting portion comprises a body portion and a pull rod, the body portion is arranged opposite to a side wall of the balun, the plug-in structure is arranged on a side of the body portion facing the balun, and the pull rod is formed on a side of the body portion away from the balun.

[0015] In some embodiments, a plurality of first through holes are arranged on the side wall of the first feeding cavity in correspondence, and the first through holes are arranged at intervals and used for the medium pieces to pass through, respectively.

[0016] In some embodiments, the number of the first feeding cavities is a plurality, the number of the plug-in structures is equal to the number of the first feeding cavities, and the plug-in structures are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the first feeding cavities.

[0017] In some embodiments, the third feeding section is arranged in a serpentine shape along a direction perpendicular to the radiator.

[0018] In some embodiments, the medium piece is provided with a window.

[0019] A second aspect of the present application provides a base station antenna, comprising a substrate and the radiating unit of the integrated phase shifter.

[0020] The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art.

[0021] The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided with a slidable phase shifting medium in the first feeding cavity, thereby changing the size of the phase shifting medium in the first feeding cavity, that is, changing the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity. Compared with the prior art of adjusting the phase of the radiation unit through the phase shifter, the embodiment of the present application can change the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity by setting the movement of the phase shifting medium, thereby adjusting the phase of the radiation unit, avoiding the problem of poor stability of the radiation unit caused by the randomness of the bending of the coaxial line connecting the phase shifter and the radiation unit. At the same time, the phase shifting medium is located on one side of the feeding structure, fully utilizing the spatial dimension below the radiator, integrating the feeding structure and the phase shifting medium, that is, adjusting the phase of the radiation unit, realizing the miniaturization of the antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment or the prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows, and obviously, other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor under the premise of not paying the creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 The general assembly drawing of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 The top view of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 The bottom view of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 The structure schematic diagram of the balun described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 The structure schematic diagram of the connection between the radiation unit and the external feeding network described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 The structure schematic diagram of the feeding core and the first feeding cavity described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 The top view of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Sectional view along line AA;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the feed core and the first feed cavity according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the feed core and the first feed cavity according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed cell in the first embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the phase-shifting medium described in the first embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed cell in the second embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed cell in the third embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed cell in the fourth embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed core and the first feed cavity in the fifth embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 17 This is a front view of the first feed cell and the first feed cavity according to the fifth embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed core and the first feed cavity in the sixth embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feed core and the first feed cavity in the seventh embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 20 This is a top view of the radiating element described in the eighth embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 21 for Figure 20 Sectional view along line AA;

[0045] Figure 22 for Figure 20 Sectional view along the BB direction;

[0046] Figure 23 This is a topology diagram of the antenna array in the embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 24 Topology diagram of the antenna array in the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] Wherein, 1, radiator; 11, first radiating arm; 12, second radiating arm; 2, balun; 21, first feeding cavity; 211, first through hole; 22, second feeding cavity; 23, first insulating fixing part; 24, second insulating fixing part; 3, feeding core; 3(a), first feeding core; 3(b), second feeding core; 3a1, first feeding section; 3a2, second feeding section; 3a3, third feeding section; 3a4, fourth feeding section; 3a31, transverse feeding section; 3a32, longitudinal feeding section; 4, phase shift medium; 41, medium sheet; 411, plug-in slot; 42, body part; 43, pull rod; 431, connecting rod; 432, connecting head; 5, external feeding network; 51, external feeding cavity; 52, feeding strip line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to enable a more clear understanding of the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application, the scheme of the present application will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0050] In the following description, a lot of specific details are set forth in order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present application, but the present application can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments.

[0051] The spatial resources of the base station antenna are extremely limited, and many different frequency radiating units need to be in the same array, and different feeding networks also need to be integrated into the same base station antenna, which accelerates the increasingly small space inside the antenna. In addition, with the development of the industry trend of antenna miniaturization, an urgent requirement for a technical solution to solve the problem of limited space inside the antenna is required.

[0052] To solve the space problem of the antenna, the patent with application number: 201810636506.X and the invention name: base station radiation unit and antenna integrated filter discloses a base station radiation unit and antenna integrated filter, which comprises a support and a feed structure, a plurality of radiating elements are arranged around the support, a partition groove is arranged on the support between adjacent two radiating elements, a plurality of partition grooves are combined to form a containing groove, a filter assembly is arranged on the feed structure, and the feed structure and the filter assembly are arranged in the containing groove; the antenna comprises the radiation unit. The base station radiation unit and antenna integrated filter have good out-of-band suppression capability, and the mutual influence between the low-frequency radiation array and the high-frequency radiation array is reduced; by integrally arranging the filter assembly and the feed sheet, the overall structure and the processing technology of the radiation unit are greatly simplified without affecting the radiation characteristics of the radiation unit. That is, the patent discloses that the support between adjacent two radiating elements is provided with a partition groove, a plurality of partition grooves are combined to form a containing groove, a filter assembly is arranged on the feed structure, and the feed structure and the filter assembly are arranged in the containing groove.

[0053] The patent with application number: 201811072989.1 discloses a base station antenna and its radiation unit. The radiation unit comprises an antenna oscillator and a feed structure. The filter section of the feed structure is formed with a plurality of high impedance sections and a plurality of low impedance sections through size change, and the plurality of high impedance sections and the plurality of low impedance sections are alternately arranged to form a ladder impedance transformation filter in the filter section. Since the ladder impedance transformation filter has good low-pass characteristics and can suppress high-frequency components, it can effectively avoid mutual interference between radiation units of different frequencies and improve the isolation between different systems. Further, the ladder impedance transformation filter is formed by the filter section, that is, the feed structure and the ladder impedance transformation filter are designed integrally. Compared with the prior art, the above-mentioned radiation unit does not need to be designed with a decoupling circuit, so it does not occupy additional space. While ensuring the isolation, the above-mentioned radiation unit can also avoid increasing the volume. Therefore, the above-mentioned radiation unit can effectively improve the miniaturization degree of the base station antenna. That is, the patent discloses that the filter section is formed with a plurality of high impedance sections and a plurality of low impedance sections through size change, and the plurality of high impedance sections and the plurality of low impedance sections are alternately arranged to form a ladder impedance transformation filter in the filter section.

[0054] Patent No. 201580028850.5 discloses an antenna oscillator for multi-frequency antenna dual polarization, comprising four radiation units, a balun unit for feeding the radiation units, and a fixing plate for fixing the balun unit. The balun unit comprises two dielectric plates, each of which is printed with two signal transmission units, a feeding unit, and two filter units. The filter units are configured as LC resonance energy storage structures on the balun unit, and can be adjusted to decouple in a specific frequency band. Even if the antenna oscillator is applied to a scenario where different frequency bands work together, the radiation units in different frequency bands will not have strong electromagnetic coupling when closely arranged, so that the antenna oscillator can ensure the normal operation of the antenna in the relevant frequency band. That is, the patent discloses a balun unit comprising two dielectric plates, and the two dielectric plates are embedded with each other. Each of the dielectric plates is printed with two signal transmission units, a feeding unit, and two filter units, and the filter units are used for decoupling. The main PCB and other media forms are complex to assemble, have large loss, and only have filtering function.

[0055] Patent No. 201610896013.0 discloses an integrated antenna radiation unit and an integrated antenna. The integrated antenna radiation unit comprises a base, a plurality of support members, and a dipole for receiving and / or transmitting antenna signals. The base comprises an integrated fixing member and a connection terminal. The two ends of the support member are connected to the dipole and the fixing member, respectively. The support member can be a support balun. The fixing member comprises two connection plates, and the two connection plates are located on both sides of the connection terminal. The application simplifies the structure of the antenna and reduces the volume of the antenna. The base of the patent comprises an integrated fixing member and a connection terminal. The base and the radiator of the radiation unit are not integrated, which is complex to assemble and has poor intermodulation stability.

[0056] The patent with application number 201911411602.5 discloses a base station antenna and its radiation unit, wherein the radiation unit includes a balun structure, a dipole supported by the balun structure, and a feeding component extending along the balun structure to feed the dipole. The balun structure includes a base, a balun arm connected to the base and supporting the dipole. The base has three mounting holes extending from the bottom end to the top end of the base, and the three mounting holes are arranged non-collinearly on the base. By providing only three mounting holes on the base of the balun structure and arranging them non-collinearly, a triangular mounting structure is formed, thereby ensuring that the radiation unit has high stability when mounted on the reflector plate by screws. In the base station antenna using the radiation unit, since the fixing points of the radiation unit are reduced, the hole positions that need to be opened on the reflector plate can also be correspondingly reduced, reducing the intermodulation problem caused by burrs on the hole positions, and the antenna performance is more stable. The balun structure of this patent has a base and a balun arm connected to the base and corresponding to the radiation arm in the dipole for supporting the dipole. The combining port is integrally formed on the base, and the base is provided with three non-collinearly arranged mounting holes. It is suitable for bowl-shaped die-casting radiation units and only suitable for two power dividers, with limited functions and application scenarios.

[0057] The patent with application number 202311852527.2 and the invention name of radiation unit, antenna and base station discloses a radiation unit including a radiator, a feeding structure connected to the radiator, and a dielectric block. The feeding structure includes a shell and a feeding core arranged in a feeding cavity formed in the shell. The feeding core is used to feed the external input feeding signal to the radiator. The dielectric block is arranged at one end of the shell away from the radiator and can slide in the feeding cavity to change the dielectric constant in the feeding cavity. By arranging the dielectric block in the radiation unit, the phase of the radiation unit can be adjusted. This not only avoids the problem of poor stability of the radiation unit caused by the randomness of the bending of the coaxial line connecting the phase shifter and the radiation unit, but also solves the problem of complex layout structure of the antenna caused by the connection of the phase shifter and multiple radiation units, which leads to low production efficiency of the antenna. Therefore, by using the radiation unit provided by the present application, the stability of the antenna can be effectively improved, and the production efficiency of the antenna can be improved. That is, the radiation unit base is used as a cavity, and the feeding dielectric reciprocates vertically to the radiator in the cavity to adjust the phase of the radiation unit by changing the dielectric constant in the feeding cavity. In this technology, the feeding dielectric is located at the side of the feeding structure away from the radiator and reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the radiator, occupying the space perpendicular to the substrate on the antenna, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the antenna. The moving direction occupies a large size of the feeding network, has a large impact on the space of other feeding networks, and the transmission is complex.

[0058] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a radiation unit integrated with a phase shifter. The dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity is adjusted by setting a phase shifting medium, and then the phase of the radiation unit is adjusted. The radiation unit provided by the embodiment of the present application integrates the phase shifter and the feeding structure, and the phase shifting medium is located on one side of the feeding structure, which does not occupy the height space of the radiation unit, fully utilizes the spatial dimension below the radiator, and is beneficial to the miniaturization of the antenna.

[0059] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 20 The radiation unit integrated with the phase shifter provided by the embodiment of the present application comprises:

[0060] The radiator 1 can be a half-wave radiator 1, can be a folded radiator 1, can be a single-polarized radiator 1, or can be a dual-polarized radiator 1.

[0061] The feeding structure is connected to one side of the radiator 1, and the feeding structure comprises a balun 2 and a feeding core 3. The balun 2 forms a first feeding cavity 21 and a second feeding cavity 22. The feeding core 3 is coupled to the radiator 1, one end of the feeding core 3 extends into the first feeding cavity 21, and the other end of the feeding core 3 extends into the second feeding cavity 22. The feeding signal input from the outside is fed to the radiator 1. The side wall of the balun 2 is provided with a first through hole 211 communicating with the first feeding cavity 21.

[0062] Taking the dual-polarized radiator 1 as an example, the dual-polarized radiator 1 comprises two pairs of orthogonally arranged dipoles, each pair of dipoles comprising a first radiation arm 11 and a second radiation arm 12 arranged opposite to each other. The balun 2 is located below the radiator 1 and supports the radiator 1. The balun 2 is provided with the first feeding cavity 21 and the second feeding cavity 22. The first feeding cavity 21 is arranged corresponding to the first radiation arm 11, and the second feeding cavity 22 is arranged corresponding to the second radiation arm 12. The first feeding cavity 21 and the second feeding cavity 22 are both open at the end connected to the radiator 1, so that the feeding core 3 can be arranged in the first feeding cavity 21 and the second feeding cavity 22. Specifically, one pair of dipoles realizes the function of radiating electromagnetic waves of the first polarization, and the other pair of dipoles realizes the function of radiating electromagnetic waves of the second polarization.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1As shown, the first polarized half-wave radiation unit consists of two first radiation arms 11, two second radiation arms 12, two first feed cavities 21, and two second feed cavities 22. One first radiation arm 11 and one second radiation arm 12 form a pair of dipoles. The first feed cavity 21 is correspondingly positioned to the first radiation arm 11, and the second feed cavity 22 is correspondingly positioned to the second radiation arm 12. There are two feed cores 3. For ease of description, the two feed cores 3 are defined as the first feed core 3(a) and the second feed core 3(b), respectively. The first feed core 3(a) and the second feed core 3(b) are respectively positioned to correspond to the two pairs of dipoles.

[0064] The radiating unit also includes a phase-shifting medium 4, which is at least partially along a first direction ( Figure 2 The first direction (in the X direction) is slidably inserted into the first feed cavity 21 through the first perforation 211, wherein the first direction has an angle α with the plane where the radiator 1 is located, 0°≤α<90° or 90°<α≤180°. That is, the first direction is not perpendicular to the plane where the radiator 1 is located, thus avoiding occupying the height space of the radiation unit.

[0065] A phase shifter changes the phase of a radiating element by altering its electrical length. Since the propagation speed of the feed signal varies in different media, the dielectric constant within the first feed cavity 21 can be changed by sliding a dielectric adapter block into it. This alters the propagation speed of the first feed signal within the first feed cavity 21, effectively changing the electrical length and thus altering the phase of the radiating element. This can replace the phase shifter. For example, before the radiating element begins operation, the target equivalent electrical length can be determined based on the target phase. The target transmission rate of the feed signal within the first feed cavity 21 can be determined based on the target equivalent electrical length. The target dielectric constant within the first feed cavity 21 can then be determined based on the target transmission rate. Based on the target dielectric constant, the target depth to which the phase shifting medium 4 should slide into the first feed cavity 21 can be determined. The insertion of the phase shifting medium 4 into the first feed cavity 21 is controlled based on the mechanical structure and the target depth.

[0066] The radiation unit provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises a radiator 1, a feeding structure and a phase-shifting medium 4. The phase-shifting medium 4 is at least partially inserted into a first feeding cavity 21. The depth of the phase-shifting medium 4 in the first feeding cavity 21 is changed by sliding the phase-shifting medium 4. The dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 is adjusted. The phase of the radiation unit is adjusted. Compared with the prior art, the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 is changed by moving the phase-shifting medium 4, and the phase of the radiation unit is adjusted. The problem of poor stability of the radiation unit caused by the randomness of the bending of the coaxial line connecting the phase shifter and the radiation unit is avoided. The phase-shifting medium 4 of the embodiments of the present application is located on one side of the feeding structure. The space dimension below the radiator 1 is fully utilized. The feeding structure and the phase-shifting medium 4 are integrated. The phase of the radiation unit is adjusted. The miniaturization of the antenna is realized.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, the first direction is parallel to the plane in which the radiator 1 is located. The phase-shifting medium 4 moves along the direction parallel to the radiator 1 to change the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21. It is ensured that the phase-shifting medium 4 does not occupy the height space of the radiation unit during the movement. The interference between the phase-shifting medium 4 and the radiator 1 is avoided.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the phase-shifting medium 4 comprises a connecting plug structure and a connecting portion. The connecting plug structure is slidably inserted into the first feeding cavity 21 from the first through hole 211 and at least partially overlaps the feeding core 3. The connecting portion is located outside the balun 2 and is used to pull the connecting plug structure to move along the first direction. The shape of the first through hole 211 matches the shape of the connecting plug structure. There is a gap between the connecting plug structure and the side wall of the first through hole 211. It is ensured that the connecting plug structure can slide in the first through hole 211. The value of the gap should not be too large. The deviation of the connecting plug structure during the movement is avoided.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting plug structure comprises a plurality of medium pieces 41 arranged oppositely. The connecting plug structure forms a plug-in slot 411 between the plurality of medium pieces 41. The feeding core 3 in the first feeding cavity 21 is inserted into the plug-in slot 411 along the first direction. The connecting plug structure cooperates with the feeding core 3 in the plug-in slot 411. The stability of the assembly structure is improved. The connecting plug structure can also comprise one medium piece 41, three medium pieces 41 or more. The medium piece 41 is arranged in parallel with the feeding core 3 after being inserted into the first feeding cavity 21. The overlapping area of the medium piece 41 and the feeding core 3 is changed by moving the medium piece 41 along the first direction. The dielectric constant of the overlapping part is changed. The absolute phase in the first feeding cavity 21 is changed. The phase control of the radiation unit is realized.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting part comprises a body part 42 and a pull rod 43, the body part 42 is a plate structure, and the body part 42 is arranged opposite to the side wall of the barrel 2 on which the first through hole 211 is formed. The pull rod 43 is arranged on the side of the body part 42 away from the barrel 2, and the plug-in structure is arranged on the side of the body part 42 facing the barrel 2. For example, the number of plug-in grooves 411 is two, and the number of corresponding medium sheets 41 is four. Two medium sheets 41 form a plug-in groove 411, and the medium sheet 41 enters the first feed cavity 21 after passing through the first through hole 211 on the barrel 2. Each first feed cavity 21 is provided with two first through holes 211, and the two first through holes 211 are arranged at intervals and are respectively used for passing through the corresponding two medium sheets 41. For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the shape of the first through hole 211 is rectangular. Of course, the first through hole 211 can also adopt other shapes.

[0071] It should be noted that the number of medium sheets 41 can be determined according to the actual electrical design scheme, and is generally twice the number of first feed cavities 21.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, the feed core 3 is provided with a first feed section 3a1, a second feed section 3a2, a third feed section 3a3 and a fourth feed section 3a4 arranged in sequence along the length direction, wherein the first feed section 3a1 is located in the second feed cavity 22, the third feed section 3a3 is located in the first feed cavity 21, the second feed section 3a2 is connected between the first feed section 3a1 and the third feed section 3a3 and is located outside the radiator 1 and is arranged between the first feed cavity 21 and the second feed cavity 22, and the fourth feed section 3a4 is connected with the external feed network 5.

[0073] As shown in Figure 5 The external feed network 5 comprises an external feed cavity 51 and a feed strip 52 arranged in the external feed cavity 51, and the feed strip 52 is coupled or welded with the fourth feed section 3a4.

[0074] The structure of the first feed core 3(a) is different from that of the second feed core 3(b) only at the second feed section 3a2. The second feed section 3a2 of the first feed core 3(a) is concave downward to form a concave avoiding part, and the second feed section 3a2 of the second feed core 3(b) is concave upward to form a concave avoiding part, so that the first feed core 3(a) and the second feed core 3(b) do not interfere with each other at the intersection.

[0075] For example, as shown in Figures 8 to 11As shown, taking the first feeding core 3(a) as an example, the first feeding core 3(a) includes a first feeding section 3a1, a second feeding section 3a2, a third feeding section 3a3 and a fourth feeding section 3a4, wherein the first feeding section 3a1 is located in the second feeding cavity 22, the third feeding section 3a3 is located in the first feeding cavity 21, the second feeding section 3a2 is arranged between the first feeding cavity 21 and the second feeding cavity 22, and the fourth feeding section 3a4 extends from the lower end of the first feeding cavity 21. By changing the size of the dielectric sheet 41 in the first feeding cavity 21, the overlapping area of the dielectric sheet 41 and the third feeding section 3a3 is changed, and then the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 is changed, and then the phase of the radiator 1 is changed.

[0076] The feeding core 3 is formed by bending a metal sheet, a second insulating fixing member 24 is arranged between the first feeding section 3a1 and the second feeding cavity 22, and the insulating fixing of the first feeding section 3a1 and the second feeding cavity 22 is realized through the second insulating fixing member 24. A first insulating fixing member 23 is arranged between the third feeding section 3a3 and the first feeding cavity 21, and the insulating fixing of the third feeding section 3a3 and the first feeding cavity 21 is realized through the first insulating fixing member 23.

[0077] The third feeding section 3a3 is composed of a folded strip line circuit, and the third feeding section 3a3 is composed of a transverse feeding section 3a31 and a longitudinal feeding section 3a32. The third feeding section 3a3 is placed in the plug-in slot 411, and the length of the third feeding section 3a3 covered by the dielectric sheet 41 is changed to change the absolute phase in the first feeding cavity 21.

[0078] The third feeding section 3a3 is a feeding input section of the radiation unit, and the feeding network is connected to the third feeding section 3a3 through coupling or welding to realize feeding of the first radiation arm 11 and the second radiation arm 12 in a pair of dipoles of the radiation unit.

[0079] The second insulating fixing member 24 and the first insulating fixing member 23 are respectively arranged at appropriate positions of the second feeding cavity 22 and the first feeding cavity 21 to play the role of insulating support.

[0080] The dielectric sheet 41 is located on both sides of the third feeding section 3a3, and the length of the feeding strip line covering the third feeding section 3a3 is changed by pulling the pull rod 43 to change the phase of the strip line feeding.

[0081] Similarly, the second feeding core 3(b) is similar to the first feeding core 3(a), and only the bending direction of the second feeding section 3a2 is different, that is, the sizes of the two feeding cores 3 at the second feeding section 3a2 are the same, but the spatial bending directions are opposite.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, the depth of the insertion slot 411 in the first direction is greater than or equal to the size of the third feeding segment 3a3 in the first direction. Therefore, the dielectric sheet 41 can be directly arranged opposite to the third feeding segment 3a3 in the second direction, and by changing the area of the dielectric sheet 41 inserted into the first feeding cavity 21, the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 is adjusted.

[0083] In combination Figure 12 As shown in some embodiments of the present application, the pull rod 43 includes a connecting rod 431 and a connecting head 432, and the cross-sectional area of the connecting head 432 is greater than that of the connecting rod 431.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, the number of first feeding cavities 21 is multiple, and one feeding core 3 is arranged in each first feeding cavity 21. The number of insertion structures is equal to the number of first feeding cavities 21, and each insertion structure is arranged one-to-one corresponding to a first feeding cavity 21.

[0085] Specifically, taking a dual-polarized radiation unit as an example, two first feeding cavities 21 and two second feeding cavities 22 are arranged corresponding to one dual-polarized radiation unit, and the number of feeding cores 3 is two. Two feeding cores 3 are arranged corresponding to one group of dipoles respectively, and one end of each feeding core 3 is inserted into a first feeding cavity 21, and the other end of each feeding core 3 is inserted into a second feeding cavity 22. The number of insertion structures is two, and each insertion structure is arranged in a first feeding cavity 21. The insertion structures can move synchronously or asynchronously, and the dielectric constant in the corresponding first feeding cavity 21 is adjusted. Preferably, the insertion structures move synchronously, so that the dielectric constant in different feeding cavities can be adjusted synchronously.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present application, the third feeding segment 3a3 is arranged in a serpentine shape along the length direction. Specifically, the feeding core 3 is a straight feeding sheet as a whole, one end of the feeding core 3 is inserted into the second feeding cavity 22 to form the first feeding segment 3a1, the other end extends upward first, then bends across the radiator 1 to form the second feeding segment 3a2, then bends downward to extend into the first feeding cavity 21 to form the third feeding segment 3a3 and the fourth feeding segment 3a4, and the third feeding segment 3a3 is arranged in a serpentine shape in the first feeding cavity 21. The third feeding segment 3a3 in different first feeding cavities 21 is preferably made of the same material, which is convenient for production, and of course different materials can also be used. The fourth feeding segment 3a4 extends out of the first feeding cavity 21 and is used to connect with the feeding network.

[0087] Taking one of the feeding cores 3 as an example, the fourth feeding segment 3a4 is a signal input end or output end, and is connected with the feeding network of the first frequency band, which can be a coupling connection or a coaxial welding, and so on. Similarly, the other feeding core 3 in the same radiation unit is electrically connected with the feeding network of the second frequency band, which can be a coupling connection or a coaxial welding, and so on.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of the first feeding cavity 21 is rectangular, circular, elliptical, etc., and the cross-sectional shape of the second feeding cavity 22 can be the same as or different from that of the first feeding cavity 21. For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of the first feeding cavity 21 is rectangular, the cross-sectional shape of the second feeding cavity 22 is circular, the second feeding core 3(b) is located in the first feeding cavity 21, and there is a gap between the second feeding core 3(b) and the inner wall of the first feeding cavity 21. When the plug-in structure is inserted into the first feeding cavity 21, the gap is formed between the second feeding core 3(b) and the inner wall of the first feeding cavity 21.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, the phase can be adjusted by changing the number of bends, the length of bends, the position of the third feeding section 3a3, and the material and shape of the dielectric sheet 41.

[0090] The different implementations of the balun 2, the feeding core 3, and the phase-shifting medium 4 will be further explained below in combination with the drawings. The structures of the radiator 1 corresponding to these embodiments (the first embodiment to the eighth embodiment) can be the same as described above.

[0091] As Figures 1 to 12 In combination with the foregoing description, in the first embodiment, the first polarization and the second polarization each include one first feeding cavity 21 and one second feeding cavity 22, and the other structures corresponding to the two polarizations are the same. Specifically, one polarization corresponds to one first feeding cavity 21 and one second feeding cavity 22, the cross-section of the first feeding cavity 21 is rectangular, and the cross-section of the second feeding cavity 22 is circular. The feeding cores 3 corresponding to the two polarizations are only different in the bending direction at the second feeding section 3a2, and the two polarizations share one phase-shifting medium 4, which includes plug-in matching parts corresponding to the first feeding cavities 21 of the two polarizations.

[0092] Figure 13 The structure of the feeding core 3 of the second embodiment is shown, and the difference from the first embodiment includes that the number of bends of the third feeding section 3a3 is increased, and the number of the transverse feeding sections 3a31 and the longitudinal feeding sections 3a32 formed is increased, that is, the relative phase of the strip line is increased, which functions to increase the phase-shifting amount. Figure 14 The structure of the feeding core 3 of the third embodiment is shown, and the difference from the first embodiment includes that the number of bends of the third feeding section 3a3 is reduced, and the number of the transverse feeding sections 3a31 and the longitudinal feeding sections 3a32 formed is reduced. Changing the number of bends, that is, the number of the transverse feeding sections 3a31 and the longitudinal feeding sections 3a32, can change the phase-shifting amount of the strip line.

[0093] As Figure 15The diagram shows the structure of the feed core 3 in the fourth embodiment. The change in the phase shift of the stripline can also be achieved by changing the length of the third feed segment 3a3.

[0094] The phase adjustment rate can be changed by opening windows on the phase shifting medium 4. Specifically, windows are opened on the medium sheet 41, and phase adjustment can be achieved by adjusting parameters such as the number, size, and position of the windows; for example, Figures 16 to 18 As shown, the structures of the phase-shifting medium 4 in the fifth and sixth embodiments are illustrated. The fifth embodiment ( Figure 16 and Figure 17 ) and the sixth embodiment ( Figure 18 The difference between the phase shifting medium 4 and the phase shifting medium 42A6 is that the number of windows in the phase shifting medium 42A6 is different. By adjusting the number of windows in the phase shifting medium 42A6, when different numbers of windows are set on the same medium sheet 41, the phase change brought about by the phase shifting medium 4 moving to the same position will also be different.

[0095] like Figure 19 The diagram illustrates the structure of the phase-shifting medium 4 in the seventh embodiment. The seventh embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the material of the phase-shifting medium 4 is different. By changing the material properties of the phase-shifting medium 4, i.e., adjusting the dielectric constant of the phase-shifting medium 4, the phase change at the same position of the phase-shifting medium 42A6 will also be different.

[0096] Figure 20 The structure of the radiating unit in the eighth embodiment is shown. For example... Figure 20 As shown, the power supply structure can also include four first power supply cavities 21, which are arranged in parallel. Figure 21 As shown, Figure 20 A cross-sectional view of the first feed core 3(a) can be obtained along the cross section AA. The first feed core 3(a) includes two third feed segments 3a3, which are connected in series.

[0097] Along section BB, a BB cross-sectional view of the first feed core 3(a) can be obtained. The two third feed sections 3a3 are located in the two first feed cavities 21 respectively. After the two third feed sections 3a3 are connected in series, they are connected to the second feed section 3a2 and the first feed section 3a1 to feed the radiator 1.

[0098] This series connection of the second feed section 3a2 of the two first feed cavities 21 increases the absolute phase of the phase shifting medium 4. When the phase shifting medium 4 moves, a larger phase shift can be obtained when it moves the same physical length, thereby achieving the function of adjusting the phase of the radiation unit.

[0099] like Figure 23As shown in a topological diagram of a feed network of an antenna array applying the integrated phase shifter, the antenna array is nine units, the integrated phase shifter of each unit meets the phase relationship of an arithmetic sequence, that is, the phase relationship from positive 4 times the phase shift amount to negative 4 times the phase shift amount, and each radiation unit interface is connected to the feed network to realize beamforming of the antenna array.

[0100] As Figure 24 As shown in a topological diagram of a feed network of an antenna array applying the integrated phase shifter, the antenna array is nine units, the integrated phase shifter of each unit meets the phase relationship of an arithmetic sequence, that is, the phase relationship from positive 4 times the phase shift amount to negative 4 times the phase shift amount, and each radiation unit interface is connected to the feed network to realize beamforming of the antenna array.

[0101] Some embodiments of the present application also provide a base station antenna, which comprises a reflecting plate and the radiation unit in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the radiation unit is arranged on the reflecting plate and located on the same side of the reflecting plate. The base station antenna provided by the embodiments of the present application has the same technical effects as the above-mentioned radiation unit, and will not be described repeatedly.

[0102] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms such as "first" and "second" are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is any such actual relationship or order between the entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "contain" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "including a" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0103] "Vertical", "horizontal", "top" or "bottom", "upper", "middle", "lower" and similar expressions are only for illustrative purposes, and do not indicate that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0104] In this application, unless otherwise clearly indicated and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting", "fixed", and the like should be understood broadly, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, can also be indirectly connected through intermediate medium, can be internal communication of two elements or interaction relationship of two elements, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0105] The "and / or" in the present application is inclusive, for example, "A; and / or B" means only A, or only B, or both A and B. "Multiple" means two or more.

[0106] The above is only the specific embodiment of the present application, which enables those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to these embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An integrated radiating element with phase shifter, characterized by, The application relates to a radiator (1), a feed structure connected to one side of the radiator (1), and the feed structure comprising a balun (2) and a feed core (3), the balun (2) being internally formed with a first feed cavity (21) and a second feed cavity (22), the feed core (3) being coupled to the radiator (1), one end of the feed core (3) extending into the first feed cavity (21), and the other end extending into the second feed cavity (22), for feeding an externally input feed signal to the radiator (1), the side wall of the balun (2) being provided with a first through hole (211) communicating with the first feed cavity (21). A phase-shifting medium (4) is slidably inserted into the first feed cavity (21) from the first through hole (211) in a first direction, the first direction being at an angle alpha (0 DEG <= alpha < 90 DEG or 90 DEG < alpha <= 180 DEG) with the plane where the radiator (1) is located. The first direction is parallel to the plane where the radiator (1) is located. The phase-shifting medium (4) comprises a plug-in structure and a connecting part, the plug-in structure being inserted into the first feed cavity (21) and at least partially overlapping the feed core (3), and the connecting part being located outside the balun (2) and used for pulling the plug-in structure to move in the first direction.

2. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 1, wherein, The plug-in structure comprises a plurality of medium pieces (41) arranged oppositely, a plug-in groove (411) being formed between the plurality of medium pieces (41), and the feed core (3) in the first feed cavity (21) being inserted into the plug-in groove (411) in the first direction.

3. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 1, wherein, The feed core (3) comprises a first feed section (3a1), a second feed section (3a2), a third feed section (3a3) and a fourth feed section (3a4) arranged in sequence in the transmission direction of the signal, the first feed section (3a1) being located in the second feed cavity (22), the third feed section (3a3) being located in the first feed cavity (21), the second feed section (3a2) being connected between the first feed section (3a1) and the third feed section (3a3) and located outside the radiator (1), and the fourth feed section (3a4) being connected to an external feed network (5).

4. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 3, wherein, The depth of the plug-in groove (411) in the first direction is greater than or equal to the size of the third feed section (3a3) in the first direction.

5. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 4, wherein, The connecting part comprises a body part (42) and a pull rod (43), the body part (42) being arranged oppositely to the side wall of the balun (2), the plug-in structure being arranged on the side of the body part (42) facing the balun (2), and the pull rod (43) being formed on the side of the body part (42) away from the balun (2).

6. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 5, wherein, A plurality of first through holes (211) are correspondingly arranged on the side wall of the first feed cavity (21), and the plurality of first through holes (211) are arranged at intervals and used for allowing the plurality of medium pieces (41) to pass through.

7. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 3, wherein, ​ 8. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 4, wherein, ​ 9. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 3, wherein, The number of the first feeding cavities (21) is multiple, the plug-in structure is equal to the number of the first feeding cavities (21) and is arranged one by one corresponding to the first feeding cavities (21).

10. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 5, wherein, The third feeding section (3a3) is arranged in a serpentine shape along a direction perpendicular to the radiator (1).

11. The integrated phase shifter radiating element of claim 4, wherein, The medium sheet (41) is provided with a window.

12. A base station antenna, comprising: Radiating unit comprising an integrated phase shifter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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