Antenna structure and antenna array

Abstract

The invention relates to an antenna structure and an antenna array. The antenna structure comprises a radiation unit; the grounding unit is arranged opposite to the radiating unit; the first supporting structure is connected with the grounding unit and the radiating unit and comprises at least one elastic piece and a first supporting unit connected with the elastic piece and the radiating unit, and one end, far away from the first supporting unit, of the elastic piece is connected with the grounding unit. According to the invention, the radiation unit and the grounding unit are connected through the supporting structure composed of the elastic member and the supporting unit, so that the formed antenna structure has the longitudinal telescoping capability, the rebound rate is high, and the stability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to antenna structures and antenna arrays. Background Art

[0002] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array provided by the prior art. Figure 1 As shown, the antenna array of the prior art is formed by bending a metal sheet into an integral shape, including a support block 1, a ground radiation block 2 and an antenna radiation block 3. The antenna array is elastic and can store a restoring elastic force when subjected to external pressure, so that the antenna array tends to return to its original state. However, the antenna array needs to ensure the parallelism of the radiation unit 10 and the ground plane through the metal flatness, but to achieve parallelism, it is necessary to ensure that θ1=θ2. In the initial state, it is assumed that the two angles are equal, but after compression and stretching, it is impossible to ensure that θ1=θ2, resulting in insufficient stability of the antenna array. Summary of the invention

[0003] In response to the above technical problems, the present application provides an antenna structure and an antenna array, which have longitudinal telescopic capabilities, high resilience and strong stability.

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides an antenna structure in a first aspect, including: a radiation unit;

[0005] A grounding unit, arranged opposite to the radiation unit;

[0006] The first supporting structure connects the grounding unit and the radiation unit, and includes at least one elastic member and a first supporting unit connecting the elastic member and the radiation unit, wherein one end of the elastic member away from the first supporting unit is connected to the grounding unit.

[0007] Optionally, the grounding unit includes a first conductive layer, a first thin film layer and a second conductive layer which are stacked, and the radiation unit includes a third conductive layer and a second thin film layer which are stacked, wherein the first conductive layer faces the first supporting unit and the second thin film layer is close to the first supporting unit.

[0008] Optionally, a coupling gap is provided on the first conductive layer.

[0009] Optionally, a feeding spring is provided between the radiation unit and the grounding unit.

[0010] Optionally, the first supporting structure includes a plurality of elastic members, and the elastic members include a first elastic member arranged at a central position of the first supporting unit and / or a second elastic member arranged at an edge position of the first supporting unit.

[0011] Optionally, the first supporting unit is hollowed out to form a first connecting rib and a second connecting rib, the first connecting rib connects the first elastic member and the second elastic member, and the second connecting rib connects a plurality of the second elastic members.

[0012] Optionally, the elastic member includes an insulating spring, a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate, whose diameters increase from top to bottom; the first connecting plate is used to connect the radiation unit and the small diameter end of the insulating spring, and the second connecting plate is used to connect the large diameter end of the insulating spring and the grounding unit.

[0013] Optionally, a first reinforcing rib is provided at a connection position between the insulating spring and the first connecting plate, and / or a second reinforcing rib is provided at a connection position between the insulating spring and the second connecting plate.

[0014] Optionally, a second supporting structure is further included, the second supporting structure includes a second supporting unit and a third supporting unit, the second supporting unit connects one end of the radiation unit and the grounding unit, and the third supporting unit connects the other end of the radiation unit and the grounding unit.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application also provides an antenna array, comprising at least one antenna structure as described above.

[0016] The antenna structure and antenna array of the present application include: a radiation unit; a grounding unit, which is arranged opposite to the radiation unit; a first support structure, which connects the grounding unit and the radiation unit, and includes at least one elastic member, and a first support unit connecting the elastic member and the radiation unit, wherein one end of the elastic member away from the first support unit is connected to the grounding unit. The present application connects the radiation unit and the grounding unit through a support structure composed of an elastic member and a support unit, so that the formed antenna structure has longitudinal expansion and contraction capability, high resilience, and strong stability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an antenna array provided by the prior art;

[0018] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional diagram of a first supporting structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional diagram of an antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna structure with a feeding spring according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 8 It is a stereoscopic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 4-antenna structure; 10-radiating unit; 11-third conductive layer; 12-second film layer; 20-grounding unit; 21-first conductive layer; 22-first film layer; 23-second conductive layer; 30-first supporting structure; 31-elastic member; 3101-insulating spring; 3102-first connecting plate; 3103-second connecting plate; 3104-first reinforcing rib; 3105-second reinforcing rib; 311-first elastic member; 312-second elastic member; 32-first supporting unit; 321-first connecting rib; 322-second connecting rib; 40-second supporting structure; 41-second supporting unit; 42-third supporting unit; 50-feeding spring; 51-feeding spring body; 52-nut; 53-first gasket; 54-second gasket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following is an explanation of the implementation of the present application by means of specific embodiments. People familiar with the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification.

[0027] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which describe several embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that other embodiments may be used and that mechanical, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. The following detailed description should not be considered limiting, and the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0028] Although the terms first, second, etc. are used herein to describe various elements in some instances, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element.

[0029] Furthermore, as used in this article, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms as well, unless there is an indication to the contrary in the context. It should be further understood that the terms "comprise", "include" indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, projects, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, projects, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. Therefore, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C". Exceptions to this definition will only occur when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0030] In order to solve the problems in the prior art, an embodiment of the present invention proposes an antenna structure. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the antenna structure of the present application includes a radiation unit 10; a grounding unit 20, which is arranged opposite to the radiation unit 10; a first supporting structure 30, which connects the grounding unit 20 and the radiation unit 10, includes at least one elastic member 31, and a first supporting unit 32 connecting the elastic member 31 and the radiation unit 10, and the end of the elastic member 31 away from the first supporting unit 32 is connected to the grounding unit 20.

[0031] In this embodiment, the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20 are arranged relatively parallel, and a first support structure 30 is arranged between the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20. The first support structure 30 includes an elastic member 31 and a first support unit 32. The elastic member 31 allows the antenna structure to rebound in time after being compressed, and the first support unit 32 is used to support the radiation unit 10 to ensure that the radiation unit 10 is flat and stable. In this way, the antenna structure can realize the function of longitudinal cross-section expansion and contraction.

[0032] The grounding unit 20 includes a first conductive layer 21, a first thin film layer 22 and a second conductive layer 23 stacked from top to bottom, and the radiation unit 10 includes a third conductive layer 11 and a second thin film layer 12 stacked, wherein the first conductive layer 21 faces the first supporting unit 32 and the second thin film layer 12 is close to the first supporting unit 32.

[0033] The radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20 of this embodiment can both be made of metallized film materials, such as copper-clad PI film (Polyimide Film). In the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20, the first conductive layer 21, the second conductive layer 23 and the third conductive layer 11 are copper-clad material layers, and the first film layer 22 and the second film layer 12 are film material layers. In this way, the antenna structure as a whole is flexible, and can achieve both lateral extension and bending, and longitudinal expansion and contraction. It can be understood that the surface of the copper-clad material layer needs to be protected to avoid oxidation of the copper layer. The protective measures are to plate gold on the surface of the copper layer, or to compound a layer of glass fiber cloth on the surface of the copper layer.

[0034] As one implementation manner, a coupling gap (not shown) is provided on the first conductive layer 21 .

[0035] The antenna structure of this embodiment may adopt a slot coupling feeding method, in which a signal is introduced into the antenna structure through one or more slots or openings to stimulate the radiation of the antenna.

[0036] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional diagram of a first supporting structure according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first support structure 30 includes a plurality of elastic members 31 , and the elastic members 31 include a first elastic member 311 disposed at a center position of the first support unit 32 , and / or a second elastic member 312 disposed at an edge position of the first support unit 32 .

[0037] The first support structure 30 of this embodiment can be composed of 5 elastic members 31 and 1 first support unit 32. Elastic members 31 are installed around and at the center of the first support unit 32 for support, thereby improving the stability and resilience of the antenna structure. In other embodiments, elastic members 31 can also be set at different positions of the first support unit 21, or more or fewer elastic members 31 can be set, as long as the radiation unit 10 can be stably supported.

[0038] The first support unit 32 is hollowed out to form a first connecting rib 321 and a second connecting rib 322 . The first connecting rib 321 connects the first elastic member 311 and the second elastic member 312 , and the second connecting rib 322 connects the plurality of second elastic members 312 .

[0039] The shape of the first support unit 32 can be rectangular, and its size matches the size of the radiation unit 10. The first support unit 32 adopts a "U"-shaped structure to reduce weight, with a hollow design on the four sides, and a square hole is reserved at the installation position of the elastic member 31 for positioning the installation position of the elastic member 31. An "X"-shaped structure is used in the middle of the "U" shape for reinforcement to enhance the stability of the overall structure and improve the flatness of the plane where the radiation unit 10 is located on the first support unit 32. In this way, the antenna structure as a whole can achieve an overall lightweight effect while maintaining stability.

[0040] Optionally, the elastic member 31 includes an insulating spring 3101, a first connecting plate 3102 and a second connecting plate 3103 whose diameters increase from top to bottom; the first connecting plate 3102 is used to connect the radiation unit 10 and the small diameter end of the insulating spring 3101, and the second connecting plate 3103 is used to connect the large diameter end of the insulating spring 3101 and the grounding unit 20.

[0041] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the structure of the elastic member 31 adopts an insulating spring 3101 in the middle, and a first connecting plate 3102 and a second connecting plate 3103 of a flat structure at both ends, so as to increase the contact area between the elastic member 31 and its installation position, strengthen the stability of the entire elastic member 31, and enable the elastic member 31 to maintain surface contact with the corresponding plane after being compressed to the bottom, thereby ensuring the supportability after compression. The middle insulating spring 3101 adopts a tower-shaped structure design, which can improve the support stability of the elastic member 31, and can also reduce the overall weight of the elastic member 31 and improve the compression rate of the entire antenna structure. PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone) material can be used for 3D printing to make the elastic member 31, and the single weight is stable at about 1g. In addition, the first connecting plate 3102, the second connecting plate 3103 and the first support unit 32 are also made of non-metallic materials, such as PTEF (Polytetrafluoroethylene) material. In this way, the surface density of the antenna structure is reduced and the overall weight of the antenna structure is reduced. Experiments have shown that the antenna structure of this embodiment plus other wave control components has a final surface density of 0.9kg / m 2 about.

[0042] The overall height of the elastic member 31 depends on the cross-sectional height of the antenna structure, and is generally about 5 mm higher than the cross-sectional height of the antenna structure, so that the elastic member 31 maintains a certain pre-pressure when assembling the antenna structure to ensure the rebound rate of the antenna structure.

[0043] The elastic member 31 of this embodiment is designed based on the conical spring, which greatly improves the compression rate of the overall elastic member. Since the elastic force of the elastic member should not be too large, the elastic force of the elastic member is stabilized at about 0.5N through structural design adjustment. At present, according to the above technical solution, the support strength of the intermediate medium support structure is analyzed by finite element simulation. The large diameter end of the insulating spring is used as a fixed limit, and the first support unit 32 itself is applied with a uniform force of 10G above the first support unit 32. The maximum load force is nearly 11MPa, which is much smaller than the yield strength of PEEK and PTFE materials. According to the selection of insulating springs, a conical spring with 3 turns and a wire diameter of 1.5mm is designed. After 10,000 cycles of loading in the laboratory, the conical spring with 3 turns and a wire diameter of 1.5mm has passed the test.

[0044] A first reinforcing rib 3104 is disposed at a connection position between the insulating spring 3101 and the first connecting plate 3102 , and / or a second reinforcing rib 3105 is disposed at a connection position between the insulating spring 3101 and the second connecting plate 3103 .

[0045] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the first reinforcing rib 3104 and the second reinforcing rib 3105 are respectively designed at the spiral starting end and the ending end of the insulating spring 3101, which can strengthen the connection and support strength between the insulating spring 3101 and the first connecting plate 3102 and the second connecting plate 3103.

[0046] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional diagram of the antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present application. Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6 A second support structure 40 is also provided between the radiation unit 10 and the ground unit 20. The second support structure 40 can be made of a PI film and is vertically and symmetrically distributed on both sides of the radiation unit 10 to limit the cross-sectional height of the antenna structure and ensure that the rebound height of the antenna structure before and after being compressed is consistent. The second support structure 40 includes a second support unit 41 and a third support unit 42. The second support unit 41 connects one end of the radiation unit 10 and the ground unit 20, and the third support unit 42 connects the other end of the radiation unit 10 and the ground unit 20.

[0047] As one implementation manner, a feeding spring 50 is provided between the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20 .

[0048] The antenna structure of this embodiment can also be interconnected by a feed line with a compression and rebound function, that is, a feed spring 50. For example, the feed spring 50 can be installed in the antenna structure such as Figure 6The position shown can also be installed in other positions to achieve the interconnection between the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20, and the synchronous compression of the feed spring 50 and the elastic member 31 in the first support structure 30. The material of the feed spring 50 can be brass, which is an alloy mainly composed of copper and zinc, to prevent excessive dielectric loss of the antenna structure.

[0049] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna structure with a feeding spring according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the feed spring 50 is composed of a feed spring body 51, a nut 52, a first gasket 53, and a second gasket 54. The feed spring body 51 is formed of a brass wire, and the feed spring body 51 is fixed to the third conductive layer 11 of the radiation unit 10 and the second conductive layer 23 of the grounding unit 20 by using a brass nut 52 and a brass first gasket 53. Second gaskets 54 of insulating material are respectively arranged between the two ends of the feed spring body 51 and the first support unit 32 and the first conductive layer 21, so as to limit the longitudinal freedom of the feed spring body 51 during installation and use, so that the feed spring body 51 will not move up and down, and the first gasket 53 always maintains a planar contact with the conductive layer.

[0050] The embodiment of the present application uses thin film metal materials as the antenna radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20, which better utilizes the ductility and bendability of the thin film material, and greatly reduces the surface density of the overall antenna array, truly realizing a lightweight and flexible antenna structure. Secondly, the supporting structures of the remaining antennas all use rigid structures. The present application uses an elastic member 31 and a first supporting unit 32 to solve the longitudinal expansion and contraction problem of the radiation unit 10, and designs a feeding spring 50 and a gap coupling feeding scheme based on the spring characteristics, increases the cross-sectional compression rate of the overall radiation unit 10, and uses a second supporting structure 40 to support from the side to prevent the cross-sectional height from being higher than the designed height due to excessive elastic force. The weight of the antenna structure is concentrated in the intermediate dielectric support structure, and the weight of an elastic member in the support structure is only about 1g, which is much less than the weight of the remaining supporting structures, thereby reducing the overall weight of the antenna structure.

[0051] This embodiment can quickly complete the preparation of the antenna structure through vacuum hot pressing process and 3D printing technology. Specifically, a metallized composite film is formed by a vacuum hot pressing process, and the edges of the film material of the range area are sealed with sealing tape, and breathable felt, demolding cloth, and plastic sealing bags are used in turn. After that, a vacuum pump is used to extract the internal air to reach a vacuum degree of -0.098MPa, and it is maintained until the high-temperature curing and cooling are completed. During the high-temperature hot pressing process, the vacuum degree is maintained so that the film squeezes out the bubbles in the two composite films during the curing process, making the composite film material smoother and reducing the void rate during the curing process of the film.

[0052] The second support structure 40 is mainly made of polyimide fiber woven into a reinforced cloth, and is vacuum hot-pressed and composited with the radiation unit 10 through a mold using an epoxy film (not limited to epoxy material film), and then pressed with the grounding unit 20. During the pressing process, it is necessary to first use a mold to replace the middle tower spring to ensure that the overall cross-sectional height meets the design height requirements.

[0053] The second support structure 40 can also be formed as an integral unit by the radiation unit 10, by extending the copper-clad PI film of the substrate of the radiation unit 10 in two directions, by etching away the excess copper layer of the radiation unit 10, and by vacuum hot pressing the mold during the composite process; this method requires thickening the thickness of the polyimide film on the basis of the original thickness of the copper-clad PI film to ensure that the second support structure 40 on the side has a certain support strength.

[0054] Taking the unit integrated molding process as an example, adhesive films and glass fiber cloth of corresponding length and width are laid in sequence on the upper and lower parts of the grounding unit 20. After laying the glass fiber cloth, two square adhesive films are cut out at the bottom of the side support surface 3 and attached along the edge.

[0055] Place a square mold with the corresponding height above the center of the laid fiberglass cloth, and paste polytetrafluoroethylene tape on it. Place the first support unit 32 above the mold, and lay the side support surface 3 and the radiation unit 10 along the shape of the mold. Finally, lay the film and fiberglass cloth along the shape of the radiation unit 10. Above the bottom plate mold, lay the breathable felt and demoulding cloth in sequence along the shape of the overall unit to make the two fit tightly. Glue the sealing tape around the bottom mold and lay the plastic bag. First, use the vacuum pump to discharge the air in the bag to make the bag a low vacuum state (i.e. 0-0.1MPa). Check whether there is any air leakage, and adjust the plastic bag to ensure that the vacuum pressure acts evenly on the overall unit. After the inspection is completed, continue to discharge the air in the bag into a negative pressure state. Move the overall mold into the oven and connect the vacuum pump interface simultaneously. After reaching the curing temperature and time, turn on the oven and disassemble it after cooling to room temperature.

[0056] Install the 3D printed insulating spring to the positioning position of the first support unit 32, and use room temperature curing glue at the bottom through the glue dispensing hole reserved for the spring to perform glue injection and curing. The glue used for the elastic member 31 to contact the first support unit 32 and the grounding unit 20 is room temperature curing glue, which needs to be cured for 24 hours. To prevent excessive glue injection, a glue storage tank is reserved on both end planes. When too much glue is injected, the glue will flow into the glue storage tank and there will be no glue overflow; if too little glue is injected and the bonding strength is insufficient, the four glue injection ports on the side of the glue storage tank can be used for glue filling. The width of the glue injection port depends on the inner hole diameter of the glue dispensing machine needle.

[0057] Can be made by CNC spring machine Figure 7In the feed spring structure shown, the thread length is reserved on both sides of the brass wire, and the two ends are respectively penetrated through the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20, and the brass nut 52 and the first gasket 53 are used for threaded fit and fixation, and fully contact the copper layer of the radiation unit 10 and the grounding unit 20. A second gasket 54 is added to the straightening and bending position of the feed spring body 51 to facilitate the longitudinal direction during installation and use. The degree of freedom is limited, so that the feed spring 50 will not move up and down, ensuring that the first gasket 53 always maintains a planar contact with the copper layer. It should be noted that the CNC spring machine (Computer Numeric Controlled Spring Machine) is an automated machine used to manufacture and improve springs. This machine uses computer numerical control (CNC) technology to control the manufacturing process, including the bending, shearing and shaping of the spring, and all operations are precisely programmed.

[0058] The antenna structure of the present application includes: a radiation unit; a grounding unit, which is arranged opposite to the radiation unit; a first support structure, which connects the grounding unit and the radiation unit, and includes at least one elastic member, and a first support unit connecting the elastic member and the radiation unit, wherein one end of the elastic member away from the first support unit is connected to the grounding unit. The antenna structure of the present application has longitudinal expansion and contraction capability, high resilience, and strong stability.

[0059] Second embodiment

[0060] The antenna array of this embodiment includes at least one antenna structure as described in the first embodiment. Figure 8 is a three-dimensional diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, a plurality of antenna structures 4 form an antenna structure column, and each antenna structure column is connected via a connecting plate.

[0061] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present application shall still be covered by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An antenna structure, characterized in that: include: Radiating unit; A grounding unit, arranged opposite to the radiation unit; The first supporting structure connects the grounding unit and the radiation unit, and includes at least one elastic member and a first supporting unit connecting the elastic member and the radiation unit, wherein one end of the elastic member away from the first supporting unit is connected to the grounding unit.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grounding unit includes a first conductive layer, a first thin film layer and a second conductive layer which are stacked, and the radiation unit includes a third conductive layer and a second thin film layer which are stacked, wherein the first conductive layer faces the first supporting unit and the second thin film layer is close to the first supporting unit.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: A coupling gap is provided on the first conductive layer.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A feeding spring is provided between the radiation unit and the grounding unit.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first supporting structure includes a plurality of elastic members, and the elastic members include a first elastic member arranged at a central position of the first supporting unit and / or a second elastic member arranged at an edge position of the first supporting unit.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first supporting unit is hollowed out to form a first connecting rib and a second connecting rib, the first connecting rib connects the first elastic member and the second elastic member, and the second connecting rib connects a plurality of the second elastic members.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic member includes an insulating spring whose diameter increases from top to bottom, a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate; the first connecting plate is used to connect the radiation unit and the small diameter end of the insulating spring, and the second connecting plate is used to connect the large diameter end of the insulating spring and the grounding unit.

8. The antenna structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: A first reinforcing rib is provided at a connection position between the insulating spring and the first connecting plate, and / or a second reinforcing rib is provided at a connection position between the insulating spring and the second connecting plate.

9. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a second supporting structure, which includes a second supporting unit and a third supporting unit. The second supporting unit connects one end of the radiation unit and the grounding unit, and the third supporting unit connects the other end of the radiation unit and the grounding unit.

10. An antenna array, characterized in that: Comprising at least one antenna structure according to any one of claims 1-9.

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