Cavity-backed antenna unit and array antenna

Abstract

The present application discloses a cavity-backed antenna unit and an array antenna; the cavity-backed antenna unit includes an outer cover, a radiating unit, a radiating base plate and a radiating electric arm, the upper end surface of the radiating base plate is provided with a metal plate, the lower end surface is provided with a feeding unit, the radiating unit is provided on the metal plate, the outer cover is provided on the outside of the radiating unit, and the radiating electric arm is provided on the lower end surface of the radiating base plate and is provided around the periphery of the feeding unit. In the present application, the compact structural design makes the overall volume of the antenna relatively small, which is convenient for installation and deployment in a limited space, and has the characteristics of simple structure, low cost, easy processing and integration. The structural design of the cavity-backed antenna unit has good versatility and compatibility, which facilitates the formation of an array antenna with multiple units. Due to its compact structure and excellent electromagnetic performance, the layout and connection between the cavity-backed antenna units can be conveniently carried out during the array integration process, reducing the difficulty of designing and manufacturing the array antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a cavity-backed antenna unit and an array antenna. Background Art

[0002] As today's communications technology moves toward high speed, high capacity, and low latency, the millimeter wave band has attracted significant attention due to its abundant spectrum resources and holds great promise for 5G and future 6G communications. However, millimeter waves present numerous challenges for antenna design. Traditional low-band antennas are significantly reduced in size when used in millimeter wave bands. For example, quarter-wavelength monopole antennas not only require demanding machining precision for millimeter wave applications, but are also highly susceptible to subtle environmental fluctuations. Hand-held obstructions can distort the radiation pattern, making it difficult to maintain stable performance. Furthermore, millimeter wave signals have unique propagation characteristics. While highly directional, they suffer from significant path loss and rain attenuation, and obstacles in urban environments further impact them. While narrow-beam antennas offer gain for point-to-point communications, they lack wide-area coverage. In connected vehicle scenarios, where vehicles travel at high speeds and the environment is volatile, narrow beams can easily disrupt communications, impacting traffic safety and information exchange.

[0003] Dielectric cavity-backed antenna arrays are gaining increasing attention due to their ability to control radiation direction, increase gain, and improve electromagnetic compatibility. However, their application in the millimeter wave band presents numerous challenges. First, the beamwidth is insufficient. When using 5G millimeter wave hotspots in indoor public spaces, existing designs struggle to fully cover the target area, and signal fluctuations are common when users move around. Second, inter-element coupling is significant. Because the spacing is close to the millimeter wave wavelength, electromagnetic interference reduces radiation efficiency and distorts the beam, for which no effective solution exists. Third, the manufacturing process is complex and costly, with numerous challenges at every stage, from materials to microfabrication. This consumes significant manpower, material resources, and time, hindering commercial application.

[0004] To sum up, with the booming development of the millimeter wave frequency band, there is an urgent need for a new type of wide-beam dielectric cavity-backed antenna in the millimeter wave frequency band to overcome the difficulties of existing technologies in terms of insufficient beam width, prominent coupling effect, complex manufacturing process and high cost, so as to adapt to the increasingly complex communication environment and diversified application scenarios, and promote the widespread popularization of millimeter wave communication technology in various fields. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main technical problem solved by this application is to provide a cavity-backed antenna unit and an array antenna to solve the problems of the prior art in terms of insufficient beam width, prominent coupling effect, complex manufacturing process and high cost.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in this application is to provide a cavity-backed antenna unit, including an outer cover, a radiating unit, a radiating base plate and a radiating electric arm, the upper end surface of the radiating base plate is provided with a metal plate, and the lower end surface is provided with a feeding unit, the radiating unit is provided on the metal plate, the outer cover is provided on the outside of the radiating unit, the radiating electric arm is provided on the lower end surface of the radiating base plate, and is surrounded by the periphery of the feeding unit.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the outer cover is circular, square or polygonal, and a first center hole is opened in the middle of the outer cover along the axial direction. The first center hole passes through the outer cover, and the cross-section of the first center hole is adapted to the cross-section of the radiation unit.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the radiation unit is circular, square or polygonal, and a second center hole is opened in the middle of the radiation unit along the axial direction. The second center hole passes through the radiation unit, and the cross-section of the second center hole is adapted to the cross-section of the radiation unit.

[0009] In some embodiments, a first cross hole and a second cross hole are cross-set at the center of the metal plate, and the centers of the first cross hole and the second cross hole correspond to the center of the metal plate. The first cross hole and the second cross hole are used to transmit or match the coupling current of the feeding unit.

[0010] In some embodiments, the feeding unit includes an extension portion and a connecting portion, the inner end of the extension portion extends to the middle of the radiation base plate, the outer end of the extension portion is flush with the edge of the radiation base plate, the connecting portion extends upward from the outer end of the extension portion, and the upper end of the extension portion is flush with the upper end surface of the radiation base plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the radiating electric arm is circular, square or polygonal, and a third center hole is opened in the middle of the radiating electric arm along the axial direction. The third center hole passes through the radiating electric arm, and the cross-section of the third center hole is adapted to the cross-section of the radiating unit.

[0012] In some embodiments, a cutout is provided on the radiating arm directly below the feeding unit, and the cutout is used to reduce interference of the radiating arm on the feeding unit.

[0013] In some embodiments, there is a gap between the inner wall of the outer cover and the outer wall of the radiation unit, and the width of the gap is smaller than the thickness of the outer cover; the height of the radiation electric arm is greater than the height of the outer cover, and the height of the outer cover is greater than the height of the radiation unit; the side length of the outer cover is greater than the side length of the radiation electric arm, and the side length of the radiation electric arm is greater than the side length of the radiation unit; the thickness of the radiation unit is greater than the thickness of the outer cover, and the thickness of the outer cover is greater than the thickness of the radiation electric arm; two opposite vertices of the outer cover coincide with the edge of the radiation base plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer cover is made of plastic or a degradable material, the radiation unit is made of ceramic material or a multilayer laminate including ceramic material, the radiation base is made of a multilayer material combining plastic and metal, and the metal plate and the radiation arm are made of metal material.

[0015] The present application also provides an array antenna, comprising a plurality of the cavity-back antenna units, wherein the plurality of cavity-back antenna units are arrayed to form the array antenna, wherein the cavity-back antenna units are arrayed outward with the vertices as connection points, and the vertices of the cavity-back antenna units are connected to the vertices of other cavity-back antenna units.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: in the present application, the radiation unit is arranged inside the outer cover, and the two are arranged on the top of the radiation base plate. The two serve as the unit radiation part of the back cavity antenna, respectively realizing the wide beam and wide bandwidth performance of the back cavity antenna unit; and effectively constraining the propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave, reducing the leakage and interference of the electromagnetic wave, and reducing the coupling effect, thereby improving the radiation efficiency and directivity of the antenna, so that the antenna can more effectively concentrate the energy in a specific direction for radiation, and enhance the transmission distance and quality of the signal. A metal plate is provided on the top of the radiation base plate, which is used as the radiation floor of the dielectric back cavity antenna unit. The metal plate can reflect and guide electromagnetic waves, which helps to optimize the radiation characteristics of the radiation unit. The radiation pattern of the radiation unit can be adjusted so that the antenna has a stronger radiation gain in a specific direction, thereby improving the directivity of the antenna. A feeding unit is provided on the back of the metal plate, which is used as a feeder port; the radiation arm is used as an antenna arm. The radiating arm can adjust the input impedance of the antenna to better match it with the feeding system, reduce signal reflection, and improve energy transmission efficiency; at the same time, the radiating arm can also shield the interference signals around the feeding unit, avoid adverse effects on the normal operation of the radiating unit, and further improve the electromagnetic performance of the antenna.

[0017] In this application, the compact structural design makes the antenna relatively small overall, facilitating installation and deployment within limited spaces. It features a simple, low-cost structure and easy processing and integration. The structural design of the cavity-backed antenna unit offers excellent versatility and compatibility, facilitating the integration of multiple units into an array antenna. Due to its compact structure and excellent electromagnetic performance, the cavity-backed antenna units can be easily arranged and connected during array integration, reducing the design and manufacturing complexity of the array antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a structural diagram according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an explosion structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exploded side view structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic top view of the structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 is a bottom-up structural diagram according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic top view of a metal plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 7 is a front view structural diagram of a radiation arm according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 9 1 is a schematic diagram of a top view of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the reflection coefficient of a cavity-backed antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 11 1 is a schematic diagram of the main polarization gain and cross-polarization gain of a cavity-backed antenna unit at 26.4 GHz and Phi of 0° according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the main polarization gain and cross-polarization gain of a cavity-backed antenna unit at 26.4 GHz and Phi of 90° according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 133D gain pattern of a cavity-backed antenna unit at 26.4 GHz according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the reflection coefficient of the array antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 15 2 is a schematic diagram of the main polarization gain and cross-polarization gain of the array antenna at 26.4 GHz and Phi of 0° according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 16 1 is a schematic diagram of the main polarization gain and cross-polarization gain of the array antenna at 26.4 GHz and Phi of 90° according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 17 is the 3D gain pattern of the array antenna at 26.4 GHz according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] In the figure, 1. outer cover, 11. first center hole, 2. radiation unit, 21. second center hole, 3. radiation base plate, 4. radiation arm, 41. third center hole, 42. cutout, 5. metal plate, 51. first cross hole, 52. second cross hole, 6. feeding unit, 61. extension part, 62. connection part, 10. back cavity antenna unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed on” or “set on” another component, it can be directly on the other component or indirectly set on the other component; when a component is referred to as being “connected to” another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or indirectly connected to the other component.

[0038] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Thus, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" and "several" mean two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0040] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the conditions under which this application can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modification, change in proportional relationship or adjustment of size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this application without affecting the efficacy and purpose that can be achieved by this application.

[0041] For the description of this application, the non-limiting Figure 1 The marks “front”, “rear”, “up”, “down”, “left” and “right” shown in the drawings are used to facilitate understanding of the embodiment and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0042] Figures 1-17 An embodiment of the cavity-backed antenna unit and array antenna of the present application is shown. The cavity-backed antenna unit includes an outer cover 1, a radiating unit 2, a radiating base plate 3 and a radiating electric arm 4. The upper end surface of the radiating base plate 3 is provided with a metal plate 5, and the lower end surface is provided with a feeding unit 6. The radiating unit 2 is arranged on the metal plate 5, the outer cover 1 is arranged on the outside of the radiating unit 2, and the radiating electric arm 4 is arranged on the lower end surface of the radiating base plate 3 and surrounded by the feeding unit 6.

[0043] In the present application, the radiation unit 2 is disposed inside the outer cover 1, and the two are disposed on the top of the radiation base plate 3. The two serve as the unit radiation parts of the cavity-backed antenna, respectively realizing the wide beam and wide bandwidth performance of the cavity-backed antenna unit; and effectively constraining the propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave, reducing the leakage and interference of the electromagnetic wave, and reducing the coupling effect, thereby improving the radiation efficiency and directivity of the antenna, enabling the antenna to more effectively concentrate energy in a specific direction for radiation, and enhancing the transmission distance and quality of the signal. A metal plate 5 is disposed on the top of the radiation base plate 3 and is used as the radiation floor of the dielectric cavity-backed antenna unit. The metal plate 5 can reflect and guide electromagnetic waves, helping to optimize the radiation characteristics of the radiation unit 2. The radiation pattern of the radiation unit 2 can be adjusted so that the antenna has a stronger radiation gain in a specific direction, thereby improving the directivity of the antenna. A feeding unit 6 is provided on the back of the metal plate 5 and is used as a feeder port; the radiation arm 4 is used as the antenna arm. The radiating arm 4 can adjust the input impedance of the antenna so that it better matches the feeding system, reduce signal reflection, and improve energy transmission efficiency; at the same time, the radiating arm 4 can also shield the interference signals around the feeding unit 6, avoid adverse effects on the normal operation of the radiating unit 2, and further improve the electromagnetic performance of the antenna.

[0044] In this application, the compact structural design makes the antenna relatively small overall, making it easy to install and deploy in limited spaces. It features a simple structure, low cost, and easy processing and integration. The structural design of the cavity-backed antenna unit offers excellent versatility and compatibility, facilitating the integration of multiple cavity-backed antenna units into an array antenna. Due to its compact structure and excellent electromagnetic performance, the cavity-backed antenna units can be easily arranged and connected during array integration, reducing the design and manufacturing complexity of the array antenna.

[0045] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cross-section of the outer cover 1 can be circular, square, or polygonal. A first central hole 11 is opened in the middle of the outer cover 1 along the axial direction. The first central hole 11 passes through the outer cover 1. The cross-section of the first central hole 11 is adapted to the cross-section of the radiation unit 2. Adaptation in this application refers to similarity in shape, or proportional enlargement or reduction of the shape.

[0046] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cross-section of the outer cover 1 is a regular hexagon, and the cross-section of the first central hole 11 is also a regular hexagon. The sides of the outer cover 1 are parallel to the sides of the first central hole 11. The regular hexagonal design of the outer cover 1 can achieve a 3dB beamwidth expansion for the unit antenna while tuning the standing wave ratio of the cavity-backed antenna unit.

[0047] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the height H1 of the outer cover 1 is 3 mm and the thickness T1 is 0.5 mm.

[0048] In some embodiments, the outer cover 1 may be made of plastic or a biodegradable material. Examples of plastic include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and ABS resin. Examples of biodegradable materials include polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polycaprolactone (PCL), biodegradable polyester plastic (PBSA), bio-based plastic (NPPM), polypropylene carbonate resin (PPC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyglycolic acid (PGA).

[0049] In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the outer cover 1 is 2.7, and the dielectric plate loss angle tanδ is 0.0015.

[0050] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the radiation unit 2 can be circular, square, or polygonal, etc. A second central hole 21 is provided in the middle of the radiation unit 2 along the axial direction. The second central hole 21 passes through the radiation unit 2 , and the cross-section of the second central hole 21 matches the cross-section of the radiation unit 2 .

[0051] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cross-section of the radiating element 2 is a regular hexagon, and the cross-section of the second central hole 21 is also a regular hexagon. The sides of the radiating element 2 are parallel to the sides of the second central hole 21. The sides of the radiating element 2 are also parallel to the sides of the outer cover 1. This effectively increases the antenna's reflection bandwidth, achieving broadband antenna specifications in the millimeter wave band.

[0052] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the height H2 of the radiation unit 2 is 1.524 mm, and the thickness T2 is 0.8 mm.

[0053] In some embodiments, the material of the radiating element 2 can be a ceramic material or a multilayer laminate including ceramic materials, such as oxide ceramics, nitride ceramics, carbide ceramics, and metal ceramics. By using different ceramic materials, the relative dielectric constant of the cavity-backed antenna unit can be changed, thereby optimizing the effective size of the cavity-backed antenna unit and further increasing its operating bandwidth.

[0054] In some embodiments, the radiation unit 2 is made of a multilayer laminate of ceramic material, with a relative dielectric constant of 6.15 and a dielectric plate loss angle tanδ=0.0025.

[0055] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the radiation base plate 3 can be circular, square, polygonal, etc.

[0056] Further, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the cross section of the radiation bottom plate 3 is a square, the side length L3 of the radiation bottom plate 3 is 6 mm, and the thickness T3 is 0.252 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, the radiating base plate 3 can be made of a multilayer material, perhaps a combination of plastic and metal, with a plastic layer serving as the base material. The plastic can be made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroethylene propylene (FEP), or soluble polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA). The upper and lower surfaces of the plastic layer can be plated with metal materials such as gold, silver, and / or tin. The relative dielectric constant of the radiating base plate 3 is 2.2, and the dielectric loss factor tanδ is 0.0009.

[0058] In some embodiments, a metal plate 5 is laid on the upper end surface of the radiation base plate 3 , and the metal plate 5 is used as the floor of the cavity-backed antenna unit.

[0059] In some embodiments, the metal plate 5 may be made of copper, aluminum, steel, stainless steel or other metal materials.

[0060] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the metal plate 5 is in the shape of a square, with a side length of 6 mm and a thickness of 0.01 mm.

[0061] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, a first cross hole 51 and a second cross hole 52 are arranged in a cross arrangement at the center of the metal plate 5, and the centers of the first cross hole 51 and the second cross hole 52 correspond to the center of the metal plate 5. The first cross hole 51 and the second cross hole 52 serve as gaps in the metal plate 5 for transmitting / matching the coupling current of the feeding port.

[0062] In some embodiments, the intersection angle between the first intersection hole 51 and the second intersection hole 52 can be 0° to 180°.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first cross hole 51 is perpendicular to the second cross hole 52 , and edges of the first cross hole 51 and the second cross hole 52 are parallel or perpendicular to edges of the metal plate 5 .

[0064] In some embodiments, the shapes of the first cross hole 51 and the second cross hole 52 can be rectangular, elliptical, keyway-shaped, etc.

[0065] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, the first cross hole 51 and the second cross hole 52 have the same shape, both being rectangular. The length L1 of the first cross hole 51 and the second cross hole 52 is 3.4 mm, and the width W1 is 0.4 mm.

[0066] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a feed unit 6 is provided on the lower end surface of the radiating base plate 3. The feed unit 6 extends outward from the middle of the radiating base plate 3, with the edges of the feed unit 6 being parallel or perpendicular to the edges of the radiating base plate 3. The feed unit 6 serves as the feed port of the cavity-backed antenna unit, connecting to a radiation source, matching a 50-ohm radiation signal, and radiating energy for the cavity-backed antenna unit.

[0067] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the feeding unit 6 includes an extension portion 61 and a connecting portion 62. The inner end of the extension portion 61 extends to the middle of the radiation base plate 3, and the outer end of the extension portion 61 is flush with the edge of the radiation base plate 3. The connecting portion 62 extends upward from the outer end of the extension portion 61, and the upper end of the extension portion 61 is flush with the upper end surface of the radiation base plate 3.

[0068] In some embodiments, the shape of the extension portion 61 and the connection portion 62 can be rectangular, elliptical, or keyway-shaped.

[0069] Furthermore, the extension portion 61 and the connection portion 62 are both rectangular in shape.

[0070] In some embodiments, the material of the feeding unit 6 can be a conductive metal material, such as copper, aluminum, or other metal materials.

[0071] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the radiating arm 4 is disposed on the lower end surface of the feed unit 6. The cross-section of the radiating arm 4 can be circular, square, or polygonal. A third central hole 41 is defined in the middle of the radiating arm 4 along its axis. The third central hole 41 extends through the radiating arm 4, and the cross-section of the third central hole 41 matches the cross-section of the radiating element 2. The radiating arm 4 serves as the cavity arm of the cavity-backed antenna unit. Unlike conventional solid cavity structures, the radiating arm 4 adopts a hollow design, which can simulate the effect of an arm when the cavity-backed antenna unit is operating and radiating, thereby suppressing coupling current.

[0072] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the cross section of the radiation arm 4 is a regular hexagon, with a height H3 of 5 mm and a thickness T4 of 0.3 mm.

[0073] In some embodiments, the radiation arm 4 may be made of metal materials such as copper, aluminum, steel, or stainless steel.

[0074] In some embodiments, the radiation arm 4 is made of stainless steel, with a relative dielectric constant of 1 and a dielectric plate loss angle tanδ=0.

[0075] In some embodiments, a cutout 42 is provided on the radiation arm 4 directly below the feeding unit 6 . The cutout 42 on the radiation arm 4 is used to reduce interference of the radiation arm 4 on the feeding unit 6 .

[0076] In some embodiments, as Figure 7 As shown, the shape of the cutout 42 is rectangular, with a length L2 of 1.92 mm and a width W2 of 0.5 mm.

[0077] In some embodiments, the cross-sections of the housing 1, radiating element 2, and radiating arm 4 are all regular hexagons, with parallel sides. The unique boundary conditions and internal field distribution of the regular hexagonal structure facilitate the regulation of electromagnetic signal propagation paths, optimize antenna radiation patterns, and enhance electromagnetic compatibility, opening new avenues for performance upgrades in electronic equipment such as communications and radar.

[0078] In some embodiments, the outer cover 1 is made of polylactic acid (PLA), the radiating element 2 is made of a multilayer ceramic laminate, the radiating base plate 3 is based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the metal plate 5 is made of copper, the feed unit 6 is made of copper, and the radiating arm 4 is made of stainless steel. These materials offer significant advantages such as affordability and widespread availability, effectively reducing raw material costs. They are also designed in tandem with materials such as stainless steel and ceramic substrates that possess excellent physical properties and adaptability. Stainless steel, with its outstanding mechanical strength and stability, provides solid support for the antenna structure, ensuring reliable operation in complex environments. The ceramic substrate, with its excellent insulation and thermal conductivity, optimizes the antenna's electrical performance and improves signal transmission efficiency. This application demonstrates the superior low cost and ease of fabrication in the design and selection of millimeter-wave wide-beam antenna arrays, providing a highly cost-effective and practical design solution.

[0079] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, there is a gap between the inner wall of the outer cover 1 and the outer wall of the radiation unit 2 , and the width of the gap is smaller than the thickness of the outer cover 1 .

[0080] In some embodiments, the height of the radiating arm 4 is greater than the height of the outer cover 1, which is greater than the height of the radiating element 2. The side length of the outer cover 1 is greater than the side length of the radiating arm 4, which is greater than the side length of the radiating element 2. The thickness of the radiating element 2 is greater than the thickness of the outer cover 1, which is greater than the thickness of the radiating arm 4.

[0081] In some embodiments, two opposite vertices of the outer cover 1 coincide with edges of the radiation base plate 3, thereby saving space occupied by the cavity-backed antenna unit.

[0082] In some embodiments, as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the cavity-backed antenna unit 10 can be used independently or in an array, and multiple cavity-backed antenna units 10 can be arrayed to form an array antenna.

[0083] In some embodiments, as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the cavity-backed antenna units 10 are arrayed outward with the vertices as connection points. Each vertex of the cavity-backed antenna unit 10 can be connected to another cavity-backed antenna unit 10. The radiation base plate can be manufactured as a whole.

[0084] In an array antenna, the electromagnetic coupling between each cavity-backed antenna unit can be controlled through reasonable design to ensure the overall performance of the array antenna. The array antenna based on such cavity-backed antenna units can be flexibly configured according to different application requirements. For example, by adjusting the number, spacing, and arrangement of cavity-backed antenna units, different performance indicators such as beam pointing, beam width, and gain can be achieved to meet the needs of diverse application scenarios such as communications and radar. The regular hexagonal structure adopted in the cavity-backed antenna unit has outstanding advantages in heat dissipation and structural support, which helps to achieve the wide beam characteristics of the cavity-backed antenna unit; it is conducive to the modular assembly of the array antenna and helps in the processing design when the antenna is arrayed; while the cavity-backed antenna unit has high gain performance, the materials used are cheap and easy to integrate, which also highlights the advantages of the wide beam array antenna such as low cost and easy integration.

[0085] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the reflection coefficient of the cavity-backed antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 shown. Figure 10 The horizontal axis is frequency and the vertical axis is gain. Figure 10 It is explained that the back-cavity antenna unit of the present application has an excellent reflection coefficient in the frequency band of 24GHz-31.5GHz. The operating frequency band of the unit antenna meets the requirements of millimeter-wave broadband design. At the same time, the back-cavity antenna unit has an optimal resonance point at 26.4GHz; it is conducive to calculating the unit antenna radiation pattern and confirming the antenna array radiation pattern based on the resonance point.

[0086] Figure 11 and Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the main polarization gain and cross-polarization gain of a cavity-backed antenna unit at 26.4 GHz when Phi is 0° and 90° according to one embodiment of the present application; Figure 11 and Figure 12The 2D gain diagrams of the E-plane and H-plane of the broadband cavity-backed antenna unit are shown respectively. The diagram further illustrates that the cavity-backed antenna unit maintains a good master-slave polarization contrast on both planes. The solid line represents the main polarization mode of the antenna, and the dotted line represents the cross-polarization mode of the antenna. The difference between the two is nearly 40dB, indicating that the gain mode of the cavity-backed antenna unit is mainly linearly polarized radiation. At the same time, the 3dB radiation bandwidth of the cavity-backed antenna unit is nearly 140°. The cavity-backed antenna unit proposed in this application can be used as an excellent wide-beam radiation unit for array design.

[0087] Figure 13 3D gain pattern of a cavity-backed antenna unit at 26.4 GHz according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 13 This indicates that when the cavity-backed antenna unit radiates in space, the maximum gain can reach 7dBi.

[0088] In some embodiments, Figure 11-13 It is illustrated that the wide-beam dielectric cavity-backed antenna with a honeycomb structure in this embodiment is very suitable for use in millimeter-wave wide-beam array antennas.

[0089] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the reflection coefficient of the array antenna according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 14 It is shown that the reflection coefficients of the dielectric cavity-backed array antenna and the unit cavity-backed antenna in this embodiment are consistent, and both have excellent reflection standing waves within the operating frequency band.

[0090] Figure 15 and Figure 16 1 is a schematic diagram of the main polarization gain and cross-polarization gain of the array antenna at 26.4 GHz, when Phi is 0° and 90° according to one embodiment of the present application; Figure 15 and Figure 16 The 2D gain diagrams of the E-plane and H-plane of the broadband cavity-backed antenna array are respectively displayed. The diagram further illustrates that the cavity-backed array antenna designed in the present invention maintains good master-slave polarization contrast on both planes, where the solid line represents the main polarization mode of the antenna and the dotted line represents the cross-polarization mode of the antenna. The minimum difference between the two is nearly 20dB, indicating that the gain mode of the array antenna is mainly linearly polarized radiation. In addition, the present application can further improve the wide-beam scanning capability of the millimeter-wave dielectric cavity-backed antenna array by optimizing the number of array antennas / unit spacing / thickness of the radiation base plate.

[0091] Figure 17 3D gain pattern of the array antenna at 26.4 GHz according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 17 This indicates that when the cavity-backed antenna unit radiates in space, the maximum gain can reach 15.1dBi.

[0092] The above are merely embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A cavity-backed antenna unit, characterized in that: The invention comprises an outer cover, a radiating unit, a radiating bottom plate and a radiating electric arm, wherein the upper end surface of the radiating bottom plate is provided with a metal plate, the lower end surface is provided with a feeding unit, the radiating unit is provided on the metal plate, the outer cover is provided on the outside of the radiating unit, the radiating electric arm is provided on the lower end surface of the radiating bottom plate and surrounds the outer periphery of the feeding unit; There is a gap between the inner wall of the outer cover and the outer wall of the radiating unit, and the width of the gap is smaller than the thickness of the outer cover; the height of the radiating arm is greater than the height of the outer cover, and the height of the outer cover is greater than the height of the radiating unit; the side length of the outer cover is greater than the side length of the radiating arm, and the side length of the radiating arm is greater than the side length of the radiating unit; the thickness of the radiating unit is greater than the thickness of the outer cover, and the thickness of the outer cover is greater than the thickness of the radiating arm; two opposite vertices of the outer cover coincide with the edges of the radiating base plate; The cross section of the outer cover is circular, square or polygonal, and a first central hole is opened in the middle of the outer cover along the axial direction. The first central hole passes through the outer cover, and the cross section of the first central hole is adapted to the cross section of the radiation unit; The cross section of the radiation unit is circular, square or polygonal, and a second center hole is opened in the middle of the radiation unit along the axial direction. The second center hole passes through the radiation unit, and the cross section of the second center hole is adapted to the cross section of the radiation unit.

2. The cavity-backed antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: A first cross hole and a second cross hole are arranged crosswise at the center of the metal plate, the centers of the first cross hole and the second cross hole correspond to the center of the metal plate, and the first cross hole and the second cross hole are used to transmit or match the coupling current of the feeding unit.

3. The cavity-backed antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The feeding unit includes an extension portion and a connecting portion, the inner end of the extension portion extends to the middle of the radiation base plate, the outer end of the extension portion is flush with the edge of the radiation base plate, the connecting portion extends upward from the outer end of the extension portion, and the upper end of the extension portion is flush with the upper end surface of the radiation base plate.

4. The cavity-backed antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The cross section of the radiation arm is circular, square or polygonal, and a third center hole is opened in the middle of the radiation arm along the axial direction. The third center hole passes through the radiation arm, and the cross section of the third center hole is adapted to the cross section of the radiation unit.

5. The cavity-backed antenna unit according to claim 4, wherein: A cutout is provided on the radiation arm directly below the feeding unit, and the cutout is used to reduce interference of the radiation arm on the feeding unit.

6. The cavity-backed antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The outer cover is made of plastic or degradable material, the radiation unit is made of ceramic material or a multilayer laminate including ceramic material, the radiation base is made of a multilayer material combining plastic and metal, and the metal plate and the radiation arm are made of metal material.

7. An array antenna, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of cavity-back antenna units as described in any one of claims 1-6, and an array of a plurality of cavity-back antenna units forms the array antenna, wherein the cavity-back antenna units are arrayed outward with the vertices as connection points, and the vertices of the cavity-back antenna units are connected to the vertices of other cavity-back antenna units.

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