Single-polarization feed connection device suitable for curved surface conformal array antenna

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of curved-surface conformal array antennas, and discloses a single-polarized feed connection device suitable for a curved-surface conformal array antenna, which comprises a rigid structure, a flexible structure and an adjustable connection part, and is characterized in that a grounding welding pin and a center welding pin which are used for welding and feeding with a radiator are arranged at the front end of the single-polarized feed connection device, and the single-polarized feed connection device is used for being mounted between the radiator and a reflecting plate; the flexible structure comprises a flexible cable and a blind plug type connector arranged at one end of the flexible cable, and the flexible cable can be cut to compensate signal transmission phase differences among the feed channels caused by curved surface distribution of the radiator; the adjustable connecting part is connected between the rear end of the rigid structure and the flexible structure. The method has the beneficial effect that the double contradiction between curved surface multi-normal mechanical adaptation and three-dimensional path electrical length compensation is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of curved conformal array antennas, and more specifically to a single-polarization feed connection device suitable for curved conformal array antennas. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional coaxial feeding technology faces a deep structural contradiction when applied to curved conformal array antennas: its design is based on the default assumptions of rigid structures and equal electrical length transmission, which no longer holds true in three-dimensional spatially distributed curved arrays. Because the antenna elements are positioned differently on the curved surface, their physical path lengths and spatial orientations to the back-end centralized interface vary, leading to a non-negligible and irregular phase difference (electrical length deviation) between channels when using fixed-length rigid coaxial components. Existing solutions typically force back-end calibration in the RF or digital domain to compensate for this, increasing system complexity and cost. Therefore, from the feeding physical layer, there is an urgent need for a feeding device that can actively, directly, and precisely control the electrical length of each channel while maintaining mechanical interconnection, in order to achieve the phase consistency necessary for beamforming of the array antenna.

[0003] Existing improved connection devices (such as those described in patent CN109494478B) attempt to optimize space utilization, but fail to overcome the fundamental limitations of purely rigid structures. When applied to multi-port curved surface arrays, they exhibit two interconnected defects: First, the purely rigid connector cannot adapt to differences in the surface normals at each feed point, leading to pullbacks or stress concentrations when interfacing with planar front-end modules, making reliable integrated blind-mating interconnection difficult; second, its fixed-length characteristic completely eliminates the ability to compensate for the electrical length of each channel at the connection level, failing to solve the phase consistency problem and instead shifting the calibration burden entirely to the back-end system. Therefore, existing technologies lack a feed connection scheme that can simultaneously resolve the dual contradiction of mechanical adaptation to multiple surface normals and three-dimensional path electrical length compensation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical issues, the aim is to provide a single-polarization feed connection device suitable for conformal array antennas on curved surfaces, resolving the dual contradiction between multi-normal mechanical adaptation of curved surfaces and three-dimensional path electrical length compensation.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A single-polarization feed connection device suitable for curved conformal array antennas includes a rigid structure, a flexible structure, and an adjustable connection part. The front end is provided with a grounding pin and a center pin for welding feed to a radiator, and is installed between the radiator and a reflector. The flexible structure includes a flexible cable and a blind-plug connector at one end of the flexible cable. The flexible cable is cut to compensate for the signal transmission phase difference between the feed channels caused by the curved distribution of the radiator. The adjustable connection part connects the rear end of the rigid structure to the flexible structure.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Due to its composite configuration—a rigid front-end welded structure, an adjustable-length flexible cable in the middle, and a blind-mating connection at the rear—this device can simultaneously overcome two core challenges of conformal arrays on curved surfaces: First, the rigid structure and welding pins ensure a stable and precise electrical connection with the curved radiator, mechanically adapting to the spatial position of each feed point and avoiding the pull-out or stress concentration problems caused by inconsistent curved surface normals in purely rigid long connectors. Second, the independently cut flexible cable acts as an adjustable electrical length compensation element, allowing for direct and proactive compensation of phase delays introduced by differences in the three-dimensional spatial paths of each unit during assembly. This achieves phase consistency between feed channels at the physical connection layer, shifting and simplifying the calibration burden from the back-end system. Third, the adjustable connection provides a reliable and reusable interface for the rigid and flexible structures, while the blind-mating connector at the end ultimately enables rapid and reliable docking with the planar front-end processing module. Therefore, this connection device resolves the dual contradiction between mechanical adaptation to multiple curved surface normals and electrical length compensation for three-dimensional paths.

[0008] In some embodiments, the rigid structure includes a front conformal portion conforming to the curved surface of the radiator and a rear mounting portion conforming to the curved surface of the reflector. The grounding pin and the center pin are thin-film pins integrally machined from the outer shell and inner conductor of the rigid structure, respectively, with their thickness direction parallel to the bending direction of the pin. Because of the front conformal portion and the rear mounting portion conforming to the curved surfaces of the radiator and reflector, respectively, the rigid structure can closely fit the internal curved surface of the antenna, mechanically adapting to and matching the irregular space of the conformal antenna, providing a stable installation foundation for subsequent reliable connections. Simultaneously, the use of thin-film pins integrally machined from the outer shell and inner conductor of the rigid structure, with their thickness direction parallel to the bending direction, gives the pins both good structural strength and excellent bendability. This allows for flexible and precise bending to the radiator pads within a limited space, improving the convenience of welding operations and the reliability of solder joint connections, effectively solving the problem of achieving high-density, high-reliability feed connections in a confined curved space.

[0009] In some embodiments, the rigid structure housing has an inwardly milled clearance portion on the bending direction corresponding to the central welding pin. The width of the clearance portion is greater than the width of the central welding pin to prevent the central welding pin from short-circuiting after bending and contacting the housing. Because the inwardly milled clearance portion on the rigid structure housing corresponding to the bending direction of the central welding pin is provided, and the width of the clearance portion is greater than the width of the central welding pin, the central welding pin obtains sufficient safety clearance during its outward bending to the welding position. This eliminates the risk of a short circuit between the central conductor and the housing due to welding pin deformation or assembly errors, significantly improving the electrical safety and long-term operational reliability of the power supply connection device.

[0010] In some embodiments, the length of the center welding pin is greater than the length of the grounding welding pin, the cross-section of the center welding pin is rectangular, and the cross-section of the grounding welding pin is arc-shaped. By designing the length of the center feeding welding pin to be greater than that of the grounding welding pin, and making its cross-section rectangular while the grounding welding pin's cross-section is arc-shaped, this structure can precisely match the height and spatial position differences typically present on the positive and negative electrode oscillator pads of the radiator. The rectangular cross-section provides a larger cross-sectional area for the center welding pin to carry the main feed current and enhance rigidity, while the arc-shaped cross-section makes it easier to integrally process the grounding welding pin with the curved shell and adapt to bending, optimizing the electrical and mechanical properties of the welding pins and ensuring optimal welding and electrical connection for both welding pins under complex spatial constraints.

[0011] In some embodiments, the adjustable connection includes a tail connection at the tail end of the rigid structure, the outer periphery of which is provided with an external thread. The rigid structure is fixed to the reflector plate by engaging with the external thread through a first fixing nut and a transition washer. The flexible structure includes a second fixing nut sleeved on the flexible cable. The second fixing nut can engage with the external thread at the tail end of the rigid structure to fix the flexible structure to the rigid structure. The thread specifications of the second fixing nut and the first fixing nut are the same. By employing an adjustable connection structure with an external thread at the tail end of the rigid structure, and fixing it to the reflector plate and the flexible structure respectively through the first fixing nut and the second fixing nut, firstly, the series fixing method using the same external thread maximizes the saving of axial space; secondly, it decouples the installation and fixing of the rigid structure from the butt connection of the flexible structure, allowing for flexible and convenient connection or disassembly of the flexible cable after ensuring the rigid part is securely installed on the curved surface, providing convenience for phase adjustment, module replacement, and maintenance.

[0012] In some embodiments, the transition washer is a metal washer conformally to a local curved surface of the reflector. In the working state, the first fixing nut indirectly forms surface contact with the reflector through the transition washer. Because a metal transition washer conformally to a local curved surface of the reflector is used, when the first fixing nut is tightened, the contact between the nut and the reflector is optimized from traditional point or line contact to a stable surface contact. This increases the contact area of ​​the grounding connection, reduces contact resistance and high-frequency impedance, improves the stability and reliability of RF grounding performance, and effectively improves its long-term electrical contact stability under harsh environments such as vibration and temperature changes.

[0013] In some embodiments, the flexible structure further includes an inner conductor pin and a metal portion. The inner conductor pin is disposed at one end of the flexible cable near the rigid structure, and the metal portion is connected to the end of the flexible cable where the inner conductor pin is disposed. Because the inner conductor pin and metal portion are provided in the flexible structure, and the inner conductor pin is located at the end of the flexible cable near the rigid structure, the flexible cable can achieve a quick and accurate plug-in electrical connection with the center conductor at the tail end of the rigid structure via the inner conductor pin. The metal portion provides a robust mechanical anchor point and electrical connection interface for the shielding layer of the flexible cable, thereby ensuring that the connection between the inner and outer conductors remains stable and reliable under frequent plugging and bending conditions in the flexible transition section.

[0014] In some embodiments, the metal part has solder holes. Solder is applied through the solder holes to form a solder layer between the metal shielding layer of the flexible cable and the inner wall of the metal part. The tail connector includes a shell and inner and outer conductor media. A socket is provided at the center of the tail connector. In the working state, the inner conductor pin is inserted into the socket to form an inner conductor electrical connection. The end face of the metal part abuts against the end face of the shell to form an outer conductor electrical connection. Because of the process of forming a solder layer between the metal shielding layer of the flexible cable and the inner wall of the metal part by opening solder holes in the metal part and using a soldering gun through the solder holes, the connection of the shielding layer no longer depends on external welding or crimping. This allows the solder to fully wrap around and penetrate the shielding layer and the hole wall, forming a 360-degree surrounding connection point with high mechanical strength and excellent conductivity. This completely solves the industry problem of the flexible cable shielding layer being prone to loosening, falling off, or poor contact under high-frequency vibration. Furthermore, a socket is provided at the center of the rigid structure's tail connector, allowing the flexible inner conductor pin to be inserted into this socket during operation. This enables rapid blind mating and precise centering of the inner and outer conductors, greatly simplifying the assembly process and ensuring the continuity and impedance consistency of the inner conductor's signal transmission path. In addition, a design allows the metal end face to directly contact the outer casing end face during operation, creating a large-area, low-impedance metal-surface contact for the outer conductor (grounding loop), providing excellent shielding and grounding pathways for RF signals. In summary, this integrated connection design simultaneously optimizes three major functions within a limited space: inner conductor signal transmission, outer conductor grounding, and shielding layer fixation, achieving a balance between electrical performance, mechanical reliability, and assembly convenience.

[0015] In some embodiments, the blind-mating connector is a BMA connector with a mounting flange, which is fixedly mounted on the antenna mating plate for direct mating with the front-end processing module. By specifically defining the blind-mating connector as a BMA connector with a mounting flange and fixing it to the antenna mating plate, all feed ports of the entire conformal antenna array can achieve one-time, tool-free, and rapid blind mating through the corresponding BMA sockets on their front-end processing module interface boards. This completely changes the traditional inefficient mode of individually tightening threads during multi-port array testing and system integration, greatly improving assembly, testing, and maintenance efficiency.

[0016] In some embodiments, the diameter of the mounting hole on the radiator for passing through the rigid structure is larger than the diameter of the non-threaded portion at the front end of the rigid structure. Because the diameter of the mounting hole on the radiator is designed to be larger than the diameter of the non-threaded portion at the front end of the rigid structure, the rigid structure has a reasonable assembly gap when passing through the radiator. This effectively absorbs and accommodates the dimensional errors and positional deviations that are unavoidable during the manufacturing and assembly of the curved conformal antenna, ensuring that the rigid structure can smoothly pass through the radiator and be precisely positioned, reducing assembly difficulty and improving the yield and consistency of mass production.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. The rigid structure and its integrated welding pins ensure a stable and precise electrical connection with the curved radiator, mechanically adapting to the spatial position of each power supply point, thus avoiding the pull-out or stress concentration problems caused by the inconsistency of the curved surface normal in pure rigid long connectors.

[0019] 2. The flexible cable with independently cut length serves as an adjustable electrical length compensation link, enabling the phase delay introduced by the differences in the three-dimensional spatial paths of each unit to be directly and actively offset during the assembly stage. This achieves phase consistency between power supply channels at the physical connection layer, shifting the calibration burden forward from the back-end system and simplifying the process.

[0020] 3. The adjustable connection provides a reliable and repeatedly pluggable interface for both rigid and flexible structures, while the blind-plug connector at the end ultimately enables fast and reliable docking with the planar front-end processing module. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be considered as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the installation structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the rigid structure in this invention;

[0025] Figure 4 In this invention Figure 3 The right view;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a partial internal structure diagram of the rigid structure in this invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a partial internal structure diagram of the rigid structure in this invention;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the flexible structure in this invention;

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the rigid and flexible structures in this invention;

[0030] Figure 9 For the present invention Figure 8 A magnified view of section K in the middle.

[0031] The attached diagram shows the markings and corresponding component names:

[0032] Radiator 1, Support medium 2, Reflector 3, Rigid structure 40, Transition gasket 41, First fixing nut 42, Grounding pin 43, Center pin 44, Front conformal part 45, Clearance part 46, Tail mounting part 47, Inner and outer conductor dielectric layers 48, Socket 49, Flexible structure 50, Inner conductor pin 51, Flexible cable 52, Metal part 53, Solder hole 531, Metal shielding layer 532, Solder layer 534, Blind-plug BMA connector 54, Second fixing nut 55, Antenna mating plate 60. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0034] Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment," "an example," or "an example" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "an embodiment," "an example," "an example," or "an example" appearing in various places throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable combination and / or sub-combination. Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand that the illustrations provided herein are for illustrative purposes and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0035] In the description of this invention, the terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up", "down", "vertical", "horizontal", "high", "low", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0036] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this invention are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit any order or emphasize importance. Furthermore, the term "connection" as used herein, unless otherwise specified, can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection via other components.

[0037] Example

[0038] like Figures 1-9 As shown, this embodiment provides a single-polarization feed connection device suitable for curved conformal array antennas, including a rigid structure 40, a flexible structure 50, and an adjustable connection part. The front end is provided with a grounding pin 43 and a center pin 44 for welding feed to the radiator 1, which are used to install between the radiator 1 and the reflector 3. The flexible structure 50 includes a flexible cable 52 and a blind-plug BMA connector 54 disposed at one end of the flexible cable 52. The flexible cable 52 can be cut to compensate for the signal transmission phase difference between each feed channel caused by the curved distribution of the radiator 1. The adjustable connection part is connected between the rear end of the rigid structure 40 and the flexible structure 50.

[0039] See Figures 1-6The rigid structure 40 includes a front conformal portion 45 conforming to the curved surface of the radiator 1 and a rear mounting portion 47 conforming to the curved surface of the reflector 3. The grounding solder pin 43 and the center solder pin 44 are thin-film solder pins integrally formed from the outer shell and inner conductor of the rigid structure 40, respectively, and their thickness direction is parallel to the bending direction of the solder pin. Because the front conformal portion 45 and the rear mounting portion 47 conform to the curved surfaces of the radiator 1 and the reflector 3, respectively, the rigid structure 40 can closely fit the internal curved surface of the antenna, mechanically adapting to and matching the irregular space of the conformal antenna, providing a stable mounting foundation for subsequent reliable connection; reducing the contact resistance and high-frequency impedance of the grounding path, reducing signal reflection and loss, and is particularly beneficial for ensuring the grounding performance and amplitude consistency of the array antenna in a wide frequency band, especially in the high-frequency band. Meanwhile, a thin-film welding needle is integrally formed from the rigid structure 40 outer shell and the inner conductor, and its thickness direction is parallel to the bending direction. This gives the welding needle both good structural strength and excellent bendability, allowing it to be flexibly and accurately bent to the radiator 1 pad in a limited space. This improves the convenience of welding operations and the reliability of solder joint connections, effectively solving the problem of achieving high-density and high-reliability power supply connections in a narrow curved space.

[0040] See Figures 1-6 On the outer shell of the rigid structure 40, in the bending direction corresponding to the central welding pin 44, an inwardly milled clearance portion 46 is provided. The width of the clearance portion 46 is greater than the width of the central welding pin 44 to prevent the central welding pin 44 from short-circuiting after bending and contacting the outer shell. Because the inwardly milled clearance portion 46 is provided on the outer shell of the rigid structure 40 corresponding to the bending direction of the central welding pin 44, and the width of the clearance portion 46 is greater than the width of the central welding pin 44, the central welding pin 44 obtains sufficient safety clearance during its outward bending to the welding position. This eliminates the risk of a short circuit between the central conductor and the outer shell due to welding pin deformation or assembly errors, significantly improving the electrical safety and long-term operational reliability of the power supply connection device.

[0041] See Figures 1-6 To ensure reliability and tolerance, specific engineering trade-offs are made, with the length of the center welding pin 44 greater than that of the grounding welding pin 43. The center welding pin 44 has a rectangular cross-section, while the grounding welding pin 43 has an arc-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, since the positive electrode pads on the radiator 1 are typically far from the feed point, the longer center welding pin 44 ensures it can reach the pads. To prevent short circuits with the housing during bending, the depth of the clearance portion 46 is designed accordingly to ensure a safe clearance for the center welding pin 44 even at its maximum bending radius. Simultaneously, the grounding welding pin 43 uses an arc-shaped cross-section, making it easy to integrally machine and bend with the curved housing of the rigid structure 40. These differences in shape and length optimize solderability and electrical isolation under extreme spatial constraints.

[0042] See Figures 1-6 The adjustable connection part includes a tail connection part disposed at the tail end of the rigid structure 40. The outer periphery of the tail connection part is provided with an external thread. The rigid structure 40 is fixed to the reflector plate 3 by engaging with the external thread through a first fixing nut 42 and a transition washer 41. The flexible structure 50 includes a second fixing nut 55 sleeved on the flexible cable 52. The second fixing nut 55 can engage with the external thread at the tail end of the rigid structure 40 to fix the flexible structure 50 to the rigid structure 40. The thread specifications of the second fixing nut 55 and the first fixing nut 42 are the same. By adopting an adjustable connection part structure with an external thread at the tail end of the rigid structure 40 and fixing it to the reflector plate 3 and the flexible structure 50 respectively through the first fixing nut 42 and the second fixing nut 55, firstly, the series fixing method of sharing the same external thread saves axial space to the maximum extent; at the same time, the second fixing nut 55 and the flexible structure 50 are sleeved from the other end of the cable, then the inner conductor pin 51 is connected to the tail end of the rigid structure 40, and finally the second fixing nut 55 is tightened. The first and second fixing nuts 55 share the same external thread on the rigid structure 40. This series locking structure saves axial space to the maximum extent and allows the flexible structure 50 to be disassembled separately without affecting the fixing of the rigid part, which facilitates later maintenance and phase readjustment.

[0043] Specifically, during the assembly and commissioning phase, the initial phase response of each channel is measured using a vector network analyzer. By individually cutting the flexible cable 52 to a specific length, the signal transmission delay (electrical length) of that channel can be precisely increased or decreased, thereby aligning the phase of each channel to the target value. This distributed phase compensation mechanism, implemented at the physical connection layer, replaces traditional centralized electronic or digital calibration, simplifying the system architecture.

[0044] See Figures 2-6 The rigid structure 40 is generally cylindrical, and its interior is filled with inner and outer conductor dielectric layers 48. A central welding pin 44 is located at the axis, and the inner and outer conductor dielectric layers 48 wrap around the outer periphery of a section of the central welding pin 44 located inside the outer shell. The tail connection portion is directly machined from the rigid structure 40.

[0045] See Figures 1-5The transition shim 41 is a metal shim conformally to the local curved surface of the reflector 3. In the working state, the first fixing nut 42 and the reflector 3 form a surface contact. Due to the use of the metal transition shim 41 conformally to the local curved surface of the reflector 3, when the first fixing nut 42 is tightened, the contact between the nut and the reflector 3 is optimized from the traditional point contact or line contact to a stable surface contact. This increases the contact area of ​​the grounding connection, reduces contact resistance and high-frequency impedance, improves the stability and reliability of RF grounding performance, and effectively improves its long-term electrical contact stability under harsh environments such as vibration and temperature changes.

[0046] See Figures 7-9 The flexible structure 50 further includes an inner conductor pin 51 and a metal part 53. The inner conductor pin 51 is disposed at one end of the flexible cable 52 near the rigid structure 40, and the metal part 53 is connected to the end of the flexible cable 52 where the inner conductor pin 51 is disposed. Because the flexible structure 50 includes the inner conductor pin 51 and the metal part 53, and the inner conductor pin 51 is located at the end of the flexible cable 52 near the rigid structure 40, the flexible cable 52 can achieve a quick and accurate plug-in electrical connection with the center conductor at the tail end of the rigid structure 40 through the inner conductor pin 51. The metal part 53 provides a robust mechanical anchor point and electrical connection interface for the shielding layer of the flexible cable 52, thereby ensuring that the connection between the inner and outer conductors remains stable and reliable under frequent plugging and bending conditions in the flexible transition section.

[0047] See Figures 7-9The metal part 53 has a soldering hole 531. Solder is applied through the soldering hole 531 to form a soldering layer 534 between the metal shielding layer 532 of the flexible cable 52 and the inner sidewall of the metal part 53. The tail connection part includes a shell and inner and outer conductor media. The axis of the tail connection part is provided with a socket 49. In the working state, the inner conductor pin 51 is inserted into the socket 49 to form an inner conductor electrical connection. The end face of the metal part 53 abuts against the end face of the shell to form an outer conductor electrical connection. By creating soldering holes 531 on the metal part 53 and using a soldering gun to pass through the soldering holes 531 to form a soldering layer 534 between the metal shielding layer 532 of the flexible cable 52 and the inner wall of the metal part 53, the connection of the shielding layer no longer relies on external welding or crimping. This allows the solder to fully wrap around and penetrate the shielding layer and the hole wall, forming a 360-degree surrounding connection point with high mechanical strength and excellent conductivity. This completely solves the industry problem of the flexible cable 52 shielding layer being prone to loosening, falling off, or poor contact under high-frequency vibration. Furthermore, a socket 49 is set at the center of the connecting part at the tail of the rigid structure 40, and the inner conductor pin 51 of the flexible structure 50 is inserted into this socket 49 in the working state. This enables rapid blind mating and precise centering of the inner and outer conductors, greatly simplifying the assembly process and ensuring the continuity and impedance consistency of the inner conductor signal transmission path. Furthermore, a design is employed that allows the metal part 53 end face to directly contact the outer casing end face during operation, resulting in a large-area, low-impedance metal-surface contact for the outer conductor (grounding loop), providing excellent shielding and grounding pathways for radio frequency signals. In summary, this integrated connection design simultaneously optimizes three major functions—inner conductor signal transmission, outer conductor grounding, and shielding layer fixation—within a limited space, achieving a balance between electrical performance, mechanical reliability, and ease of assembly.

[0048] See Figures 7-9 The blind-mating BMA connector 54 is a BMA connector with a mounting flange. This BMA connector is fixedly mounted on the antenna mating plate 60 for direct mating with the front-end processing module. By specifically defining the blind-mating BMA connector 54 as a BMA connector with a mounting flange and fixing it to the antenna mating plate 60, all feed ports of the entire conformal antenna array can achieve one-time, tool-free, and rapid blind mating through the corresponding BMA sockets on the front-end processing module interface board. This completely changes the traditional inefficient mode of individually tightening threads during multi-port array testing and system integration, greatly improving assembly, testing, and maintenance efficiency.

[0049] See Figures 7-9The diameter of the mounting hole on the radiator 1 for passing through the rigid structure 40 is larger than the diameter of the non-threaded portion at the front end of the rigid structure 40. Because the diameter of the mounting hole on the radiator 1 is designed to be larger than the diameter of the non-threaded portion at the front end of the rigid structure 40, the rigid structure 40 has a reasonable assembly gap when passing through the radiator 1. This effectively absorbs and accommodates the dimensional errors and positional deviations that are unavoidable during the manufacturing and assembly of the curved conformal antenna, ensuring that the rigid structure 40 can smoothly pass through the radiator 1 and be precisely positioned, reducing assembly difficulty and improving the yield and consistency of mass production.

[0050] Specifically, the fixing sequence of the rigid structure 40 is as follows: first, the first fixing nut 42 and the transition washer 41 are fitted onto the external thread of the tail connector, and then they are fixed by passing through the reflector plate 3 and the support medium 2; then, the second fixing nut 55 and the inner conductor pin 51 of the flexible structure 50 are fitted onto the tail end of the flexible cable 52, and the inner conductor pin 51 is inserted into the insertion hole 49 of the tail connector; finally, the second fixing nut 55 is screwed into the same section of thread at the tail of the rigid structure 40, so that the end face of the metal part 53 directly abuts against the end face of the outer shell of the tail connector.

[0051] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A single-polarization feed connection device suitable for curved conformal array antennas, characterized in that, include: A rigid structure with a grounding pin and a center pin at the front end for welding power to the radiator, which are used to install between the radiator and the reflector. The flexible structure includes a flexible cable and a blind-plug connector disposed at one end of the flexible cable. The flexible cable can be cut to compensate for the signal transmission phase difference between the feed channels caused by the curved distribution of the radiator. An adjustable connection is provided between the rear end of the rigid structure and the flexible structure.

2. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rigid structure includes a front conformal portion conforming to the curved surface of the radiator and a tail mounting portion conforming to the curved surface of the reflector. The grounding welding needle and the center welding needle are thin-film welding needles integrally formed from the outer shell and inner conductor of the rigid structure, respectively, and their thickness direction is parallel to the bending direction of the welding needle.

3. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 2, characterized in that, On the outer shell of the rigid structure, in the bending direction corresponding to the central welding pin, there is an inwardly milled clearance portion. The width of the clearance portion is greater than the width of the central welding pin, so as to prevent the central welding pin from short-circuiting after bending and contacting the outer shell.

4. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the center welding needle is greater than the length of the grounding welding needle. The cross-section of the center welding needle is rectangular, and the cross-section of the grounding welding needle is arc-shaped.

5. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable connection includes a tail connection portion disposed at the tail end of the rigid structure. The outer periphery of the tail connection portion is provided with an external thread. The rigid structure is fixed to the reflector plate by engaging with the external thread through a first fixing nut and a transition washer. The flexible structure includes a second fixing nut sleeved on the flexible cable. The second fixing nut can engage with the external thread at the tail end of the rigid structure to fix the flexible structure to the rigid structure. The thread specifications of the second fixing nut are the same as those of the first fixing nut.

6. The single-polarization feed connection device for curved conformal array antennas according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transition shim is a metal shim that conforms to the local curved surface of the reflector. In the working state, the first fixing nut indirectly forms surface contact with the reflector through the transition shim.

7. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flexible structure also includes an inner conductor pin and a metal part. The inner conductor pin is disposed at one end of the flexible cable near the rigid structure, and the metal part is connected to the end of the flexible cable where the inner conductor pin is disposed.

8. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 7, characterized in that, The metal part has soldering holes. Solder is applied through the soldering holes to form a solder layer between the metal shielding layer of the flexible cable and the inner wall of the metal part. The tail connector includes a shell and inner and outer conductor media. The tail connector has a socket at its axis. In the working state, the inner conductor pin is inserted into the socket to form an inner conductor electrical connection. The end face of the metal part abuts against the end face of the shell to form an outer conductor electrical connection.

9. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blind-fit connector is a BMA connector with a mounting flange. The BMA connector is fixedly mounted on the antenna docking plate for direct docking with the front-end processing module.

10. The single-polarization feed connection device for conformal array antennas with curved surfaces according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The diameter of the mounting hole on the radiator for passing through the rigid structure is larger than the diameter of the non-threaded portion at the front end of the rigid structure.

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