Flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and flexible substrate thereof

Abstract

The application relates to a flexible hinge assembly of a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof, and belongs to the technical field of flexible support of a radiator. The device comprises a center adapter base, both ends of the top of the center adapter base are symmetrically provided with flexible hinge structures and limiting buffer structures, the bottom of the center adapter base is connected with a radiator connecting plate, the radiator connecting plate is fixedly connected with an external radiator, one end of the flexible hinge structure away from the center adapter base is fixedly connected with a substrate connecting plate, and the top of the substrate connecting plate is provided with a flexible substrate. The application solves the problems of warping, cracking and delamination of the existing radiator, greatly improves the service life of the structure, the hollow area is deformed according to the changes of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm, sufficient deformation space is ensured, the limiting buffer structure of the first elastic flexible rib and the second elastic flexible rib is arranged in the hollow area, the maximum deformation amount of the flexible hinge is accurately limited, and structural fatigue fracture caused by excessive deformation is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flexible support technology for radiators, and more specifically to a flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and its flexible substrate. Background Technology

[0002] As a core front-end component in wireless communication, radar detection, and satellite navigation systems, the structural form and surface flatness of the antenna radiator directly determine the boundary efficiency and phase consistency of its electromagnetic radiation performance. In actual engineering service, the radiator must withstand the coupling effects of multiple physical fields, including alternating high and low temperature thermal loads, broadband mechanical vibrations, installation prestress, and aerodynamic wind pressure. This can easily induce structural instability phenomena such as substrate warping, stress concentration, and the initiation of microcracks. Such deformation not only leads to excessive flatness deviations on the radiating surface but also causes electrical performance parameters such as antenna gain drops and a sharp deterioration in VSWR, ultimately severely weakening the detection range and communication reliability of equipment in complex battlefield or satellite-to-ground link environments. Therefore, high demands are placed on the adaptive adjustment capability of the supporting structure.

[0003] Currently, most mainstream products on the market use a rigid bracket direct connection assembly paradigm. This connection method lacks displacement flexibility and thermodynamic compensation mechanisms. Due to the significant mismatch in the thermal expansion coefficients between the radiating substrate and the mounting base under drastic temperature changes, the rigid constraint directly leads to the ineffective release of accumulated internal stress at the interface. Under long-term cyclic stress, the structure is prone to fatigue cracking, interface delamination, or plastic creep, causing the phase center of the radiator to drift and the radiation pattern to be distorted. Although rigid connections have the advantage of initial positioning stiffness, their zero-tolerance characteristics make it impossible to take into account thermal deformation coordination. In essence, the reliability pressure is completely transferred to the material itself, making it difficult to meet the stringent requirements of modern high-precision phased array antennas for structural robustness throughout their entire life cycle.

[0004] To mitigate the drawbacks of rigidity, the industry has proposed a few flexible support configurations in recent years. However, existing designs are mostly limited to single-degree-of-freedom arc-shaped thin-film hinges, which have a single deformation path, making it difficult to decouple and control bending stiffness and damping characteristics. Furthermore, they lack effective limiting and stopping designs, making them highly susceptible to resonance-induced large-scale creep or low-cycle fatigue fracture under overload excitation. More critically, the flexible hinges and adapter bases generally use separate threaded or pin assemblies. The repetitive positioning errors caused by the fitting gaps significantly degrade the initial assembly accuracy of the radiating array, and are more prone to exacerbating contact fretting wear in continuous vibration environments, leading to preload relaxation. In addition, while integral flexible substrates possess full-range deformation capabilities, insufficient local stiffness makes it difficult to maintain reference flatness, exposing the contradiction between flexibility and rigidity. Therefore, constructing a support structure that combines thermal dimensional stability, multi-directional stiffness adjustment, and integrated limiting functions has become a key technological direction for overcoming the performance bottlenecks of antenna equipment on highly mobile platforms. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and its flexible substrate, so as to solve the problems of the existing flexible hinge structure design being simple, having a single deformation direction and uncontrollable stiffness.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and its flexible substrate, comprising: a central transition base, wherein flexible hinge structures are symmetrically arranged on the top of the central transition base; a radiator connecting plate connected to the bottom of the central transition base for fixing to an external radiator; a substrate connecting plate connected to the end of the flexible hinge structure away from the central transition base; and a flexible substrate disposed on the substrate connecting plate; the flexible hinge structure includes an outer arc-shaped elastic arm and an inner arc-shaped elastic arm arranged opposite to each other and bending in opposite directions, with a hollow area formed between the outer arc-shaped elastic arm and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm; a limiting buffer structure is provided in the hollow area, wherein the two ends of the limiting buffer structure are respectively connected to the outer arc-shaped elastic arm and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm, for limiting the deformation of the flexible hinge structure and buffering the deformation impact force. This invention achieves dual functions of bidirectional elastic deformation and overload protection through a symmetrically arranged flexible hinge structure on a central transition base and a hollow area formed by the opposite arrangement of outer and inner arc-shaped elastic arms, combined with a built-in limiting and buffering structure. The design of the reverse arc-shaped arms allows the flexible hinge assembly to simultaneously release high and low temperature difference stress, assembly stress, and vibration stress in both horizontal and vertical directions, avoiding warping, cracking, and delamination of the radiating substrate. At the same time, the limiting and buffering structure precisely defines the maximum safe deformation through physical constraints, preventing fatigue fracture caused by excessive deformation and improving the structural life and operational reliability of the radiator under complex operating conditions.

[0008] Furthermore, the flexible hinge structure is symmetrically arranged at both ends of the top of the central transition base. By symmetrically arranging the flexible hinge structure at both ends of the top of the central transition base, the deformation compensation capability on both sides of the radiator is more balanced, avoiding the tilting of the radiation surface or the shift of the phase center caused by unilateral deformation differences, and further improving the overall flatness of the radiation array and the consistency of electromagnetic performance.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer arc-shaped elastic arm is arranged parallel to the inner arc-shaped elastic arm, and the bending arc of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm is greater than that of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm. By limiting the parallel arrangement of the outer and inner arc-shaped elastic arms and the greater bending arc of the outer arc than that of the inner arc, the double arc-shaped arms form a gradient stiffness distribution when bearing load. The outer arc provides the main elastic deformation stroke, while the inner arc provides auxiliary support and stiffness adjustment. The synergistic effect of the two achieves the optimal match between deformation flexibility and structural stiffness, ensuring sufficient deformation compensation capability while avoiding instability of the reference plane caused by excessively low overall stiffness.

[0010] Furthermore, both ends of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm and both ends of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm are provided with connecting transition sections. This design, by providing connecting transition sections at both ends of the outer and inner arc-shaped elastic arms, eliminates stress concentration points at the connection between the arc-shaped arms and the base, evenly distributing peak stress under alternating loads to the transition area. This improves the fatigue resistance and load-bearing capacity of the flexible hinge structure, and extends the service life of the component under long-term vibration conditions.

[0011] Furthermore, the limiting and buffering structure includes multiple first elastic flexible ribs and multiple second elastic flexible ribs arranged in an alternating inclined manner. The thickness of both the first and second elastic flexible ribs is less than the thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm. Here, multiple first and second elastic flexible ribs arranged in an alternating inclined manner, with their thicknesses all less than the thickness of the arc-shaped elastic arm, construct a graded load-bearing limiting and buffering mechanism. The thinner flexible ribs intervene first in the early stage of deformation, providing flexible damping to absorb vibration impact energy; when the deformation approaches its limit, the flexible ribs gradually tighten and provide progressive stiffness enhancement, achieving a soft landing at the end of the deformation stage. This ensures smooth deformation compensation while preventing instantaneous overload damage caused by rigid collisions.

[0012] Furthermore, the central adapter base, the outer arc-shaped elastic arm, the inner arc-shaped elastic arm, the first elastic flexible rib, and the second elastic flexible rib are all integrally milled and formed into a single structure, and are made entirely of high-strength insulating elastic engineering plastic. The integral milling structure of the central adapter base, outer arc-shaped elastic arm, inner arc-shaped elastic arm, and elastic flexible rib eliminates the fitting gaps and cumulative positioning errors present in traditional split-assembly, preventing loosening and drifting under long-term alternating vibration conditions and ensuring the long-term stability of the radiator's shape and position accuracy. Simultaneously, the use of high-strength insulating elastic engineering plastic ensures structural strength while meeting the insulation and isolation requirements of the antenna system, balancing lightweight design and fatigue resistance.

[0013] Furthermore, the top of the substrate connecting plate is provided with a limiting boss, which is a square limiting structure used for insertion and positioning with the flexible substrate. The top of the substrate connecting plate is also provided with multiple threaded holes for locking and fixing with the flexible substrate using connecting screws. This solution, by providing a square limiting boss on the top of the substrate connecting plate, achieves rapid insertion and positioning with the flexible substrate, eliminating accumulated positioning errors during assembly and ensuring the coaxiality and parallelism of the radiator and the flexible hinge assembly. Simultaneously, the detachable locking structure of the threaded holes and connecting screws makes the installation and removal of the flexible substrate more convenient and efficient, reducing system integration difficulty and on-site maintenance time, ensuring high assembly accuracy while also considering engineering maintainability.

[0014] Furthermore, a circular positioning groove is provided at the bottom center of the central adapter base, and a circular positioning boss adapted to the circular positioning groove is provided at the top center of the radiator connecting plate. Multiple mounting through holes are provided on both sides of the central adapter base, and multiple mounting threaded holes are provided at both ends of the radiator connecting plate. Mounting screws are inserted into each of the mounting through holes, with the bottom of the mounting screws penetrating the central adapter base and threadedly connected to the mounting threaded holes. Precise centering is achieved between the central adapter base and the radiator connecting plate through the cooperation of the circular positioning groove and the circular positioning boss. Combined with the screw locking array formed by the evenly distributed multiple sets of mounting through holes and mounting threaded holes, a high-rigidity, zero-gap connection is achieved between the adapter base and the radiator. This structure, while ensuring initial assembly accuracy, effectively avoids stress concentration on one side through multi-point evenly distributed locking force, further improving the anti-loosening ability and load transfer uniformity of the connection interface under vibration conditions.

[0015] Furthermore, the flexible substrate includes a substrate body, a rigid fixing plate, and a flexible connecting plate stacked together; the rigid fixing plate is made of fiberglass rigid sheet material to maintain the planar accuracy of the substrate body; the flexible connecting plate is made of silicone flexible buffer material to achieve adaptive deformation compensation; a high-frequency low-loss radiation dielectric layer is provided on the surface of the substrate body; the outer edges of the substrate body, the rigid fixing plate, and the flexible connecting plate are covered with tear-resistant flexible edging, and the inner side of the tear-resistant flexible edging has an edging groove. This solution employs a rigid-flexible partitioned structure, consisting of a substrate body, a rigid fixing plate, and a flexible connecting plate stacked together. The rigid fixing plate, with its high bending stiffness of glass fiber, provides a stable reference plane for the high-frequency, low-loss radiation medium on the surface, ensuring the phase consistency of the antenna's electrical performance. The flexible connecting plate achieves adaptive deformation compensation through a flexible silicone buffer material, precisely reconciling the technical contradiction between rigid conformity and flexible compliance. The design of tear-resistant flexible edging and its inner edging grooves protects the stacked edges from delamination and edge cracking during repeated deformation, improving the overall durability and environmental adaptability of the flexible substrate.

[0016] Furthermore, the wall thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm, the wall thickness of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm, the hollow area of ​​the hollow region, and the thickness of the flexible connecting plate are configured to be adaptively adjusted according to the radiator's size parameters and stiffness requirements to suit communication, radar, or satellite navigation antenna equipment under different operating conditions. This invention, by systematically adjusting the wall thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm, the wall thickness of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm, the hollow area, and the thickness of the flexible connecting plate, can customize and match the structural stiffness and damping characteristics of the radiator as needed, thereby precisely adapting to antenna requirements of different aperture sizes, different load conditions, and different frequency band accuracies. This modular and adjustable design concept enables the flexible hinge assembly and its flexible substrate of this invention to be widely covered and deployed in high-precision fields such as spaceborne phased array radar, airborne fire control antennas, vehicle-mounted high-frequency communication terminals, and high-orbit satellite navigation arrays, demonstrating engineering promotion value and generalization adaptability.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention employs a multi-set double-arc symmetrical flexible hinge arm structure. Compared to traditional single-degree-of-freedom arc-shaped thin sheets, it achieves bidirectional micro-elastic deformation in both horizontal and vertical directions through the coordinated deformation of the outer and inner arc-shaped elastic arms. This allows for the multi-dimensional release of high and low temperature alternating temperature difference stress, assembly prestress, and broadband vibration impact energy, thus mitigating warping, interface delamination, and microcrack initiation of the radiating substrate. Simultaneously, the first and second elastic flexible ribs set within the hollow deformation zone constitute a precise progressive limiting and buffering mechanism. On one hand, it accurately defines the maximum safe deformation of the hinge, avoiding the risk of low-cycle fatigue fracture caused by excessive creep. On the other hand, it absorbs the peak energy of sudden vibrations through damping effects, improving structural stability under high-frequency vibration conditions. The coupled design of these two aspects ensures sufficient compensation for thermally induced deformation across the entire temperature range and constructs overload protection, solving the problems of limited deformation direction, uncontrollable stiffness, and irreversible damage caused by the lack of hard limiting in existing single hinges.

[0018] 2. The core adapter base, inner and outer arc-shaped elastic arms, and elastic flexible ribs of this invention are integrally milled, abandoning the traditional split-type threaded or pin assembly mode. This eliminates the fit gap and cumulative positioning error, preventing loosening and drifting under long-term alternating vibration conditions and ensuring the stable reproduction of the radiator's shape and position accuracy throughout its life cycle. Based on this, this invention innovatively introduces a rigid-flexible partitioned, layered composite substrate structure design: the rigid fixing plate, with its high bending stiffness, provides a stable reference plane for the electromagnetic radiation unit, ensuring the phase consistency of the antenna's electrical performance; while the flexible connecting plate undertakes the function of adaptive deformation compensation, reconciling the technical contradiction between rigidity and flexibility. Furthermore, the central adapter base and radiator connecting plate, as well as the flexible substrate and substrate connecting plate, are all quickly assembled and disassembled using standard screws, reducing system integration difficulty and on-site maintenance time, ensuring high assembly accuracy while also considering engineering maintainability.

[0019] 3. The support architecture of this invention possesses extremely strong design flexibility and scenario adaptability. By systematically adjusting the wall thickness, radius of curvature, area ratio of the hollowed-out region, and configuration parameters of the flexible connecting plate of the outer and inner arc-shaped elastic arms, the structural stiffness and damping characteristics of the radiator can be customized to precisely adapt to antenna requirements under different load conditions, with different aperture sizes, and different frequency band accuracies. This modular and adjustable design concept breaks through the dependence on a single piece of equipment and can be widely covered and deployed in high-precision fields such as spaceborne phased array radar, airborne fire control antennas, vehicle-mounted high-frequency communication terminals, and high-orbit satellite navigation arrays. It provides a solid technical foundation for improving the reliability and performance of antenna equipment in extreme environments, demonstrating extremely high engineering promotion value and potential for military-civilian integration applications. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible hinge assembly and its flexible substrate for a radiator according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of a flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and its flexible substrate according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the central connecting base structure of a flexible hinge assembly of a radiator in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the substrate connection plate structure of a flexible hinge assembly for a radiator in this invention. Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the main structure of the flexible substrate of a radiator according to the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible substrate for a radiator in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a tear-resistant flexible edge-wrapping structure for a flexible substrate of a radiator according to the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the radiator connection plate structure of a flexible hinge assembly for a radiator according to the present invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Center adapter base; 2. Radiator connecting plate; 3. Substrate body; 4. Tear-resistant flexible edging; 5. Substrate connecting plate; 6. Hollowed-out area; 7. First elastic flexible rib; 8. Second elastic flexible rib; 9. Outer arc-shaped elastic arm; 10. Inner arc-shaped elastic arm; 11. Connecting transition section; 12. Mounting through hole; 13. Limiting boss; 14. Connecting threaded hole; 15. Rigid fixing plate; 16. Flexible connecting plate; 17. Connecting through hole; 18. Edging groove; 19. Circular positioning boss; 20. Mounting threaded hole; 21. Mounting screw; 22. Connecting screw. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0023] like Figures 1-8 As shown, a flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and its flexible substrate according to the present invention includes a central connecting base 1, a radiator connecting plate 2, a substrate connecting plate 5, and a flexible substrate.

[0024] The central transition base 1 serves as the core support and transition hub of the entire assembly. Its top two ends are symmetrically equipped with flexible hinge structures. This symmetrical arrangement ensures more balanced deformation compensation on both sides of the radiator, preventing radiating surface tilt or phase center shift caused by unilateral deformation differences, and further improving the overall flatness of the radiating array and the consistency of electromagnetic performance. The radiator connecting plate 2 is connected to the bottom of the central transition base 1 and is used for fixed connection with the external radiator, achieving a rigid transition between the entire flexible hinge assembly and the radiator body. The base plate connecting plate 5 is connected to the end of the flexible hinge structure away from the central transition base 1, serving as an intermediate transition connector between the flexible hinge structure and the flexible base plate, transmitting the displacement and force of the flexible hinge structure to the flexible base plate. The flexible base plate is mounted on the base plate connecting plate 5 and is used to support the antenna radiating element and realize the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals.

[0025] The flexible hinge structure is the core functional unit for deformation compensation. It includes an outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and an inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 arranged opposite to each other with opposite bending directions. The outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 are arranged in parallel, and the bending arc of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 is greater than that of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, forming a hollow area 6 between them. By setting the bending arc of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 to be greater than that of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, the double arc-shaped arms form a gradient stiffness distribution when bearing load. The outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 provides the main elastic deformation stroke, while the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 provides auxiliary support and stiffness adjustment. The synergistic effect of the two achieves the optimal match between deformation flexibility and structural stiffness, ensuring sufficient deformation compensation capability while avoiding instability of the reference plane caused by excessively low overall stiffness. Compared to traditional single-arc thin-sheet flexible structures, the symmetrically arranged double-arc elastic arms enable the flexible hinge assembly to simultaneously generate minute elastic deformations in both the horizontal and vertical directions. This allows for multi-dimensional release of high and low temperature alternating temperature difference stress, assembly prestress, and broadband vibration impact energy, thus mitigating problems such as warping of the radiating substrate, interface delamination, and microcrack initiation. Both ends of the outer arc elastic arm 9 and both ends of the inner arc elastic arm 10 are equipped with connecting transition sections 11. These transition sections 11, through smooth arc surfaces, seamlessly connect the ends of the arc elastic arms to the corresponding bases or connecting plates, eliminating stress concentration points at the connection points and evenly distributing peak stress under alternating loads to the transition area. This improves the fatigue resistance and load-bearing capacity of the flexible hinge structure, extending the service life of the assembly under long-term vibration conditions.

[0026] A limiting buffer structure is provided within the hollow area 6. The two ends of the limiting buffer structure are connected to the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, respectively, to limit the maximum deformation of the flexible hinge structure and buffer the deformation impact force. Specifically, the limiting buffer structure includes multiple first elastic flexible ribs 7 and multiple second elastic flexible ribs 8 arranged in an alternating and inclined manner. The thickness of both the first elastic flexible ribs 7 and the second elastic flexible ribs 8 is less than the thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10. Multiple first elastic flexible ribs 7 and multiple second elastic flexible ribs 8 are arranged in an alternating, inclined manner within the hollow area 6, together forming a precise, progressive limiting and buffering mechanism: In the initial stage of deformation, the thinner first elastic flexible ribs 7 and second elastic flexible ribs 8 intervene first in the deformation, providing flexible damping to absorb vibration impact energy; as the deformation gradually approaches the preset safety limit, the first elastic flexible ribs 7 and second elastic flexible ribs 8 gradually tighten and provide progressive stiffness enhancement, achieving a soft landing at the end of the deformation stage, accurately defining the maximum safe deformation of the hinge, avoiding the risk of low-cycle fatigue fracture caused by excessive creep, and absorbing the peak energy of sudden vibration through the damping effect. The coupling design of the limiting and buffering structure and the double-arc elastic arm ensures sufficient compensation for thermally induced deformation across the entire temperature range and constructs a physical barrier for overload protection, solving the problems of limited deformation direction, uncontrollable stiffness, and irreversible damage caused by the lack of hard limiting in existing single hinges.

[0027] The central adapter base 1, outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9, inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, first elastic flexible rib 7, and second elastic flexible rib 8 are integrally milled and formed into a single structure. This eliminates the traditional split-type threaded or pin assembly mode, thus eliminating fit gaps and cumulative positioning errors. It also prevents loosening and drifting under long-term alternating vibration conditions, ensuring the stable reproduction of the radiator's shape and position accuracy throughout its lifespan. The entire structure is made of high-strength insulating elastic engineering plastic, ensuring structural strength and elastic deformation capability while meeting the insulation requirements of the antenna system, and balancing lightweight design with fatigue resistance.

[0028] The top of the substrate connecting plate 5 is provided with a limiting boss 13. The limiting boss 13 is a square limiting structure, which is used for quick insertion and positioning with the flexible substrate, eliminating the cumulative positioning error during the assembly process and ensuring the coaxiality and parallelism of the radiator and the flexible hinge assembly. The top of the substrate connecting plate 5 is also provided with multiple connecting threaded holes 14, which are used to lock and fix the flexible substrate with connecting screws 22, making the installation and disassembly of the flexible substrate more convenient and efficient, reducing the difficulty of system integration and on-site maintenance time, and ensuring high assembly accuracy while taking into account engineering maintainability.

[0029] The center adapter base 1 has a circular positioning groove at its bottom center, and the radiator connecting plate 2 has a circular positioning boss 19 at its top center that matches the circular positioning groove. The precise fit between the circular positioning groove and the circular positioning boss 19 enables rapid centering and high-precision positioning between the center adapter base 1 and the radiator connecting plate 2. Multiple mounting through holes 12 are provided on both sides of the center adapter base 1, and multiple mounting threaded holes 20 are provided on both ends of the radiator connecting plate 2. Mounting screws 21 pass through each of the mounting through holes 12, with their bottoms penetrating the center adapter base 1 and threadedly connected to the mounting threaded holes 20. This forms a multi-point evenly distributed locking array, achieving a high-rigidity, zero-gap connection between the center adapter base 1 and the radiator connecting plate 2. While ensuring initial assembly accuracy, the multi-point evenly distributed locking force effectively avoids stress concentration on one side, further improving the connection interface's resistance to loosening and load transfer uniformity under vibration.

[0030] The flexible substrate includes a substrate body 3, a rigid fixing plate 15, and a flexible connecting plate 16 stacked together. The substrate body 3 is fixedly connected to the top of the rigid fixing plate 15. A high-frequency, low-loss radiating dielectric layer is provided on the surface of the substrate body 3 to achieve high-efficiency radiation and reception of antenna electromagnetic signals. The rigid fixing plate 15 is fixedly connected to the top of the flexible connecting plate 16. The rigid fixing plate 15 is made of fiberglass rigid sheet material, which provides a stable reference plane for the substrate body 3 with its high bending stiffness, ensuring the planar accuracy and structural rigidity of the surface high-frequency, low-loss radiating dielectric layer, and ensuring the phase consistency of the antenna's electrical performance. The bottom of the flexible connecting plate 16 is connected to the top of the substrate connecting plate 5. The flexible connecting plate 16 is made of silicone flexible buffer material to achieve adaptive deformation compensation, flexibly absorbing and adapting the displacement and force transmitted from the flexible hinge structure, and precisely reconciling the technical contradiction between rigid conformity and flexible compliance. The outer edges of the substrate body 3, rigid fixing plate 15 and flexible connecting plate 16 are covered with tear-resistant flexible edging 4. The inner side of the tear-resistant flexible edging 4 is provided with edging groove 18. The edging groove 18 tightly wraps the edges of the stacked substrate body 3, rigid fixing plate 15 and flexible connecting plate 16, protecting the stacked edges from delamination and edge cracking during repeated deformation, thereby improving the overall durability and environmental adaptability of the flexible substrate.

[0031] The wall thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9, the wall thickness of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, the hollow area of ​​the hollow region 6, and the thickness of the flexible connecting plate 16 are configured to be adaptively adjusted according to the radiator's size parameters and stiffness requirements to adapt to communication, radar, or satellite navigation antenna equipment under different operating conditions. Specifically, by adjusting the wall thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9, the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, the hollow area of ​​the hollow region 6, and the thickness of the flexible connecting plate 16, the structural stiffness and damping characteristics of the radiator can be customized as needed, thereby precisely adapting to antenna requirements of different aperture sizes, different load conditions, and different frequency band precisions. This modular and adjustable design concept allows the flexible hinge assembly and its flexible substrate of this invention to be widely covered and deployed in high-precision fields such as spaceborne phased array radar, airborne fire control antennas, vehicle-mounted high-frequency communication terminals, and high-orbit satellite navigation arrays, demonstrating high engineering promotion value and generalization adaptability.

[0032] The working principle of the flexible hinge assembly and its flexible substrate of the radiator of the present invention includes the static assembly and positioning principle, the dynamic deformation compensation principle, the limit buffer protection principle, and the rigid-flexible cooperative adaptation principle, as detailed below: I. Static Assembly Positioning Principle: This invention achieves high-precision, zero-gap connection between components during the assembly stage through a multi-level precision positioning structure. First, the center adapter base 1 and the radiator connecting plate 2 achieve rapid centering through the interlocking of a circular positioning groove and a circular positioning boss 19, ensuring coaxiality between the center adapter base 1 and the external radiator. Subsequently, mounting screws 21, evenly distributed within the mounting through holes 12, are threaded into the mounting threaded holes 20, forming a multi-point evenly distributed locking array that secures the two components together. Second, the flexible hinge structure achieves a smooth, integrated connection between the top of the center adapter base 1 and the bottom of the base plate connecting plate 5 through the connecting transition sections 11 at both ends of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10. Finally, the square limiting boss 13 on the top of the base plate connecting plate 5 engages with the corresponding positioning structure of the flexible base plate, eliminating accumulated assembly errors, and the flexible base plate and base plate connecting plate 5 are locked and fixed by connecting screws 22 inserted into the connecting threaded holes 14. At this point, the external radiator, central transfer base 1, flexible hinge structure, base plate connecting plate 5, and flexible base plate are sequentially assembled into an integral transmission chain, establishing a precise initial reference for load transfer and deformation compensation in subsequent working processes.

[0033] II. Principle of Dynamic Deformation Compensation: When the radiator encounters alternating high and low temperature loads, mechanical vibration excitation, or assembly stress release during actual operation, a relative displacement tendency arises between the external radiator and the central transfer base 1. This displacement is transmitted through the central transfer base 1 to the flexible hinge structure, namely the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10. Since the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 are arranged in parallel and have opposite bending directions, and the bending arc of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 is greater than that of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, the two constitute a reverse-symmetrical gradient stiffness elastic system. When thermal stress or vibration load acts in the horizontal direction, the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 synchronously generate opposite elastic bending deformation, absorbing the horizontal displacement through the curvature change of the arc-shaped arms; when the load acts in the vertical direction, the arch height of the double arc-shaped arms changes synchronously, absorbing the vertical displacement through overall lifting and lowering. Thus, the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 work together to generate minute elastic deformation in both the horizontal and vertical directions, converting the high and low temperature difference stress, installation preload, and vibration impact energy into elastic potential energy for release. This prevents the aforementioned stress from being directly transmitted to the radiating substrate, which could lead to warping, cracking, or delamination. After the load is removed, the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 rely on their own elastic restoring force to drive the central transfer base 1 and the radiator back to their initial equilibrium position, achieving automatic reset of the radiating surface and self-maintaining of its shape and position accuracy.

[0034] III. Limiting and buffering protection principle: During the elastic deformation of the flexible hinge structure, multiple first elastic flexible ribs 7 and multiple second elastic flexible ribs 8, arranged in an alternating and inclined manner within the hollow area 6, participate in the deformation simultaneously. The thicknesses of the first elastic flexible ribs 7 and the second elastic flexible ribs 8 are both less than the thicknesses of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10, thus forming a secondary elastic system with a stiffness lower than the primary elastic arm. When the deformation is small, the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 mainly bear the deformation load, while the first elastic flexible ribs 7 and the second elastic flexible ribs 8 only experience minor tension or compression, providing flexible damping to absorb high-frequency vibration impact energy. As the deformation gradually increases and approaches the preset safety limit, the alternating and inclined first elastic flexible ribs 7 and the second elastic flexible ribs 8 are gradually stretched to near the material's yield critical point, and their reaction force increases rapidly and nonlinearly, gradually hindering the continued deformation of the flexible hinge structure. This precisely defines the maximum safe deformation, preventing the outer arc-shaped elastic arm 9 and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm 10 from entering the plastic yield or fatigue fracture range due to excessive deformation. When a sudden impact load causes the deformation to exceed the limit instantaneously, the first elastic flexible rib 7 and the second elastic flexible rib 8 absorb the peak impact energy through their own elastic deformation, achieving a soft landing buffer at the end of the deformation stage and preventing damage from rigid collisions and instantaneous overloads.

[0035] IV. The principle of rigid-flexible synergistic adaptation: During deformation compensation and limiting buffering, the flexible substrate simultaneously performs a rigid-flexible adaptive function. The rigid fixing plate 15 is made of rigid fiberglass sheet, which provides a stable reference plane for the substrate body 3 and the high-frequency low-loss radiation medium layer on the surface due to its high bending stiffness. It maintains the planar accuracy and phase center stability of the radiation unit when the overall system deforms. The flexible connecting plate 16 is made of silicone flexible buffer material. It is located between the rigid fixing plate 15 and the substrate connecting plate 5. As the final buffer layer for deformation transmission, it flexibly absorbs and smoothly transitions the displacement and force transmitted from the flexible hinge structure through the substrate connecting plate 5. It realizes the gradual reduction of deformation and stress gradient release from the flexible hinge structure to the radiation substrate, effectively avoiding the deformation concentration at the interface between the rigid fixing plate 15 and the flexible connecting plate 16. At the same time, the tear-resistant flexible edge 4 covering the outer edges of the substrate body 3, the rigid fixing plate 15 and the flexible connecting plate 16 tightly wraps the stacked edges through the edge groove 18. It provides constraint protection when the stacked structure undergoes interlayer micro-displacement and prevents edge delamination. Thus, the stress of the external radiator is transmitted through the central transfer base 1 to the flexible hinge structure for primary deformation compensation and limiting protection, and then through the substrate connecting plate 5 to the flexible connecting plate 16 for secondary buffer absorption. Finally, it acts on the rigid fixing plate 15 and the substrate body 3 with a small displacement after a large attenuation, so that the radiation medium layer on the surface of the substrate body 3 maintains high planar accuracy and structural integrity while the overall system has a large deformation compensation capability.

[0036] In summary, this invention ensures the initial reference accuracy through static multi-level precision positioning, achieves bidirectional deformation compensation in both horizontal and vertical directions through reverse double-arc elastic arms to release multi-source stress, achieves precise control of deformation limits and flexible absorption of impact energy through a limiting and buffering structure composed of interlaced elastic flexible ribs, and achieves gradual deformation attenuation and radiating surface shape preservation through a rigid-flexible partitioned composite substrate. These four elements work together to ensure the long-term stable and reliable operation of the radiator under complex conditions such as alternating high and low temperatures, vibration, and shock.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible hinge assembly of a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof, characterized by, include: A central transfer base (1) is provided with a flexible hinge structure symmetrically arranged on the top of the central transfer base (1); The radiator connecting plate (2) is connected to the bottom of the central adapter base (1) and is used to fix it to the external radiator; The substrate connecting plate (5) is connected to the end of the flexible hinge structure away from the central transfer base (1); A flexible substrate is disposed on the substrate connecting plate (5); The flexible hinge structure includes an outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) and an inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10) arranged opposite to each other and with opposite bending directions. A hollow area (6) is formed between the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10). A limiting buffer structure is provided in the hollow area (6). The two ends of the limiting buffer structure are respectively connected to the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10) to limit the deformation of the flexible hinge structure and buffer the deformation impact force.

2. The flexible hinge assembly of a radiator and its flexible substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible hinge structure is symmetrically arranged at both ends of the top of the central transfer base (1).

3. A flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof according to claim 1, wherein The outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) is arranged parallel to the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10), and the curvature of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) is greater than that of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10).

4. The flexible hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is a flexible printed circuit board (PCB). Both ends of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) and both ends of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10) are provided with connecting transition sections (11).

5. The flexible hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is a flexible printed circuit board (PCB). The limiting buffer structure includes a plurality of first elastic flexible ribs (7) and a plurality of second elastic flexible ribs (8) arranged in an alternating and inclined manner. The thickness of the first elastic flexible ribs (7) and the second elastic flexible ribs (8) is less than the thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9) and the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10).

6. A flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof according to claim 1, wherein The central adapter base (1), the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9), the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10), the first elastic flexible rib (7) and the second elastic flexible rib (8) are an integral structure milled together, and the whole is made of high-strength insulating elastic engineering plastic.

7. A flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof according to claim 1, wherein The top of the substrate connecting plate (5) is provided with a limiting boss (13), which is a square limiting structure and is used to be inserted and positioned with the flexible substrate; the top of the substrate connecting plate (5) is also provided with a plurality of connecting threaded holes (14), which are used to be locked and fixed with the flexible substrate by connecting screws (22).

8. The flexible hinge assembly of a radiator and its flexible substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center of the bottom of the center adapter base (1) is provided with a circular positioning groove, and the center of the top of the radiator connecting plate (2) is provided with a circular positioning boss (19) that matches the circular positioning groove; both sides of the center adapter base (1) are provided with multiple mounting through holes (12), and both ends of the radiator connecting plate (2) are provided with multiple mounting threaded holes (20). Each of the multiple mounting through holes (12) is provided with a mounting screw (21), and the bottom of the mounting screw (21) passes through the center adapter base (1) and is threadedly connected to the mounting threaded hole (20).

9. A flexible hinge assembly for a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof according to claim 1, wherein The flexible substrate includes a substrate body (3), a rigid fixing plate (15), and a flexible connecting plate (16) stacked together. The rigid fixing plate (15) is made of glass fiber rigid sheet material to maintain the planar accuracy of the substrate body (3). The flexible connecting plate (16) is made of silicone flexible buffer material to achieve adaptive deformation compensation. A high-frequency low-loss radiation medium layer is provided on the surface of the substrate body (3). The outer edges of the substrate body (3), the rigid fixing plate (15), and the flexible connecting plate (16) are covered with tear-resistant flexible edging (4), and the inner side of the tear-resistant flexible edging (4) is provided with an edging groove (18).

10. A flexible hinge assembly of a radiator and a flexible substrate thereof according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The wall thickness of the outer arc-shaped elastic arm (9), the wall thickness of the inner arc-shaped elastic arm (10), the hollow area of ​​the hollow area (6), and the thickness of the flexible connecting plate (16) are configured to be adaptively adjusted according to the size parameters and stiffness requirements of the radiator to adapt to communication, radar, or satellite navigation antenna equipment under different working conditions.

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