Modular electric tuning system for antenna and antenna

Abstract

The utility model relates to a modularized electric tuning system for an antenna and the antenna, and the electric tuning system comprises a metal housing which forms an accommodation cavity; the electronic speed controller output device is arranged on the metal shell and at least penetrates through one part of the metal shell; a control device; the control device and the driving device are contained in the containing cavity, and the driving device is coupled with the electronic speed controller output device. According to the modularized electric tuning system, the control device and the driving device are integrated in the metal shell, so that higher control precision and transmission efficiency can be realized, and the influence of the electric tuning system on the passive intermodulation performance of the antenna can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a modular electric adjustment system for an antenna and an antenna comprising the modular electric adjustment system for an antenna. Background Art

[0002] Mobile communication technology continues to develop rapidly, and mobile communication networks are constantly upgrading. As key equipment in mobile communication networks, base station antennas are also continuously improving their performance indicators and practical functions.

[0003] Existing ESC systems are bulky and heavy, hindering product integration, miniaturization, and lightweighting. Existing ESC systems primarily consist of an ESC control system and a transmission gear system, which are independent of each other. This means the size of the existing ESC system is equal to the size of the ESC control system's housing plus the size of the plastic transmission gear system. Furthermore, both the transmission gear system and the ESC control system are relatively large. The housing of the existing ESC control system only contains the power source motor, PCBA control system, and AISG communication system, resulting in low internal space utilization. Utility Model Content

[0004] With a deep understanding of the problems encountered in the prior art, the inventors of this utility model have proposed a modular electrical tilt system for antennas. In this modular electrical tilt system, both the control device and the drive device are integrated within a metal housing, achieving higher control accuracy and transmission efficiency while minimizing the impact of the electrical tilt system on the antenna's passive intermodulation performance.

[0005] Specifically, the first aspect of the present invention provides a modular electrical tilt system for an antenna, comprising: a metal housing forming a housing cavity; an electrical tilt output device disposed on the metal housing and extending through at least a portion of the metal housing; a control device; and a drive device, wherein the control device and the drive device are housed within the housing cavity and the drive device is coupled to the electrical tilt output device. In the modular electrical tilt system according to the present invention, both the control device and the drive device are integrated within the metal housing, thereby achieving higher control accuracy and transmission efficiency, and reducing the impact of the electrical tilt system on the passive intermodulation performance of the antenna.

[0006] Alternatively or additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the drive device includes: a power source configured to provide both an electrically adjustable output drive force and a transposition selection drive force; and a transmission configured to selectively couple the power source to the electrically adjustable output device and drive the device. Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the number of power sources in the drive device is no greater than the number of electrically adjustable output devices. More preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the drive device further includes a reference base, with the power source and transmission configured on the reference base. This arrangement of the power source and transmission on the same reference base reduces the likelihood of misalignment errors, thereby further improving transmission efficiency.

[0007] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the power source device includes a rotary motor, wherein the rotary motor is configured to provide an electronically adjustable output driving force. More preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the power source device also includes a linear motor, wherein the linear motor is configured to provide a transposition selection driving force.

[0008] Preferably, in an embodiment of the present invention, the input central axis of the rotary motor is parallel to but not colinear with the input central axis of the transmission device.

[0009] Optionally or additionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission device includes a transmission member, and the transmission member is made of a metal material.

[0010] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission member is constructed as a metal gear or a metal worm.

[0011] Preferably, in an embodiment of the present invention, the module m of the metal gear or the metal worm is less than 0.8, the number of teeth Z of the metal gear is less than or equal to 12, and / or the number of heads of the metal worm is less than or equal to 2.

[0012] Preferably, in an embodiment of the present invention, the gears of the transmission device are made by powder metallurgy.

[0013] Preferably, in an embodiment of the present invention, the rotary motor is disposed close to the output shaft of the linear motor so that the distance between the two is relatively close, thereby facilitating miniaturization.

[0014] In addition, a second aspect of the present invention provides an antenna, which includes the modular electrical adjustment system provided according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0015] To sum up, in the modular electric adjustment system according to the present invention, the control device and the driving device are integrated into the metal shell, thereby achieving higher control accuracy and transmission efficiency, and reducing the impact of the electric adjustment system on the passive intermodulation performance of the antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The embodiments are shown and explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are used to illustrate the basic principles and only show the aspects necessary for understanding the basic principles. These drawings are not to scale. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent similar features.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall assembled structure of a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present utility model is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exploded structure of a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0019] Figure 3 Shown according to the utility model Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment is a schematic structural diagram of a driving device for a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna.

[0020] Other features, characteristics, advantages and benefits of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example, specific embodiments that can implement the present invention. The illustrated embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive of all embodiments according to the present invention. It will be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical modifications may be made, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0022] The inventors of this utility model have a deep understanding of the problems existing in the background art: existing distributed modular electrical tilt systems for antennas require large space, are difficult to assemble, and suffer from low control precision and transmission efficiency during use. To address these technical issues, the inventors of this utility model have proposed a novel modular electrical tilt system for antennas. This system, which utilizes a modular design concept and eliminates the need for on-site assembly, reduces the assembly workload and difficulty, while also improving the control precision and transmission efficiency of the antenna during use.

[0023] The following first combines Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The modular electrical adjustment system for antenna formed according to the inventive concept of the present utility model is described. Figure 1 FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall assembled structure of a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 FIG shows an exploded structural diagram of a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 Shown according to the utility model Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment is a schematic structural diagram of a driving device for a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna.

[0024] The control box and transmission of existing antenna electrical tilt systems are separate, complicating the assembly process and increasing assembly costs. To address this issue, the present invention proposes a modular design concept, distinguishing itself from the existing split-type layout and achieving higher transmission efficiency. Specifically, the present invention aims to provide a modular electrical tilt system, primarily for antenna applications, that achieves lightweight, integrated, and simplified assembly, while also improving phase shift accuracy and reliability.

[0025] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown, the first aspect of the present invention provides a modular electric tilt system for an antenna, the electric tilt system comprising: a metal housing including a module rear cover 2, a module cavity 3, and a module front cover 6, the metal housing forming a receiving cavity; an electric tilt output device 1, the electric tilt output device 1 being disposed on the metal housing and penetrating at least a portion of the metal housing; a control device ( Figure 1 Not shown, will be Figure 2 ); and a driving device ( Figure 1 Not shown, will be Figure 2 ), wherein the control device ( Figure 1 Not shown, will be Figure 2 ) and the driving device are accommodated in the accommodating cavity and the driving device ( Figure 1 Not shown, will be Figure 2 ) is coupled to the electric adjustment output device 1. In the modular electric adjustment system according to the present invention, the control device ( Figure 1 Not shown, will be Figure 2 ) and the drive device ( Figure 1 Not shown, will be Figure 2(as shown in the figure) are integrated into the metal shell, thereby achieving higher control accuracy and transmission efficiency, and reducing the impact of the electrical adjustment system on the passive intermodulation performance of the antenna.

[0026] Looking more closely at the exterior, the modular electric tilt system primarily comprises an electric tilt output device 1, a module rear cover 2, a module cavity 3, and a module front cover 6. These form the aforementioned metal housing. Furthermore, the module cavity 3 houses a drive device 4 and a control device 5. As shown in the three accompanying drawings, the modular electric tilt system according to the present invention comprises the electric tilt output device 1, module rear cover 2, module cavity 3, and module front cover 6, arranged in a linear arrangement to form a module body. The drive device 4 and the control device 5, each having a power source equal to or less than the number of electric tilt output devices 1, are connected and arranged within the module body (i.e., the metal housing referred to herein). The final power from the drive device 4 is transmitted to the electric tilt output device 1, thereby simplifying the antenna assembly process and reducing assembly costs.

[0027] The drive unit 4 primarily comprises the following components: a base 41, a power source unit 7, a main drive unit 8, a transposition selection unit 9, and a power output unit 10. The main drive unit 8 comprises a main drive rod 81, a driving pulley 82, transition units 83, 84, 85, and 86. The transposition selection unit 9 comprises a transposition reciprocating block 91, a transposition active unit 92, and a transposition support shaft 93. The number of transposition active units 92 is equal to or less than the number of power output units 10. The power output unit 10 comprises an output unit 101 and an output support shaft 102. The power source 7 comprises a rotary motor 71 and a linear motor 72, connected to the main drive unit 8 and the transposition selection unit 9, respectively. The linear motor 72 drives the transposition reciprocating block 91 to slide along the transposition support shaft 93, thereby matching the designated power output device 101. The rotary motor 71, through transition devices 83, 84, 85, 86, and the main drive rod 81, drives the driving wheel 82 to rotate. The driving wheel 82 then drives the transposition drive unit 92. Finally, the transposition drive unit 92 drives the power output unit 101, which in turn drives the module output component (i.e., the aforementioned electronically adjustable output unit 1) to rotate or linearly move.

[0028] Optionally, the maximum outer diameters of the active drive unit 82, transition unit 83, transition unit 84, transition unit 85, and power take-off unit 101 are all less than 9 mm. To ensure the transmission system's load-carrying capacity, the transmission system increases the reduction ratio, and the maximum outer diameters of the transition unit 86 and the active transposition unit 92 are all less than 13 mm. These gears all have a module m = 0.7, and the width of the contact area for power transmission is less than 4 mm. They utilize high-precision, high-strength metal gears formed using a process similar to powder metallurgy. This not only ensures the ESC system's module size is sufficiently compact and integrated, but also improves the system's transmission's impact resistance, operating life, and accuracy.

[0029] Further description below Figure 2 and Figure 3 ,in, Figure 2 FIG shows an exploded structural diagram of a modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 Shown according to the utility model Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the structure of the driving device of the modular electric adjustment system for antenna in the embodiment shown is shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be seen that the driving device 4 includes: a power source device 7, which is configured to provide an electronically adjustable output driving force and a transposition selection driving force; and transmission devices 8 and 9, which are configured to selectively couple and drive the power source device 7 with the electronically adjustable output device 1.

[0030] To ensure that the load-driven gears possess a certain structural strength, existing transmission systems often use plastic gears with a module m ≥ 0.8 and a Z > 12 (the pitch circle diameter of the smallest plastic gear is 9.6 mm). Therefore, the size of existing plastic transmission gear systems cannot be made smaller. However, if metal gears with a module m ≤ 0.7 are used to reduce the transmission size for integrated electronic control systems, while this saves some space, the unstable metal-to-metal contact when the metal gears are used in conjunction with other metal shafts or metal gears will deteriorate the passive intermodulation (PIM) performance at the antenna end. In the solution proposed in the present invention, the housing is made of metal material, thereby shielding against crosstalk caused by poor metal contact. In other words, existing electronic control transmission systems primarily include a transmission base, a transmission gear or a transmission worm and a transmission screw. The base is a non-enclosed plastic base that cannot seal and shield against poor metal contact crosstalk. The solution proposed in the present invention overcomes this technical shortcoming.

[0031] Furthermore, existing electronically controlled transmission systems often contain plastic power transmission components. At room temperature, the friction coefficient of plastic is greater than that of metal, and at temperatures below 40°C, the friction coefficient increases nonlinearly, doubling. This results in significant frictional heat loss and low efficiency. Furthermore, the thermal expansion coefficient of plastic is much greater than that of metal, significantly affecting its dimensional accuracy. Consequently, existing transmission systems suffer from low efficiency and precision, poor environmental aging resistance, and inferior stability to metal, resulting in high mean-time-to-failure (MTBF) values.

[0032] After the metal housing was designed, the inventors of the present invention came up with the idea of replacing the plastic materials used in the prior art with metal materials in order to achieve the goal of miniaturizing the electric control system. This means that the transmission components included in the transmission devices 8 and 9 can be made of metal. Here, the transmission components are constructed as metal gears or metal worms. More preferably, the module m of the metal gears is less than 0.8; the number of teeth Z of the metal gears is ≤ 12; and / or the number of starts of the metal worms is ≤ 2, thereby achieving miniaturization. Preferably, the gears of the transmission devices 8 and 9 are manufactured using a powder metallurgy process. In other words, the modular electric control system according to the present invention solves the problem that conventional electric control systems cannot achieve further miniaturization and integration while ensuring a certain load-bearing strength for the drive gears. The gear parts in the modular electric adjustment system of the present application use small metal gears with a module m < 0.8 and Z ≤ 12 (the maximum metal gear pitch circle is φ8.4mm), which fully utilize the internal space of the shell and are integrated into the sealed metal shell of the electric adjustment control system, further reducing the external dimensions of the electric adjustment system and realizing the miniaturization and integration of the electric adjustment. In addition, the modular electric adjustment system according to the present invention solves the problem that the traditional electric adjustment system cannot solve the influence of unstable metal contact while ensuring the miniaturization of the transmission gear metal. The unstable meshing contact between the metal gears is sealed in the shell to avoid the PIM deterioration problem caused by the reflection of radio frequency energy in the poor metal contact area to generate the same frequency interference signal.

[0033] The motor power source utilization rate of the existing electric control system is low, the loss is high, and the actual load capacity that can be driven is relatively low. The existing solution is to first assemble the transmission system on the reflective substrate of the antenna, and then install the electric control system on the reflective substrate, and at the same time, connect and match the motor output end of the electric control system with the input end of the transmission system. As a result, the split assembly cannot avoid the occurrence of different axis position errors between the motor output end and the transmission input end, and the motor output shaft is easily twisted and rotated, thereby reducing the actual torque output. In addition, the transmission selection device for different output gears of the existing electric control system has many structural parts, large transmission gaps, and low precision. In addition, the existing electric control output gears all transmit power to the gears through a rotating motor, and then directly or indirectly transmit it to the screw or rack or belt or camshaft to drive the selection fork to move, and finally realize the movement of the selection driven gear to complete the gear switching. Combined with Figure 2 and Figure 3 To address this technical issue, the power source device 7 includes a rotary motor 71, configured to provide the electric control output drive force. Preferably, the power source device 7 also includes a linear motor 72, configured to provide the shift selection drive force. With this configuration, the linear stepper motor employed in the present invention directly drives the selector device to move linearly, thereby driving the selector driven gear to complete gear shifting, thereby enabling more precise and efficient shift selection. Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the input center axis of the rotary motor 71 is parallel to, but not collinear with, the input center axis of the transmission devices 8 and 9. Preferably, the number of power source devices 7 in the drive device 4 is no greater than the number of electric control output devices 1. More preferably, the drive device 4 also includes a reference base 41, upon which the power source device 7 and the transmission devices 8 and 9 are constructed. In this manner, the power source device 7 and the transmission devices 8 and 9 are mounted on the same reference base 41, thereby reducing the possibility of misalignment errors and further improving transmission efficiency. In other words, the modular electric control system according to the present invention solves the problems of low efficiency and low transmission accuracy in traditional electric control transmission systems. The power gears in the modular electric control system are formed using powder metallurgy, resulting in more stable and reliable processing accuracy compared to injection molding. This provides the product with improved electrical phase shifting accuracy and operational reliability. Furthermore, the modular electric control system according to the present invention solves the problem of low motor power source utilization in traditional electric control systems. Based on the same reference material, this solution assembles the transmission system gears directly onto the motor output shaft, and then directly meshes with other gears that are parallel to but not collinear with the motor output center axis. This avoids misalignment issues caused by material assembly position differences, improves motor transmission efficiency, and further ensures stable and reliable load driving capacity. Furthermore, the modular electric control system according to the present invention solves the problem of low gear selection efficiency and large errors caused by large matching clearances caused by multiple transmission parts and low rotation accuracy of the motor itself when switching between different output gears.

[0034] Overall, the modular electric tilt system of this utility model simplifies the traditional antenna assembly process and reduces assembly costs. By integrating the power drive, selector, and output device of the traditional electric tilt structure into the metal housing of the electric tilt control system, the entire electric tilt system becomes modular. With this modularization, the antenna only needs to install a single module of the electric tilt system.

[0035] A second aspect of the present invention provides an antenna, which includes the modular electrical adjustment system provided according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0036] To sum up, in the modular electric adjustment system according to the present invention, the control device and the driving device are integrated into the metal shell, thereby achieving higher control accuracy and transmission efficiency, and reducing the impact of the electric adjustment system on the passive intermodulation performance of the antenna.

[0037] Although different exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that different changes and modifications can be made that can achieve one or more of the advantages of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other components that perform the same function can be appropriately replaced. It should be understood that the features explained herein with reference to specific figures can be combined with the features of other figures, even in those cases where this is not explicitly mentioned. In addition, the method of the present invention can be implemented in a software implementation using all appropriate processor instructions or in a hybrid implementation using a combination of hardware logic and software logic to obtain the same result. Such modifications to the scheme according to the present invention are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A modular electrical adjustment system for an antenna, characterized in that: The electric adjustment system includes: a metal shell, wherein the metal shell forms a receiving cavity; an electrically adjustable output device, the electrically adjustable output device being disposed on the metal housing and penetrating at least a portion of the metal housing; control devices; and Drive unit, The control device and the driving device are accommodated in the accommodating cavity, and the driving device is coupled to the electrical adjustment output device.

2. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device comprises: A power source device configured to provide an electric adjustment output driving force and a transposition selection driving force; A transmission device is configured to selectively couple the power source device and the electric adjustment output device to drive them.

3. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the power source devices of the driving device is not greater than the number of the electrical adjustment output devices.

4. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 2, wherein: The driving device further includes a reference base, and the power source device and the transmission device are constructed on the reference base.

5. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power source device includes a rotary motor, wherein the rotary motor is configured to provide the electric speed controller with an output driving force.

6. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The power source device further includes a linear motor, wherein the linear motor is configured to provide the shift selection driving force.

7. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The input center axis of the rotary motor is parallel to the input center axis of the transmission device but not collinear.

8. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 2, wherein: The transmission device comprises a transmission member, and the transmission member is made of metal material.

9. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transmission element is configured as a metal gear or a metal worm.

10. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The module m of the metal gear is less than 0.8; The number of teeth Z of the metal gear is ≤ 12; and / or The number of starts of the metal worm is ≤2.

11. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 2, wherein: The gears of the transmission device are made by using a powder metallurgy process.

12. The modular electric adjustment system according to claim 6, wherein: The rotary motor is disposed close to the output shaft of the linear motor.

13. An antenna, characterized in that: The antenna includes a modular electrical adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images