Shaped antenna housing, waveguide antenna structure and radar
By setting a shaped structure inside the waveguide antenna radome to modulate the antenna pattern, the problems of large design size and difficult manufacturing process of waveguide antennas are solved, thus simplifying manufacturing and controlling costs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520053722.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-01-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing waveguide antenna designs, during the shaping process, lead to increased radar size and manufacturing difficulty, failing to meet the miniaturization requirements of wireless communication systems.
By employing a shaped radome and waveguide antenna structure, the antenna pattern is modulated by setting a shaped structure inside the radome, reducing the need for complex feed networks, and the pattern characteristics are adjusted using a dielectric resonator.
This technology enables the adjustment of the antenna pattern, simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and does not increase the size of the radar, thus meeting the requirements for miniaturization.
Smart Images
Figure CN223771334U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a shaped radome, a waveguide antenna structure, and a radar. Background Technology
[0002] Waveguide antennas are widely used in radar detection due to their low loss, high power capacity, compact structure, ease of fabrication, and ease of separation. In automotive radar applications, the low loss of waveguide antennas has also made them a basic configuration for next-generation products. However, with the increasing application scenarios and demands of automotive radar, there are also requirements for antenna pattern shaping.
[0003] The current main approach to shaped antenna design is to achieve pattern shaping by designing the amplitude and phase of the antenna's feed network. However, in practice, if the feed network and antenna are on the same plane, the radar's length and width will increase significantly, affecting the radar's MIMO array configuration; if the feed network and antenna are on different layers, the radar's thickness will increase significantly, increasing the difficulty of antenna manufacturing and failing to meet the miniaturization trend of wireless communication systems. Utility Model Content
[0004] The main purpose of this invention is to propose a shaped radome, a waveguide antenna structure, and a radar, aiming to solve the problems of large design size and difficult manufacturing process of waveguide antennas due to the need for shaping.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a shaped radome, comprising:
[0006] A housing includes a flat plate structure and a housing wall surrounding the outer side of the flat plate structure, the flat plate structure and the housing wall being integrally formed to form a receiving cavity for accommodating an antenna, such that when the antenna is mounted inside the receiving cavity, the flat plate structure is positioned in the extension direction of the antenna; and,
[0007] A shaping structure is disposed inside the accommodating cavity and fixed on the flat plate structure. The shaping structure is used to correspond to the antenna arrangement inside the accommodating cavity to modulate the radiation pattern of the antenna inside the accommodating cavity.
[0008] In one embodiment, the shaped structure includes a cylindrical dielectric resonator, a rectangular dielectric resonator, or a hemispherical dielectric resonator.
[0009] In one embodiment, multiple shaping structures are provided, and the multiple shaping structures are spaced apart on the inner side of the planar structure to correspond to multiple required shaping directions of the antenna.
[0010] In one embodiment, the thickness of the flat plate structure is h0, the pointing angle of the antenna main beam is θ, and the guided wavelength of the antenna center frequency in the flat plate structure is λ. g The relative permittivity of the flat plate structure is ε. r N is a positive integer that satisfies the following relationship:
[0011]
[0012] In one embodiment, the material of the cover includes at least one of resin and ceramic.
[0013] This utility model also proposes a waveguide antenna structure, including:
[0014] The antenna body includes a connected waveguide feed line and a waveguide radiator, the waveguide feed line being used to connect to radio frequency devices, and the waveguide radiator being used to generate a radiation pattern; and,
[0015] The aforementioned shaped radome, wherein the shaped radome comprises:
[0016] A housing includes a flat plate structure and a housing wall surrounding the outer side of the flat plate structure, the flat plate structure and the housing wall being integrally formed to form a receiving cavity for accommodating an antenna, such that when the antenna is mounted inside the receiving cavity, the flat plate structure is positioned in the extension direction of the antenna; and,
[0017] A shaping structure is disposed inside the accommodating cavity and fixed on the flat plate structure. The shaping structure is used to correspond to the antenna arrangement inside the accommodating cavity to modulate the radiation pattern of the antenna inside the accommodating cavity.
[0018] The cover is placed outside the antenna body, and the shaping structure is used to modulate the radiation pattern generated by the waveguide radiator.
[0019] In one embodiment, an air gap is provided between the waveguide radiator and the shaping structure.
[0020] In one embodiment, the waveguide radiator includes an open waveguide or a horn antenna.
[0021] In one embodiment, the antenna bodies are configured in multiple ways to form a waveguide antenna array.
[0022] This utility model also proposes a radar, which includes the above-mentioned waveguide antenna structure, the waveguide antenna structure comprising:
[0023] The antenna body includes a connected waveguide feed line and a waveguide radiator, the waveguide feed line being used to connect to radio frequency devices, and the waveguide radiator being used to generate a radiation pattern; and,
[0024] The aforementioned shaped radome, wherein the shaped radome comprises:
[0025] A housing includes a flat plate structure and a housing wall surrounding the outer side of the flat plate structure, the flat plate structure and the housing wall being integrally formed to form a receiving cavity for accommodating an antenna, such that when the antenna is mounted inside the receiving cavity, the flat plate structure is positioned in the extension direction of the antenna; and,
[0026] A shaping structure is disposed inside the accommodating cavity and fixed on the flat plate structure. The shaping structure is used to correspond to the antenna arrangement inside the accommodating cavity to modulate the radiation pattern of the antenna inside the accommodating cavity.
[0027] The cover is placed outside the antenna body, and the shaping structure is used to modulate the radiation pattern generated by the waveguide radiator.
[0028] The technical solution provided by this utility model, by placing the shaping structure within the accommodating cavity, enables the antenna radome to adjust the antenna radiation pattern characteristics, saving the need for complex feed network setup. The structure is simple. Specifically, the radome includes a radome wall and a flat plate structure, wherein the shaping structure is disposed on the flat plate structure, which is located in the extension direction of the antenna. This allows the shaping structure to have a suitable position to meet the required shaping angle, and it is relatively easy to install, with simple processing technology and controllable cost, thus solving the problems of large waveguide antenna design size and difficult processing technology. Attached Figure Description
[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.
[0030] Figure 1 This is a front view of an embodiment of the waveguide antenna structure provided by this utility model;
[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the middle waveguide antenna structure;
[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Side view of the middle waveguide antenna structure;
[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 1 E-plane radiation pattern of a mid-waveguide antenna structure;
[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Standing wave diagram of a mid-waveguide antenna structure;
[0035] Figure 6 A side view of another embodiment of the waveguide antenna structure provided by this utility model;
[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 6 E-plane radiation pattern of a mid-waveguide antenna structure;
[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 6 Standing wave diagram of a mid-waveguide antenna structure.
[0038] Explanation of icon numbers:
[0039] 1000. Waveguide antenna structure; 1. Antenna body; 11. Waveguide feed line; 12. Waveguide radiator; 2. Shaped radome; 21. Dome; 211. Flat plate structure; 22. Shaped structure; 3. Air gap.
[0040] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation
[0041] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0042] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.
[0043] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.
[0044] Waveguide antennas are widely used in radar detection due to their low loss, high power capacity, compact structure, ease of fabrication, and ease of separation. In automotive radar applications, the low loss of waveguide antennas has also made them a basic configuration for next-generation products. However, with the increasing application scenarios and demands of automotive radar, there are also requirements for antenna pattern shaping.
[0045] The current main approach to shaped antenna design is to achieve pattern shaping by designing the amplitude and phase of the antenna's feed network. However, in practice, if the feed network and antenna are on the same plane, the radar's length and width will increase significantly, affecting the radar's MIMO array configuration; if the feed network and antenna are on different layers, the radar's thickness will increase significantly, increasing the difficulty of antenna manufacturing and failing to meet the miniaturization trend of wireless communication systems.
[0046] The main purpose of this invention is to propose a shaped radome, a waveguide antenna structure, and a radar, aiming to solve the problems of large design size and difficult manufacturing process of waveguide antennas due to the need for shaping.
[0047] Please see Figure 1 This utility model proposes a shaped radome 2, which includes a radome body 21 and a shaped structure 22. The radome body 21 includes a flat plate structure 211 and a cover wall surrounding the outside of the flat plate structure 211. The flat plate structure 211 and the cover wall are integrally formed to form a receiving cavity for accommodating an antenna. When the antenna is installed inside the receiving cavity, the flat plate structure 211 is positioned in the extension direction of the antenna. The shaped structure 22 is disposed inside the receiving cavity and fixed to the flat plate structure 211. The shaped structure 22 is used to correspond to the antenna arrangement inside the receiving cavity to modulate the radiation pattern of the antenna inside the receiving cavity.
[0048] The technical solution provided by this utility model, by placing the shaping structure 22 inside the accommodating cavity, realizes the adjustment of the antenna radiation pattern characteristics by the radome, saves the setting of complex feed networks, and has a simple structure. Specifically, the radome 21 includes a radome wall and a flat plate structure 211, wherein the shaping structure 22 is disposed on the flat plate structure 211, and the flat plate structure 211 is located in the extension direction of the antenna, so that the shaping structure 22 has a suitable position to meet the required shaping angle position, and the installation is relatively convenient, the processing technology is simple, and the cost is controllable, thereby solving the problems of large design size and difficult processing technology of waveguide antennas.
[0049] It should be noted that this utility model does not limit the specific implementation of the shaping structure 22, which includes a cylindrical dielectric resonator, a rectangular dielectric resonator, or a hemispherical dielectric resonator. A dielectric resonator is a passive component used in radio frequency and microwave circuits, made of materials with high dielectric constant and low loss characteristics. By changing the shape, size, and material properties of the dielectric resonator, its operating frequency, quality factor, and bandwidth can be adjusted. The cylindrical dielectric resonator supports multiple modes and is easy to manufacture; its resonant frequency can be changed by adjusting its height and diameter. The rectangular dielectric resonator mainly supports the TM mode, has a higher quality factor, and is easier to mount on the flat plate structure 211. The hemispherical dielectric resonator can support a high quality factor and has a certain degree of rotational symmetry, supporting both TE and TM modes.
[0050] It should also be noted that this utility model does not limit the number of the shaping structures 22. Please refer to [the relevant documentation]. Figure 1 In one embodiment, one shaping structure 22 is provided, and it is positioned at -55° on the E-plane of the antenna. This arrangement ensures that the maximum gain of the antenna pattern points to -55°. Please refer to... Figure 6 In another embodiment, two shaping structures 22 are provided, and are respectively located at -48° and 48° on the antenna E-plane. This arrangement makes the maximum gain of the antenna pattern point to -48° and 48°.
[0051] It is worth mentioning that the plate structure 211 is not only used to mount the shaping structure 22, but also needs to transmit electromagnetic waves. In order for the plate structure 211 to meet the requirements of transmitting electromagnetic waves 22, the thickness of the plate structure 211 is h0, the pointing angle of the antenna main beam is θ, and the waveguide wavelength of the antenna center frequency in the plate structure is λ. g The relative permittivity of the flat plate structure 211 is ε. r N is a positive integer that satisfies the following relationship:
[0052]
[0053] Furthermore, the material of the radome 21 includes at least one of resin and ceramic. Resin materials are lightweight, have high transmittance, and are easy to mold, and are widely used in the aerospace field. Ceramic materials have excellent dielectric properties, high hardness, and high wear resistance, and are widely used in military radar systems. A mixture of resin and ceramic, such as ceramic particles dispersed in a resin matrix, forms a composite material. This approach can, to some extent, overcome the limitations of a single material and improve the overall performance of the radome. In a specific embodiment, the radome is made of polybutylene terephthalate and 25% glass fiber. This configuration results in a lower dielectric constant and loss tangent for the radome 21, which helps reduce electromagnetic wave attenuation and ensures good signal transmission. Simultaneously, it significantly enhances the tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength of the material, improves the wear resistance and scratch resistance of the material surface, and is lighter than metal materials.
[0054] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 The present invention also proposes a waveguide antenna structure 1000, including an antenna body 1 and a shaped radome 2. The antenna body 1 includes a connected waveguide feed line 11 and a waveguide radiator 12. The waveguide feed line 11 is used to connect to radio frequency devices, and the waveguide radiator 12 is used to generate a radiation pattern. The radome 21 is disposed outside the antenna body 1, and the shaped structure 22 is used to modulate the radiation pattern generated by the waveguide radiator 12.
[0055] In the solution provided by this utility model, by placing the antenna body 1 inside the shaped antenna radome 2, and using the shaped structure 22 to modulate the radiation pattern generated by the waveguide radiator 12, the antenna structure can still adjust the radiation pattern characteristics of the antenna without adding a complex feed network, thereby achieving the purpose of shaping. This solution has a simple processing technology, controllable cost, and the radome 21 and the antenna body 1 are set separately, which reduces the design difficulty.
[0056] Furthermore, an air gap 3 is provided between the waveguide radiator 12 and the shaping structure 22. This arrangement helps reduce direct coupling between the waveguide radiator 12 and the shaping structure 22, avoiding unnecessary energy loss or mode conversion. By increasing the physical distance, the isolation between the two can be effectively improved, reducing mutual interference. The air gap 3 also helps reduce reflections caused by material interfaces, especially near high dielectric constant materials, which helps reduce the standing wave ratio and improve efficiency.
[0057] It should be noted that this utility model does not limit the specific implementation of the waveguide radiator 12, which includes an open waveguide or a horn antenna. The open waveguide refers to a metal waveguide structure that is closed at one end and open at the other. It transmits electromagnetic waves from the closed end to the open end and radiates them out at the open end. The open waveguide supports a wide operating frequency band and adapts to various frequency requirements. The horn antenna is an antenna formed by the gradual expansion of a waveguide, and its shape resembles a horn. It uses gradually changing cross-sectional dimensions to match the electromagnetic field distribution inside the waveguide with the electromagnetic wave characteristics in free space. The horn antenna can maintain good performance over a wide frequency range and is suitable for multi-band operation.
[0058] It should also be noted that the present invention does not limit the specific number of antenna bodies 1. In one embodiment, four antenna bodies 1 are provided to form a 1×4 waveguide antenna array.
[0059] The following are two specific embodiments provided by this utility model:
[0060] In Example 1, the waveguide array is shaped to increase the gain at -55° E-plane, while leaving the elevation plane unshaped. Figure 1-5 As shown. The waveguide antenna is a 1x4 waveguide array with a center frequency of 76.5 GHz; the radome material is polybutylene terephthalate + 25% glass fiber, with a relative permittivity of 3.45. The shaped structure 22 has a length of 20.6 mm, a width of 3 mm, and a height of 3 mm; the plate structure 211 has a thickness of 1.85 mm; and the air gap 3 is 0.2 mm.
[0061] In the above examples, such as Figure 4 The maximum gain of the pattern points to -55°, and the shaped pattern gain is increased by approximately 3.2 dB compared to the original pattern; Figure 5 The antenna standing wave ratio does not exceed 2 before and after adding the shaped radome 2; the radiation pattern and standing wave ratio both meet the requirements for normal antenna operation.
[0062] In Example 2, the waveguide array is shaped to increase the gain at -48° and 48° in the E-plane, while leaving the elevation plane unshaped. Figure 6-8 As shown, the waveguide antenna is a 1*4 waveguide array with a center frequency of 76.5 GHz; the radome material is polybutylene terephthalate + 25% glass fiber, with a relative permittivity of 3.45. Two shaped structures 22 are 20.6 mm long, 1 mm wide, and 3 mm high, symmetrically placed at corresponding positions on the E-plane of the antenna. The thickness of the flat plate structure 211 is 1.7 mm; the air gap 3 is 0.2 mm.
[0063] In the above examples, such as Figure 7The maximum gain of the pattern points to -48° and 48°, and the shaped pattern gain is increased by approximately 3.2 dB compared to the original pattern; Figure 8 The antenna standing wave ratio does not exceed 2 before and after adding the shaped radome 2; the radiation pattern and standing wave ratio both meet the requirements for normal antenna operation.
[0064] This utility model also proposes a radar, which includes the waveguide antenna structure 1000 described above. Since the radar includes the waveguide antenna structure 1000, the specific structure of the waveguide antenna structure 1000 is as described in the above embodiments. As the waveguide antenna structure 1000 of this radar adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.
[0065] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present utility model and the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. An exoantenna radome, characterized by, The application relates to an antenna structure, comprising: a cover body, which comprises a flat plate structure and a cover wall arranged outside the flat plate structure, the flat plate structure and the cover wall being integrally arranged to form a containing cavity for containing an antenna, the flat plate structure being arranged in the extending direction of the antenna when the antenna is installed inside the containing cavity; and a shaping structure arranged inside the containing cavity and fixed to the flat plate structure, the shaping structure being arranged to correspond to the antenna in the containing cavity to modulate the directional diagram of the antenna in the containing cavity.
2. The conformal radome of claim 1, wherein, The shaping structure comprises a cylindrical dielectric resonator, a rectangular dielectric resonator or a hemispherical dielectric resonator.
3. The conformal radome of claim 1, wherein, A plurality of shaping structures are arranged on the inner side of the flat plate structure to correspond to a plurality of required shaping directions of the antenna.
4. The conformal radome of claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the flat plate structure is h0, the antenna main beam pointing angle is θ, the guided wave wavelength of the antenna center frequency in the flat plate structure is λ g The relative dielectric constant of the flat plate structure is ε r N is a positive integer, and the following relationship is satisfied:
5. The conformal radome of claim 1, wherein, The material of the cover body comprises at least one of resin and ceramic.
6. A waveguide antenna structure, characterized by The application further relates to an antenna structure, comprising: an antenna body, which comprises a waveguide feed line and a waveguide radiator, the waveguide feed line being arranged to be connected to a radio frequency device, and the waveguide radiator being arranged to generate a directional diagram; and a cover body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is arranged outside the antenna body, and the shaping structure is arranged to modulate the directional diagram generated by the waveguide radiator. An air gap is arranged between the waveguide radiator and the shaping structure.
7. The waveguide antenna structure of claim 6, wherein, The waveguide radiator comprises an open waveguide or a horn antenna.
8. The waveguide antenna structure of claim 6, wherein, A plurality of antenna bodies are arranged to form a waveguide antenna array.
9. The waveguide antenna structure of claim 6, wherein, The application further relates to a waveguide antenna structure, which comprises any one of claims 6 to 9.
10. A radar, characterized by The application further relates to a waveguide antenna structure, which comprises any one of claims 6 to 9.