Millimeter wave waveguide phase shifter
By employing a design in the waveguide phase shifter with phase-shifting metal sheets fixed at both ends and deformed in the middle by a driving component, combined with a transition block clamping structure, the problems of complex structure, large size, and limited bandwidth of existing waveguide phase shifters are solved, achieving compact, easy-to-manufacture, and efficient phase adjustment.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHENGDU ZHONGYU MICROCHIP TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing waveguide phase shifters generally suffer from problems such as complex structure, large size, inconvenient processing, or limited bandwidth.
The structure adopts a phase-shifting metal sheet fixed at both ends and abutted by a driving component in the middle. The phase-shifting metal sheet is deformed by the movement of the driving component in a direction perpendicular to the waveguide cavity, so as to achieve continuous phase adjustment. A transition block is set on the same side of the waveguide and the installation gap between it and the inner wall is used for clamping, which simplifies the structure and optimizes the electromagnetic field distribution.
A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter with simple structure, small size, easy processing, and wide bandwidth has been realized, reducing insertion loss and return loss, and ensuring good electrical performance and stable transmission performance.
Smart Images
Figure CN224288533U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of waveguide technology, and in particular relates to a millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter. Background Technology
[0002] Phase shifters are key components of phased array radars. Currently, common waveguide phase shifters mainly include PIN diode type, ferrite type, and mechanical type. Among them, PIN diode type waveguide phase shifters usually require multiple PIN diodes to achieve a large phase shift, making the overall structure complex and increasing insertion loss; ferrite type waveguide phase shifters also have the problem of complex structure, and the use of ferrite material further increases the size; although mechanical waveguide phase shifters have advantages such as high power capacity, continuous phase adjustment, and low loss, the existing mechanical structures also have the problems of complex structure and large size.
[0003] It is evident that existing waveguide phase shifters generally suffer from drawbacks such as complex structure, large size, inconvenient processing, or limited bandwidth. Utility Model Content
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model discloses a millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter, which has the advantages of simple structure, small size, convenient processing, and wide bandwidth.
[0005] The specific technical solution of this utility model is as follows:
[0006] A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter, comprising:
[0007] A waveguide, wherein the waveguide is provided with a waveguide cavity extending along a first direction, and the waveguide is further provided with a mounting cavity, the mounting cavity being located on one side of the waveguide cavity, and the mounting cavity and the waveguide cavity being in communication;
[0008] A phase-shifting metal sheet, the two ends of which are fixed in the mounting cavity, the phase-shifting metal sheet having a degree of freedom of deformation;
[0009] A driving element extends from outside the waveguide into the mounting cavity and abuts against the middle of the phase-shifting metal sheet. The driving element moves along a second direction to deform the phase-shifting metal sheet. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.
[0010] In this application, by fixing the two ends of the phase-shifting metal sheet and having the middle part abutted by the driving member, the driving member moves along the extension direction perpendicular to the waveguide cavity, thereby causing the phase-shifting metal sheet to undergo continuous deformation, thus achieving continuous phase adjustment. This structure can greatly simplify the structure of the phase shifter and reduce its size. At the same time, the continuous deformation of the phase-shifting metal sheet can also avoid resonance caused by discrete stepping, thereby enabling the phase shifter to obtain a wider operating bandwidth.
[0011] Preferably, the drive element and the wave conductor are threaded together.
[0012] The structure is simple and compact, easy to process and assemble, and can effectively control the displacement of the driving components and the deformation of the phase-shifting metal sheet, thereby achieving higher precision continuous phase shifting.
[0013] Preferably, the waveguide has two transition blocks on the same side of its waveguide cavity, and there is an installation gap between the transition blocks and the inner wall of the waveguide on that side, and the end of the phase-shifting metal sheet is configured to be fixed within the installation gap.
[0014] This application sets a transition block on the same side of the waveguide and uses the installation gap between the transition block and the inner wall to clamp the end of the phase-shifting metal sheet. No additional complex fixing structure is required, the assembly is simple and reliable, the positioning is accurate, and it is conducive to better reducing the overall size of the phase shifter and reducing the processing difficulty.
[0015] Preferred options also include:
[0016] A fixing element extends from outside the waveguide into the mounting gap to press the end of the phase-shifting metal sheet against the transition block.
[0017] The structure is simple and the method of clamping the phase-shifting metal sheet is convenient. It not only provides stable installation for the phase-shifting metal sheet, but also improves clamping stability and avoids relative displacement during use, thereby ensuring phase-shifting accuracy and long-term reliability.
[0018] Preferably, the fastener and the waveguide are threaded together.
[0019] The structure is simple, allowing for easy tightening, and it has the advantages of simple assembly, convenient maintenance, and low cost.
[0020] Preferably, the transition block has a stepped structure.
[0021] This structure can optimize the electromagnetic field distribution within the waveguide cavity and reduce discontinuous reflections caused by the introduction of metal sheets, thereby improving impedance matching and widening the operating bandwidth of the phase shifter.
[0022] Preferably, the stepped structure rises and then falls from the middle to the end of the waveguide.
[0023] This structure can further smooth the electromagnetic wave transmission path, reduce the standing wave ratio, improve broadband performance, and maintain a compact structure.
[0024] Preferably, the two transition blocks are arranged symmetrically.
[0025] This structure enables uniform force to be applied to the phase-shifting metal sheet, resulting in symmetrical deformation and thus ensuring the linearity and repeatability of phase adjustment. The structure also helps to simplify the processing and assembly process.
[0026] Preferably, the transition block is made of metal.
[0027] The transition block can be formed by laser cutting, which has low overall cost and is conducive to improving electrical performance. In other words, the transition block and the waveguide form a good electrical contact, which can reduce contact loss and maintain the integrity of the electrical performance of the waveguide cavity, thereby facilitating low-loss broadband transmission.
[0028] Preferably, the waveguide includes a waveguide body and a waveguide cover, which are welded together or detachably connected by mounting components.
[0029] This structure facilitates the installation, debugging, and replacement of the phase-shifting metal sheet.
[0030] Compared with the prior art, the phase-shifting metal sheet of this utility model is fixed at both ends and set in the waveguide by a driving component in the middle, which can realize continuous phase adjustment. The overall structure is simple, small in size, easy to process, and has a wide bandwidth. At the same time, this utility model can also achieve electromagnetic matching optimization and reduce contact loss. Attached Figure Description
[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one state of an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another state of an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0034] Figure 4 This is a simulation diagram of insertion loss under different phase shifting states according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] Figure 5 This is a simulation diagram of return loss under different phase shift states according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0036] Figure 6 This is a simulation diagram of the phase shift amount under different phase shift states in an embodiment of this utility model.
[0037] In the figure: 1-waveguide; 2-phase-shifting metal sheet; 3-driving component; 4-waveguide cavity; 5-mounting cavity; 6-waveguide body; 7-waveguide cover; 8-transition block; 9-fixing component. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.
[0039] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter includes a waveguide 1, a phase-shifting metal sheet 2, and a driving element 3. The waveguide 1 is provided with a waveguide cavity 4 extending along a first direction, and the waveguide 1 is also provided with a mounting cavity 5, which is located on one side of the waveguide cavity 4 and is connected to the waveguide cavity 4. The two ends of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 are fixed in the mounting cavity 5, and the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 has a degree of freedom of deformation. The driving element 3 extends from the waveguide 1 into the mounting cavity 5 and abuts against the middle of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2. The driving element 3 moves along a second direction to drive the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 to deform, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.
[0040] In this embodiment, the waveguide 1 includes a waveguide body 6 and a waveguide cover 7, which are welded together or detachably connected via mounting components. This facilitates structural design and manufacturing, as well as maintenance of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2. The transition block 8 is made of metal. The transition block 8 has a certain deformation capability; after the driving component 3 is activated and bent, if the driving component 3 is reset, the transition block 8 can automatically deform and reset itself. The waveguide 1 is provided with a waveguide cavity 4 extending along a first direction for transmitting millimeter-wave signals. The waveguide 1 is also provided with a mounting cavity 5 located on one side of the waveguide cavity 4. Specifically, the mounting cavity 5 is located on one side of the waveguide cavity 4 in a second direction, thereby allowing the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 to extend into the waveguide cavity 4 after deformation and generate disturbance. Specifically, the driving component 3 moves inward toward the waveguide cavity 4, causing the middle part of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 to deform inward toward the waveguide cavity 4. Since the end of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 is fixed, it does not move. Thus, the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 changes from a straight line to an arc shape. For ease of explanation, the waveguide cavity 4 is rectangular. The internal space of the waveguide cavity 4 changes from a rectangular space to a concave cavity space, thereby affecting the phase and achieving the phase-shifting purpose. In this embodiment, the driving component 3 and the waveguide 1 are threaded together. Specifically, the driving component 3 is a screw, and the deformation of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 can be easily controlled by turning it in both directions.
[0041] In this embodiment, the waveguide 1 has two transition blocks 8 on the same side of its waveguide cavity 4. There is an installation gap, i.e., an installation cavity 5, between the transition blocks 8 and the inner wall of the waveguide 1 on that side. The end of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 is configured to be fixed within the installation gap. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transition blocks 8 are made of metal. Specifically, based on the traditional waveguide 1, the additional processing cost of the two transition blocks 8 is less than 1 / 10 of that of the waveguide 1, while the cost of the driving component 3 is inherently low. The transition blocks 8 are laser-cut, thus reducing costs. Therefore, for the entire phase shifter, the cost increase compared to the waveguide 1 is only 1 / 10. Thus, in addition to achieving advantages such as simple structure and excellent electrical performance, this embodiment clearly has the advantage of low cost.
[0042] In this embodiment, a fixing member 9 is also included. The fixing member 9 extends from the waveguide 1 into the installation gap to press the end of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 against the transition block 8. Similar to the driving member 3, the fixing member 9 is threadedly connected to the waveguide 1 and can be a screw. By turning it in the forward and reverse directions, the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 can be clamped or released.
[0043] Three threaded holes are provided on the waveguide 1, which are used to fit the drive component 3 and the two fixing components 9 respectively, thereby further simplifying the structure and enabling faster disassembly, assembly and phase shifting.
[0044] In this embodiment, the transition block 8 is a stepped structure. Specifically, the stepped structure rises and falls from the middle to the end of the waveguide 1. This structure can effectively optimize the electromagnetic field distribution within the waveguide cavity 4, smooth the electromagnetic wave transmission path, thereby reducing discontinuous reflections caused by the introduction of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2, thus improving impedance matching and widening the operating bandwidth of the phase shifter. Furthermore, the two transition blocks 8 are symmetrically arranged, thus effectively assembling the phase-shifting metal sheet 2.
[0045] Therefore, this embodiment provides a millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter. The waveguide cover 7 and the waveguide 1 are combined to form a whole. A phase-shifting metal sheet 2 is placed in the internal waveguide cavity 4 and fixed by a fixing member 9. Phase shifting is achieved by a driving member 3. It should be noted that since the deformation of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 is a continuous curved deformation, the shape change of the waveguide cavity 4 is also a continuous deformation, thereby avoiding resonance. At the same time, since the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 is located at the outer edge of the waveguide cavity 4, it will not have a significant matching and loss effect on the radio frequency energy inside the waveguide cavity 4. Therefore, this embodiment is conducive to achieving low loss. In addition, it should be noted that the transition block 8 provides good assembly conditions for the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 and performs impedance adaptation for the local changes in the waveguide cavity 4 caused by the phase-shifting metal sheet 2, thereby better meeting the usage requirements. Thus, when the driving member 3 drives the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 to achieve structural changes in the waveguide cavity 4, the purpose of phase lead or phase lag can be well achieved.
[0046] like Figure 4 The figure shows a simulation diagram of insertion loss under different phase shifting states in this embodiment. As can be seen from the figure, under different bending displacements, the insertion loss of the phase shifter in the 88–98 GHz wideband is below -0.0075 dB, indicating that this embodiment achieves continuous phase shifting while exhibiting extremely low transmission loss, significantly superior to existing structures.
[0047] like Figure 5 The figure shows a simulation diagram of return loss under different phase shift states in this embodiment. As can be seen from the figure, under each phase shift state, the return loss is better than -26dB across the entire 88–98GHz frequency band, and better than -30dB at most frequency points. This indicates excellent port matching and minimal reflection, meaning that this embodiment can guarantee stable transmission performance over a wide bandwidth.
[0048] like Figure 6 The figure shows a simulation diagram of the phase shift amount under different phase shift states in this embodiment. As can be seen from the figure, this embodiment has a continuously adjustable large-range phase shift. As the driving element 3 gradually changes the deformation of the phase-shifting metal sheet 2, the phase shift amount shows a continuous and significant changing trend. At each frequency point, the phase shift amount exhibits a uniform and monotonic variation law with the value of m. In other words, there is a good linear relationship between the displacement of the driving element 3 and the phase shift amount, facilitating precise control. Under each phase shift state, the phase shift curves remain parallel, indicating that this embodiment can stably provide the required phase shift amount throughout the entire operating frequency band. Furthermore, all phase shift states exhibit a smooth phase shift frequency response without jumps or abnormal fluctuations. This means that the phase-shifting metal sheet 2 does not induce resonance or discontinuous reflection during its deformation process, thus demonstrating that the stepped transition block 8 has a good practical effect in impedance matching.
[0049] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model. It should be noted that the above preferred embodiments should not be considered as limitations on this utility model, and the scope of protection of this utility model should be determined by the scope defined in the claims. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this utility model.
Claims
1. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter, characterized in that, include: Waveguide (1), the waveguide (1) is provided with a waveguide cavity (4) extending along a first direction, the waveguide (1) is also provided with a mounting cavity (5), the mounting cavity (5) is located on one side of the waveguide cavity (4), and the mounting cavity (5) and the waveguide cavity (4) are connected; A phase-shifting metal sheet (2) has both ends fixed in a mounting cavity (5) and has a degree of freedom of deformation. The driving element (3) extends from the waveguide (1) into the mounting cavity (5) and abuts against the middle of the phase-shifting metal sheet (2). The driving element (3) moves along a second direction to deform the phase-shifting metal sheet (2). The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.
2. The millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit (3) and the wave conductor (1) are threaded together.
3. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The waveguide (1) has two transition blocks (8) on the same side of its waveguide cavity (4), and there is an installation gap between the transition blocks (8) and the inner wall of the waveguide (1) on that side. The end of the phase-shifting metal sheet (2) is configured to be fixed in the installation gap.
4. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: The fastener (9) extends from the waveguide (1) into the mounting gap to press the end of the phase-shifting metal sheet (2) against the transition block (8).
5. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The fastener (9) and the waveguide (1) are threaded together.
6. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The transition block (8) has a stepped structure.
7. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The stepped structure rises and falls from the middle to the end of the waveguide (1).
8. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The two transition blocks (8) are arranged symmetrically.
9. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The transition block (8) is made of metal.
10. A millimeter-wave waveguide phase shifter as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The waveguide (1) includes a waveguide body (6) and a waveguide cover (7), which are welded or detachably connected by mounting components.