Lightweight high-precision line feed antenna molding double-sided mold

Abstract

This utility model discloses a lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming line-feed antennas, belonging to the field of mold technology. It consists of a lower mold, an upper mold, side baffles, positioning guide pillars, positioning pins, and inserts. The product is fixed to the lower mold surface using positioning pins. The upper and lower molds are joined together using positioning guide pillars. The joining accuracy of the upper and lower molds is controlled by the side baffles and guide pillars on the lower mold to ensure the thickness tolerance of the line-feed antenna. This utility model is applied to the production of phased array radar line-feed antennas, ensuring the design accuracy requirements of the line-feed antenna. It also allows for the replacement of side baffle dimensions to produce line-feed antennas of different specifications, and has advantages such as simple operation and low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of mold technology, and in particular to a lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming line feed antennas. Background Technology

[0002] Compared to traditional mechanically scanned radar, phased array radar has a shorter scanning cycle, more flexible pointing, and can achieve rapid scanning without inertia, resulting in a high data rate. It also possesses multi-target processing capabilities, high reliability, strong anti-jamming ability, and can adapt to various complex environments. With continuous technological advancements, phased array radar has found further applications. Currently, military radar widely adopts phased array technology, and almost all land-based, sea-based, air-based, and space-based weapon platforms are equipped with phased array radar products. Therefore, military applications are the primary application area for phased array radar.

[0003] The row-feed antenna is the smallest unit constituting a phased array radar. Currently, high-quality conductors such as copper and aluminum are generally used as antenna materials, and dielectric materials such as ceramics and polyimide are used as substrates for antenna elements. Since phased array radars are frequently subjected to wind loads, impacts, and vibrations during use, high precision and lightweight design are important research topics for antenna structures. On the one hand, the overall structural design will be optimized; on the other hand, the use of lightweight composite materials will be studied to ensure that the antenna is not only lightweight but also strong and adaptable to space environment applications. The importance of the vacuum bag for the row-feed antenna lies in providing a dust-free, moisture-free, and other harmful gas-free sealed environment. In such an environment, the row-feed antenna can maintain its optimal performance for a long time, extending its service life. This is crucial for improving communication quality and reducing maintenance costs. Because the signal coupling of the row-feed antenna requires extremely precise relative positioning between antenna layers, existing commonly used single-sided and double-sided vacuum bag molding dies cannot meet the precision requirements of the product, resulting in the performance of composite material antennas failing to meet usage requirements. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming line feed antennas. This product uses positioning pins to fix the lower mold surface, and positioning guide pillars are used to close the upper and lower molds. Inserts are used to fill the guide pillar area to ensure the proper placement of the vacuum bag. The side baffles on the lower mold and the guide pillars control the mold-closing accuracy of the upper and lower molds, thus ensuring the thickness tolerance of the line feed antenna.

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

[0006] A lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna includes a lower mold and an upper mold. A row of positioning pin holes is provided along the length of the upper mold surface of the lower mold, with a positioning pin installed in each hole. A side baffle is fixed to the upper mold surface of the lower mold, surrounding the row of positioning pin holes. The upper mold surface of the lower mold and the side baffle form a closed mold cavity. Positioning guide posts are installed at both ends of the side baffle on the upper mold surface of the lower mold. Positioning pin removal holes, corresponding one-to-one with multiple positioning pins, and positioning holes, corresponding to the positioning guide posts, are opened on the upper mold. The upper mold covers the side baffle.

[0007] A groove for excess glue is provided on the side retaining strip.

[0008] Corresponding bosses are provided on the lower mold surface of the upper mold and the upper mold surface of the lower mold, respectively. The size and shape of the bosses are the same as those of the mold cavity. The side baffles are set against the outer wall of the bosses on the lower mold, and the positioning pin holes are set on the bosses of the lower mold.

[0009] The side retaining strip is fixed to the lower mold by bolts.

[0010] The outer diameters of the positioning guide posts at both ends of the side stop strip are different, and the inner diameters of the two positioning holes are respectively matched with the outer diameters of the two positioning guide posts.

[0011] The top of both positioning guide posts is a 15° conical surface.

[0012] The lower end of the positioning guide post is provided with an external thread, and the upper die surface of the lower die is provided with a positioning guide post threaded hole, and the positioning guide post is threadedly connected in the positioning guide post threaded hole.

[0013] An insert is provided on the outside of the positioning guide post. The insert is a rectangular block with a circular hole on it. The inner diameter of the insert matches the outer diameter of the positioning guide post. The insert is fitted onto the outside of the positioning guide post through the circular hole and is in close contact with the side stop strip. The upper surface of the insert is flush with the upper surface of the side stop strip.

[0014] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: First, a side retaining strip is installed on the lower mold. During installation, it is initially positioned close to the boss of the lower mold. After the side retaining strip is precisely positioned using a standard internal thread locating pin, bolts are used to lock the retaining strip onto the lower mold, so that the lower mold surface and the side retaining strip form a closed mold cavity. The purpose is to ensure the external dimensions of the molded product, except for the thickness. Locating pins are installed on the pre-reserved locating pin holes in the lower mold. The locating pins are used to accurately position the relative position of each layer of the antenna. After the layers are laid up, inserts are used to fill the area of ​​the locating guide posts. Then, the upper mold and the lower mold are closed. Finally, a vacuum bag is placed on the large surface of the lower mold and the product is placed in an autoclave for curing. Because the vacuum bag and the autoclave apply uniform pressure to the entire upper surface of the mold, the pressure from the upper mold on the entire product is uniform. With the side retaining strip limiting the height, the overall molding quality is good. The surfaces of the upper and lower molds can ensure the molding quality of the outer surface of the product, and the thickness tolerance can be strictly controlled.

[0015] The advantages of this utility model are: (1) Due to the lightweight body of the row feed antenna, the overall rigidity is relatively weak and the product size is relatively large, making demolding more difficult. Compared with the overall mold, the side baffle of this utility model can be removed, which is conducive to product demolding, avoids damage to the product during demolding, and increases the demolding efficiency.

[0016] (2) Compared with the traditional mold cavity for product positioning, this utility model uses detachable positioning pins to accurately position each layer in the layup process, which greatly improves the manufacturing accuracy of antenna products and is beneficial to signal coupling when the antenna is used.

[0017] (3) This utility model uses a double-sided mold vacuum bag and autoclave to form the product, which greatly improves the overall thickness control of the product. Compared with the traditional molding mold, which is limited by the flatness of the press plate and the product size and cannot achieve the accuracy required for the antenna, this utility model uses a vacuum bag and autoclave to apply uniform pressure to the entire upper surface of the mold. Therefore, the pressure from the upper mold on the entire product is uniform. After forming, the thickness tolerance of the antenna can be controlled within ±0.05, which can fully meet the accuracy requirements of the line feed antenna.

[0018] (4) The present invention pre-drills the positioning pin removal hole on the upper mold surface, so that the positioning pin can be removed in advance before demolding. Since the upper and lower molds have not yet been opened, the removal process will not damage the printed circuit board on the surface of the line feed antenna. Compared with the solution of opening the mold first and then removing the positioning pin, the risk of tearing the printed circuit board on the surface of the antenna due to the positioning pin being taken away by the upper mold is solved;

[0019] (5) The present invention provides bosses on the mold surfaces of the upper and lower molds, which can ensure that the side baffles will not infringe on the mold cavity due to inaccurate positioning and thus damage the product, and also facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the side baffles, thus speeding up the work efficiency.

[0020] (6) This utility model is a steel composite molding mold. It uses a vacuum bag making process and then enters the autoclave for molding. It is easy to disassemble and assemble, and simple to close the mold. Compared with traditional molding molds, it can ensure better thickness tolerance to ensure the high precision requirements of row feed antenna products. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a half-sectional view of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the positioning pin of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the protrusion structure for the lower mold. Detailed Implementation

[0025] like Figure 1-3 As shown, a lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna includes a lower mold 1 and an upper mold 2. A row of positioning pin holes is provided along the length of the upper mold surface of the lower mold 1, and a positioning pin 4 is provided in each positioning pin hole. A side baffle 3 is fixed to the upper mold surface of the lower mold 1, surrounding the row of positioning pin holes. The upper mold surface of the lower mold 1 and the side baffle 3 form a closed mold cavity. Positioning guide posts 5 are respectively installed at both ends of the side baffle 3 on the upper mold surface of the lower mold 1. Positioning pin removal holes 7, corresponding one-to-one with multiple positioning pins 4, and positioning holes 8, corresponding to the positioning guide posts 5, are opened on the upper mold 2. The upper mold 2 covers the side baffle 3. The positioning pin removal holes 7 are used to remove the product positioning pins 4 before mold opening, preventing the upper mold 2 from pulling up the positioning pins 4 and causing tearing of the antenna surface during mold opening.

[0026] An overflow groove 10 is provided on the side baffle 3. The overflow groove 10 is used to drain excess resin during the curing process.

[0027] Corresponding bosses 9 are provided on the lower mold surface of the upper mold 2 and the upper mold surface of the lower mold 1, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the boss 9 has the same size and shape as the mold cavity. The side stop 3 is set against the outer wall of the boss on the lower mold 1, and the positioning pin hole is set on the boss 9 of the lower mold 1. The boss 9 can ensure the positioning accuracy of the side stop 3.

[0028] The side baffle 3 is fixed to the lower mold 1 by bolts.

[0029] The outer diameters of the positioning guide pins 5 at both ends of the side baffle 3 are different, and the inner diameters of the two positioning holes 8 are respectively matched with the outer diameters of the two positioning guide pins 5. The positioning guide pins 5 are set with different outer diameters to ensure the mold closing direction of the upper mold 2 and prevent reverse mold closing, which would cause the product positioning pin to be unable to cooperate with the positioning pin removal hole 7 of the upper mold 2.

[0030] The tops of the two positioning guide pillars 5 are both 15° conical surfaces, which ensure that the product can be smoothly guided to the correct position before the mold is closed.

[0031] The lower end of the positioning guide post 5 is provided with an external thread, and the upper mold surface of the lower mold 1 is provided with a positioning guide post threaded hole, and the positioning guide post 5 is threadedly connected in the positioning guide post threaded hole.

[0032] An insert 6 is provided on the outside of the positioning guide post 5. The insert 6 is a rectangular block with a round hole on the insert 6 whose inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the positioning guide post 5. The insert 6 is fitted onto the outside of the positioning guide post 5 through the round hole and is in close contact with the side stop strip 3. The upper surface of the insert 6 is flush with the upper surface of the side stop strip 3.

[0033] Different specifications of line feed antennas can be produced by changing the height of the side baffle 3.

[0034] The specific steps of the vacuum bag forming method for lightweight, high-precision line feed antennas are as follows:

[0035] (1) Remove the side strip 3, apply release agent to the surface of the side strip 3, lower mold 1, and upper mold 2, and clean all bolt holes and positioning pin holes; then assemble the lower mold 1, side strip 3, positioning guide post 5, and insert 6, ensuring no gaps between the parts; use a clean white cotton cloth dipped in release agent to wipe the entire surface of the mold cavity, including the side strip 3 and bolt surfaces, insert positioning pin 4 into the positioning pin of the lower mold 1, lay up the antenna circuit printed circuit board and PMI foam medium in the mold cavity, clean the dust and impurities on the surface of the upper mold 2, and start mold closing. When closing the mold, use the positioning hole 8 on the upper mold 2 to cooperate with the positioning guide post 5 on the lower mold 1 for mold closing positioning. After closing the mold, paste putty strips on the outer ring of the lower mold 1, and then paste vacuum bags.

[0036] (2) After the vacuum bag is made, it is sent to the autoclave for curing. Starting from room temperature, the temperature is raised to 80°C and kept for 60 minutes. Then the temperature is raised to 135°C and kept for 240 minutes. Then the temperature is lowered to 60°C and taken out of the oven. The heating and cooling rate is no more than 2°C / min. A positive pressure of 0.4 MPa is applied.

[0037] (3) After curing, the mold temperature drops to 40°C and the mold is removed. After removing the surface vacuum bag, first use pliers to remove the positioning pin from the positioning pin removal hole of the upper mold 2, then use a gantry crane to lift the upper mold 2 (there is a lifting ring on the side of the upper mold 2), and then remove the side strip 3 on one side in the length direction to demold the product.

[0038] In this embodiment, a vacuum bag and autoclave are used to apply uniform pressure to the entire upper surface of the mold. After molding, the thickness tolerance of the antenna can be controlled within ±0.05, which meets the design precision of the antenna and significantly improves product quality. The process is simple and convenient, and the product surface and dimensions are in a finished state, requiring no subsequent operations, thus improving production efficiency and bringing economic benefits. Antennas of different specifications can also be produced by changing the side retaining strip 3, which can meet the production needs of antennas of different specifications and save mold manufacturing costs.

[0039] The above content is a further detailed description of the technical solution provided in conjunction with the preferred embodiments of this utility model. It should not be considered that the specific implementation of this utility model is limited to the above description. For those skilled in the art, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of this utility model, and all of these should be considered to fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming line-feed antennas, characterized in that: The device includes a lower mold and an upper mold. A row of positioning pin holes is provided along the length of the upper mold surface of the lower mold, and a positioning pin is provided in each positioning pin hole. A side stop is fixed on the upper mold surface of the lower mold, and the side stop surrounds the row of positioning pin holes. The upper mold surface of the lower mold and the side stop form a closed mold cavity. Positioning guide posts are installed at both ends of the side stop on the upper mold surface of the lower mold. The upper mold has positioning pin removal holes corresponding to multiple positioning pins and positioning holes corresponding to the positioning guide posts. The upper mold covers the side stop.

2. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove for excess glue is provided on the side retaining strip.

3. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: Corresponding bosses are provided on the lower mold surface of the upper mold and the upper mold surface of the lower mold, respectively. The size and shape of the bosses are the same as those of the mold cavity. The side baffles are set against the outer wall of the bosses on the lower mold, and the positioning pin holes are set on the bosses of the lower mold.

4. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that: The side retaining strip is fixed to the lower mold by bolts.

5. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameters of the positioning guide posts at both ends of the side stop strip are different, and the inner diameters of the two positioning holes are respectively matched with the outer diameters of the two positioning guide posts.

6. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: The top of both positioning guide posts is a 15° conical surface.

7. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the positioning guide post is provided with an external thread, and the upper die surface of the lower die is provided with a positioning guide post threaded hole, and the positioning guide post is threadedly connected in the positioning guide post threaded hole.

8. The lightweight, high-precision double-sided mold for forming a line-feed antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: An insert is provided on the outside of the positioning guide post. The insert is a rectangular block with a circular hole on it. The inner diameter of the insert matches the outer diameter of the positioning guide post. The insert is fitted onto the outside of the positioning guide post through the circular hole and is in close contact with the side stop strip. The upper surface of the insert is flush with the upper surface of the side stop strip.

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