Surface-mounted microstrip circulator temperature test testing tool

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of surface mount microstrip circulator temperature test test tool, belong to microwave antenna technical field, comprising: the cavity structure for providing sealed test environment, the elastic clamping structure and adjusting screw being arranged in cavity structure, the elastic clamping structure includes the pad column for the vertical direction compression of microstrip circulator, the spring piece for being flexibly clamped with pad column to microstrip circulator and the conical coil spring for increasing the contact area of microstrip circulator substrate and test tool, the pressure of the spring piece to microstrip circulator is adjusted by adjusting screw. The tool is simple in structure, the effective sealing of the measured microstrip circulator is realized by cavity, sealing washer and cover plate, the humid air in test chamber can be isolated, meanwhile, drying agent can be placed in closed cavity, further reduce humidity, avoid short-circuit abnormality caused by condensate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of microwave antenna technology, specifically relating to a surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture. Background Technology

[0002] A microstrip circulator is a device that uses gyromagnetic ferrite materials to unidirectionally transmit high-frequency signal energy under the combined action of a DC magnetic field and a microwave field. Its main function in radar systems is to control the signal transmission and reception of the antenna and receiver branches. Its basic structure includes a substrate, a gyromagnetic substrate, a microstrip circuit, a dielectric material, and a permanent magnet. Compared to traditional microstrip circulators, surface-mount microstrip circulators offer advantages such as simple installation and ease of integration using vertical interconnect technology, leading to their widespread application in radar systems in recent years. Its structural feature is the relocation of the signal ports from the traditional planar position of the microstrip circuit to the three side edges of the gyromagnetic substrate, led out to the circulator substrate surface through perforated metallization. This structural innovation brings special requirements to the test fixture design: firstly, it is necessary to ensure reliable conduction between the three signal ports and the test fixture; secondly, it is necessary to ensure good grounding between the substrate and the fixture. Simultaneously, to avoid the risk of reduced strength due to perforation of the gyromagnetic substrate and easy breakage during test clamping, these factors must be fully considered in the test fixture design.

[0003] Furthermore, since the performance of functional materials in microstrip circulators is closely related to temperature, microstrip circulators must undergo testing not only at room temperature but also at high and low temperatures to verify their reliability and stability, ensure that their performance meets design requirements under these conditions, identify manufacturing defects, and assess long-term reliability. At room temperature, the test fixture only needs to ensure reliable clamping and good contact at the contacts to complete the test smoothly; sealing is not a primary concern. However, the situation differs when testing in high and low temperature environments. First, the changes in clamping stress caused by thermal expansion and contraction must be fully considered to prevent mechanical damage or performance impact due to differences in material thermal expansion rates. Additionally, due to factors such as ambient humidity and temperature fluctuations, condensation on the fixture surface is unavoidable during room temperature testing, which may cause unexpected short circuits and lead to abnormal test results. Current test fixtures are often insufficient to meet these testing requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a simple and easy-to-operate test fixture for temperature testing of surface-mount microstrip circulators.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture, the fixture comprising: a cavity structure for providing a sealed testing environment, an elastic clamping structure disposed within the cavity structure for holding the microstrip circulator, and an adjusting screw for adjusting the clamping force of the elastic clamping structure on the microstrip circulator. The elastic clamping structure includes a pad for vertically pressing the microstrip circulator, a spring plate for flexibly clamping the microstrip circulator in cooperation with the pad, and a conical helical spring for increasing the contact area between the microstrip circulator substrate and the test fixture. The pressure of the spring plate on the microstrip circulator is adjusted by an adjusting screw.

[0006] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical features: the cavity structure includes a hollow cavity, a sealing gasket and a cover plate for sealing the cavity, and multiple connectors disposed on the side of the cavity.

[0007] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical features: each of the three sides of the cavity is provided with a connector mounting hole, and a groove is provided inside the cavity corresponding to the center position of the connector mounting hole. The groove is used for positioning and mounting the microstrip line. The inner side of the cavity is provided with semi-circular process grooves on both sides near the connector end, and a semi-circular clearance groove is provided at the other end.

[0008] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical features: the upper end face of the cavity has a rectangular groove for positioning the sealing gasket, and a cover plate mounting hole is provided on the outside of the rectangular groove for connecting and installing the cover plate.

[0009] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical feature: the sealing gasket is a rectangular frame that matches the rectangular groove on the upper end face of the cavity.

[0010] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical features: the cavity has three bosses for horizontal positioning of the microstrip circulator, and the cavity has a flat-bottomed hole for positioning of the conical helical spring.

[0011] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical feature: the cover plate is provided with a sealing gasket mounting hole, which facilitates the tightening of the sealing gasket.

[0012] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical feature: the cross-section of the conical helical spring is rectangular, which is made by cutting and stretching a thin metal sheet along a planar helical line, and then compressing it into a circular sheet.

[0013] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical features: the pad is cylindrical, the pad is provided with a cylindrical boss, one end of the spring sheet is provided with a positioning hole that mates with the cylindrical boss, and the other end is provided with a mounting hole for fixing and pressing the spring sheet. A V-shaped bending boss or a circular stamping boss is provided on the outer side of one end of the spring sheet mounting hole.

[0014] The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture provided by this utility model also has the following technical features: the testing fixture further includes three connectors located in the three side connector mounting holes of the cavity structure base and three microstrip lines installed in the grooves inside the cavity. The connectors are soldered to the cavity base, and the microstrip lines are soldered to the probes of the connectors.

[0015] Beneficial effects The microstrip circulator testing fixture provided by this invention has a simple structure. It effectively seals the microstrip circulator under test through a cavity, sealing gasket, and cover plate, isolating it from humid air inside the test chamber. A desiccant can be placed inside the sealed cavity to further reduce humidity and prevent short circuits caused by condensation. Secondly, the simple elastic clamping mechanism, composed of a helical spring, pad, and spring plate, not only ensures tight contact between each port and the microstrip line and good substrate grounding, but also avoids the risk of damage to the microstrip circulator caused by thermal expansion and contraction in high and low temperature environments when using conventional rigid clamps. Furthermore, the testing fixture provided by this invention allows for quick loading and replacement of the microstrip circulator by simply moving the spring plate, making operation very convenient and greatly improving testing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 Assembly drawing of the test fixture provided in the embodiments of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity structure mentioned in the embodiment of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pad and spring sheet mentioned in the embodiment of this utility model. Wherein, 1: cavity; 11: connector mounting hole; 12: groove; 121: semi-circular process groove; 122: semi-circular clearance groove; 13: boss; 14: flat bottom hole; 15: rectangular groove; 16: cover plate mounting hole; 17: gasket mounting hole; 2: conical helical spring; 3: spring sheet; 31: positioning hole; 32: spring sheet mounting hole; 33: V-shaped bending boss; 4: pad post; 41: cylindrical boss; 5: gasket; 6: cover plate; 7: microstrip line; 8: connector; 9: microstrip circulator; 91: port contact; 92: substrate; 10: adjusting screw. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. Equivalent transformations or substitutions in function, method, or structure made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0019] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0020] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0021] The terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] like Figures 1-3As shown, this utility model embodiment provides a surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture. The fixture includes: a cavity structure for providing a sealed testing environment, an elastic clamping structure disposed in the cavity structure for clamping the microstrip circulator 9, and an adjusting screw for adjusting the clamping force of the elastic clamping structure on the microstrip circulator 9. The elastic clamping structure includes a pad 4 for vertically pressing the microstrip circulator 9, a spring plate 3 for flexibly clamping the microstrip circulator 9 in cooperation with the pad 4, and a conical helical spring 2 for increasing the contact area between the microstrip circulator substrate 92 and the test fixture. The pressure of the spring plate 3 on the microstrip circulator 9 is adjusted by the adjusting screw 10.

[0023] In the above embodiments, the elastic clamping structure ensures that the substrate 92 of the microstrip circulator 9 is reliably grounded, and on the other hand, the elastic deformation of the spring sheet 3 enables flexible clamping of the test piece, so that its port contact 91 can stably and reliably contact the microstrip line 7.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cavity structure includes a hollow cavity 1, a sealing gasket 5 and a cover plate 6 for sealing the cavity 1, and multiple connectors 8 disposed on the side of the cavity 1. In the above embodiments, the cavity 1, the sealing gasket 5, and the cover plate 6 together achieve effective sealing of the microstrip circulator 9 under test, forming a sealed protective space to ensure that humid air inside the test chamber cannot invade the tooling.

[0025] In some embodiments, each of the three sides of the cavity 1 is provided with a connector mounting hole 11. Inside the cavity corresponding to the center position of the connector mounting hole 11, a groove 12 is provided. The groove 12 is used for positioning and mounting the microstrip line 7. Semi-circular process grooves 121 are provided on both sides of the inner side of the cavity near the connector 8 to ensure that there is no assembly interference with the microstrip line 7. A semi-circular clearance groove 122 is provided at the other end to prevent the port of the microstrip line circulator 9 from contacting and conducting with the bottom surface of the cavity. In the above embodiments, the depth of the groove 12 is slightly shallower than the thickness of the microstrip line to ensure that the port contact 91 of the microstrip line circulator can contact the microstrip line 7.

[0026] In some embodiments, the upper end face of the cavity 1 has a rectangular groove 15 for positioning the sealing gasket 5, and a cover plate mounting hole 16 is provided on the outside of the rectangular groove 15 for connecting and installing the cover plate.

[0027] In some embodiments, the sealing gasket 5 is a rectangular frame that mates with the rectangular groove 15 on the upper end face of the cavity. The rectangular groove 15 has rounded corners, and the sealing gasket 5 also has rounded corners.

[0028] In some embodiments, the cavity 1 has three protrusions 13 for horizontal positioning of the microstrip circulator 9, and a flat-bottomed hole 14 for positioning the conical helical spring 2. The protrusions 13 ensure planar positioning of the microstrip circulator 9, guarantee accurate contact between the microstrip circulator port contact 91 and the microstrip line 7, and ensure signal continuity. The three protrusions 13 are chamfered to facilitate the connection of the microstrip circulator 9. The flat-bottomed hole 14 limits the position of the conical helical spring 2, ensuring that the conical helical spring 2 is always located directly below the center of the microstrip circulator 9.

[0029] In some embodiments, the cover plate 6 is provided with gasket mounting holes 17 to facilitate pressing the gasket 5. The gasket mounting holes 17 are provided at least one at each of a set of diagonals, or they may be provided at all four corners.

[0030] In some embodiments, the conical helical spring 2 has a rectangular cross-section and is made by cutting and stretching a thin metal sheet along a planar helical line, resulting in a circular sheet after compression. The circular sheet increases the contact area with the substrate 92 of the microstrip circulator 9.

[0031] In some embodiments, the pad 4 is cylindrical, with a cylindrical boss 41 on it. One end of the spring plate 3 has a positioning hole 31 that mates with the cylindrical boss 41, and the other end has a spring plate mounting hole 32 for fixing and clamping the spring plate 3. A V-shaped bent boss 33 or a circular stamped boss is provided on the outer side of one end of the spring plate mounting hole 32. The pad 4 is used to clamp the microstrip circulator 9 vertically. The spring plate 3 is clamped by adjusting the screw 10, and the clamping force is transmitted to the lower end face of the pad 4, thereby flexibly clamping the microstrip circulator 9. The V-shaped bent boss 33 or the circular stamped boss facilitates adjustment of the clamping force by adjusting the screw 10, while reducing the contact area between the spring plate 3 and the bottom surface of the cavity, allowing the spring plate 3 to be rotated for easy insertion and removal of the microstrip circulator 9.

[0032] In some embodiments, the test fixture also includes three connectors 11 located in the three side connector mounting holes of the cavity structure base and three microstrip lines 7 installed in the groove 12 inside the cavity. The connectors 11 are soldered to the cavity base, and the microstrip lines 7 are soldered to the probes of the connectors 11.

[0033] In some embodiments, the pressure is adjusted by adjusting screw 10. Once adjusted, the screw does not need to be disassembled when installing or replacing the microstrip circulator. The replacement of the microstrip circulator can be completed simply by lifting and rotating the pressure end of the spring plate 3. To facilitate the replacement operation, the pad 4 is bonded to the spring plate 3 to form a whole, preventing the pad 4 from falling off when replacing the microstrip circulator.

[0034] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture, characterized in that, The tooling includes: a cavity structure for providing a sealed test environment, an elastic clamping structure disposed in the cavity structure for clamping the microstrip circulator (9), and an adjusting screw (10) for adjusting the clamping force of the elastic clamping structure on the microstrip circulator (9). The elastic clamping structure includes a pad (4) for vertically pressing the microstrip circulator, a spring plate (3) for flexibly clamping the microstrip circulator (9) in conjunction with the pad (4), and a conical helical spring (2) for increasing the contact area between the microstrip circulator substrate (92) and the test fixture. The pressure of the spring plate (3) on the microstrip circulator (9) is adjusted by an adjusting screw (10).

2. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity structure includes a hollow cavity (1), a sealing gasket (5) for sealing the cavity (1), a cover plate (6), and multiple connectors (8) disposed on the side of the cavity.

3. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cavity (1) has a connector mounting hole (11) on each of its three sides. Inside the cavity corresponding to the center position of the connector mounting hole (11), there is a groove (12). The groove (12) is used for positioning and mounting the microstrip line (7). The inner side of the cavity has a semi-circular process groove (121) on both sides near the connector end, and a semi-circular clearance groove (122) on the other end.

4. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper end face of the cavity (1) has a rectangular groove (15) for positioning the sealing gasket, and a cover plate mounting hole (16) is provided on the outside of the rectangular groove (15) for connecting and installing the cover plate (6).

5. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing gasket (5) is a rectangular frame that fits into the rectangular groove (15) on the upper end face of the cavity.

6. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cavity (1) has three bosses (13) for horizontal positioning of the microstrip circulator, and a flat-bottomed hole (14) for positioning of the conical helical spring.

7. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cover plate (6) is provided with a gasket mounting hole to facilitate the pressing of the gasket.

8. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conical helical spring (2) has a rectangular cross section and is made by cutting and stretching a thin metal sheet along a planar helical line. After compression, it becomes a circular sheet.

9. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pad (4) is cylindrical, and a cylindrical boss (41) is provided on the pad (4). One end of the spring plate (3) is provided with a positioning hole (31) that cooperates with the cylindrical boss (41), and the other end is provided with a spring plate mounting hole (32) for fixing and pressing the spring plate (3). A V-shaped bending boss (33) or a circular stamping boss is provided on the outer side of one end of the spring plate mounting hole (32).

10. The surface-mount microstrip circulator temperature testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test fixture also includes three connectors (8) located in the three side connector mounting holes of the cavity structure base and three microstrip lines (7) installed in the groove (12) inside the cavity. The connectors (8) are soldered to the cavity (1) base and the microstrip lines (7) are soldered to the probes of the connectors (8).

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