Small base station antenna equipment

Abstract

A small base station antenna device is provided that has the advantages of improving the workability of indoor installation and facilitating the construction of a small cell base station. The small base station antenna device includes a radio unit (RU), at least one antenna module that is tiltable and steerable relative to the radio unit, and a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each antenna module relative to the radio unit. The multi-function link includes a male connector that is electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the radio unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a small base station antenna apparatus, and more particularly to a small base station antenna apparatus that prevents cables from being exposed externally, facilitates the construction of indoor small cells, and enables beamforming to achieve dual bands by separating a portion of one antenna module to cover different frequency bands or by providing multiple antenna modules each covering a different frequency band. [Background technology]

[0002] Efforts are being made to develop improved 5G or pre-5G communication systems to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the commercialization of 4G communication systems. For this reason, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are called Beyond 4G Network or Post LTE systems. To achieve high data transmission rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in ultra-high frequency (mmWave) bands (such as the 60 GHz band). To mitigate the path loss of radio waves in ultra-high frequency bands and increase the transmission distance of radio waves, beamforming, massive MIMO, full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, and large scale antenna technologies are being discussed for 5G communication systems.

[0003] In particular, various technologies that improve frequency efficiency can be applied to future 5G cellular networks, which will require much higher capacity than current networks. Small Cell Network (SCN), one of the various candidate technologies, can improve channel utility by reducing cell size, increase cell density, improve frequency efficiency, and increase capacity.

[0004] A small cell is a small base station with low transmission power and narrow coverage, unlike the existing macro cell, which has wide coverage with high transmission power. The category of small cells includes low-output base station devices with output of 10W or less, pico cells, femto cells, Wi-Fi, etc. The advantage of small cells is that they cost less to build than macro cells, and are smaller in size, which increases space efficiency.

[0005] By stacking these small cells in public places, densely populated areas, and indoors such as large shopping malls and airport buildings, it is possible to increase capacity per unit area. This also has the advantage of reducing the power consumed and installation costs of each macrocell base station. A small cell base station alone can achieve 1,000 times the capacity of existing LTE, and small cells are expected to become the foundation technology connecting 4G and 5G.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a base station antenna device according to a conventional embodiment.

[0007] As shown in Fig. 1, the base station antenna device according to the conventional embodiment is installed outdoors, and has an antenna module 10 mounted on an upright support pole 11 by fixing brackets 30 and 31, a wireless unit 12 mounted on the underside of the antenna module 10 by fixing brackets 32 and 33, and the antenna module 10 and the wireless unit 12 are electrically connected using a plurality of cables 14. The fixing brackets 30 and 31 are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the antenna module 10 to fix it to the support pole 11, and are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the wireless unit 12 to fix it to the support pole 11. The fixing brackets 30-33 serve to fix the components using fasteners such as screws, bolts, nuts, etc.

[0008] However, conventional base station antenna devices have a structure that is limited to outdoor installation via a support pole 11, and the antenna module 10 is attached to the relatively upper part of the support pole 11, and a wireless unit 12, for example, an RRH (Remote Radio Head) is attached to the relatively lower part, and then connected using a cable 14, which poses the problem that the cable 14 is exposed to the outside, which mars the aesthetic appearance.

[0009] As described above, when installing a small cell base station indoors, there is a problem that the appearance is degraded due to the complex cable connection between the radio head unit (RRH) and the antenna module, and there is also a problem that it is difficult to practically cover dual-band frequency bands because only one antenna module is provided for each radio head unit (RRH). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problems, and aims to provide a small base station antenna device that makes it easy to build small cell base stations in public places, densely populated areas, and places such as large shopping malls and airport buildings.

[0011] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a small base station antenna device that can adjust the direction of various cables electrically connecting the wireless unit and the antenna module without exposing them to the outside, thereby preventing a decrease in aesthetic appearance (external beauty).

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a small base station antenna device that can be used in dual bands in various locations by partitioning off part of one antenna module to cover different frequency bands, or by providing multiple antenna modules each covering a different frequency band.

[0013] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a small base station antenna device that can ensure a wide range of directional adjustment angles by each multi-function link that mediates the installation of multiple antenna modules on a wireless unit.

[0014] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] A base station antenna device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a radio unit (RU), at least one antenna module arranged to be tiltable and steerable relative to the radio unit, and a multi-function link that mediates installation of each of the antenna modules relative to the radio unit, the multi-function link including a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the radio unit.

[0016] Here, the multi-function link further includes a fixing part having an opening on one side and fixed to the wireless unit, and a ball joint part having a portion housed and coupled in the internal space of the fixing part and for adjusting the direction of the antenna module by tilting or steering the antenna module, and the male connector is connectable to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the fixing part and the ball joint part.

[0017] The multi-function link may further include a cable housing pipe having one end connected to the wireless unit and the other end connected to the fixed part, housing the coaxial cables and hiding them from the outside.

[0018] The male connector may also include a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the coaxial cable, and a plurality of terminal pins extending from the coaxial cable and protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector.

[0019] The male connector may further include a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector, and a retainer nut for maintaining the electrical connection force of the plurality of terminal pins to the female connector.

[0020] In addition, the retainer nut can maintain the connecting force by fastening to a nut fastening end of the female connector.

[0021] The male connector may further include a guide ring that surrounds the terminal pins and the guide pins and protrudes in a ring-type manner toward the female connector.

[0022] The terminal pins and the guide pins may be formed to protrude to a size that allows them to be inserted into terminal grooves and guide grooves formed in the female connector.

[0023] In addition, the antenna module has multiple antenna sub-arrays covering dual frequency bands arranged on a single antenna board, and can realize antenna beamforming in different frequency bands within the same direction of the antenna module set by the multi-function link.

[0024] In addition, the antenna module has a plurality of antenna sub-arrays arranged to cover different frequency bands, and the directionality can be set in different directions by the multi-function link.

[0025] The antenna module may also be provided for a small cell base station.

[0026] The wireless unit may be provided on any one of a support pole, a wall, and a ceiling provided in a room.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a small base station antenna device including a radio unit (RU), at least one antenna module provided to be capable of tilting and steering with respect to the radio unit, and a multi-function link (MFL) for mediating installation of each of the antenna modules with respect to the radio unit, the MFL including a center body, a first fixing part connected between the antenna module and one of both ends of the center body, a second fixing part connected between the radio unit and one of both ends of the center body, a first ball joint part having a portion accommodated and coupled to an internal space of the first fixing part and another end of the both ends connected to the antenna module to adjust a direction of the antenna module by a tilting or steering operation, and a second ball joint part having a portion accommodated and coupled to an internal space of the second fixing part and another end of the both ends connected to a cable housing pipe for mediating a connection with the radio unit, to additionally adjust a direction of the antenna module.

[0028] Here, the multi-function link may further include a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the wireless unit.

[0029] The antenna module may further include a male connector electrically connected to the female connector provided on the cable housing pipe.

[0030] In addition, the male connector is connectable to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixed portion, the center body, the second fixed portion and the second ball joint portion.

[0031] In addition, the male connector is connectable to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixed portion, the center body, the second fixed portion, the second ball joint portion, and the cable housing pipe.

[0032] In addition, the cable accommodating pipe connected to the second ball joint portion may accommodate fixed cables in a number corresponding to the plurality of coaxial cables, and one end of the cable accommodating pipe connected to the plurality of coaxial cables may be provided with a one-side cable connector having the same structure as the female connector, and the other end of the cable accommodating pipe connected to the wireless unit may be provided with a other-side cable connector having the same structure as the male connector.

[0033] In addition, the cable accommodating pipe accommodates a plurality of coaxial cables and conceals them from the outside, and has one end connected to the wireless unit and the other end connected to the fixed portion, and the male connector is connectable to one end and the other end of the coaxial cables.

[0034] The male connector may also include a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the plurality of coaxial cables, a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector, a plurality of terminal pins extending from the coaxial cables and protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector, and a retainer nut that maintains the electrical connection force of the plurality of terminal pins to the female connector.

[0035] Also, the multi-function link may further include an over-rotation prevention locking portion that prevents the first ball joint portion or the second ball joint portion from over-rotating relative to the first fixed portion or the second fixed portion.

[0036] In addition, the over-rotation prevention locking portion may include a pair of locking protrusions provided on the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion and fixed in an internal space corresponding to between the first fixed portion and the first ball joint portion or between the second fixed portion and the second ball joint portion, protruding in opposing directions in the internal space, and a pair of locking plates provided on the first ball joint portion and the second ball joint portion and extended toward the center body so as to be locked with the pair of locking protrusions at least within a rotation radius. Effect of the Invention

[0037] According to the base station antenna apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the following various effects can be derived.

[0038] First, the use of a Multi Function Link makes it easy to adjust the direction of the antenna module even in a small space, which makes it easier to build small cell base stations.

[0039] Second, various cables electrically connecting the wireless unit and the antenna module can be provided in a directionally adjustable manner without being exposed to the outside, which has the effect of preventing deterioration of the aesthetic appearance.

[0040] Third, by making the multi-function link angle adjustable at two locations, one at each end and the other at the center body, using ball joints, it is possible to ensure a wide range of directional adjustment angles for multiple antenna modules relative to the wireless unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device according to the prior art. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device according to the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a front view and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 3 is a side view showing a tilting state of the antenna module in the configuration of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the specifications of the wireless unit are different from those of the configuration in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] This is a conceptual diagram showing beamforming using two frequency bands, CBRS and DoD, within a single antenna module. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the actual antenna device of FIG. 8. [Figure 10A] 11A to 11C are front views showing various implementations of dual frequency bands for each antenna module, including a pole-coupled type. [Figure 10B] 1A to 1C are front views showing various examples of wall-coupled implementations of dual frequency bands for each antenna module; [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (column pole coupling type) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (wall-coupled type) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (ceiling coupled type) according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1A is a perspective view of a short type and a long type of multi-function link for connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module, and FIG. 1B is a cutaway perspective view of the same. [Figure 15] 1A is a perspective view of a short type and a long type of multi-function link for connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module, and FIG. 1B is a cutaway perspective view of the same. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 17]FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a long type (b) multifunction link of the multifunction links shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. [Figure 18] 13 is a perspective view showing a small base station antenna device to which a modified example of a multi-function link is applied. [Figure 19A] FIG. 19 is an exploded front perspective view of FIG. 18. [Figure 19B] FIG. 19 is an exploded rear perspective view of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 19 is an exploded perspective view of a modified multi-function link shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 21] 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a male-female coupling portion of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18. [Figure 22] 19 is a cross-sectional view of a modified multi-function link of FIG. 18. [Diagram 23] 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a male connector of the multi-function link according to a modified example of FIG. 18. [Figure 24] 19 is an exploded perspective view of a modified multi-function link of FIG. 18. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a cutaway perspective view of FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a cutaway perspective view showing the over-rotation prevention locking portion shown in FIGS. 24 to 26. [Figure 28] 28 is an internal front view showing the operation of the over-rotation prevention locking portion of FIG. 27. FIG. [Figure 29] 19A and 19B are a cross-sectional view, a cut-away perspective view, and a partially enlarged view showing a cable housing pipe in the configuration of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18. [Diagram 30] 19 is a projection plan view for explaining the action and effect of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Hereinafter, small base station antenna devices according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] In assigning reference symbols to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are assigned the same symbols as much as possible even if they are displayed in different drawings. In addition, in describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of such known configurations or functions would hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0044] In describing components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as 1, 2, A, B, (a), (b) and the like may be used. Such terms are merely used to distinguish the components from other components, and do not limit the essence, order, or procedure of the components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0045] FIG. 2 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded oblique view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a front view and a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an oblique view showing the tilting of the antenna module in the configuration of FIG. 2.

[0046] A small base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless unit 120 and an antenna module 110 that are installed in a predetermined location, as shown in Figures 2 to 5. Here, the predetermined location where the small base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention is installed means a location such as a public place, a densely populated area, a large shopping mall, an airport building, etc., so that the device functions as a small cell base station, and may be a structure suitable for in-building (indoor) installation, such as a pole-coupled type (see Figure 11 described later), a wall-coupled type (see Figure 12 described later), and a ceiling-coupled type (see Figure 13 described later), as described later.

[0047] The antenna module 110 may refer to an antenna module having at least one frequency band. Also, the radio unit 120 (RU) refers to a device connected to each frequency band antenna provided in the antenna module 110 to transmit / receive between the antenna and the base station, and an example of the radio unit 120 is an RRH (Remote Radio Head) in which a part of the radio unit is remotely separated from the base station equipment. The radio unit 120 is a relay device that receives a weakened signal, amplifies it, and retransmits it, reshapes a distorted waveform, and readjusts timing between the base station and the mobile communication terminal of the mobile communication system.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, the small base station antenna device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the wireless unit 120 is first mounted on a structure such as a pillar, wall, or ceiling in an indoor (house) and the antenna module 110 is mounted in front of the wireless unit 120 via the antenna clamping unit 200 described later so as to be capable of tilting and steering.

[0049] However, it is not necessarily the case that the wireless unit 120 should be first mounted on indoor structures (support poles, walls and ceilings) as shown in Figures 2 to 5. It is also possible that the antenna module 110 is first provided on the wireless unit 120, and then the wireless unit 120 is mounted on each indoor structure, as shown in Figures 11 to 13 described below.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna module 110 may include an antenna housing 111 and a radome 113 provided to cover the front surface of the antenna housing 111 and to form a predetermined space between the antenna housing 111 and the radome 113.

[0051] A printed circuit board type antenna board 115 is provided in a predetermined space of the antenna housing 111, and a plurality of radiating elements can be mounted on the front surface of the antenna board 115. The radiating elements mounted on the antenna board 115 may differ depending on the type of antenna, but in one embodiment of the present invention, a patch type element (patch element, 117) is used.

[0052] Meanwhile, the base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention may further include a multi-function link 200 for mediating coupling to the front surface of the wireless unit 120, as shown in FIGS.

[0053] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the wireless unit 120 includes a rear housing 122 installed via an installation panel part (see drawing reference number "121" in Figure 11 and following) on ​​any one of a support pole (P, Pole), a wall (W, Wall), and a ceiling (C, Ceiling) provided in a room, and a front housing 123 forming a predetermined space between the rear housing 122, and various internal components may be installed in the predetermined space.

[0054] Although not shown, internal components provided inside the wireless unit 120 may include a main board, two power amplifying units (PAUs), and a power supplying unit (PSU).

[0055] A plurality of heat sink fins 125 are integrally formed on the front surface of the front housing 123 of the wireless unit 120, so that heat generated in a predetermined space can be dissipated to the outside through the plurality of heat sink fins 125. In the small base station antenna device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the description is limited to the case where the plurality of heat sink fins 125 are formed only on the front housing 123 of the wireless unit 120, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and it will be clarified in advance that the plurality of heat sink fins 125 can also be formed on the rear housing 122 as in other embodiments of the present invention described later.

[0056] Meanwhile, a mounting groove 127 is provided on the front surface of the front housing 123, where a portion of the heat sink fins 125 is cut into a rectangular surface, and the multi-function link 200 can be coupled to the mounting groove 127 by a plurality of assembly screws 217. However, it is not necessarily required that the front surface of the front housing 123 is provided with the mounting groove 127 cut into a rectangular surface in order to install the multi-function link 200, and the multi-function link 200 may be connected to a side portion of the wireless unit 120 (i.e., a concept including an upper portion, a lower portion, a left portion, and a right portion forming the front and rear thickness portions) as in the embodiments (100A, 100B, 100C) shown in Figs. 11 to 13 described later.

[0057] Here, the multi-function link 200 may include a fixed part 210 having a cylindrical shape with an open portion on one side and connected to the wireless unit 120 on the other side via a cable accommodating pipe 230 described below or directly without the cable accommodating pipe 230, and a ball joint part 220 having a portion of one end inserted into the open side of the fixed part 210 and having the antenna module 110 connected to the other end.

[0058] An embodiment in which the fixed part 210 is connected to the wireless unit 120 via the cable housing pipe 230 will be described in more detail later after describing the first to third embodiments in Fig. 11 to Fig. 13. In particular, since the multi-function link 200 including the cable housing pipe 230 basically functions as an intermediary for connecting the antenna module 110 to the wireless unit 120, it is preferable that the cable housing pipe 230 is made of a material having a rigidity sufficient to partially function as a support pole.

[0059] The ball joint part 220 housed and installed inside the fixed part 210 may be formed in a ball shape with a part of one end open, and may be provided so as to be engaged by the open one end of the fixed part 210 and not to come off to the outside (particularly, forward). Here, the reason why one end of the ball joint part 220 is formed with a part open is for allowing a plurality of coaxial cables 240 to be inserted therethrough, which will be described later.

[0060] In addition, ball joint portion 220 is open from the portion provided in fixed portion 210 to the portion provided in antenna module 110, and communicates with the internal space of fixed portion 210, and a coaxial cable 240 that provides an electrical connection between wireless unit 120 and antenna module 110 may be provided in the internal space communicating between fixed portion 210 and ball joint portion 220.

[0061] Here, the coaxial cable 240 is preferably made of a flexible material so that the antenna module 110 can perform tilting and steering operations described below and at least does not interfere with the movement of the ball joint portion 220 relative to the fixed portion 210.

[0062] An antenna-side male connector (see reference number "250A" in FIG. 15 described later) and a wireless unit-side male connector (see reference number "250B" in FIG. 15 described later) are provided at one end and the other end of the coaxial cable 240, respectively, and an antenna-side female connector (see reference number "150A" in FIG. 16 described later) and a wireless unit-side female connector (see reference number "150B" in FIG. 16 described later) for connection with the antenna-side connector 250A or the wireless unit-side connector 250B may be provided at the rear surface of the antenna module 110 and the outer surface of the wireless unit 120, respectively. A specific description of this will be given in more detail later.

[0063] In this way, the small base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention can prevent a deterioration in aesthetic appearance by concealing the multiple coaxial cables 240 electrically connecting the radio unit 120 and the antenna module 110 from the outside without twisting.

[0064] The ball joint unit 220 is capable of tilting and steering so as to maintain a predetermined angle in all directions including up / down and left / right with respect to the fixed unit 210. Here, the term tilting operation is a concept including all operations in which the upper and lower ends of the antenna module 110 are swung in the forward / backward direction, and the term steering operation is a concept including all operations in which the left and right ends of the antenna module 110 are swung in the left / right direction. In the compact base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the ball joint unit 220 may be provided so that the antenna module 110 performs both the tilting operation and the steering operation simultaneously, instead of performing only one of them.

[0065] More specifically, the ball joint unit 220 can tilt and steer at a predetermined angle in all four directions including up / down and left / right directions around an arbitrary reference point at one end of the ball joint unit 220 housed inside the fixed unit 210. As the ball joint unit 220 tilts and steers, the antenna module 110 coupled thereto can also tilt and steer, allowing the designer to adjust the direction of the antenna module 110 in a desired direction.

[0066] Here, the ball joint part 220 performs tilting and steering operations while forming some frictional force with the inner surface of the fixed part 210. For this purpose, a friction pad (or friction member, not shown) for forming a predetermined frictional force between the ball joint part 220 and the inner surface of the fixed part 210 or a part of the outer surface into which the ball joint part 220 is inserted may be further provided.

[0067] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the antenna clamping unit 200 may further include a moving lock portion 225 that fixes the ball joint portion 220 to the fixed portion 210 at a moving fixed point after the ball joint portion 220 tilts and steers to a predetermined angle with respect to the fixed portion 210.

[0068] The moving lock part 225 may be any means capable of fixing the ball joint part 220 to the fixed part 210, and as one example, locking may be achieved by a fixing bolt 219 which passes through a fixing bolt through hole 218 formed to pass through the outside of the fixed part 210 in which the ball joint part 220 is housed and interferes with a part of the outer circumferential surface of the ball joint part 220. Here, the fixing bolt 219 is provided as a headless bolt that is not exposed to the outside of the fixing bolt through hole 218, thereby preventing deterioration of the appearance.

[0069] In this way, according to the small base station antenna device 100 of the present invention, the multi-function link 200 not only prevents the external exposure of the multiple coaxial cables 240 connecting the radio unit 120 and the antenna module 110, thereby preventing a decrease in aesthetic appearance, but also has the advantage of maximizing space utilization by allowing only the antenna module 110 to perform tilting and steering operations and not allowing the radio unit 120 to perform tilting and steering operations.

[0070] In addition, according to the small base station antenna device 100 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the radio unit 120 is provided on the front side thereof with a multi-function link 200 capable of tilting and steering (only the tilting operation is shown in FIG. 6), thereby providing the advantage of enabling customized directional adjustment for densely populated or multiple demand spaces regardless of where it is installed, either indoors or outdoors.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the specifications of the wireless unit are different from those of the configuration in FIG. 2, FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing beamforming using two frequency bands, CBRS and DoD, within one antenna module, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the actual antenna device of FIG. 8, and FIGS. 10A and 10B are front views showing various examples of implementation of dual frequency bands per antenna module, including a pole-coupled type and a wall-coupled type.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 7, the antenna modules 110 may have the same specifications in which a patch antenna element is applied, but only the specifications of the wireless unit 120 may be different. More specifically, compared with the wireless units 120 shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 6, the wireless unit 120 shown in Fig. 7 may be provided with a specification in which the width in the left-right direction is relatively short, but the length in the up-down direction is relatively long. In this case, it is preferable that the installation position of the antenna module 110 is set to an appropriate position in consideration of the weight of the antenna module 110 and the tilting and steering operations.

[0073] However, the small base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention is not necessarily applicable so that only the specifications of the wireless unit 120 are different.

[0074] That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the front surface of the antenna module 110 may be provided with a radiating element module 119 in which a plurality of patch elements 117 for forming beamforming in a specific frequency band are arranged to form a plurality of antenna subarrays 118.

[0075] The multiple radiating element modules 119 are in a format for constructing a frequency band corresponding to a small cell base station, and may be realized in an antenna board 115 within one antenna module 110, but may also be realized in a dual-band form for covering frequency bands corresponding to DoD (Department of Defense) and CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Services) on one antenna board 115 for macro use, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0076] More specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the multiple radiating element modules 119 may be arranged such that multiple antenna sub-arrays 118 made of multiple patch elements 117 are arranged on the upper front side of the macro antenna board 115 to realize a DoD channel in the frequency band of 3450 to 3550 MHz of the dual frequency band and achieve a gain of 17.5 dBi, and the multiple antenna sub-arrays 118 made of multiple patch elements 117 are arranged on the lower front side of the macro antenna board 115 to realize a CBRS channel in the frequency band of 3550 to 3700 MHz of the dual frequency band and achieve a gain of 15.5 dBi.

[0077] In this way, the multiple radiating element module 119 constructed to be capable of covering dual frequency bands can form antenna beamforming such that the H-Beam width has a value of 55° to 90° for both DoD and CBRS channels, as shown in FIG. 8, and can form different antenna beamforming such that the V-Beam width has a value of 7.5° for the DoD channel and 14.6° for the CBRS channel.

[0078] That is, the antenna module 110 can be realized to form antenna beamforming covering the frequency band for macro and the frequency band for small cells as described above within one antenna board 115. In addition, even if the directionality of the antenna module 110 is adjusted to be the same, it is possible to provide an advantage that UL (Up Link) Coverage can be maximized by separating the TRx and antenna subarray 118 for each band.

[0079] However, it is not necessary that the antenna subarrays 118 are arranged on one antenna board 115 to enable coverage of dual frequency bands. Needless to say, this can be achieved by providing two or more antenna modules 110A, 110B, each capable of covering a unique frequency band, on one wireless unit 120 via a multi-function link 200, and adjusting the directionality of each antenna module 110A, 110B using the multi-function link 200 in the direction where coverage requirements are strongest, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B described below.

[0080] For example, as shown in FIG. 10A (a) which is a mast-pole coupled type and FIG. 10B (a) which is a wall coupled type, the directionality of the antenna modules 110A and 110B each provided in two dual frequency band forms can be adjusted in the same direction (front); as shown in FIG. 10A (b) which is a mast-pole coupled type and FIG. 10B (b) which is a wall coupled type, the directionality of the antenna modules 110A and 110B can all be adjusted in opposite directions or to the left and right, respectively; and as shown in FIG. 10A (c) which is a mast-pole coupled type and FIG. 10B (c) which is a wall coupled type, one of the antenna modules 110A and 110B (110A) can be adjusted to the front and the other (110B) to the side.

[0081] In this case, each radiating element module 119 of antenna modules 110A, 110B is provided with specifications suitable for a small cell base station that is not for macro use, and is provided with specifications that can achieve a maximum gain rate of either 15 dBi, 13 dBi, or 11 dBi, and it goes without saying that the effect of the small cell base station can be maximized by adjusting the directionality to the desired direction.

[0082] FIG. 11 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (matrix pole coupled type) according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (wall coupled type) according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (ceiling coupled type) according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 14 and 15 are oblique views and cutaway oblique views (a, b) of a short type (a) and a long type (b) multi-function link for connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module, FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in FIG. 10, and FIG. 17 is an exploded oblique view showing a long type (b) multi-function link of the multi-function links of FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0083] As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the small base station antenna device 100 of the present invention is arranged so that the rear housing 122 of the wireless unit 120 is fixed to or concealed on any one of an indoor support pole P, a wall W or a ceiling C via an installation panel section 121, and at least one (two in this embodiment) or more antenna modules 110A, 110B can be connected to the wireless unit 120 in a tiltable or steerable manner via a multi-function link 200.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 11, a support pole P for installing the base station antenna device 100 according to this embodiment may be installed inside a room of a large building, etc., and the small base station antenna device 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be installed and equipped in a support pole coupling type that can be fixed to the support pole (P, Pole) so that the directionality of the rear housing 122 corresponding to the rear part of the wireless unit 120 is preset.

[0085] For example, the rear housing 122 of the wireless unit 120 can be connected to a support pole P via the installation panel portion 121 and firmly fixed so that the direction can be adjusted to the required coverage direction, and then detailed direction adjustments can be made via the multi-function link 200 described later.

[0086] Also, referring to FIG. 12, the small base station antenna device 100B according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be installed and provided in a wall-mounted type in which the rear housing 122 corresponding to the rear part of the wireless unit 120 can be fixed in close contact with a wall (W, Wall) corresponding to the interior of a large building or the like.

[0087] In this case, it is not necessary for the installation panel portion 121 to be connected to the rear housing 122, and the installation panel portion 121 may be provided and fixed to the wall surface W in advance before being connected to the rear housing 122 or the front housing 123, and then the wireless unit 120 may be connected to the installation panel portion 121 so as to be placed on the wall surface W.

[0088] In addition, referring to FIG. 13, the small base station antenna device 100C according to the third embodiment of the present invention may be installed and provided as a ceiling-mounted type in which the rear housing 122 corresponding to the rear part of the wireless unit 120 is fixed so as to be in close contact with the ceiling (C, ceiling) inside a room of a large building or the like, or the wireless unit 120 can be fixed so as to be hidden inside the ceiling C.

[0089] However, although not shown, it goes without saying that the wireless unit 120 does not necessarily have to be installed on the ceiling C or the lower part of the ceiling surface via the installation panel part 121, but can also be fixed to a separate support pole installed on the ceiling C.

[0090] Here, the wireless unit 120 and each antenna module 110A, 110B can be electrically signal-connected via a multi-function link 200 appropriately adopted as either a short type multi-function link (hereinafter abbreviated as "short type link 200S") or a long type multi-function link (hereinafter abbreviated as "long type link 200L") as referred to in Figures 14 and 15, depending on different surrounding environments such as the installation location and the presence or absence of interference with surrounding configurations for adjusting the directionality of the antenna modules 110A, 110B.

[0091] 14 and 15(a) and (b), the short type link 200S and the long type link 200L are provided with completely identical specifications in terms of configuration and function, and can be classified according to whether the length of the cable housing pipe 230 in which the multiple coaxial cables 240 are housed is relatively short or long. Generally, the length of the cable housing pipe 230 means the separation distance between the connection part with the wireless unit 120 and the fixed part 210 of the multi-function link 200, so if the separation distance is long, it is preferable to provide the long type link 200L, and if the separation distance is short, it is preferable to provide the short type link 200S.

[0092] 14 to 17, in the small base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the multi-function link 200 may include the above-mentioned fixed part 210, a ball joint part 220, a cable accommodating pipe 230, and a plurality of coaxial cables 240.

[0093] In addition, the multi-function link 200 is provided at each end of a plurality of coaxial cables 240, and one end of the plurality of coaxial cables 240 may further be provided with an antenna side male connector 250, 250A for electrical connection to the antenna module 110, and the other end of the plurality of coaxial cables 240 may further be provided with a wireless unit side male connector 250, 250B for electrical connection to the wireless unit 120.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 15, antenna side male connector 250A is provided so that male-shaped guide pin 252 and terminal pin 253, described later, are exposed at the antenna side end of ball joint portion 220, and wireless unit side male connector 250B may also be provided so that male-shaped guide pin 252 and terminal pin 253, described later, are exposed at the end of cable accommodating pipe 230, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0095] In the following description, the antenna side male connector 250A and the wireless unit side male connector 250B will be referred to as "male connector 250" since they have the same basic configuration and differ only in their locations.

[0096] In addition, the antenna module 110 and the wireless unit 120 may further include antenna-side female connectors 150, 150A and wireless unit-side female connectors 150, 150B for connection with the male connector 250, respectively.

[0097] As shown in Figures 11 to 13 and 15, antenna side female connector 150A is arranged so that female-shaped guide groove 152 and terminal groove 153, which will be described later, are exposed on the rear surface of antenna module 110, and wireless unit side female connector 150B may also be arranged so that female-shaped guide groove 152 and terminal groove 153, which will be described later, are exposed on the side surface of wireless unit 120.

[0098] In the following description, antenna side female connector 150A and wireless unit side female connector 150B are generally referred to as "female connector (150)" since their basic configurations are all the same except for their locations.

[0099] A plurality of coaxial cables 240 are housed inside the cable housing pipe 230, four of which are provided so as to transmit electrical signals, and one end and the other end of each of which can be connected to a male connector 250.

[0100] The male connector 250 further includes a male terminal block 251 to which one ends of the four coaxial cables 240 are coupled and which mediates connection to a plurality of terminal pins 252, respectively, and the female connector 150 may further include a female terminal block 151 having the above-mentioned guide grooves 152 and terminal grooves 153 machined therein.

[0101] The male terminal block 251 may have four guide pins 252 protruding therefrom at 90 degree intervals, and four terminal pins 253 protruding therefrom at 90 degree intervals as long as they do not overlap with the four guide pins 252 described above.

[0102] In addition, the female terminal block 151 may have four guide grooves 152 into which the four guide pins 252 of the male terminal block 251 can be inserted and accommodated, and four terminal grooves 153 into which the four terminal pins 253 of the male terminal block 251 can be inserted and connected, arranged at corresponding positions.

[0103] Additionally, male terminal block 251 may further include guide ring 254 surrounding four guide pins 252 and four terminal pins 253 and protruding in a ring type toward female connector 150. Female terminal block 151 may further include ring accommodating groove 154 into which guide ring 254 of male terminal block 251 is inserted. Here, inside ring accommodating groove 154, foreign object inflow prevention ring 155 for preventing inflow of external foreign objects may further be provided.

[0104] The four guide pins 252, guide ring 254, and four terminal pins 253 on the male connector 250 are inserted into the four guide grooves 152, ring accommodating groove 154, and four terminal grooves 153 on the female connector 150, respectively, to make electrical connection to the antenna module 110 and wireless unit 120 of the multi-function link 200.

[0105] Meanwhile, the multi-function link 200 may further include a retainer nut 256 that provides a predetermined retaining force so that the electrical connection of the male connector 250 to the female connector 150 is maintained, as shown in FIGS.

[0106] A female thread 256a is formed on the inner surface of the retainer nut 256, and the female thread 256a of the retainer nut 256 is fastened to the male thread 156a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the nut fastening end 156 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal block 151 of the female connector 150, thereby forming the above-mentioned specified retaining force.

[0107] Here, a C-ring 257 can be interposed at the end of the male terminal block 151 to limit the fastening force of the retainer nut 256 .

[0108] In this way, the small base station antenna device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention provides an advantage that the wireless unit 120 and the multiple antenna modules 110 are electrically connected via the multi-function link 200 and each antenna module 110 can be tilted or steered, making on-site installation easier and more convenient. In particular, the four coaxial cables 240 are housed inside the fixing part 210, the ball joint part 220, and the cable housing pipe 230 and are arranged concealed so as not to be observed from the outside, preventing deterioration of the appearance.

[0109] Furthermore, since the male connector 250 and the female connector 150 are formed symmetrically to each other, it is only necessary to connect the four terminal pins 253 and the four terminal grooves 153 in any direction, which provides the advantage of further increasing the diversity of the directional design of the antenna module 110.

[0110] Figure 18 is an oblique view showing a small base station antenna device to which a modified example of a multi-function link is applied, Figures 19A and 19B are exploded oblique views of the front and rear sides of Figure 18, and Figure 20 is an exploded oblique view of the multi-function link according to the modified example of Figure 18.

[0111] The small base station antenna device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can include a modified multi-function link 200' as shown in Figs.

[0112] The multifunction link 200' of the modified example differs from the multifunction link 200 previously described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 and Figures 11 to 17 (hereinafter referred to as a "general multifunction link") in that, as shown in Figure 18, the fixed portion 210 is separated into two (210A, 210B), a center body 205 is disposed between the two fixed portions 210A, 210B, and the two fixed portions 210A, 210B can be joined perpendicular to the center body 205.

[0113] For ease of explanation, the fixing portion of the two fixing portions 210A, 210B that is connected to the antenna module 110 side will be referred to as the first fixing portion 210A, and the fixing portion of the two fixing portions 210A, 210B that is connected to the cable accommodating pipe 230 side will be referred to as the second fixing portion 210B.

[0114] In other words, unlike the general multi-function link 200 described above which only has a fixing part 210 and a ball joint part 220 connected to the antenna module 110 side and allows adjustment of the tilting and steering direction of the antenna module 110 at only one point, the multi-function link 200' of the modified example differs in that it not only has a first fixing part 210A and a first ball joint part 220A which connect the antenna module 110 side, but also a second fixing part 210B and a second ball joint part 220B which mediate an additional connection to the cable accommodating pipe 230 side.

[0115] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20 , the multi-function link 200′ according to the modified example may include a center body 205, a first fixing part 210A connected between the antenna module 110 and one of both ends of the center body 205, a second fixing part 210B connected between the antenna module 110 and one of both ends of the center body 205, a first ball joint part 220A having one end part partially accommodated and coupled to the internal space of the first fixing part 210A and the other end part coupled to the antenna module 110 to adjust the directionality of the antenna module 110 by tilting or steering the antenna module 110, and a second ball joint part 220B having one end part partially accommodated and coupled to the internal space of the second fixing part 210B and the other end part coupled to the cable housing pipe 230 that mediates the connection with the wireless unit 120 to allow additional directionality adjustment of the antenna module 110.

[0116] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the male and female connection portions of the multi-function link according to a modified example of FIG. 18, FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-function link according to a modified example of FIG. 18, FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the male connector of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18, FIG. 24 is an exploded oblique view of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18, FIG. 25 is a cut-away oblique view of FIG. 24, FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 24, FIG. 27 is a cut-away oblique view showing the over-rotation prevention locking portion shown in FIGS. 24 to 26, FIG. 28 is an internal front view showing the operation of the over-rotation prevention locking portion of FIG. 27, and FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view, a cut-away oblique view, and a partially enlarged view thereof showing a cable accommodating pipe in the configuration of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18.

[0117] In the modified multi-function link 200', the male connector 250 provided at the end of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B can be coupled to the female connector 150 provided on the antenna module 110 or the wireless unit 120 by a male-female coupling operation, as shown in FIG. 21.

[0118] More specifically, while guide ring 254 of male connector 250 is accommodated inside ring accommodating groove 154 formed in female terminal block 151 of female connector 150, it comes into contact with foreign matter inflow prevention ring 155 interposed inside ring accommodating groove 154 to provide waterproofing, and at the same time, guide pin 252 and terminal pin 253 of male connector 250 are inserted into guide groove 152 and terminal groove 153 of female connector 150 to provide electrical connection.

[0119] Here, as shown in Fig. 21, a ground washer 258 may be further provided between the female connector 150 and the male connector 250. The ground washer 258 is fixed to a washer installation groove (see reference numeral "258h" in Fig. 25) provided on the tip surface of the male terminal block 251 of the male connector 250, and when the male connector 250 is female-male coupled to the female connector 150, it can induce contact between the male terminal block 251 of the male connector 250 and the female terminal block 151 of the female connector 150 to perform a ground (GND) function.

[0120] In such a male connector 250, a part of the male terminal block 251 can be inserted and fixed to the tip end side of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B.

[0121] Here, the male connector 250 can be fixed via at least one headless bolt 259 so as not to rotate relative to the first ball joint part 220A or the second ball joint part 220B.

[0122] More specifically, as shown in Figures 22 to 24, two bolt through holes 259h-1 are formed at the tip of the first ball joint part 220A or the second ball joint part 220B, spaced apart by 180 degrees, and a bolt fastening hole 259h-2, into which the headless bolt 259 is fastened, may be formed correspondingly on the outer circumferential surface of the male terminal block 251 of the male connector 250.

[0123] A tool groove 259T is formed on the outer surface of headless bolt 259 for inserting the tip of a fastening tool (not shown) having a square cross-section, and a fastening tool using tool groove 259T can be used to easily fix male connector 250 without exposing headless bolt 259 to the outside.

[0124] In this way, male connector 250 is inserted and fixed to the tip of first ball joint part 220A or second ball joint part 220B by headless bolt 259, and is engaged in the rotational direction, thereby preventing any rotation of male connector 250 relative to first ball joint part 220A or second ball joint part 220B, and preventing the coupling direction of terminal pin 253 or guide pin 252 relative to terminal groove 153 or guide groove 152 of female connector 150 from being changed.

[0125] Meanwhile, a retainer nut 256 is pre-fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of first ball joint portion 220A or second ball joint portion 220B during temporary assembly, and once the electrical connection and coupling of male connector 250 to female connector 150 is completed as described above, retainer nut 256 can be firmly fixed by tightening it onto a male thread (not shown in the drawing) formed on the outer peripheral surface of female terminal block 151 of female connector 150.

[0126] At this time, a C-ring fastening groove 257h is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first ball joint part 220A or the second ball joint part 220B, and when a C-ring 257 is fastened into the C-ring fastening groove 257h, the rotational force is limited when the retainer nut 256 is fastened, thereby preventing damage to parts due to over-assembly of the retainer nut 256.

[0127] Meanwhile, the multi-function link 200' according to a modified example may further be provided with an over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A that prevents over-rotation of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B relative to the first fixed portion 210A or the second fixed portion 210B, as shown in Figures 25 to 28.

[0128] The over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A is provided on the first fixed portion 210A and the second fixed portion 210B, and is fixed in an internal space corresponding to between the first fixed portion 210A and the first ball joint portion 220A or between the second fixed portion 210B and the second ball joint portion 220B, and is provided with a pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 protruding in directions facing each other in the internal space. That is, the over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A is provided with a pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 spaced apart in a direction of about 180 degrees, and can extend a predetermined length toward the internal space.

[0129] On the other hand, a pair of locking plates 228 may be formed inside the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B and extending toward the center body 205 so as to be engaged with a pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 at least within the rotation radius.

[0130] As shown in Figure 28, when no tilting or steering rotation operation is performed, the pair of locking plates 228 of the first ball joint part 220A or the second ball joint part 220B are positioned so that the rotational angle between them and the pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 is 90 degrees (see (a) of Figure 28).Therefore, when the first ball joint part 220A or the second ball joint part 220B rotates in one direction or the other for tilting or steering rotation operation, the rotation angle in each direction can be limited to a maximum of 90 degrees.

[0131] This is to prevent the plurality of coaxial cables 240 from being twisted in the internal space due to excessive rotation of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B.

[0132] The first ball joint portion 220A is connected to the female connector 150 of the antenna module 110 via the male connector 250, and the second ball joint portion 220B is connected to the upper end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 arranged vertically up and down via the male connector 250. Therefore, theoretically, if the over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A is not provided, the left and right steering rotation angle of the antenna module 110 is 360 degrees and there is no limit.

[0133] However, since the rotation angle of the second ball joint part 220B with respect to the upper end part of the cable housing pipe 230 is limited to 90 degrees by the over-rotation prevention locking part 226A, it is possible to limit the rotation to only 90 degrees in addition to the maximum rotation limit angle a in the physical directions of one side and the other side of the second ball joint part 220B described later. For example, when the maximum rotation limit angle a described later is 40 degrees, the maximum steering rotation angle of the antenna module 110 is limited to 130 degrees in each direction of one side and the other side.

[0134] Meanwhile, in the configuration of the multi-function link 200' according to the modified example, the cable accommodating pipe 230 may be provided with one-side cable connector 230A and the other-side cable connector 230B formed with the same structure as the above-mentioned male connector 250 and female connector 150 at both ends, as shown in FIG. 29, and a fixed cable 240' can be accommodated inside the cable accommodating pipe 230 corresponding to the space between the one-side cable connector 230A and the other-side cable connector 230B.

[0135] That is, the multiple fixed cables 240' fixed inside the cable accommodating pipe 230 are not only provided in a fixed form that does not move, unlike the multiple coaxial cables 240 provided outside the cable accommodating pipe 230, but also one end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 may be provided with a one-side cable connector 230A having the same structure as the above-mentioned female connector 150 so as to be connected to the male connector 250 exposed to the outside of the second ball joint portion 220B, and the other end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 may be provided with an other-side cable connector 230B having the same structure as the above-mentioned male connector 250 so as to be connected to the female connector 150B of the wireless unit 120.

[0136] Therefore, one side cable connector 230A of cable accommodating pipe 230 may be formed with a plurality of terminal grooves 233A and a plurality of guide grooves (not shown) and a ring accommodating groove 234A similar to those of female connector 150 described above, and male threads 231A-s for fastening retainer nut 256 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of female terminal block 231A. In addition, a foreign object inflow prevention ring 235A may be interposed inside ring accommodating groove 234A.

[0137] In addition, the other cable connector 230B of the cable housing pipe 230 may be formed with a plurality of terminal pins 233B, a plurality of guide pins 232B, and a guide ring 234B similar to those of the male connector 250 described above, and a ground washer 238B may be provided at the intermediate portion of the plurality of terminal pins 233B. In addition, a C-ring fastening groove 237B-h may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the male terminal block 231B, in which a C-ring 237B is provided to prevent the retainer nut 256 of the wireless unit 120 from being over-assembled.

[0138] Here, unlike the coaxial cables 240 provided inside the center body 205, the first fixing part 210A, the second fixing part 210B, the first ball joint part 220A and the second ball joint part 220B which are made of a flexible material so as to move in conjunction with the tilting or steering rotation operation of the antenna module 110, the multiple coaxial cables 240 do not need to move within the cable accommodating pipe 230 and therefore may be made of a strong material or may be firmly fixed so as not to move within the cable accommodating pipe 230.

[0139] In addition, at both ends of the cable accommodating pipe 230, in order to distinguish the installation direction, the portion that is to be coupled to the male connector 250 of the second ball joint portion 220B may be provided with one-side cable connector 230A in the form of a female connector, and the portion that is to be coupled to the female connector 150 of the wireless unit 120 may be provided with the other-side cable connector 230B in the form of a male connector.

[0140] FIG. 30 is a projection plan view for explaining the action and effect of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG.

[0141] The multi-function link 200' of the modified example configured in this manner increases the amount of tilting or steering operation of the antenna module 110 compared to the general multi-function link 200, as shown in FIG. 30, thereby enabling additional directional adjustment of the antenna module 110.

[0142] More specifically, the coaxial cables 240 generally housed in the cable housing pipe 230 may be provided in two pieces when the antenna module 110 constructs a 2T2R transmission channel, and may be provided in four pieces when the antenna module 110 constructs a 4T4R transmission channel.

[0143] Here, with a typical multi-function link 200, after one end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 is fixed to the female connector 150 of the antenna module 110 using the male connector 250, when steering the antenna module 110 in the direction of the arrow (including both one direction and the other direction), there is a limitation in that steering rotation is only possible within the range of the maximum rotation angle a in the left and right horizontal directions of the ball joint portion 220.

[0144] In particular, when two coaxial cables 240 are housed in the cable housing pipe 230, the terminal grooves 153 and terminal pins 253 in the female connector 150 and male connector 250 for electrically connecting the two coaxial cables 240 to the wireless unit 120 are formed at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock directions, respectively, with respect to the ground, so that it is impossible to adjust the direction of the antenna module 110 by steering at 90 degrees or more in one direction or the other, although this is not shown in the figure. This is because the connection directions of the two coaxial cables 240 to the female connector 150 of the wireless unit 120 are preset at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock directions.

[0145] For this reason, when two coaxial cables 240 are provided, it is impossible to set the directionality of antenna module 110 exactly to a 90 degree direction to the left or right with respect to the front surface of wireless unit 120 unless the maximum horizontal rotation angle a described above is 90 degrees to the left or right (this is also impossible when reassembling after separating female connector 150 and male connector 250 and changing the connection position of terminal pin 253 to terminal groove 153). In order to make this possible, it is necessary to reassemble in such a way that the installation position of terminal groove 153 of female connector 150 coupled to wireless unit 120 is changed, and even in this case, there is still a limitation in that it is impossible to set the directionality to 90 degrees in either direction.

[0146] However, this limitation is reduced when four coaxial cables 240 are housed in the cable housing pipe 230, because the terminal grooves 153 and terminal pins 253 in the female connector 150 and the male connector 250 for electrically connecting each of the four coaxial cables 240 to the wireless unit 120 are formed at four locations spaced apart from each other at 90 degrees in the circumferential direction, as shown in Fig. 30. In this case, even without the process of separating and reassembling the female connector 150 from the wireless unit 120, the designer can easily adjust the directionality in the left and right directions of 90 degrees with respect to the front of the wireless unit 120 by simply disconnecting the female connector 150 and the male connector 250 and reconnecting them in accordance with the terminal pins 253 and terminal grooves 153, which allow the designer to design the directionality in a desired direction.

[0147] In contrast, the multi-function link 200' according to the modified example has a first fixing part 210A and a first ball joint part 220A, and a second fixing part 210B and a second ball joint part 220B, which are perpendicular to both ends with respect to the center body 205. Therefore, even in an embodiment in which two coaxial cables 240 are housed in a cable housing pipe 230, when the antenna module 110 is rotated to one side or the other by a steering operation to adjust the directionality, the restriction of the maximum limit steering angle a by the second fixing part 210B and the second ball joint part 220B, which are provided to be capable of steering 360 degrees with respect to a vertical axis among the two fixing parts 210A, 210B and the two ball joint parts 220A, 220B, is eliminated. Therefore, the directionality can be adjusted in all directions of 360 degrees without the process of separating and reconnecting the female connector 150 from the wireless unit 120. Of course, as described above, when the rotation of the second ball joint portion 220B relative to the second fixed portion 210B is limited to 90 degrees by the over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A, a similar result can be derived in that the rotation limit in one or the other direction of the antenna module 110 is extended by 90 degrees in addition to the above-mentioned maximum limit steering angle a.

[0148] In other words, in the modified multi-function link 200', by adding the second fixing portion 210B and the second ball joint portion 220B, the limited range of steering operation of the antenna module 110 based on the wireless unit 120 is eliminated, so that even when a new directional adjustment is to be set, it is not necessary to separate and reconnect the female connector 150 from the wireless unit 120, and the directional adjustment of the antenna module 110 can be easily performed on-site.

[0149] For reference, even during tilting operation of the antenna module 110, as shown by the reference symbol "a" in FIG. 30, it is possible to have a maximum tilting limit angle in the up and down direction. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the maximum tilting limit angle a of the antenna module 110 connected via the multi-function link 200' according to the modified example is increased by twice the angle 2a, as two fixing parts 210A, 210B and two ball joint parts 220A, 220B are provided at both ends based on the center body 205.

[0150] The small base station antenna device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications and equivalent implementations are possible by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention is defined by the claims below. [Industrial Applicability]

[0151] The present invention provides a small base station antenna device that is easy to install small cell base stations in public places, densely populated areas, and places such as large shopping malls and airport buildings, that is capable of adjusting the directionality without exposing various cables electrically connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module to the outside, thereby preventing a decrease in aesthetics (appearance), that is capable of dual band in various places by separating a part of one antenna module to cover different frequency bands or by providing multiple antenna modules each covering a different frequency band, and that can ensure a wide range of directionality adjustment angles by each multi-function link that mediates the installation of multiple antenna modules to a wireless unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0152] 100: base station antenna device, 110: antenna module 111: Antenna housing, 113: Radome 115: antenna board, 117: patch element 118: antenna subarray, 119: radiating element module 120: wireless unit, 121: installation panel 122: rear housing, 123: front housing 150: Female connector, 151: Female terminal block 152: Guide groove, 153: Terminal groove 154: Ring receiving groove, 155: Foreign object inflow prevention ring 200: Multi-function link, 205: Center body 200': modified multi-function link, 210: fixed part 210A: 1st fixed part, 210B: 2nd fixed part 217: Assembly screw, 220: Ball joint part 220A: first ball joint part, 220B: second ball joint part 225: moving lock part, 230: cable accommodation pipe 240: coaxial cable, 250: male connector 251: Male terminal block, 252: Guide pin 253: Terminal pin, 254: Guide ring 256: Retainer nut, 257: C-ring

Claims

1. A radio unit (RU), At least one antenna module provided to be tiltable and steerable relative to the wireless unit; a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each of the antenna modules to the wireless unit; The multi-function link is a small base station antenna device including a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the wireless unit.

2. The multi-function link is a fixing part having an opening on one side and fixed to the wireless unit; a ball joint part, a part of which is received and coupled in an internal space of the fixing part, for adjusting a direction of the antenna module by a tilting or steering operation, 2. The small base station antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the male connector is connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the fixed portion and the ball joint portion.

3. The multi-function link is 3. The small base station antenna device according to claim 2, further comprising a cable housing pipe, one end of which is connected to the wireless unit and the other end of which is connected to the fixed part, housing the plurality of coaxial cables and hiding them from the outside.

4. The male connector includes: a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the coaxial cable; 3. The small base station antenna device according to claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of terminal pins extending from said coaxial cable and protruding from said male terminal block towards said female connector.

5. The male connector includes: a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector; 5. The compact base station antenna device according to claim 4, further comprising: a retainer nut for maintaining an electrical connection force of said plurality of terminal pins to said female connector.

6. The small base station antenna device according to claim 5 , wherein the retainer nut maintains the connection force by fastening to a nut fastening end of the female connector.

7. 6. The small base station antenna device according to claim 5, wherein the male connector further includes a guide ring that surrounds the plurality of terminal pins and the plurality of guide pins and protrudes in a ring-type manner toward the female connector.

8. 8. The small base station antenna device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of terminal pins and the plurality of guide pins are formed to protrude to a size that allows them to be inserted into a plurality of terminal grooves and a plurality of guide grooves formed in the female connector.

9. The antenna module includes: A plurality of antenna sub-arrays covering dual frequency bands are arranged on one antenna board; The small base station antenna device according to claim 1 , which realizes antenna beamforming in different frequency bands within the same direction of the antenna module established by the multi-function link.

10. The antenna module includes: A plurality of antenna subarrays are arranged to cover different frequency bands, The small base station antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-function links are each set to a different direction.

11. The small base station antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna module is provided for a small cell base station.

12. 2. The small base station antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless unit is provided on one of a support pole, a wall, and a ceiling provided in a room.

13. A radio unit (RU), At least one antenna module provided to be tiltable and steerable relative to the wireless unit; a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each of the antenna modules to the wireless unit; The multi-function link is The center body and a first fixing portion connected between the antenna module and one of both end portions of the center body; a second fixing portion connected between the wireless unit and one of both end portions of the center body; a first ball joint part, one of both ends of which is partially received and coupled to an internal space of the first fixing part, and the other end of which is connected to the antenna module, and which adjusts the directionality of the antenna module by tilting or steering the antenna module; a second ball joint portion, one of the ends of which is partially accommodated and coupled to the internal space of the second fixing portion, and the other end of which is connected to a cable accommodation pipe that mediates connection with the wireless unit, thereby enabling additional directional adjustment of the antenna module.

14. The multi-function link is 14. The compact base station antenna apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the wireless unit.

15. The multi-function link is The compact base station antenna apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the cable housing pipe.

16. 16. The small base station antenna device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the male connector is connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixed portion, the center body, the second fixed portion and the second ball joint portion.

17. 16. The small base station antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the male connector is connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixing portion, the center body, the second fixing portion, the second ball joint portion, and the cable housing pipe.

18. The cable housing pipe connected to the second ball joint portion houses fixed cables in a number corresponding to the plurality of coaxial cables, a first cable connector having the same structure as the female connector is provided at one end of the cable housing pipe connected to the plurality of coaxial cables; The small base station antenna device according to claim 16, wherein the other end of the cable housing pipe connected to the wireless unit is provided with a other cable connector having the same structure as the male connector.

19. The cable housing pipe is a plurality of coaxial cables are housed and concealed from the outside, one end of the coaxial cable is connected to the wireless unit, and the other end of the coaxial cable is connected to the second ball joint portion of the second fixed portion; The small base station antenna device according to claim 13, wherein the male connectors are coupled to one end and the other end of the coaxial cable.

20. The male connector includes: a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the plurality of coaxial cables; a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector; a plurality of terminal pins extending from the coaxial cable and projecting from the male terminal block toward the female connector; 17. The compact base station antenna apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a retainer nut for maintaining an electrical connection force of said plurality of terminal pins to said female connector.

21. The small base station antenna device according to claim 13 , wherein the multi-function link further includes an over-rotation prevention locking portion that prevents the first ball joint portion or the second ball joint portion from over-rotating relative to the first fixed portion or the second fixed portion.

22. The over-rotation prevention locking portion is a pair of locking protrusions provided on the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, fixed in an internal space corresponding to a space between the first fixing portion and the first ball joint portion or a space between the second fixing portion and the second ball joint portion, and protruding in directions opposite to each other in the internal space; a pair of locking plates provided on the first ball joint portion and the second ball joint portion and extending toward the center body so as to engage with the pair of locking protrusions at least within a rotation radius.

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