RF connector and communication device including same

Abstract

To provide an RF connector that allows RF signals to be transmitted on the same plane or at a similar height, thereby reducing the overall component size. [Solution] The communication device includes an instrument box including a board seating surface and one or more connecting grooves formed on the board seating surface, a first printed circuit board disposed on the board seating surface, a second printed circuit board disposed on the board seating surface on one side of the first printed circuit board, and one or more connectors disposed in the connecting grooves and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an RF connector. [Background technology]

[0002] The material described in this section is merely intended to provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] RF connectors are generally used to transmit and receive RF (Radio Frequency) signals between PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards). RF connectors include single connectors that transmit one frequency signal and multi-connectors that transmit signals of different frequency bands. In particular, multi-connectors have come to be used frequently in recent years to process signals of various frequency bands.

[0004] However, the connector itself takes up a large volume, and the structure of the connector means that in order to connect the PCBs, there is a height difference between the PCBs, which increases the overall size of the component.

[0005] In addition, there is a limit to the range of frequency bands that a connector can handle, and there is a problem that the overall unit cost of parts increases in order to transmit signals in many connectors or in a wide range of frequency bands. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to solving these problems and has as its primary objective the provision of an RF connector that allows RF signals to be transmitted in the same plane or at a similar height, thereby reducing the overall component size.

[0007] Furthermore, a primary objective of the present disclosure is to provide an RF connector capable of processing signals in a variety of frequency bands while at the same time reducing unit costs.

[0008] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a communication device that has excellent heat dissipation performance and is compact in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve this object, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication device including an instrument box including a board seating surface and one or more coupling grooves formed on the board seating surface, a first printed circuit board disposed on the board seating surface, a second printed circuit board disposed on the board seating surface on one side of the first printed circuit board, and one or more connectors disposed in the coupling grooves and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The communication device according to the present disclosure has the advantage of being able to transmit RF signals in the same plane or at similar heights using RF connectors, thereby reducing the overall component size.

[0011] Furthermore, the RF connector according to the present disclosure has the advantage of being able to process signals in a variety of frequency bands while at the same time reducing unit costs.

[0012] In addition, the communication device according to the present disclosure has an advantage of being compact in size while having excellent heat dissipation performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a case where a printed circuit board is not installed. [Figure 2b]1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a case where a printed circuit board is disposed; [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing only a connector of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5a] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a case in which a printed circuit board connected to a connector is not arranged at the same height as the printed circuit board; [Figure 5b] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a case in which printed circuit boards connected to a connector are arranged at the same height. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing only a connector of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a device configured to simulate connector performance of a communication device in accordance with the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10 shows the results of a simulation regarding the device configurations of FIGS. 8 and 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. When referring to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed in different drawings. In addition, when describing the present disclosure, if a detailed description of related publicly known configurations or functions is deemed to obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0015] In describing components of the embodiments of the present disclosure, reference numerals such as 1, 2, i), ii), a), b) may be used. Such reference numerals are used to distinguish the components from other components, and do not limit the essence or order or sequence of the components. When a part in the specification "includes" or "has" a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but that other components may be further included, unless explicitly stated to the contrary.

[0016] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, without a printed circuit board.

[0018] FIG. 2b is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a printed circuit board in place.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] 1-3, a communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes all or a portion of an instrument housing 20, a first printed circuit board 10, a second printed circuit board 12, and one or more connectors 300.

[0021] The tool box 20 includes a board seating surface 210 on which the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 are placed, and one or more coupling grooves 220 formed in the board seating surface 210. The tool box 20 is formed from a thermally conductive rigid member, such as an aluminum alloy or a stainless steel alloy.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the device case 20 is exemplified as an external housing that forms the exterior of the communication device, is configured to support the device structure, and is configured to accommodate a printed circuit board. The external housing includes a plurality of heat dissipation fins 21 formed on at least a portion of its surface.

[0023] However, the invention is not so limited and the fixture housing 20 may be a separate component rather than an outer housing, for example a separate thermally conductive rigid member that supports the printed circuit board between the outer housing and the printed circuit board.

[0024] The board seating surface 210 includes a first seating surface 212 on which the first printed circuit board 10 is placed, and a second seating surface 214 on which the second printed circuit board 12 is placed. The first seating surface 212 and the second seating surface 214 are formed to have a step with respect to each other.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 have different thicknesses. The size of the step between the first seating surface 212 and the second seating surface 214 corresponds to the difference in thickness between the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12. As a result, the upper surface of the first printed circuit board 10 (the surface opposite to the surface supported by the board seating surface 210) and the upper surface of the second printed circuit board 12 (the surface opposite to the surface supported by the board seating surface 210) are arranged on the same plane or a plane equivalent thereto.

[0026] Although not presented herein, the coplanar arrangement of the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 provides an advantage in reducing or optimizing the overall size and weight of the communications device, in supporting any connectors 300 that directly connect the two or both, and in locating filters or other elements mounted on the upper surface.

[0027] One or more interlocking grooves 220 are formed in the substrate seating surface 210 , for example, a plurality of grooves are formed along the interface between the first seating surface 212 and the second seating surface 214 .

[0028] The first printed circuit board 10 includes a plurality of devices mounted thereon. In the RF connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first printed circuit board 10 is an amplifier (Amp) board, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0029] The second printed circuit board 12 is disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the first printed circuit board 10 on one side of the first printed circuit board 10 and includes a number of elements mounted thereon. In an RF connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second printed circuit board 12 may be, but is not limited to, a digital board.

[0030] One or more connectors 300 are disposed within the coupling groove 220 and configured to electrically couple the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 .

[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing only the connector of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] With additional reference to FIG. 4, the connector 300 includes a support member 310 and a resilient coupling member 320 .

[0033] The support member 310 contacts at least a part of the instrument box 20 within the connecting groove 220. The support member 310 is made of a high-heat resistant thermoplastic as an insulating material, for example, polycarbonate, Lusep, or Teflon (registered trademark).

[0034] The elastic connecting member 320 is made of a conductive material, for example, a material suitable for transmitting a high frequency signal (RF signal) while having elasticity, such as beryllium copper (BeCu) or stainless steel alloy (SUS). The elastic connecting member 320 is disposed between the support member 310 and the first printed circuit board 10 or the second printed circuit board 12, and is configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12.

[0035] Further, the elastic connecting member 320 includes a plate-shaped base 324, a first side wall 325 formed at one end of the plate-shaped base 324, a first contact portion 326 formed at one end of the first side, a second side wall 327 formed at the other end of the plate-shaped base 324, and a second contact portion 328 formed at one end of the second side wall 327. The structure of the elastic connecting member 320 is formed by bending processing.

[0036] As described above, the board seating surface 210 has a step corresponding to the difference in thickness between the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12. In addition, the lengths (or vertical heights) of the first side wall 325 and the second side wall 327 of the elastic connecting member 320 are different to correspond to the size of the step.

[0037] The support member 310 includes a support base 312, a protruding seat 314 protruding from one side of the support base 312 and configured to receive an elastic connecting member 320, and a fixing member 316 formed to fix the elastic connecting member 320 on the protruding seat 314.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2a, the plate-shaped base 324 of the elastic connecting member 320 is supported on the protruding seat 314, thereby forming a deformation gap 222 between the plate-shaped base 324 of the elastic connecting member 320 and the support base 312 of the support member 310.

[0039] That is, in one embodiment of the present invention, the connector 300 includes a deformation gap 222 formed between the support base 312 and the elastic connecting member 320 such that when the first printed circuit board 10 or the second printed circuit board 12 is seated on the board seating surface 210, the first contact portion 326 and the second contact portion 328 are pressed by the lower surfaces of the printed circuit boards 10, 12, respectively, thereby allowing the elastic connecting member 320 to be elastically deformable (see FIG. 2b).

[0040] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member 316 includes a fixing protrusion formed on the protruding seat 314. The elastic connecting member 320 includes a through hole into which the fixing protrusion is inserted.

[0041] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the connector 300 is manufactured by a different injection molding process. That is, the elastic connecting member 320 and the support member 310 are integrally formed through a different injection molding process. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the elastic connecting member 320 and the support member 310 are manufactured separately and combined through a separate assembly process.

[0042] In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the connector 300 is illustrated as having a structure and size for transmitting and receiving high frequency signals. However, the present invention is not so limited. The connector 300 may be modified and used to have a structure and size for transmitting other signals besides high frequency signals, such as power or analog or digital low frequency signals.

[0043] FIG. 5a is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a case in which a printed circuit board connected to a connector is not arranged at the same height.

[0044] FIG. 5b is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a case in which a printed circuit board connected to a connector is arranged at the same height.

[0045] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing only a connector of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] A communication device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Although a description of parts that overlap with one embodiment of the present disclosure will be omitted, it will be made clear that the features of one embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied in the same or similar manner to other embodiments to the extent that they are not arranged in other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first seating surface 212 and the second seating surface 214 are formed flat to have the same or similar height, i.e., to have no step. The first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 may have the same or similar thickness. Thus, the top surface of the first printed circuit board 10 and the top surface of the second printed circuit board 12 are disposed on the same plane or a plane equivalent thereto.

[0049] When the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 are formed to have the same or similar thickness, the board seating surface 210 is formed to have a flat shape without a step. In this case, the lengths (or vertical heights) of the first side wall 325 and the second side wall 327 of the elastic connecting member 320 are the same or similar.

[0050] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a portion of an apparatus configured to simulate connector performance for a communication device according to the present invention. Figure 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of Figure 8. Figure 10 shows simulation results for the apparatus configuration of Figures 8 and 9.

[0051] FIG. 9 illustrates a communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, i.e., a case in which the thicknesses of the printed circuit boards 10, 12 are different and the heights of the side walls 325, 327 are different. However, it should be made clear that the effects of the present disclosure described below do not occur only when one embodiment of the present disclosure is followed, but may also occur in other embodiments of the present disclosure, i.e., when the thicknesses of the printed circuit boards 10, 12 are the same or similar and the heights of the side walls 325, 327 are the same or similar.

[0052] 8-10, a virtual digital board and a virtual amplifier board structure were used to simulate the connector performance of a communication device according to the present invention.

[0053] The virtual digital board (second printed circuit board 12) and the virtual amplifier board (first printed circuit board 10) include a first electrode 54 and a second electrode 52 that are in electrical contact with the first contact portion 326 and the second contact portion 328 of the elastic connecting member 320, respectively.

[0054] For the purposes of the simulation, a number of via holes 56 are illustrated surrounding the first electrode 54 and the second electrode 52, and ports 58 are provided for transmitting signals to each of the first electrode 54 and the second electrode 52.

[0055] 10, it is found that for this configuration, the return loss of the connector 300 is 20 dB. It is also found that when the spacing of the connector 300 structure is 10 mm (1 cm) and the frequency of the high frequency signal is 2.16 GHz, the isolation value is 50 dB. It is also found that the maximum insertion loss is 0.1 dB.

[0056] It can be seen that the degree of isolation varies depending on the spacing of the connector structures, and the spacing of the connector structures can be determined and optimized according to the connector structure and the type of high frequency signal by referring to the simulation results.

[0057] According to the present invention, the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12, which are a type of heat source, can be an important factor in determining the performance of the entire device, depending on their heat management, especially their heat dissipation performance through direct heat conduction.

[0058] Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 are positioned in direct contact with the instrument housing 20, for example an external housing.

[0059] However, the area where the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 12 are spaced apart from each other has a relatively small effect on the heat dissipation performance of the printed circuit boards through direct conduction.

[0060] The present invention forms a connect structure for connecting these printed circuit boards in the spaced apart area between them. Since the instrument case 20, e.g., the outer housing, is itself made of a metallic shielding material, the connector according to an embodiment of the present invention can maintain an effective shielding state against the outside within the connecting groove 220. That is, even if the connector is not covered with a separate RF shielding member, the connector of the communication device according to the present invention has a sufficient shielding effect (isolation) as revealed by the above simulation results.

[0061] Furthermore, since the printed circuit board can have a structure in which the largest possible area is in direct surface contact with the instrument case 20, a communication device having excellent heat dissipation performance and a compact size is provided.

[0062] In describing components of the embodiments of the present disclosure, reference numerals such as 1, 2, i), ii), a), b) may be used. Such reference numerals are used to distinguish the components from other components, and do not limit the essence or order or sequence of the components. When a part in the specification "includes" or "has" a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but that other components may be further included, unless explicitly stated to the contrary.

[0063] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION] This patent application claims priority to Patent Application No. 10-2021-0070776 filed in Korea on June 1, 2021, and Patent Application No. 10-2022-0062839 filed in Korea on May 23, 2022, the entireties of which are incorporated by reference into this specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10 first printed circuit board 12 second printed circuit board 20 Instrument case 220 Connection groove 300 Connector 310 Support member 320 Elastic connecting member

Claims

1. an instrument box including a board seating surface and one or more coupling grooves formed in the board seating surface; a first printed circuit board disposed on the board seating surface; a second printed circuit board disposed on the board seating surface on one side of the first printed circuit board; one or more connectors disposed within the coupling groove and configured to electrically couple the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board; Including, The connector comprises: A support member contacting at least a portion of the tool box within the connecting groove; and a conductive elastic connecting member disposed between the support member and the first printed circuit board or between the support member and the second printed circuit board; Including, The support member is A communication device comprising: a support base; a protruding seat portion protruding from one side of the support base and configured to place the elastic connecting member thereon; and a fixing member formed on the protruding seat portion so that the elastic connecting member is fixed.

2. The elastic connecting member is 2. The communication device of claim 1, comprising a plate-shaped base, a first side wall formed at one end of the plate-shaped base, a first contact portion formed at one end of the first side wall, a second side wall formed at the other end of the plate-shaped base, and a second contact portion formed at one end of the second side wall.

3. The connector comprises:

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a deformation gap formed between the support base and the elastic connecting member so that the elastic connecting member is elastically deformable when the first printed circuit board or the second printed circuit board is placed on the board seating surface.

4. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member includes a fixing protrusion formed on the protruding seat, and the elastic connecting member includes a through hole into which the fixing protrusion is inserted.

5. the board seating surface includes a first seating surface on which the first printed circuit board is placed and a second seating surface on which the second printed circuit board is placed, The first seating surface and the second seating surface are formed to have a step with each other, The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the lengths of the first side wall and the second side wall of the elastic connecting member are different so as to correspond to a step between the first seating surface and the second seating surface.

6. 2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the resilient coupling member is made of beryllium copper or stainless steel alloy.

7. 2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the support member is made of polycarbonate, Lusep, or Teflon.

8. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the fixture housing is comprised of an exterior housing that contains at least one of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board.

9. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument housing includes a plurality of heat dissipation fins formed on at least a portion of the instrument housing.

10. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured to transmit RF signals between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board.

11. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the instrument housing is made of an aluminum alloy or a stainless steel alloy.

12. the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are formed to have a thickness difference therebetween, The communication device according to claim 5 , wherein a size of a step between the first seating surface and the second seating surface corresponds to the difference in thickness.

13. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting member and the elastic connecting member are integrally formed via a heterogeneous injection method.

14. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board is in direct contact with the fixture housing.

15. the board seating surface includes a first seating surface on which the first printed circuit board is placed and a second seating surface on which the second printed circuit board is placed, the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are formed to have the same thickness; The first seating surface and the second seating surface are formed to have the same height as each other, The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the first side wall and the second side wall of the elastic connecting member are formed to have the same height as each other.

16. an elastic connecting member including a plate-shaped base, a first side wall formed on one side of the plate-shaped base, a first contact portion formed on one side of the first side wall, a second side wall formed on the other end of the plate-shaped base, and a second contact portion formed on one side of the second side wall; A support member configured to support the resilient connecting member Including, The support member is An RF connector comprising: a support base; a protruding seat portion protruding from one side of the support base and configured to receive the elastic connecting member; and a fixing member formed on the protruding seat portion to fix the elastic connecting member.

17. The RF connector of claim 16, further comprising a deformation gap formed between the support base and the resilient coupling member.

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