Antenna device

Abstract

To provide an antenna device capable of preventing distortion of an antenna housing due to thermal stress caused by heat imbalance generated by a heating element and preventing movement and play of an internal antenna RF module, thereby improving a PIMD problem. [Solution] The antenna device includes an antenna housing portion formed in a box shape with an open front, a board assembly arranged to fit tightly into the internal space formed by the antenna housing portion, and a plurality of antenna RF modules arranged on the front of the board assembly, and the antenna housing portion is manufactured and separated into at least three parts so as to prevent distortion due to thermal stress between the upper and lower ends caused by differences in heat generation between heat-generating elements mounted on the board assembly, and then the parts are interconnected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna apparatus, and more particularly, to an antenna apparatus capable of minimizing a decrease in PIMD characteristics by separately manufacturing an antenna housing portion formed long in the vertical direction and then assembling them respectively, and effectively preventing the flow of internal components such as an RF module for an antenna.

Background Art

[0002] Base station antennas including repeaters used in mobile communication systems have various forms and structures, and usually have a structure in which a plurality of radiating elements are appropriately arranged on at least one reflector standing upright in the longitudinal direction.

[0003] Recently, research has been actively conducted to satisfy high-performance requirements for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-based antennas, and at the same time, to achieve miniaturization, weight reduction, and low-cost structures. In particular, in the case of an antenna apparatus to which a patch-type radiating element for realizing linear polarization or circular polarization is applied, a method of plating a radiating element made of a dielectric substrate of a plastic or ceramic material and bonding it to a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like by soldering is widely used.

[0004] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a conventional antenna apparatus.

[0005] As shown in FIG. 1, in a conventional antenna apparatus 1, a plurality of radiating elements 35 are arranged on the front side of an antenna housing body 10 in the beam output direction so that the plurality of radiating elements 35 are output in a desired direction to facilitate beam forming, and a radome 50 is mounted on the front end portion of the antenna housing body 10 with the plurality of radiating elements 35 interposed therebetween for protection from the external environment.

[0006] More specifically, the antenna device 1 according to the prior art is provided in a rectangular parallelepiped housing shape with an open front and a thin thickness in the front-rear direction. The rear surface is integrally formed with a plurality of heat dissipation fins 11, and includes an antenna housing body 10, a main board 20 laminated and arranged on the rear surface inside the antenna housing body 10, and an antenna board 30 laminated and arranged on the front surface inside the antenna housing body 10.

[0007] On the front surface of the antenna board 30, a patch type or dipole type radiation element 35 is mounted. On the front surface of the antenna housing body 10, a radome 50 is provided to protect the internal components from the outside while allowing the radiation from the radiation element 35 to be smoothly performed.

[0008] However, an example (1) of the antenna device according to the prior art has a structure in which various digital elements (such as FPGA elements) and analog amplification elements (such as PA elements and LNA elements) are intensively mounted on the main board 20 and heat is dissipated to the rear of the antenna housing body 10.

[0009] Here, among the analog amplification elements, the LNA element has a low heat generation amount but is mounted together on the main board 20. Therefore, not only does it increase the density of the installation distribution of other heat generating elements on the main board, but there is also a problem that it has a direct factor causing performance degradation due to the heat generation of other heat generating elements.

[0010] In addition, a general antenna device has a passive intermodulation distortion (PIMD) problem. The PIMD problem refers to a spurious signal generated by the non-linear characteristics of passive elements, which degrades the signal-to-noise characteristics on the communication path and deteriorates the communication quality.

[0011] A distributed antenna system (DAS) uses, for example, time domain duplexing (TDD). In a distributed antenna system using TDD, the PIMD characteristics are maintained above a certain quality level during production. However, in an industrial site, PIMD problems may occur due to passive components used in the distribution network from the rear end of the antenna port of a remote device to the final antenna.

[0012] In particular, in the case where internal components such as antenna elements are modularized and mounted, and each module is not stably fixed, the PIMD problem occurs more significantly than in the case of integrated mounting.

[0013] Furthermore, such PIMD problems may also occur when the antenna housing body 10 is formed long vertically and thermal imbalance occurs due to heat-generating elements mounted on the main board 20, causing fine distortion in the antenna housing body 10 due to thermal stress, and thus destabilizing the fixing of each component arranged in the internal space of the antenna housing body 10.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0014] The present invention is made to solve the above technical problems, and an object thereof is to provide an antenna device that can stably fix and support an RF module for an antenna manufactured in modular units so that PIMD characteristics can be maintained.

[0015] At the same time, another object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that can improve the productivity and assemblability of a product by modularizing and assembling a radiation element part, a left filter part, a right filter part, and an amplification element part in module units on at least one of the front, left and right side surfaces, and upper and lower surfaces of an RF filter body.

[0016] Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that can improve the PIMD problem by separating at least three antenna housing parts that substantially perform a heat dissipation function into separate parts for manufacturing, and then coupling them so as to be waterproof-treated to relieve thermal stress.

[0017] Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device capable of thermal dispersion by separating an amplifier board on which an LNA element with a slightly small heat generation amount among heat generating elements is mounted from a main board and coupling it to the unit RF filter body side.

[0018] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0019] An embodiment of an RF module for an antenna according to the present invention includes an antenna housing part formed in a box shape with an open front, a board assembly arranged to be in close contact with the internal space formed by the antenna housing part, and a plurality of RF modules for antennas arranged on the front surface of the board assembly. The antenna housing part is manufactured by being separated into at least three parts so as to prevent distortion due to thermal stress between the upper end and the lower end caused by the difference in the heat generation amount of the heat generating elements mounted on the board assembly, and then coupled to each other.

[0020] Here, the antenna housing part is formed such that the length of the vertical side is at least a predetermined ratio or more longer than the length of the horizontal side.

[0021] Further, the antenna housing portion includes a center heat sink panel that forms the appearance of the middle portion of the back surface of the antenna device, an upper heat sink panel that is coupled to the upper portion of the center heat sink panel and forms the appearance of the upper side portion of the back surface of the antenna device, and a lower heat sink panel that is coupled to the lower portion of the center heat sink panel and forms the appearance of the lower side portion of the back surface of the antenna device. The center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel are each formed such that the length of the vertical side is at least longer than the length of the horizontal side.

[0022] Further, upper coupling flanges and lower coupling flanges each having a plurality of screw through holes for screw assembly of the upper heat sink panel and the lower heat sink panel are provided at the upper end and the lower end of the center heat sink panel, respectively. The upper coupling flange and the lower coupling flange of the center heat sink panel are mutually coupled using a plurality of assembly screws in a state where they are in contact with the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel, respectively.

[0023] Further, the upper coupling flange and the lower coupling flange of the center heat sink panel are arranged so as to overlap in the front-rear direction with the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel, respectively, and can be positioned relatively forward of the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel.

[0024] Further, the upper coupling flange and the lower coupling flange of the center heat sink panel are recessed and arranged inside the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and inside the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel, respectively.

[0025] Further, the coupling portion between the center heat sink panel and the upper heat sink panel and the coupling portion between the center heat sink panel and the lower heat sink panel are waterproofed.

[0026] Further, the plurality of RF modules for antennas include a plurality of unit RF filter bodies arranged in several rows or several columns in the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as "V-direction") and the horizontal direction (hereinafter referred to as "H-direction"), respectively, and may further include a plurality of fixing members for mediating the fixing of the RF modules for antennas to the antenna housing portion.

[0027] Further, the plurality of fixing members include a horizontal fixing bar providing module fixing screw holes to which the plurality of unit RF filter bodies are fixed by a screw coupling method, and a plurality of fixing legs extending rearward from the horizontal fixing bar and having rear ends fixed to the front surface of the antenna housing portion or the board assembly.

[0028] Among the plurality of fixing legs, one-side fixing legs and the other-side fixing legs formed at both ends are fixed to corner mounting blocks provided at inner corner portions of the antenna housing portion by a screw coupling method, and a center fixing leg formed between the one-side fixing leg and the other-side fixing leg among the plurality of fixing legs is fixed to a board mounting block provided on the front surface of the board assembly by a screw coupling method.

[0029] Further, the plurality of RF modules for antennas include the unit RF filter body, a plurality of radiation element modules protruding forward from the unit RF filter body, and a reflector panel integrally formed at the front end of the unit RF filter body so as to have a larger area than the front surface of the unit RF filter body and reflecting radio waves radiated from the plurality of radiation element modules forward. The plurality of RF modules for antennas are fixed by an operation in which a filter fixing screw penetrating the reflector panel from front to rear is fastened to the module fixing screw hole of the horizontal fixing bar provided on the rear surface side of the reflector panel.

[0030] Further, the plurality of RF modules for antennas are provided on either the upper surface or the lower surface which are the thickness portions before and after the unit RF filter body, and include an amplification element portion including an LNA substrate portion on which at least one analog amplification element is mounted, and are provided on the back surface portion of the unit RF filter body, and further include a filter connecting portion for electrically connecting to the board assembly, and the male socket portion formed on the LNA substrate portion and the filter connecting portion can be simultaneously connected to the female socket portion and the pin connecting portion provided on the front surface of the board assembly when the unit RF filter body is fixed to the horizontal fixing bar by screw fastening.

[0031] Further, the antenna housing portion is respectively coupled to the front end portions of the center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel, and further includes four side housing panels that form the appearance of the left and right and upper and lower sides of the antenna device, and the plurality of fixing members can include horizontal fixing bars whose both ends are respectively fixed to the inner side surfaces of the left side housing panel and the right side housing panel that form the appearance of the left side portion and the right side portion of the antenna device among the four side housing panels.

[0032] Further, it further includes a radome panel coupled to the front surface of the antenna housing portion so as to shield the open front surface of the antenna housing portion, and a plurality of support bosses extending rearward and protruding are formed on the back surface of the radome panel so as to support the front end of the horizontal fixing bar.

[0033] Further, a plurality of rear heat dissipation fins for increasing the heat dissipation surface area of the heat generated from the heat generating elements in the internal space are provided on the back surfaces of the center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel, and at least a part of the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins are separately manufactured and coupled to the coupling heat sink ribs integrally formed on the back surface portions of the respective heat sink panels.

[0034] Further, the four side housing panels and the radome panel may be made of the same material.

[0035] Further, the plurality of fixing members are supported by the radome panel with a buffer portion made of a silicone rubber material interposed therebetween and the back surface of the radome panel. [Advantages of the Invention]

[0036] According to an embodiment of the antenna device according to the present invention, the following various effects can be achieved.

[0037] First, by manufacturing, assembling, and fixing the filter unit, the radiation element unit, and the amplification unit in one module unit, and further providing fixing members, there is an effect of improving the general PIMD problem of the antenna device.

[0038] Second, by providing a left filter unit and a right filter unit capable of performing independent frequency filtering on the left and right sides of the unit RF filter body, respectively, there is an effect of improving the productivity of the dual-band filter.

[0039] Third, by separating and arranging the LNA element provided on the reception signal path, which generates relatively little heat among the heating elements of the antenna device and does not affect the entire system, from the main board, there is an effect of improving the overall heat dissipation performance.

[0040] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0041]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12A

Figure 12B

Figure 13

Figure 14A

Figure 14B

Figure 14C

Figure 14D

Figure 15A

Figure 15B

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19A

Figure 19B

Figure 20

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0042] Hereinafter, an RF module for an antenna and an antenna device including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] When attaching reference numerals to the components in each drawing, it should be noted that for the same components, as much as possible, they have the same reference numerals even if they are shown on other drawings. Also, when explaining the embodiments of the present invention, if a specific explanation of such a known configuration or function is determined to impede the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0044] When explaining the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. can be used. Such terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the essence, order, or procedure of the components are not limited by such terms. Also, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless clearly defined in the present application.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an antenna device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and rear partial exploded perspective views of the overall configuration of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are front and rear partial exploded perspective views for explaining the installation process of the board assembly of the RF module for an antenna among the configurations of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4B, an antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna housing portion 110 that forms the left and right side and rear outer appearances of the antenna device 100, and a radome panel 300 that forms the front outer appearance of the antenna device 100 and is provided to shield the open front surface of the antenna housing portion 110, and protects internal components (including board assemblies such as a main board 120 described later and an RF module 200 for an antenna) provided in the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110 from the outside.

[0047] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4B, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a board assembly (see reference numerals 120, 130, 140, and 150 in the drawings) closely installed in the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110.

[0048] The board assembly may include a pair of main boards 120 on which various electrical components are mounted and arranged on the front or back surface and are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the vertical direction, a PSU board portion 130 arranged above the main board 120 to control power supply, a middle board portion provided between the pair of main boards 120, and a surge board portion 150 at the lower part of the main board 120. The middle board portion may be an RFIC board portion 140 on which RFIC components are mounted according to manufacturing specifications, or may be a Beamer board portion on which a Beamer is mounted.

[0049] Also, an embodiment of the present invention may further include an RF module 200 (hereinafter abbreviated as an "RF module") for an antenna that is stacked and arranged on the front surface of a board assembly including the main board 120.

[0050] Although not shown, the antenna housing portion 110 can serve to mediate the coupling to a support pole provided for the installation of the antenna device 100.

[0051] Such an antenna housing part 110 is made of a metal material with excellent thermal conductivity so that heat dissipation by heat conduction is advantageous as a whole, and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped housing shape having a thickness in the front-rear direction that allows the front end of the RF module 200 described later to be accommodated.

[0052] On the other hand, the inner surface of the antenna housing part 110 is shaped to fit the outer shape protrusion formed by digital elements (such as FPGA elements) mounted on the rear surface of the main board 120 and / or PSU elements mounted on the rear surface of the PSU board part 130, RFIC components or beamers mounted on the rear surface of the RFIC board part 140, and surge component elements mounted on the rear surface of the surge board part 150. This is to maximize the heat contact area with the backs of the main board 120, PSU board part 130, RFIC board part 140, and surge board part 150 and maximize the heat dissipation performance.

[0053] At the same time, on the front surface of the main board 120, a female socket part 127 is provided for connecting the male socket part 235 formed on the LNA board part 231 of the amplification element part 230 in the configuration of the RF module 200 for antenna manufactured in module units described later by a socket pin connection method.

[0054] Also, on the front surface of the main board 120, a pin connection part 125 is provided for connecting the first connecting pin terminals 281 of the left filter part 240A and the right filter part 240B described later in the configuration of the RF module 200 for antenna by a terminal pin connection method.

[0055] Hereinafter, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a second connecting pin terminal 282 and a third connecting pin terminal 283 for electrical connection between two configurations (members) like the first connecting pin terminal 281 (see FIGS. 14A to 14D). For convenience of explanation, the first connecting pin terminal to the third connecting pin terminals 281 to 283 are collectively referred to and described as a filter connecting part.

[0056] On both the left and right sides of the antenna housing unit 110, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4B, there is further provided a handle part 190 that allows an operator at the site to carry the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention or to easily grip it for manual attachment to a support pole (not shown).

[0057] At the same time, on the outer side of the lower end of the antenna housing unit 110, various outer mounting members 400 for cable connection to a base station device (not shown) and adjustment of internal components are assembled through. The outer mounting member 400 is provided in the form of at least one or more optical cable connection terminals (sockets), and connection terminals of a coaxial cable (not shown) are interconnected to each connection terminal.

[0058] Here, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4B, the antenna housing unit 110 has a form in which the length of the vertical side is at least three times longer than the length of the horizontal side, and is formed long in the vertical direction.

[0059] This is because, while concentrating a larger number of antenna radiation elements for securing a recently required large-capacity transmission channel, when setting the directivity by tilting and steering, in order to minimize interference with surrounding antenna devices, it is the result of adopting an optimal shape formed longer in the vertical direction rather than increasing the width in the left-right direction.

[0060] However, when the antenna housing unit 110 is formed long in the vertical direction in this way, if the heat distribution generated from each element (heating elements, for example, FPGA elements, PA (Tx_amp) elements, etc.) of the main board 120, PSU board 130, RFIC board 140, and surge board unit 150 arranged in the internal space 110S is uniform, there is no problem. However, due to the unbalanced heat generation distribution of each heating element, the antenna housing unit 110 is finely Warp (yugamu) a phenomenon occurs, and such distortion (Yugami) The phenomenon may lead to the PIMD problem of the antenna device 100.

[0061] The PIMD (Passive Intermodulation Distortion) problem of the antenna device 100 (Hizumi) is a spurious signal generated by the non-linear characteristics of passive elements, which degrades the signal-to-noise characteristics on the communication path and deteriorates the communication quality.

[0062] To prevent this, in the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the antenna housing part 110 is separated into at least three parts so as to prevent distortion due to thermal stress between the upper end and the lower end caused by the difference in the amount of heat generated by the heating elements mounted on the main board 120 or the like, and then mutually coupled.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an antenna housing part according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 6A and 6B are front and rear exploded perspective views showing the antenna housing part of FIG. 5.

[0064] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the antenna housing part 110 can include a center heat sink panel 110A that forms the appearance of the middle part of the back surface of the antenna device 100, an upper heat sink panel 110B that is coupled to the upper part of the center heat sink panel 110A and forms the appearance of the upper side part of the back surface of the antenna device 100, and a lower heat sink panel 110C that is coupled to the lower part of the center heat sink panel 110A and forms the appearance of the lower side part of the back surface of the antenna device 100.

[0065] Here, assuming that the antenna housing part 110 is formed such that the length of the vertical side is at least three times longer than the length of the horizontal side as described above, each of the center heat sink panel 110A, the upper heat sink panel 110B, and the lower heat sink panel 110C is characterized in that the length of the vertical side is formed to be at least longer than the length of the horizontal side even when the antenna housing part 110 is separated into three configurations. However, the scope of rights of the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that it also includes the case where the antenna housing part 110 is separated into two configurations as long as the length of each vertical side is formed to be at least longer than the length of the horizontal side.

[0066] On the other hand, at the upper end and the lower end of the center heat sink panel 110A, an upper coupling flange 118A-1 and a lower coupling flange 118A-2 are provided, in which a plurality of screw through holes 118A-1a, 118A-2a for screw assembly with the upper heat sink panel 110B and the lower heat sink panel 110C are formed. After a plurality of assembly screws 119 penetrate through the plurality of screw through holes 118A-1a, 118A-2a in a state where the upper coupling flange 118A-1 and the lower coupling flange 118A-2 of the center heat sink panel 110A are in contact with an upper corresponding flange 118B formed at the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel 110B and a lower corresponding flange 118C formed at the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel 110C, respectively, they are mutually coupled by being fastened to a plurality of screw fastening holes 118Ba, 118Ca formed in the upper corresponding flange 118B and the lower corresponding flange 118C.

[0067] Here, the upper coupling flange 118A-1 and the lower coupling flange 118A-2 of the center heat sink panel 110A are arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction with the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel 110B and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel 110C, respectively, and are preferably provided so as to be positioned forward of the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel 110B and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel 110C relatively.

[0068] In this case, the upper coupling flange 118A-1 and the lower coupling flange 118A-2 of the center heat sink panel 110A are recessed and arranged inside the upper corresponding flange 118B at the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel 110B and inside the lower corresponding flange 118C at the upper end portion of the lower heat sink panel 110C, respectively.

[0069] A plurality of screw through holes 118A-1a, 118A-2a through which the assembly screws 119 can penetrate are formed at intervals in the left-right direction in the upper coupling flange 118A-1 and the lower coupling flange 118A-2 of the center heat sink panel 110A, and housing fixing screw fastening holes 118Ba, 118Ca to which the assembly screws 119 are fastened are formed in the upper corresponding flange 118B of the upper heat sink panel 110B and the lower corresponding flange 118C of the lower heat sink panel 110C.

[0070] At the same time, upper side wall fixing blocks 115A-1 and lower side wall fixing blocks 115A-2 are formed on the left and right side wall portions at the upper and lower end portions of the center heat sink panel 110A, respectively, and side wall fixing screw through holes 115A-1a, 115A-2a through which a plurality of side wall fixing screws 116 penetrate are formed in each of the upper side wall fixing block 115A-1 and the lower side wall fixing block 115A-2.

[0071] On the left and right side walls at the lower or upper ends of the upper heat sink panel 110B and the lower heat sink panel 110C, upper corresponding side wall fixing blocks 115B and lower corresponding side wall fixing blocks 115C that respectively correspond to the upper side wall fixing block 115A-1 and the lower side wall fixing block 115A-2 of the center heat sink panel 110A are formed. A plurality of side wall fixing screw fastening holes 115Ba and 115Ca for fastening the side wall fixing screws 116 are also formed in the upper corresponding side wall fixing block 115B and the lower corresponding side wall fixing block 115C.

[0072] That is, the antenna housing parts 110 provided in the three heat sink panels 110A to 110C can be screwed and assembled firmly at the rear end part and the left and right side wall parts respectively, so as to constitute a single antenna housing part 110.

[0073] Therefore, even when the heat generated in the internal space 110S of the antenna housing part 110 is non-uniform, heat dissipation is performed from each of the three divided antenna housing parts 110, so that the thermal stress can be minimized, and thus the distortion of the antenna housing part 110 can be prevented, thereby making it possible to improve the PIMD problem.

[0074] At this time, since the antenna housing part 110 is a part exposed to the outside, in order to prevent foreign matters such as rainwater from leaking (intruding) into the internal space 110S, the joint part between the center heat sink panel 110A and the upper heat sink panel 110B and the joint part between the center heat sink panel 110A and the lower heat sink panel 110C are preferably waterproofed.

[0075] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6B, a plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 are integrally formed on the back surface of the antenna housing portion 110 so as to have a predetermined pattern shape. Here, as a board assembly provided in the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110, the heat generated from the heat generating elements of the main board 120, the PSU board 130, the RFIC board portion 140, and the surge board portion 150 can be directly dissipated rearward through the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6B, the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 are arranged to be upwardly inclined toward the left and right ends with respect to the middle portion of the left - right width, so that the heat dissipated to the rear of the antenna housing portion 110 forms upward airflows dispersed in the left and right directions respectively, and is designed to dissipate heat more quickly. However, the shape of the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 is not necessarily limited to this. For example, although not shown in the drawings, when a blower fan module (not shown) is further provided on the back side of the antenna housing portion 110 to smooth the flow of outside air, in order for the heat dissipated by the blower fan module to be discharged more quickly, the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 can be formed parallel to the left and right ends respectively in the blower fan module arranged in the middle.

[0077] On the other hand, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can further include a radome panel 300 coupled to the front surface of the antenna housing portion 110 so as to shield the open front surface of the antenna housing portion 110, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4B.

[0078] The radome panel 300 is coupled to the front end portion of the antenna housing portion 110, and a hook coupling portion 310 formed along the periphery of the radome panel 300 is hook - coupled to the front end locking rib (not labeled in the drawing) side of the antenna housing portion 110.

[0079] Here, a waterproof gasket ring 180 made of rubber material is interposed between the front edge of the antenna housing portion 110 and the radome panel 300, and the waterproof gasket ring 180 can perform a sealing function while being elastically deformed by the coupling force provided when the radome panel 300 is hook-coupled to the antenna housing portion 110.

[0080] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 4B, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of fixing members 280 for fixing the unit RF filter bodies 210 of the respective RF modules 200 when the RF module 200 for antenna is installed.

[0081] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the installation process of the RF module for antenna with respect to the fixing member among the configurations of FIGS. 3A and 3B, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view for explaining the installation process of the fixing member and the RF module for antenna with respect to the board assembly among the configurations of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0082] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the plurality of fixing members 280 may include an upper fixing portion 281U provided at the uppermost end of the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110, a down fixing portion 281D provided at the lowermost end of the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110, and at least one center fixing portion 281C fixed to the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110 corresponding to the space between the upper fixing portion 281U and the down fixing portion 281D.

[0083] The upper fixing portion 281U and the down fixing portion 281D are respectively arranged horizontally one by one so as to be adjacent to the upper end and the lower end of the antenna housing portion 110, and three center fixing portions 281C are arranged horizontally so as to be vertically spaced from each other between the upper fixing portion 281U and the down fixing portion 281D.

[0084] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, such a plurality of fixing members 280 commonly include a horizontal fixing bar 282 that provides a plurality of filter fixing screw holes 286 for fixing a unit RF filter body 210 in a screw coupling manner among the components of the antenna RF module 200 described later, and a plurality of fixing legs 283 that extend rearward from the horizontal fixing bar 282 and whose rear ends can be fixed to the antenna housing portion 110 or the board assembly (particularly, the front surface of the main board 120 or the RFIC board portion 140).

[0085] Here, as shown in FIG. 9, a mounting bar 284 for mediating screw coupling to the board assembly is formed at each rear end of the fixing leg 283, and assembly holes 284a for screw assembly using a plurality of fixing member assembly screws 285 are formed in the mounting bar 284.

[0086] On the other hand, the fixing legs 283 are formed to extend rearward from three locations of the horizontal fixing bar 282. More specifically, one-side fixing legs and the other-side fixing legs can extend rearward from both ends of the horizontal fixing bar 282, respectively, and the center fixing leg can extend rearward from the middle of the horizontal fixing bar 282.

[0087] Here, the one-side fixing leg and the other-side fixing leg that extend rearward from both ends of the horizontal fixing bar 282 are assembled to the corner mounting block 114 provided at the inner corner portion of the antenna housing portion 110 via the fixing member assembly screw 285.

[0088] At the same time, the center fixing leg that extends rearward from the middle of the horizontal fixing bar 282 is assembled to the board mounting fixing block 122 formed on the front surface of the main board 120 or the board mounting fixing block 142 formed on the front surface of the RFIC board portion 140 of the board assembly via the fixing member assembly screw 285.

[0089] At the left and right end portions of the main board 120 and the RFIC substrate portion 140 among the board assemblies, block avoidance portions 144 for avoiding interference with the corner mounting blocks 114 are formed.

[0090] As described above, in the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of fixing members 280 stably fix the fixing legs 283 extending rearward so as to be hardly affected by the side wall portion among the configurations of the antenna housing portion 110 to the inner surface portion of the antenna housing portion 110, thereby more effectively preventing the swing (flow) of the antenna RF module 200 coupled thereto, and having the advantage of additionally improving the PIMD problem caused thereby.

[0091] On the other hand, in the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment in which the fixing member 280 necessarily includes a plurality of fixing legs 283 is not limited thereto.

[0092] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the fixing member among the configurations of FIGS. 3A and 3B, FIG. 11 is a detailed exploded perspective view of FIG. 10, and FIGS. 12A and 12B are front and rear exploded perspective views showing modified examples of the antenna housing portion among the configurations of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0093] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12B, regardless of the antenna housing portion 110 separated into three parts, when composed of four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4 provided in a single form for each side portion so as to form the appearance of the upper, lower, left, and right side portions, the fixing member 280 immediately fixes both end portions of the horizontal fixing bar 282 without providing the fixing legs 283 to the left side housing panel 110-1 and the right side housing panel 110-2 that constitute both side surfaces among the four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4.

[0094] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4 can include a left side housing panel 110-1 that forms the outer appearance of the left side of the antenna device 100, a right side housing panel 110-2 that forms the outer appearance of the right side of the antenna device 100, an upper housing panel 110-3 that forms the outer appearance of the upper side of the antenna device 100, and a lower housing panel 110-4 that forms the outer appearance of the lower side of the antenna device 100.

[0095] Thus, apart from the antenna housing part 110, the reason for providing the four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4 is that, in order to efficiently radiate the heat generated from the heating element in the internal space 110S of the conventional antenna housing part 110 to the rear, the antenna housing part 110 has to be made of a metal material (a material with excellent thermal conductivity). When the antenna housing part 110 is formed long in the vertical direction, the entire antenna device 100 has a problem of relatively large weight. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem of weight increase, as described above, at least the parts forming the side parts (left and right side surfaces, upper and lower sides) of the antenna housing part 110 are required to be replaced with the four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4 made of a lightweight non-thermal conductive material that is not a thermal conductive material.

[0096] The four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4 do not necessarily have to be formed of the same material as each of the heat sink panels 110A to 110C, and preferably are made of the same material as the above-described radome panel 300 in order to reduce the weight of the entire antenna device 100.

[0097] Here, when the four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4 are made of the same material as the radome panel 300, their strength may be relatively weak. Therefore, on the inner surfaces of the left side housing panel 110-1 and the right side housing panel 110-2, both ends of the horizontal fixing bar 282 in the configuration of the fixing member 280 can be coupled to perform a reinforcing function and can play a role of firmly fixing the antenna RF module 200 described later.

[0098] At this time, the fixing member 280 is positioned inside a plurality of left - right through - holes 171 provided so that both left and right end portions penetrate the left and right side walls of the antenna housing portion 110 (that is, the left - hand housing panel 110 - 1 and the right - hand housing panel 110 - 2), and then a plurality of assembly screws 273 penetrate the plurality of left - right through - holes 171 from the outside and are fastened to screw fastening holes 281 formed at both left and right end portions, thereby being fixed. Among the components of the fixing member 280, screw fixing holes 281 to which a plurality of assembly screws 273 are fastened are formed at both left and right end portions of the horizontal fixing bar 282, respectively.

[0099] Since the plurality of left - right through - holes 171 formed in the antenna housing portion 110 and the plurality of assembly screws 273 fastened thereto may be exposed to the outside and damage the aesthetics, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, they can be shielded using another shielding film 275. However, it is needless to say that it is not necessarily limited to a film material as a member for shielding the plurality of left - right through - holes 171, and any material can be used as long as it can shield the plurality of left - right through - holes 171.

[0100] Also, on the front surface of the horizontal fixing bar 282 of the fixing member 280, a plurality of module fixing screw holes 283 are formed at intervals in the left - right direction. Among the components of the RF module 200 assembled in the internal space 110S of the antenna housing portion 110, a plurality of assembly screws 287 are fastened to module fixing screw fastening holes 275 formed in a reflector panel 270, which will be described later, so that each RF module 200 can be stably fixed. The specific configuration and coupling method of the RF module 200 will be described in more detail later.

[0101] Here, the fixing member 280 is preferably made of a non-conductive material (e.g., a plastic resin material) so as to minimize the influence of PIMD (Passive Intermodulation Distortion) and minimize the influence on the role of grounding (GND) of the reflector panel 270 described later. It is also preferable that a plurality of assembly screws (not shown) are made of a plastic resin material.

[0102] In addition, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a buffer portion 289 made of a silicone rubber material attached to the front end portion of the fixing member 280, although not shown in the drawings. The buffer portion 289 can serve to mitigate the internal impact between components by being respectively mounted on the fixing members 280 that fix the respective unit RF filter bodies 210.

[0103] In this way, each RF module 200 is manufactured in a modularized manner. However, as described later, in terms of the bonding force between the main board 120 and each RF module 200 depending on the very weak bonding force of the male socket portion 235 of the LNA substrate portion 231 and the first connecting pin terminal 281 of the RF filter body portion 210, it is difficult to maintain the PIMD characteristics. Therefore, the PIMD problem can be solved by using the fixing member 280 that firmly fixes and supports each RF module 200. This will be described again while explaining each configuration of the RF module 200 in detail.

[0104] On the other hand, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can further include a radome panel 300 that is coupled to the front end of the antenna housing portion 110 (or the front ends of the four side housing panels 110-1 to 110-4) and protects the RF module 200 described later provided in the internal space 110S, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 12B.

[0105] As described above, the radome panel 300 can protect a plurality of components provided in the internal space 110S of the antenna housing part 110 from the outside, and at the same time, when being coupled to the antenna housing part 110, can serve to support a plurality of fixing members 280 at the front.

[0106] Here, the plurality of fixing members 280 can be supported by the radome panel 300 with a buffer part 289 made of a silicone rubber material interposed therebetween and between the fixing members 280 and the back surface of the radome panel 300.

[0107] In addition, the back surface part of the radome panel 300 is further provided with a plurality of support bosses 320 extending rearward so as to support at least a part of the front surface of the buffer part 289.

[0108] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 on the back surface of the antenna housing part 110 (that is, the center heat sink panel 110A, the upper heat sink panel 110B, and the lower heat sink panel 110C) in order to increase the heat dissipation surface area of the heat generated from the heat generating elements in the internal space 110S.

[0109] Here, at least a part 111b of the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 is separately manufactured and coupled to a coupling heat sink rib 111a integrally formed on the back surface parts of the respective heat sink panels 110A to 110C.

[0110] In this way, a part 111a of the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111 is integrally formed on the respective heat sink panels 110A to 110C in a rib form, and a part 111b is separately manufactured and coupled to the coupling heat sink rib 111a for the convenience of the process. The separately manufactured rear heat dissipation fin 111b coupled to the coupling heat sink rib 111a is coupled using welding or thermal epoxy so as to have a minimum thermal resistance.

[0111] Here, among the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins 111, the rear heat dissipation fin 111b that is separately manufactured and joined is composed of an Active-Fin having a wick structure that transfers heat while undergoing a phase change due to heat transmitted from the heat sink rib 111a with refrigerant injected therein.

[0112] The rear heat dissipation fin 111 provided with such an Active-Fin having a wick structure can greatly improve the heat dissipation performance by active heat transfer by the refrigerant in addition to heat transfer by its own heat conductive material.

[0113] In this case, the rear heat dissipation fin 111b provided with the Active-Fin is arranged to be inclined in the left and right directions from the left and right center portions of the back surface of the antenna housing portion 110 as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, and is arranged such that a heating element is mounted at a position corresponding to the lower end portion of the rear heat dissipation fin 111b. The heat transmitted from the heating element through the lower end portion of the rear heat dissipation fin 111b can be dissipated to the outside from the upper end portion of the rear heat dissipation fin 111b after the liquid-phase refrigerant is phase-changed into the gas-phase refrigerant and then moves upward by capillary force.

[0114] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the RF module for antenna among the configurations of FIGS. 3A and 3B, and FIGS. 14A to 14D are exploded perspective views in the left and right directions of FIG. 10.

[0115] Referring to FIGS. 13 to 14D, an embodiment of the RF module 200 for an antenna according to the present invention includes a unit RF filter body 210 arranged on the front surface of the main board 120, a radiating element unit 220 arranged on the front surface of the unit RF filter body 210, and an amplification element unit 230 including an LNA substrate unit 231 provided on either the upper surface or the lower surface which are the thickness parts before and after the unit RF filter body 210, and at least one analog amplification element (not shown) is mounted thereon, and a reflector panel 270 formed on the front end surface of the unit RF filter body 210 so as to extend wider than the area of the front surface of the unit RF filter body 210 and grounding (GND) the radiating element unit 220.

[0116] Here, on the left and right sides of the unit RF filter body 210, a plurality of cavities C1 and C2 respectively opening to the left and right outer sides are formed, and resonator DRs are built in the respective cavities C1 and C2 to perform different frequency filtering, and a left filter unit 240A and a right filter unit 240B are provided. Hereinafter, the left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B will be described by defining that they are located on the left and right sides with respect to the front direction.

[0117] The left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B are each designed as a filter for the 2.4G frequency band and the 5G frequency band, and a dual-band antenna by one RF module 200 can be realized.

[0118] On the other hand, the radiating element unit 220 is provided to generate at least one polarization of dual polarization.

[0119] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 14D, it can include a base panel 221 disposed on the front surface of the reflector panel 270, a power supply feed base 223 that adheres to the base panel 221 and is electrically connected to the left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B and is arranged in a cross pattern, and a radiation director panel 225 provided at the front end of the power supply feed base 223. On the front surface of the base panel 221, transmission lines 221s of a predetermined pattern connected to the input ends of the respective power supply feed bases 223 are pattern-printed.

[0120] The radiation director panel 225 is formed in a substantially square shape, and the power supply feed base 223 is positioned so as to support each corner portion of the radiation director panel 225 with a diagonal line, and each feed end extends and is feed-connected so as to be positioned at the central portion of each side of the radiation director panel 225, whereby each power supply feed base 223 can generate each polarization wave to realize dual polarization.

[0121] The base panel 221 can be electrically connected so as to mediate the transmission of each transmission signal from the left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B formed on the left and right of the unit RF filter body 210 and the reception signal transmission from the radiation director panel 225. The electrical connection mechanism between the base panel 221 and each filter unit 240A, 240B will be described in more detail later.

[0122] In the RF module 200 for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention, although the radiation element unit 220 has been described by being limited to either a patch type or a dipole type, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and it should be noted that the application of an air strip type antenna is not excluded.

[0123] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 14D, the amplification element unit 230 can include an LNA substrate unit 231 in a substrate installation space 230S provided on either the upper surface or the lower surface that forms the thickness portions before and after the unit RF filter body 210.

[0124] On the LNA substrate portion 231, at least one LNA element (not shown) that generates relatively little heat among the analog amplification elements and serves to amplify the received signal can be mounted.

[0125] Generally, an RF module is an aggregate of analog RF components. For example, in the amplification element portion 230, an analog amplification element for amplifying an RF signal is mounted. However, in the case of the RF module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, only the LNA element that generates relatively little heat among the analog amplification elements is separated from the main board 120 and designed to be included in the unit RF filter body 210. Also, the left filter portion 240A and the right filter portion 240B are RF components for frequency-filtering the input RF signal in a desired frequency band, and the radiation element portion 220 can be defined as an RF component that serves to receive and transmit an RF signal.

[0126] Here, the LNA substrate portion 231 can be electrically connected to the cavities C1 and C2 of the left filter portion 240A and the right filter portion 240B formed on the left and right of the unit RF filter body 210. The electrical connection mechanism between the LNA substrate portion 231 and each of the filter portions 240A and 240B will be described in more detail later.

[0127] The substrate installation space 230S provided with the LNA substrate portion 231 is shielded using the amplification unit cover panel 237, and on the outer surface of the amplification unit cover panel 237, an amplification unit heat sink fin (not shown) for dissipating the heat inside the substrate installation space 230S by heat conduction is integrally formed. The heat released through the amplification unit heat sink fin can be radiated to the outside through the side portion of the antenna housing portion 110.

[0128] On the other hand, on the front surface of the unit RF filter body 210, a reflector panel 270 is formed as shown in FIGS. 13 to 14D.

[0129] The reflector panel 270 can prevent the penetration of radio waves (beams) radiated from the radiation element unit 220 coupled to the front end of the unit RF filter body 210 to the rear side, and can also serve as a ground (GND) for the radiation element unit 220.

[0130] At the same time, at the upper and lower ends of the reflector panel 270, module fixing screw fastening holes 275 for fastening a plurality of assembly screws 287 for screw fixing by the fixing member 280 described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9 are formed.

[0131] As already described, the fixing member 280 is for compensating for the weak coupling force of the unit RF filter body 210 with respect to the main board 120. In the process of being assembled to the antenna housing unit 110 respectively, each unit RF filter body 210 is stably fixed behind or in front of the reflector panel 270, thereby improving the PIMD problem caused by the flow or play of the unit RF filter body 210.

[0132] FIGS. 15A and 15B are exploded perspective views for explaining the coupling relationship of the radiation element unit to the unit RF filter body of the configuration of the RF module for antenna, and FIG. 16 is a cutaway perspective view and a partial enlarged view showing the state of mutual electrical connection by the third connecting pin terminals shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B.

[0133] The left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B respectively formed on the left and right of the unit RF filter body 210 can be electrically connected via the first connecting pin terminals 281 provided at the pin coupling portion 125 provided on the front surface of the main board 120 as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B.

[0134] More specifically, on the back side of the unit RF filter body 210, at least one input / output port (not shown in the drawing) for transmitting a transmission signal is provided via the left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B respectively.

[0135] Here, at least one input / output port enables the main board 120 to be electrically connected to the left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B via the first connecting pin terminal 281 among the configurations of the above-described filter connecting unit.

[0136] On the other hand, referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B and FIG. 16, on the base panel 221 of the radiating element unit 220, it can be electrically connected by the third connecting pin terminal 283 which is one of the configurations of the filter connecting unit so as to mediate the transmission signals from the left filter unit 240A and the right filter unit 240B and the reception signal transmission from the radiating director panel 225. After the third connecting pin terminal 283 is coupled to the base panel 221 in a terminal pin coupling manner, it is solder-fixed by a coupling method such as soldering.

[0137] FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the coupling relationship of the unit RF filter body of the amplifying element unit among the configurations of the antenna RF module. FIG. 18 is a cut-away perspective view and a partial enlarged view showing the state of mutual electrical connection by the second connecting pin terminal shown in FIG. 17. FIGS. 19A and 19B are front and rear exploded perspective views and a partial enlarged view for explaining the state of mutual electrical connection of the board assembly by the first connecting pin terminal and the LNA substrate unit shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B. FIG. 20 is a cut-away perspective view and its partial enlarged view showing the state of connection between the first connecting pin terminal and the LNA substrate unit of FIGS. 19A and 19B.

[0138] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the amplifying element unit 230 houses and arranges an LNA substrate unit 231 on which at least one LNA element is mounted on a substrate installation space 230S integrally formed on either the upper surface or the lower surface of the unit RF filter body 210.

[0139] The substrate installation space 230S is formed with a through slit 239 penetrating the rear side of the unit RF filter body 210. The male socket portion 235 formed on the LNA substrate portion 231 penetrates through the through slit 239 and is connected to the female socket portion 127 provided on the main board 120 by a socket pin connection method to perform electrical connection of the received signal.

[0140] Here, on the LNA substrate portion 231, only at least one LNA element that functions to amplify the received signal received from the radiation element portion 220 of the analog amplification element through the left filter portion 240A or the right filter portion 240B is mounted. On the main board 120, at least one PA (Tx - amp) element excluding the LNA element mounted on the LNA substrate portion 231 can be mounted.

[0141] Regarding the PA element mounted on the main board 120, in that its heat generation amount is much larger than that of the LNA element relatively, by dispersing and arranging the LNA element on the RF module 200 side separated from the main board 120, the interval between each heat - generating element mounted on the main board 120 can be widened. Thus, it is possible to prevent the heat generated by the heat - generating elements from concentrating and improve the overall heat dissipation performance.

[0142] On the other hand, referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the LNA substrate portion 231 can be electrically connected via the second connecting pin terminal 282 which is one of the configurations of the cavities C1, C2 of the left filter portion 240A and the right filter portion 240B formed on the left and right of the unit RF filter body 210 and the filter connecting portion.

[0143] For this purpose, pin installation holes (not marked in the drawing) penetrating the substrate installation space 230S, the cavity C1 of the left filter portion 240A, and the cavity C2 of the right filter portion 240B are formed in the unit RF filter body 210.

[0144] After the second connecting pin terminal 282 is provided through the pin installation hole, it is soldered and fixed to the LNA substrate portion 231 by a coupling method such as soldering.

[0145] Thus, the RF module 200 for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve the problems of flow and play of internal components that may occur due to the weak coupling force of the first connecting pin terminal 281 and the male socket portion 235 of the LNA substrate portion 231 with respect to the main board 120 and maintain the PIM characteristics. Of course, by soldering and fixing the first connecting pin terminal 281, the second connecting pin terminal 282, and the third connecting pin terminal 283 respectively, there is an advantage that stable PIMD characteristics can be maintained. However, not all of the filter connecting portions necessarily need to be soldered and fixed. Among the configurations of the filter connecting portion, the first connecting pin terminal 281 can be designed to be one-touch coupled to the pin coupling portion 125 of the board assembly in that a stable coupling can be maintained by the above-described fixing member 280.

[0146] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, on the back surface portion of the unit RF filter body 210, the first connecting pin terminal 281 is provided in a groove form (female form among male-female couplings), and on the front surface of the main board 120 among the configurations of the board assembly, the pin coupling portion 125 is provided in a protruding form (male form among male-female couplings).

[0147] Also, the male socket portion 235 formed on the LNA substrate portion 231 of the amplification element portion 230 provided on the upper or lower side of the unit RF filter body 210 protrudes rearward, and on the front surface of the main board 120 among the configurations of the board assembly, the female socket portion 127 is provided in a socket form.

[0148] Here, after the RF module 200 is brought close by an operation in which an assembler places it on each fixing member 280 through the open front surface of the antenna housing portion 110 individually, the male socket portion 235 of the LNA substrate portion 231 and the first connecting pin terminal 281 are one-touch coupled so as to be connected to the female socket portion 127 and the pin coupling portion 125 of the main board 120 simultaneously, respectively. Then, the reflector panel 270 can be stably fixed using the assembly screw 287. In this case, as shown in FIG. 20, an electrical connection between the first connecting pin terminal 281 and a terminal member 125a such as a coaxial connector of the pin coupling portion 125 can be maintained.

[0149] On the other hand, the RF module 200 for an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a left tuning cover 250A and a right tuning cover 250B that are coupled to cover the left and right cavities C1 and C2 of the unit RF filter body 210, and a left filter cover 260A and a right filter cover 260B that shield the left tuning cover 250A and the right tuning cover 250B.

[0150] Tuning grooves 251 are formed in the left tuning cover 250A and the right tuning cover 250B so as to perform precise frequency tuning by adjusting the separation distance from the resonators DR in the cavities C1 and C2.

[0151] Here, the frequency filtering process in each of the cavities C1 and C2 of the unit RF filter body 210 must be performed while maintaining a completely sealed state. If the sealing is not complete or the sealing performance deteriorates due to an increase in the usage period, there is a possibility that the PIMD problem described above may occur.

[0152] In order to prevent the occurrence of such a PIMD problem, the left filter cover 260A and the right filter cover 260B including the left tuning cover 250A and the right tuning cover 250B can be attached to the unit RF filter body 210 by a laser welding method.

[0153] As described above, an embodiment of the RF module for an antenna and the antenna device including the same according to the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications and implementations within an equivalent range can be made by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the true scope of the rights of the present invention is defined by the scope of the claims described below.

Industrial Applicability

[0154] The present invention fabricates, assembles, and fixes a filter section, a radiation element section, and an amplification section in one module unit, further includes a fixing member, improves the general PIMD problem of the antenna device, and can perform independent frequency filtering on the left and right sides of the unit RF filter body, respectively. By providing a left filter section and a right filter section, the productivity of the dual-band filter is improved. Among the heating elements of the antenna device, the LNA element provided on the reception signal path with relatively little heat generation and having no influence on the entire system is separated from the main board and arranged. By doing so, an antenna device capable of improving the overall heat dissipation performance is provided.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0155] 100: Antenna device, 110: Antenna housing section 110S: Internal space, 111: Rear heat dissipation fins 120: Main board, 127: Female socket section 130: PSU board section, 140: RFIC board section 150: Surge board section, 200: RF module for antenna 210: Unit RF filter body, 220: Radiation element section 230: Amplification element section, 270: Reflector panel

Claims

1. An antenna housing portion formed in a box shape with an open front, a board assembly arranged to be in close contact with the internal space formed by the antenna housing portion, and a plurality of antenna RF modules arranged on the front surface of the board assembly, wherein the antenna housing portion is separated into at least three parts and mutually coupled so as to prevent distortion due to thermal stress between the upper end and the lower end caused by the difference in the amount of heat generated by the heat generating elements mounted on the board assembly, an antenna device.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna housing portion is formed such that the length of the vertical side is at least a predetermined ratio longer than the length of the horizontal side.

3. The antenna housing portion includes a center heat sink panel forming the appearance of the middle portion of the back surface of the antenna device, an upper heat sink panel coupled to the upper portion of the center heat sink panel to form the appearance of the upper side portion of the back surface of the antenna device, and a lower heat sink panel coupled to the lower portion of the center heat sink panel to form the appearance of the lower side portion of the back surface of the antenna device, wherein the center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel are each formed such that the length of the vertical side is at least longer than the length of the horizontal side, the antenna device according to claim 2.

4. An upper coupling flange and a lower coupling flange having a plurality of screw through holes for screw assembly of the upper heat sink panel and the lower heat sink panel are respectively formed at the upper end and the lower end of the center heat sink panel, The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein the upper coupling flange and the lower coupling flange of the center heat sink panel are mutually coupled using a plurality of assembly screws in a state where they are in contact with the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel, respectively.

5. The antenna device according to claim 4, wherein the upper coupling flange and the lower coupling flange of the center heat sink panel are arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction with the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel, respectively, and are located in front of the lower end portion of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and the upper end portion of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel relatively.

6. The upper coupling flange and the lower coupling flange of the center heat sink panel are respectively recessed and arranged inside the lower end of the back surface of the upper heat sink panel and inside the upper end of the back surface of the lower heat sink panel, and the antenna device according to claim 4.

7. The coupling part between the center heat sink panel and the upper heat sink panel and the coupling part between the center heat sink panel and the lower heat sink panel are waterproofed, and the antenna device according to claim 3.

8. The plurality of RF modules for antennas are arranged with several rows or several columns of a plurality of unit RF filter bodies arranged side by side in the vertical direction (Vertical Direction, hereinafter referred to as "V-direction") and the horizontal direction (Horizontal Direction, hereinafter referred to as "H-direction"), respectively. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fixing members for mediating the fixing of the RF module for the antenna to the antenna housing part.

9. The plurality of fixing members are a horizontal fixing bar that provides module fixing screw holes for fixing the plurality of unit RF filter bodies in a screw coupling manner, a plurality of fixing legs extending rearward from the horizontal fixing bar and having rear ends fixed to the front surface of the antenna housing part or the board assembly, and the antenna device according to claim 8.

10. Among the plurality of fixing legs, one-side fixing legs and the other-side fixing legs formed at both ends are fixed to a corner mounting block provided at an inner corner portion of the antenna housing part in a screw coupling manner. Among the plurality of fixing legs, the center fixing leg formed between the one-side fixing leg and the other-side fixing leg is fixed to a board mounting block provided on the front surface of the board assembly in a screw coupling manner, and the antenna device according to claim 9.

11. The plurality of RF modules for antennas are the unit RF filter body, a plurality of radiation element modules protruding forward of the unit RF filter body, and a reflector panel integrally formed at the front end of the unit RF filter body so as to have a larger area than the front surface of the unit RF filter body and reflecting the radio waves radiated from the plurality of radiation element modules forward, and The antenna device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of RF modules for antennas are fixed by being fastened to module fixing screw holes of the horizontal fixing bar provided with a filter fixing screw penetrating the reflector panel from the front to the back on the back side of the reflector panel.

12. The plurality of RF modules for antennas include an amplification element part including an LNA substrate part provided on either the upper surface or the lower surface, which are the front and rear thickness parts of the unit RF filter body, and on which at least one analog amplification element is mounted; and further include a filter connecting part provided on the back surface of the unit RF filter body and electrically connected to the board assembly. The male socket part formed on the LNA substrate part and the filter connecting part can be simultaneously connected to a female socket part and a pin connecting part provided on the front surface of the board assembly when the unit RF filter body is fixed to the horizontal fixing bar by screw fastening. The antenna device according to claim 11.

13. The antenna housing part includes a center heat sink panel forming the appearance of the middle part of the back surface of the antenna device; an upper heat sink panel coupled to the upper part of the center heat sink panel and forming the appearance of the upper side part of the back surface of the antenna device; and a lower heat sink panel coupled to the lower part of the center heat sink panel and forming the appearance of the lower side part of the back surface of the antenna device. The antenna device further includes four side housing panels respectively coupled to the front end parts of the center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel and forming the appearance of the left, right, upper, and lower side parts of the antenna device. The plurality of fixing members include a horizontal fixing bar whose both ends are respectively fixed to the inner side surfaces of a left side housing panel and a right side housing panel forming the appearance of the left side part and the right side part of the antenna device among the four side housing panels. The antenna device according to claim 8.

14. The antenna device further includes a radome panel coupled to the front surface of the antenna housing part so as to shield the open front surface of the antenna housing part. On the back surface of the radome panel, a plurality of support bosses extending and protruding rearward to support the front end of the horizontal fixing bar are formed. The antenna device according to claim 9 or 13.

15. On the back surfaces of the center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel, a plurality of rear heat dissipation fins are provided to increase the heat dissipation surface area of the heat generated by the heating elements in the internal space. The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of the plurality of rear heat dissipation fins is separately manufactured and coupled to coupling heat sink ribs integrally formed on the back surfaces of the center heat sink panel, the upper heat sink panel, and the lower heat sink panel.

16. The antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the four side housing panels and the radome panel are made of the same material.

17. The plurality of fixing members The antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of fixing members are supported by a plurality of support bosses of the radome panel with a buffer portion made of a silicone rubber material interposed between the fixing members and the back surface of the radome panel.

Images