Phase shifter and antenna

By designing a compact phase shifter, using the disassembled design and connector configuration, the problem of difficult phase shifter assembly and maintenance in multi-frequency electric-modulation antennas is solved, and flexible adjustment of the downward angle of the antenna and system reliability are achieved. promote.

WO2025025753A1PCT designated stage expired Publication Date: 2025-02-06ZTE CORP

Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/CN2024/094781
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-07-31
Filing Date
2024-05-22
Publication Date
2025-02-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In multi-frequency electric-modulation antennas, due to the limited space of the radome, the phase shifter is difficult to assemble and repair, affecting signal coverage and system reliability.

Method used

A compact phase shifter is designed, including support components and phase shifting components, and through a disassembled design and connection configuration, the adjustment of the down-tilt angle of the antenna is simplified, and the assembly and maintenance process is simplified.

Benefits of technology

The compact structure of the phase shifter is realized, which reduces the volume, facilitates assembly, performance debugging and maintenance, meets the needs of multi-frequency antennas for small-size phase shifters, and improves the reliability and signal coverage of the system.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present disclosure provides a phase shifter and an antenna. The phase shifter comprises a supporting assembly and a phase shift assembly, and the phase shift assembly comprises a first circuit board, a second circuit board, a first dividing plate, a second dividing plate, and a connecting piece. The first circuit board is provided with a first bonding pad, the second circuit board is provided with a second bonding pad, and the second circuit board and the first circuit board are stackedly provided. The first dividing plate is rotatably arranged on a side of the first circuit board which faces away from the second circuit board, and the second dividing plate is rotatably arranged on a side of the second circuit board which faces away from the first circuit board; the connecting piece is used for driving the first dividing plate and the second dividing plate to rotate, so as to adjust an antenna downtilt angle. The first circuit board and the second circuit board are located on a same side of the supporting assembly, and the first bonding pad is located on a side of the first circuit board which faces away from the supporting assembly, while the second bonding pad is located on a side of the second circuit board which faces away from the supporting assembly.
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Description

Phase shifter and antenna

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims the priority of Chinese patent application No. 202310962444.2 filed on July 31, 2023, and all the disclosed contents are incorporated into this disclosure by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a phase shifter and an antenna. Background Art

[0004] With the development of wireless communication technology, in mobile communication technology, the radiation angle of the base station antenna needs to be adjusted to cover different mobile communication areas. Therefore, the antenna introduces a phase shifter device to adjust the antenna phase and thus adjust the antenna electrical downtilt angle, thereby optimizing signal coverage.

[0005] However, with the popularization and promotion of multi-frequency electrically steerable antennas, the antenna frequency bands need to be continuously increased within the limited space of the antenna cover, resulting in increasingly cramped internal space for the antenna and making it difficult to assemble and maintain the phase shifter.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a phase shifter and an antenna.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a phase shifter, comprising a support assembly and a phase shift assembly mounted on the support assembly, wherein the phase shift assembly comprises:

[0009] A first circuit board is provided with a first solder pad for connecting a first cable;

[0010] A second circuit board is provided with a second solder pad for connecting a second cable and is stacked with the first circuit board;

[0011] A first scribing blade is rotatably disposed on a side of the first circuit board facing away from the second circuit board;

[0012] A second scribing blade is rotatably disposed on a side of the second circuit board facing away from the first circuit board;

[0013] A connecting member, used to connect the first scribe and the second scribe, the connecting member being configured to receive a force to drive the first scribe and the second scribe to rotate, thereby adjusting the downtilt angle of the antenna;

[0014] The first circuit board and the second circuit board are located on the same side of the support assembly, the first soldering pad is located on the side of the first circuit board facing away from the support assembly, and the second soldering pad is located on the side of the second circuit board facing away from the support assembly.

[0015] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an antenna, comprising:

[0016] reflective panels;

[0017] A radiation unit is provided on one side of the reflector;

[0018] The phase shifter is provided on the other side of the reflector. The first circuit board of the phase shifter is electrically connected to the radiation unit via a first cable. The second circuit board of the phase shifter is electrically connected to the radiation unit via a second cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from a first perspective;

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from a second perspective;

[0022] FIG3 is a structural diagram of a phase shifter proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure using a group of phase shifting modules installed on a reflective plate;

[0023] FIG4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the structure shown in FIG3 ;

[0024] FIG5 is a structural diagram of a phase shifter proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure using two sets of phase shifting modules installed on a reflective plate;

[0025] FIG6 is an exploded schematic diagram of the structure shown in FIG5 ;

[0026] FIG7 is a structural diagram of a phase shift assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with a connector removed;

[0027] FIG8 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a phase shifting assembly proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG9 is an exploded schematic diagram of a phase shift assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a support assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a support assembly connected to a first bracket and a second bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a base provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission structure proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Description of reference numerals: 100, phase shifter; 100a, phase shift module; 10, support assembly; 11, base; 111, mounting position; 112, mounting buckle; 113. Wire clamping structure; 114. Mounting interface; 12. Transmission structure; 121. Guide member; 122. Pulling member; 1221. Movable slot; 20. Phase shifting assembly; 21. First circuit board; 211. First soldering pad; 22. Second circuit board; 221. Second soldering pad; 23. First scribe; 231. First limiting hole; 24. Second scribe; 241. Second limiting hole; 25. Connecting member; 251. First clamping portion; 252. Second clamping portion; 253. Force-bearing portion; 254. Elastic compression spring; 255. Guide column; 256. First limiting column; 257. Second limiting column; 26. Isolation plate; 27. Rotating shaft; 271. First end; 272. Second end; 30. First bracket; 40. Second bracket; 50. Raising bracket; 200. First cable; 300. Second cable; 400. Reflector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0036] It should be understood that the terms used in this disclosure are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0037] It will also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this disclosure and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0038] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0039] With the development of wireless communication technology, in mobile communication technology, the radiation angle of the base station antenna needs to be adjusted to cover different mobile communication areas. Therefore, the antenna introduces a phase shifter device to adjust the antenna phase and thus adjust the antenna electrical downtilt angle. The adjustable phase antenna has a huge advantage in use compared to the fixed tilt antenna. It can quickly and conveniently adjust the electrical downtilt angle, thereby optimizing signal coverage.

[0040] However, with the popularization and promotion of multi-frequency electrically steerable antennas, the antenna frequency bands need to be continuously increased within the limited space of the antenna cover, resulting in increasingly cramped internal space for the antenna and making it difficult to assemble and maintain the phase shifter.

[0041] Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a phase shifter with a compact overall structure, reduced volume, convenient assembly, performance debugging and maintenance, and capable of meeting the requirements of multi-frequency antennas for small-sized phase shifters.

[0042] Referring to Figures 1, 7, and 9, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a phase shifter 100, comprising a support assembly 10 and a phase shift assembly 20 mounted on the support assembly 10. The phase shift assembly 20 includes a first circuit board 21, a second circuit board 22, a first scribe 23, a second scribe 24, and a connector 25. The first circuit board 21 is provided with a first solder pad 211 for connecting to a first cable 200, and the second circuit board 22 is provided with a second solder pad 221 for connecting to a second cable 300. The second circuit board 22 is stacked with the first circuit board 21. The first scribe 23 is rotatably disposed on a side of the first circuit board 21 facing away from the second circuit board 22, and the second scribe 24 is rotatably disposed on a side of the second circuit board 22 facing away from the first circuit board 21. The connector 25 connects the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24. The connector 25 is configured to receive a force, which may be an external driving force, to drive the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24 to rotate, thereby adjusting the antenna downtilt angle. The first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are located on the same side of the support assembly 10 , and the first solder pad 211 is located on the side of the first circuit board 21 facing away from the support assembly 10 , and the second solder pad 221 is located on the side of the second circuit board 22 facing away from the support assembly 10 .

[0043] In the phase shifter 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are disposed on the same side of the support assembly 10. In other words, both the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 can be disposed on the upper side of the support assembly 10. In this case, the support assembly 10 acts as a load-bearing and supporting structure. The first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are stacked and integrally mounted on the upper side of the support assembly 10 via connectors 25. Furthermore, the first soldering pad 211 is disposed on the side of the first circuit board 21 facing away from the support assembly 10, and the second soldering pad 221 is disposed on the side of the second circuit board 22 facing away from the support assembly 10. In other words, both the first soldering pad 211 and the second soldering pad 221 can be disposed upward, making the overall structure compact, minimizing the volume, and ensuring ease of operation, facilitating assembly, performance debugging, and maintenance.

[0044] Exemplarily, the first scribe 23 is provided with a first conductive circuit on the side opposite to the first circuit board 21 and coupled with the first circuit board 21, and the first circuit board 21 is provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged, proportionally spaced, and arc-shaped second conductive circuits on the side opposite to the first scribe 23 and coupled with the first scribe 23. The first scribe 23 rotates relative to the first circuit board 21 around the axis where the center of the second conductive circuit is located; the second scribe 24 is provided with a third conductive circuit on the side opposite to the second circuit board 22 and coupled with the second circuit board 22, and the second circuit board 22 is provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged, proportionally spaced, and arc-shaped fourth conductive circuits on the side opposite to the second scribe 24 and coupled with the second scribe 24. The second scribe 24 rotates relative to the second circuit board 22 around the axis where the center of the fourth conductive circuit is located.

[0045] The second conductive circuits of the first circuit board 21 are arranged symmetrically, and the fourth conductive circuits of the second circuit board 22 are arranged symmetrically, and the ends of the second conductive circuit and the fourth conductive circuit are electrically connected to the radiating elements of the antenna through the first cable 200 and the second cable 300 respectively. One end of the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24 relative to the rotation center is connected to the feed source through capacitive coupling. When the first conductive circuit is coupled with the second conductive circuit, the third conductive circuit is coupled with the fourth conductive circuit, and the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24 rotate relative to the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22, the physical path length of the electromagnetic wave signal from the main feed source to each radiating element changes with the rotation angle of the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24, so as to change the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal, thereby adjusting the downtilt angle of the antenna beam.

[0046] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the first soldering pad 211 and the second soldering pad 221 are staggered so that the first cable 200 and the second cable 300 are staggered, thereby facilitating assembly, performance debugging, and maintenance of the first cable 200 and the second cable 300 from above.

[0047] In some embodiments, the first circuit board 21 is located between the second circuit board 22 and the support assembly 10, and the first circuit board 21 is larger than the second circuit board 22. In this embodiment, the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are configured to have different sizes. A staggered design, with smaller upper and larger lower layers, allows the first soldering pads 211 and the second soldering pads 221 to be staggered. This allows the first cable 200 and the second cable 300 to face upward from the support assembly 10 during soldering, facilitating assembly, performance debugging, and maintenance of the phase shifter 100. The size of the phase shifter 100 is also compressed, minimizing its size while ensuring ease of operation.

[0048] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 8 and 9 , the phase shift assembly 20 further includes an isolation plate 26, which is positioned between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22. In the disclosed embodiment, the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are attached to opposite sides of the isolation plate 26. The isolation plate 26 can be made of a metal material or a non-metallic material with a metalized surface. This prevents signal interference between the first and second circuit boards 21, 22, while also enhancing the overall rigidity of the phase shifter 100 and preventing deformation.

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7-9, the phase shift assembly 20 further includes a rotating shaft 27, which is disposed through the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22. The rotating shaft 27 has opposing first and second ends 271 and 272. The first scriber 23 is rotatably connected to the first end 271, and the second scriber 24 is rotatably connected to the second end 272, so that the connector 25 can drive the first and second scriber 23 and 24 to rotate within a preset range about the rotating shaft 27. In the disclosed embodiment, the preset range can be set based on the desired rotation range for the actual application. The first and second scriber 23 and 24 are assembled via the rotating shaft 27 and the connector 25 to form a connected and rotating structure centered on the rotating shaft 27. When the end of the connector 25 that receives the applied force is moved, the first and second scriber 23 and 24 rotate about the rotating shaft 27. Exemplarily, the rotating shaft 27 can be realized by rivets, which has a simple structure and is easy to assemble. The setting of the rotating shaft 27 can facilitate the rotation of the first scriber 23 and the second scriber 24, thereby achieving the adjustment of the antenna downtilt angle.

[0050] Exemplarily, the rotation axis 27 extends along the height direction of the phase shifter 100 , and the planes on which the rotational tracks of the first scribing blade 23 and the second scribing blade 24 lie are perpendicular to the height direction of the phase shifter 100 .

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , connector 25 is configured to apply a force to first scribe 23 and second scribe 24. The force may be the elastic force of connector 25 itself, so that first scribe 23 and second scribe 24 exert relative force to clamp first circuit board 21 and second circuit board 22. In this embodiment, connector 25 is configured to apply a force to clamp first circuit board 21 and second circuit board 22 via first scribe 23 and second scribe 24, thereby ensuring stable performance of phase shifter 100.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the connecting member 25 includes a first clamping portion 251, a second clamping portion 252 and a force-bearing portion 253. The first clamping portion 251 and the second clamping portion 252 are arranged opposite to each other and connected by the force-bearing portion 253 to form a C-shaped clamp. The first clamping portion 251 and the second clamping portion 252 are respectively used to abut the opposite sides of the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24, so as to clamp the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 through the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24. The force-bearing portion 253 is used to receive an external driving force to drive the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24 to rotate through the first clamping portion 251 and the second clamping portion 252. The C-shaped clamp can be made of plastic material and use its own plastic elasticity to form a positive pressure to clamp the first scribe 23, the second scribe 24, the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 toward the middle.

[0053] For example, as shown in FIG9 , the connector 25 may also be provided with an elastic compression spring 254, and the second end 272 of the rotating shaft 27 is provided with a blocking portion (when the rotating shaft 27 is a rivet, the end with a cap forms the blocking portion), and the first end 271 of the rotating shaft 27 is connected to the elastic compression spring 254, so that the C-type clamp and the elastic compression spring 254 cooperate to clamp the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1-2 and 11-12, the support assembly 10 includes a base 11 and a transmission structure 12. The phase shifting assembly 20 is mounted on the base 11. The base 11 is provided with a mounting position 111. The transmission structure 12 is slidably connected to the mounting position 111. The transmission structure 12 interferes with the connecting member 25 and is used to connect to the driving structure, so that the connecting member 25 is driven to rotate under the action of the driving structure, thereby driving the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24 to rotate. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the base 11 can be mounted to the reflector 400 of the antenna to play a bearing and supporting role. The transmission structure 12 can be connected to the driving structure. The driving structure can be a device that can provide driving force, such as a motor. The driving structure can be used to drive the transmission structure 12 to slide in the mounting position 111, thereby driving the first scribe 23 and the second scribe 24 to rotate through the connecting member 25 to adjust the downtilt angle of the antenna.

[0055] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7-14, the connecting member 25 is provided with a guide post 255. The transmission structure 12 includes a guide member 121 and a pulling member 122. The guide member 121 is used to connect to the drive structure so as to move linearly under the action of the drive structure. The pulling member 122 is connected to the guide member 121 and is provided with a movable groove 1221 for the guide post 255 to pass through. The pulling member 122 is used to move with the guide member 121. The guide post 255 cooperates with the movable groove 1221 to drive the connecting member 25 to rotate, thereby driving the first scriber 23 and the second scriber 24 to rotate. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member 121 can move along the front-to-back direction of the phase shifter 100 under the drive of the driving structure. The guide column 255 is provided on the force-bearing portion 253 of the connecting member 25 and extends in the direction away from the support assembly 10, that is, upward. The guide column 255 is provided as a portion of the connecting member 25 for receiving the applied force. The guide column 255 can be movably inserted into the movable groove 1221 of the pulling member 122 so as to interfere with the movable groove 1221. The structure is simple and easy to implement, so that the pulling member 122 can be driven by the guide member 121 to drive the connecting member 25 to move through the interference between the guide column 255 and the movable groove 1221, so as to drive the first blade 23 and the second blade 24 to swing back and forth in a circle with the rotating shaft 27 as the center, so as to adjust the downtilt angle of the antenna.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7 to 10, a first limiting column 256 and a second limiting column 257 can be provided on the force-bearing portion 253 of the connecting member 25, the first limiting column 256 is provided on the side of the force-bearing portion 253 facing the support assembly 10, that is, the lower side of the force-bearing portion 253, a first limiting hole 231 opposite to the first limiting column 256 is provided on the first scribe 23, the second limiting column 257 is provided on the side of the force-bearing portion 253 facing away from the support assembly 10, that is, the upper side of the force-bearing portion 253, and a first limiting hole 231 opposite to the first limiting column 256 is provided on the second scribe 24. 57 is opposite to the second limiting hole 241, so that when installing, the first limiting column 256 is passed through the first limiting hole 231, and the second limiting column 257 is passed through the second limiting hole 241, thereby assembling the first scriber 23, the second scriber 24 and the connecting member 25 into one body. At the same time, when the connecting member 25 is installed, a long-term positive pressure is provided to the first scriber 23 and the second scriber 24 through interference fit, thereby ensuring that the first scriber 23 and the second scriber 24 can clamp the first circuit board 21, the second circuit board 22 and the isolation plate 26 therebetween, thereby ensuring stable performance.

[0057] For example, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, two second limiting columns 257 can be provided, and the two second limiting columns 257 are arranged on both sides of the guide column 255. The second scriber 24 is provided with two second limiting holes 241 corresponding to the two second limiting columns 257, and the first limiting column 256 is arranged opposite to the guide column 255. The above-mentioned setting structure is stable, so that the force-bearing part 253 can drive the first scriber 23 and the second scriber 24 to rotate at the same time.

[0058] In some embodiments, the guide member 121 and the pulling member 122 can be integrally formed to provide a stable structure, or they can be connected separately and assembled together after being processed separately, which facilitates disassembly and subsequent maintenance.

[0059] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 12 and 13 , the base 11 is provided with a plurality of mounting positions 111, which are arranged side by side along a first direction, which is a horizontal direction and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the transmission structure 12. In the disclosed embodiment, when the direction of movement of the transmission structure 12 is the front-to-back direction of the phase shifter 100, the first direction is the left-to-right direction of the phase shifter 100. More than two mounting positions 111 may be provided, for example, two, three, four, or more. By providing multiple mounting positions 111, the transmission structure 12 can be installed at the appropriate mounting positions 111 according to the size of the phase shifter assembly 20. For example, a smaller phase shifter assembly 20 can be installed at a mounting position 111 near the inside of the base 11, while a larger phase shifter assembly 20 can be installed at a mounting position 111 near the outside of the base 11. This allows for the installation and use of phase shifters 20 of different types and sizes, thereby improving material versatility.

[0060] Exemplarily, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, a detachable mounting buckle 112 is provided on the base 11, and the mounting buckle 112 has a through slot running through the front and back. The mounting buckle 112 is correspondingly installed in the mounting position 111 to stabilize the transmission structure 12 so that the transmission structure 12 can slide stably on the mounting position 111. The guide member 121 is movably provided in the through slot to guide the guide member 121 to move forward and backward under the drive of the driving structure, so as to drive the pulling member 122 to move forward and backward. At this time, the movable slot 1221 of the pulling member 122 will interfere with the guide column 255 of the connecting member 25, so as to move the guide column 255 to drive the connecting member 25 to rotate, thereby driving the first slice 23 and the second slice 24 to rotate, so as to adjust the downtilt angle of the antenna.

[0061] For example, a plurality of mounting buckles 112 arranged side by side along the first direction may be provided to correspond to a plurality of mounting positions 111 . The plurality of mounting buckles 112 may be provided separately or integrally formed, that is, one mounting buckle 112 may cover a plurality of mounting positions 111 .

[0062] For example, along the moving direction of the transmission structure 12, multiple mounting buckles 112 may be provided, such as two, three or four, so as to prevent the transmission structure 12 from shifting in position and shaking in other directions, thereby improving stability.

[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 11-13, a cable clamping structure 113 is provided on the base 11 to secure the first cable 200 and the second cable 300. In the disclosed embodiment, the cable clamping structure 113 may be provided with a plurality of slots corresponding to the first cable 200 and the second cable 300 along a first direction to secure the first cable 200 and the second cable 300, thereby improving the stability of the antenna.

[0064] For example, as shown in Figures 7 and 11, first circuit board 21 is provided with first solder pads 211 on both sides of the second direction, and second circuit board 22 is provided with second solder pads 221 on both sides of the second direction. Therefore, first cables 200 are connected to both sides of first circuit board 21 in the second direction, and second cables 300 are connected to both sides of second circuit board 22 in the second direction. The second direction is the direction of movement of transmission structure 12. Base 11 is provided with cable clamping structures 113 on both sides of the second direction, corresponding to first cables 200 and second cables 300 on both sides, to secure first cables 200 and second cables 300 on both sides of the second direction, thereby improving the stability of the antenna.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 12 , the phase shifter 100 further includes a first bracket 30 and a second bracket 40 mounted on either side of the base 11 in a second direction, where the second direction is the direction of movement of the transmission structure 12. In the disclosed embodiment, the base 11 is used to support the phase shifting assembly 20, providing both support and load-bearing. The base 11 can be mounted to the antenna's reflector 400 via the first bracket 30 and the second bracket 40.

[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3-6 , a support assembly 10 and a phase shift assembly 20 are assembled to form a set of phase shift modules 100 a . The assembled phase shift modules 100 a are mounted on the reflector 400 of the antenna. The structure is compact and easy to assemble and maintain later.

[0067] For example, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 , the number of phase shifting modules 100a can be one, and the support assembly 10 is used to be mounted to the antenna's reflector 400. In this embodiment, the base 11 is mounted to the antenna's reflector 400 via a first bracket 30 and a second bracket 40. The transmission structure 12 and phase shifting assembly 20 are mounted to the base 11 and can be secured using rivets, screws, or other fixing methods to achieve the installation and use of a single phase shifting module 100a.

[0068] Exemplarily, the number of phase shifting modules 100a can also be multiple, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The phase shifter 100 also includes a heightening bracket 50, which is connected to the support assembly 10. The support assembly 10 of one phase shifting module 100a is used to be mounted to the reflector 400 of the antenna, and the remaining phase shifting modules 100a are stacked and installed along the height direction of the phase shifter 100 through the heightening bracket 50. Exemplarily, the bottom-layer raised bracket 50 can be installed on the two side edges of the second direction of the base 11 of the support assembly 10, or can be installed on the first bracket 30 and the second bracket 40. The bottom-layer group of phase shifting modules 100a is installed on the reflector 400 of the antenna through the first bracket 30 and the second bracket 40, and the raised bracket 50 is installed on the base 11. Then, the remaining phase shifting modules 100a are installed on the raised bracket 50 to achieve the superposition of multiple groups of phase shifting modules 100a. Each group of phase shifting modules 100a is supported by at least two raised brackets 50 on the front and back sides. The stacked installation through the raised brackets 50 can not only meet the use of phase shifting modules 100a with multiple frequency bands and multiple outputs at the same time, but also the stacked setting has a height expansion function, and the phase shifting modules 100a can be stacked in the height direction as needed to achieve full utilization of space, compact structure, reduced volume, effectively save antenna space, and achieve the sharing of multiple phase shifting modules 100a.

[0069] For example, as shown in Figures 3-6 and 11-13, the base 11 can be provided with a mounting interface 114 for engaging with the raising bracket 50. When multiple sets of phase shifting modules 100a need to be installed, the raising bracket 50 at the bottom layer can be installed on the bottom base 11 through the mounting interface 114, and the remaining raising brackets 50 can be installed in sequence on the base 11 of the corresponding level through the mounting interface 114.

[0070] For example, as shown in FIG6 , the base 11 may be provided with a group of mounting interfaces 114 on both sides of the first direction, and each group of mounting interfaces 114 includes at least two mounting interfaces 114 spaced apart along the second direction, so that at least four raised brackets 50 may be installed to balance the forces of the stacked phase shifting modules 100a and improve the structural stability.

[0071] In some use cases, the phase shifter 100 of the disclosed embodiment can be used in base station antennas, particularly multi-band, multi-port antennas. The phase shifter 20 utilizes a staggered design. The support assembly 10, with its multiple mounting locations 111 and elevated brackets 50, can accommodate phase shifters 20 in various frequency bands and outputs, effectively saving material and antenna system costs. Furthermore, the miniaturized design reduces antenna weight, improves product reliability, and provides excellent scalability, safety, and reliability.

[0072] The present disclosure also provides an antenna comprising a reflector 400, a radiating element, and the aforementioned phase shifter 100, wherein the radiating element is disposed on one side of the reflector 400. The phase shifter 100 is disposed on the other side of the reflector 400. Specifically, as shown in Figures 3-6, the support assembly 10 of the phase shifter 100 is mounted on the reflector 400. The first circuit board 21 of the phase shifter 100 is electrically connected to the radiating element via a first cable 200, and the second circuit board 22 of the phase shifter 100 is electrically connected to the radiating element via a second cable 300. For example, the antenna provided in the present disclosure can be a base station antenna, particularly a multi-band, multi-port antenna.

[0073] The structure and function of the phase shifter 100 in the antenna proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure are the same as those in the above embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above embodiment, and this embodiment will not be repeated.

[0074] In actual use, the antenna also includes a radome and a drive motor. The drive motor, reflector 400, radiation unit and phase shifter 100 are all arranged in the radome. The drive motor is connected to the transmission structure 12 to provide driving force to drive the transmission structure 12 to move forward and backward, thereby driving the first slice 23 and the second slice 24 to rotate through the connecting member 25 to achieve adjustment of the antenna downtilt angle.

[0075] The above embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments. The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A phase shifter, comprising a supporting assembly and a phase shifting assembly mounted on the supporting assembly, wherein the phase shifting assembly comprises: A first circuit board is provided with a first solder pad for connecting a first cable; A second circuit board is provided with a second solder pad for connecting a second cable and is stacked with the first circuit board; A first scribing sheet is rotatably disposed on a side of the first circuit board facing away from the second circuit board; A second scribing sheet is rotatably disposed on a side of the second circuit board facing away from the first circuit board; A connecting member, used to connect the first scriber and the second scriber, wherein the connecting member is configured to be able to receive a force to drive the first scriber and the second scriber to rotate, so as to adjust the downtilt angle of the antenna; The first circuit board and the second circuit board are located on the same side of the support assembly, the first soldering pad is located on the side of the first circuit board facing away from the support assembly, and the second soldering pad is located on the side of the second circuit board facing away from the support assembly.

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The first solder pad and the second solder pad are staggered, so that the first cable and the second cable are staggered.

3. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The first circuit board is located between the second circuit board and the supporting assembly, and the size of the first circuit board is larger than that of the second circuit board.

4. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The connecting member is configured to provide a force to the first scribe line and the second scribe line, so that the first scribe line and the second scribe line have an opposing force to clamp the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

5. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The phase shifting assembly further includes an isolation plate, wherein the isolation plate is closely attached between the first circuit board and the second circuit board; and / or, The phase shifting assembly also includes a rotating shaft, which is passed through the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The rotating shaft has a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The first scriber is rotatably connected to the first end, and the second scriber is rotatably connected to the second end, so that the connecting member can drive the first scriber and the second scriber to rotate within a preset range with the rotating shaft as the center.

6. The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The support assembly comprises: A base, the phase shifting assembly is mounted on the base, and a mounting position is provided on the base; A transmission structure is slidably connected to the mounting position, the transmission structure interferes with the connecting member, and is used to connect the driving structure, so as to drive the connecting member to rotate under the action of the driving structure, thereby driving the first scriber and the second scriber to rotate.

7. The phase shifter according to claim 6, wherein: The connecting member is provided with a guide column, and the transmission structure comprises: A guide member, used to connect the driving structure so as to move linearly under the action of the driving structure; A pulling member is connected to the guide member, and the pulling member is provided with a movable groove for the guide column to pass through. The member is used to move with the guide member, and through the cooperation between the guide column and the movable groove, the connecting member is driven to rotate, thereby driving the first scribing blade and the second scribing blade to rotate.

8. The phase shifter according to claim 6, wherein: The base is provided with a plurality of the mounting positions, and the plurality of the mounting positions are arranged side by side along a first direction, wherein the first direction is a horizontal direction and is perpendicular to the moving direction of the transmission structure; and / or, The base is provided with a wire clamping structure to fix the first cable and the second cable.

9. The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: One of the supporting components and one of the phase shifting components are assembled to form a group of phase shifting modules; The number of the phase shifting module is one, and the supporting assembly is used to be installed on the reflector of the antenna; or, the number of the phase shifting modules is multiple, and the phase shifter further includes a heightening bracket, which is connected to the supporting assembly, wherein the supporting assembly of one of the phase shifting modules is used to be installed on the reflector of the antenna, and the remaining phase shifting modules are stacked and installed along the height direction of the phase shifter via the heightening bracket.

10. An antenna, comprising: Reflective panels; A radiation unit, arranged on one side of the reflection plate; The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is arranged on the other side of the reflector, the first circuit board of the phase shifter is electrically connected to the radiation unit through a first cable, and the second circuit board of the phase shifter is electrically connected to the radiation unit through a second cable.

Citation Information

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