Array antenna

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an array antenna, comprising a metal middle frame (200), a PCB (300) and a parasitic sheet assembly (100), wherein the metal middle frame (200) is configured to provide structural support for the array antenna, one side of the metal middle frame (200) is fixedly connected to the parasitic sheet assembly (100), and the other side of the metal middle frame (200) is fixedly connected to the PCB (300); the PCB (300) is configured to be connected to and fix antenna elements of the array antenna, and the plurality of antenna elements are fixedly connected to two sides of a same PCB (300); and the parasitic sheet assembly (100) comprises a plurality of parasitic sheets (101) distributed in an array.

Description

Array antenna

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on Chinese patent application CN 202311094458.3, filed on August 29, 2023, with the invention name “Array Antenna”, and claims the priority of the patent application, and all the disclosed contents thereof are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of base station antennas, and in particular, to an array antenna. Background Art

[0004] With the rapid development of 5G large-scale antenna arrays, the demand for antennas has also grown rapidly. Low-cost, high-performance and miniaturized products have always been the constant theme.

[0005] Existing 5G array antennas usually adopt a structure based on a reflector, which usually includes a radiation unit, a power divider feeding network, a reflector, and a transfer printed circuit board (PCB). The power divider feeding network and the transfer PCB board are respectively arranged above and below the reflector. This structure has the following defects: the power divider feeding network and the transfer PCB board are respectively formed on two PCB boards, and then the PCB board of the power divider feeding network, the transfer PCB board and the metal reflector are assembled and combined using connectors such as screws or rivets. However, in engineering practice, the power divider feeding network and the transfer PCB board need to be connected through PIN pins to transmit signals. The two ends of the PIN pin connection need to be soldered, which is prone to tin climbing, tin accumulation, cold soldering, etc., resulting in abnormal antenna performance. It has high requirements for soldering, the pass rate will decrease, the production cost is high, and the production capacity is low. In addition, this solution requires the addition of transfer PCB boards and PIN pins, and the material cost will also increase accordingly.

[0006] In related technologies, how to simplify the structure of 5G array antennas, achieve antenna lightweighting and ensure antenna performance indicators is a problem that technical personnel in this field need to solve.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an array antenna.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an array antenna is provided, comprising: a metal middle frame, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a parasitic plate assembly, wherein the metal middle frame is configured to provide structural support for the array antenna, one side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the parasitic plate assembly, and the other side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the PCB board; the PCB board is configured to connect and fix antenna elements of the array antenna, and multiple antenna elements are fixedly connected to both sides of the same PCB board; the parasitic plate assembly includes multiple parasitic plates distributed in an array. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG1 is a structural assembly diagram of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of one side of a PCB board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of another side of a PCB board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a parasitic sheet assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a parasitic sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0017] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the embodiments of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0018] Existing 5G antenna units have the following defects: (1) They are usually made of metal die-casting, sheet metal or PCB oscillators. The antenna unit and the feed network are usually directly welded or connected via coaxial cable welding. Not only is the assembly complex and the production cost high, but there are also many solder joints, which also makes it difficult to meet the requirements of low insertion loss, low intermodulation and high consistency. (2) They are usually in the form of dipoles. According to the mirror principle, the dipole needs to be placed at a height of λ / 4 from the reflector to ensure the consistency of its current and thus obtain good performance, where λ is the medium wavelength of the center operating frequency. At present, antennas with this profile height will make the application space of base stations more tight, which is not in line with the development trend of miniaturization and low profile of base station antennas. (3) Based on the above two problems (1) and (2), in order to achieve a low profile, the radiating unit is often in the form of a patch. However, in order to achieve better resonance, the patch antenna has a larger aperture and cannot be flexibly optimized like a dipole antenna. Therefore, in the 5G array, coupling and mutual interference between the patch units are inevitable. For example, electromagnetic energy coupling causes standing waves and isolation to deteriorate, and the superposition of scattered waves causes the radiation pattern to be distorted.

[0019] Based on the above content, simplifying the structure of the 5G antenna array, reducing the cross-sectional height of the antenna, and achieving antenna lightweighting while ensuring antenna performance indicators has become a problem that technical personnel in this field need to solve.

[0020] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an array antenna, comprising: a metal middle frame, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a parasitic plate assembly, wherein the metal middle frame is configured to provide structural support for the array antenna, one side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the parasitic plate assembly, and the other side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the PCB board; the PCB board is configured to connect and fix antenna elements of the array antenna, and multiple antenna elements are fixedly connected to both sides of the same PCB board; the parasitic plate assembly includes multiple parasitic plates distributed in an array.

[0021] In actual implementation, the metal middle frame serves as the structural support for the entire antenna, providing both structural support and connection, connecting the PCB and the parasitic plate assembly. The metal middle frame is a metal lattice structure. It can be a single, large metal lattice, with a completely hollow center. Alternatively, it can consist of multiple, smaller metal lattices, with the centers of the lattices hollowed out.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, there are multiple parasitic sheet assemblies, and the multiple parasitic sheet assemblies are distributed in an array on the metal middle frame.

[0023] In actual implementation, the area of ​​the metal middle frame may be larger than that of the parasitic sheet assembly, so that the metal middle frame can connect multiple parasitic sheet assemblies.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna element includes at least: a patch radiation unit, a feeding network, a connector, and a filter; the patch radiation unit and the feeding network are provided on one side of the PCB board connected to the metal middle frame, and the connector and the filter are provided on the other side of the PCB board.

[0025] In the actual implementation process, a patch radiation unit and a feeding network are provided on one side of the PCB board, and antenna elements such as connectors and filters are provided on the other side. The specific connection relationship of the above-mentioned antenna elements can be set according to the relevant technical common sense and actual application in this field, and will not be elaborated here. Several patch radiation units, feeding networks, connectors, and filters share a PCB board, and the parasitic plate assembly and PCB board are centrally fixed by a metal middle frame, which can simplify the antenna structure, reduce the number of parts, and facilitate automated production. In the actual implementation process, the filter can include a low-pass filter and a dielectric filter.

[0026] In one exemplary embodiment, two sides of the PCB board are connected through metallized holes.

[0027] In actual implementation, the two sides of the PCB board can be connected through metalized holes (PTH), and production does not require assembly and soldering. The PCB process is relatively mature and has high consistency, which greatly improves the pass rate, effectively reduces production costs and increases production capacity.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the patch radiation units are disposed below the parasitic patches in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0029] In the actual implementation process, a PCB board is provided on one side of the metal middle frame, the patch radiation unit is provided on the side where the PCB board and the metal middle frame are connected, and the parasitic piece is connected to the other side of the metal middle frame. The spatial position relationship between the parasitic piece and the patch radiation unit is one-to-one corresponding to each other.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, the parasitic sheet assembly further includes a fixing bracket having elastic deformation, and the parasitic sheet assembly is fixedly connected to the metal middle frame via the fixing bracket.

[0031] In actual implementation, the fixing bracket with elastic deformation may be a plastic bracket, and the parasitic plate assembly is fixedly connected to the metal middle frame via the plastic bracket.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing bracket is a hollow structure in the middle, and a fixing clip is further provided on the frame of the fixing bracket, and the parasitic sheet is fixed to the fixing bracket through the fixing clip.

[0033] In the actual implementation process, the hollow part of the metal middle frame and the hollow part of the fixed bracket are set for the parasitic piece, so as to avoid isolating the parasitic piece and the patch radiation unit in space, so that the parasitic piece and the patch radiation unit can work correspondingly.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, the PCB is fixedly connected to the metal middle frame by screws, and the connection between the PCB and the metal middle frame is grounded.

[0035] In actual implementation, the PCB board can be fixed to the metal middle frame by screws, and the contact points can be grounded with PCB bright copper.

[0036] In one exemplary embodiment, the parasitic sheet employs a metasurface structure.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, the parasitic sheet includes a dielectric substrate and patches, and a plurality of patches are distributed in an array on the dielectric substrate.

[0038] In the actual implementation process, the parasitic plate adopts a metasurface structure and utilizes the special electromagnetic properties of the metasurface to achieve multi-mode resonance, increase the impedance bandwidth, offset the impedance mismatch caused by coupling between units, reduce standing waves to a certain extent, and improve isolation and antenna gain.

[0039] Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, an array antenna is provided, comprising a metal middle frame, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a parasitic plate assembly. The metal middle frame is configured to provide structural support for the array antenna, one side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the parasitic plate assembly, and the other side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the PCB board. The PCB board is configured to connect and fix antenna elements of the array antenna, with multiple antenna elements fixedly connected to both sides of the same PCB board. The parasitic plate assembly includes multiple parasitic plates distributed in an array. Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, the problem of the complex structure of 5G array antennas in the related art, which makes it difficult to achieve lightweight antennas while ensuring antenna performance indicators, is solved, achieving the effect of achieving lightweight antennas while ensuring antenna performance indicators.

[0040] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] The disclosed embodiment provides a large-scale array antenna, comprising a metal middle frame, a parasitic plate assembly, and a PCB board. The metal middle frame provides structural support and connection, connecting the PCB board and the parasitic plate assembly, and also serves as the structural support for the entire antenna. The PCB board is provided with a patch radiating unit and a feed network on one side, and a connector, filter, etc. on the other side. The parasitic plate assembly comprises a parasitic plate and a parasitic plate plastic bracket, which is mounted and fixed above the patch radiating unit via the parasitic plate plastic bracket. Several patch radiating units, feed networks, connectors, and filters share a single PCB board, which is then centrally fixed to the parasitic plate assembly and PCB board via the metal middle frame. This simplifies the antenna structure, reduces the number of components, and facilitates automated production. The parasitic plate in the disclosed embodiment utilizes a metasurface structure, leveraging the special electromagnetic properties of the metasurface to achieve multi-mode resonance, increase impedance bandwidth, offset impedance mismatch caused by coupling between units, reduce standing waves to a certain extent, and improve isolation and antenna gain.

[0043] Figure 1 is a structural assembly diagram of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1 , the array antenna includes a parasitic plate assembly 100, a metal middle frame 200, and a PCB board 300. The metal middle frame 200 provides structural support and connection, connecting the PCB board 300 and the parasitic plate assembly 100, and also serves as the structural support for the entire antenna. Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an array antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2 , the metal middle frame 200 has multiple openings in the middle for accommodating the parasitic plates 101 in the parasitic plate assembly 100. In actual implementation, the openings in the metal middle frame 200 can be a single, integral opening, and the corresponding area of ​​the parasitic plate assembly 100 must also be a single, integral opening. If the openings in the metal middle frame 200 are not integral, but rather multiple, small openings as shown in Figure 2 , the area of ​​the corresponding parasitic plate assembly 100 should be equal to the area of ​​the small openings, facilitating securement.

[0044] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of one side of a PCB board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3 , the PCB board 300 is a double-sided board. The side shown in FIG3 is the top layer, which is provided with a plurality of patch radiating units 301 and a feed network 302. FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the other side of a PCB board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , the other side of the PCB board 300 is the bottom layer, which is provided with a plurality of connectors 311, low-pass filters 312, dielectric filters 313, and adapter cables 314. The specific connection relationship or connection method of the above-mentioned patch radiating units 301, feed network 302, connector 311, low-pass filter 312, dielectric filter 313, and adapter cables 314 can be connected according to conventional technology and actual needs in this field, and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] In this disclosed embodiment, the top and bottom layers of PCB 300 are connected via PTH holes, eliminating the need for assembly and soldering. The mature PCB process offers high consistency, significantly improving first-pass yields, effectively reducing production costs and increasing productivity. PCB 300 is secured to the metal midframe 200 with screws, and the contact points are grounded with bright copper PCB material.

[0046] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a parasitic sheet assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the parasitic sheet assembly includes a parasitic sheet 101 and a plastic bracket 102. The parasitic sheet 101 is mounted and fixed above the patch radiating unit via the plastic bracket 102. A fixing clip 103 is provided on the plastic bracket 102 for fixing the parasitic sheet 101.

[0047] The large-scale array antenna provided by the disclosed embodiment is different from the traditional antenna array format in which the feed network, connector, and filter are formed separately on two PCB boards, and then the feed network PCB board, the connector and filter PCB board, and the metal reflector are assembled using screws and other connectors. In addition, several parasitic plates are often arranged as independent plastic structural parts directly above several radiating elements. In the disclosed embodiment, several radiating elements, feed network, connector, and filter share a single PCB board, and the parasitic plate assembly 100 and PCB board 300 are then centrally fixed by a metal middle frame 200, thereby simplifying the antenna structure, reducing the number of parts, and facilitating automated production.

[0048] In the disclosed embodiment, the parasitic plate 101 adopts a metasurface structure and utilizes the special electromagnetic properties of the metasurface to achieve multi-mode resonance, increase the impedance bandwidth, offset the impedance mismatch caused by coupling between units, reduce standing waves to a certain extent, and improve isolation and antenna gain.

[0049] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a parasitic sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6 , the parasitic sheet 101 includes a dielectric substrate 110 and patches 111 . The patches 111 are printed on the dielectric substrate 110 in an array.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6, the parasitic patch 101 has a square structure and is composed of 3*3 identical square patches 111 arranged in an array. The side length a of each square patch 111 is 0.1 to 0.2λ, and the spacing m between the square patches is 0.02 to 0.04λ. The width W of the dielectric substrate 110 is 0.55 to 0.65λ, where λ is the dielectric wavelength at the center operating frequency. The parasitic patch 101, which utilizes a metasurface, is loaded above the antenna radiating element and has a height of 0.03 to 0.06λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength at the center operating frequency. This metasurface parasitic patch not only improves antenna isolation and gain, but also has a low profile.

[0051] In the actual implementation process, it should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements can be made without departing from the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the metasurface structure of the parasitic sheet 101 is not limited to the form of 3*3 identical square patches, but can also be other derivative forms such as n*n identical or different square patches, circular patches, diamond patches, triangular patches, etc. These improvements should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present disclosure and will not be described in detail here.

[0052] In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an array antenna, wherein the large-scale array antenna loaded with a metasurface includes: a metal middle frame, a parasitic plate assembly, and a PCB board. The plurality of radiating units, feed network, connector, and filter share a common PCB board, and the parasitic plate assembly and the PCB board are centrally fixed by the metal middle frame, thereby simplifying the antenna structure, reducing the number of parts, and facilitating automated production. The parasitic plate of the embodiment of the present disclosure adopts a metasurface structure, utilizing the special electromagnetic properties of the metasurface to achieve multi-mode resonance, increase impedance bandwidth, offset impedance mismatch caused by coupling between units, reduce standing waves to a certain extent, and improve isolation and antenna gain.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the principles of the present disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An array antenna, comprising: Metal middle frame, printed circuit board PCB, parasitic chip components, including: The metal middle frame is configured to provide structural support for the array antenna, one side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the parasitic sheet assembly, and the other side of the metal middle frame is fixedly connected to the PCB board; The PCB board is configured to connect and fix the antenna elements of the array antenna, and a plurality of the antenna elements are fixedly connected to two sides of the same PCB board; The parasitic sheet assembly includes a plurality of parasitic sheets distributed in an array.

2. The array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: There are multiple parasitic sheet components, and the multiple parasitic sheet components are distributed in the metal middle frame in an array.

3. The array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna element at least includes: a patch radiation unit, a feeding network, a connector, and a filter; The patch radiation unit and the feeding network are arranged on one side of the PCB board connected to the metal middle frame, and the connector and the filter are arranged on the other side of the PCB board.

4. The array antenna according to claim 3, wherein: The two sides of the PCB board are connected through metallized holes.

5. The array antenna according to claim 3, wherein: The patch radiation units are arranged under the parasitic sheets in a one-to-one correspondence.

6. The array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The parasitic sheet assembly further includes a fixing bracket with elastic deformation, and the parasitic sheet assembly is fixedly connected to the metal middle frame via the fixing bracket.

7. The array antenna according to claim 6, wherein: The fixing bracket is a hollow structure in the middle, and a fixing clip is further provided on the frame of the fixing bracket, and the parasitic sheet is fixed to the fixing bracket by the fixing clip.

8. The array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The PCB board is fixedly connected to the metal middle frame by screws, and a connection point between the PCB board and the metal middle frame is grounded.

9. The array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The parasitic sheet adopts a super surface structure.

10. The array antenna according to claim 9, wherein: The parasitic sheet includes a dielectric substrate and a patch, and a plurality of the patches are distributed on the dielectric substrate in an array.

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