Feed assembly for phase shifter, and antenna
By using cable-free power feeding components in the antenna and using signal lines in the cavity for electrical connection, the structural complexity and performance loss problems caused by traditional coaxial cables are solved, and higher electrical performance and radio frequency efficiency are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2024/106100
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-09-27
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-03
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, a large number of coaxial cables are used to electrically connect the antenna modules, resulting in complex structure, insufficient space utilization, damaged performance and solder joint quality affecting the third-order intermodulation performance of the antenna.
The signal lines in different cavitys are electrically connected, replacing the traditional coaxial cable, forming a cable-free feeding assembly, and transmitting signals through the design of the joint fixing plate and signal lines.
Reduces cable and welding operations, improves consistency and electrical performance of feed components, reduces impedance losses of antennas, and improves RF efficiency and gain.
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Figure CN2024106100_03042025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Feed assembly and antenna for phase shifter Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communications, and more particularly to a feeding assembly for a phase shifter and an antenna including the feeding assembly for a phase shifter. Background Art
[0002] The advancement of mobile communication technology has placed ever more stringent demands on base station antennas and the entire communication system architecture. Base station antennas must meet the requirements of miniaturization, lightweighting, and high integration, while also meeting more stringent electrical performance requirements. This places higher demands on the overall architecture design of base station antennas and the layout of their internal feed networks.
[0003] With the prevalence of multi-band antennas, the internal feed network is becoming increasingly complex. Typically, coaxial cables are used to electrically connect the various antenna modules. Specifically, the main feed connector is electrically connected to the power splitter / phase shifter / filter module, which is then electrically connected to the radiating element. This use of coaxial cables for electrical connections inevitably results in a significant increase in internal solder joints. Furthermore, this connection method creates space constraints within the antenna, making layout difficult in multi-band antennas. Furthermore, the extensive use of coaxial cables results in high antenna impedance loss, making it difficult to increase antenna gain and RF efficiency. Furthermore, the quality of the solder joints can affect the antenna's third-order intermodulation.
[0004] Therefore, how to reduce cable connections, reduce the internal solder points of the antenna, and achieve cable-free or cable-free connections has become a general consensus and industry development trend in the industry.
[0005] Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the technical issues existing in the prior art, namely the use of coaxial cables for electrical connections between modules, which, on the one hand, results in a complex structure that hinders efficient utilization of the antenna's internal space and, on the other hand, adversely affects antenna performance. Based on this, the inventors of the present disclosure have innovatively devised a method of using signal lines arranged in different cavities for electrical connections, rather than coaxial cables. This replaces the traditional coaxial cables and, on the other hand, enables the phase shifter or antenna according to the present disclosure to have superior electrical performance.
[0007] In summary, in response to the above technical problems, a first aspect of the present disclosure proposes a feeding assembly for a phase shifter, the feeding assembly comprising:
[0008] A connector fixing plate, wherein the connector fixing plate has a feed socket, and the feed socket is used to receive an externally fed electrical signal; and
[0009] A first signal line is electrically connected to the feed socket at a first end and is electrically connected to a second signal line of the feed network at a second end opposite to the first end.
[0010] In the feeding assembly according to the contents of the present disclosure, the electrical signal fed into the feeding socket is electrically connected to the second signal line of the feeding network via the first signal line, without the need for a coaxial cable. This forms a feeding assembly with a cable-free design. On the one hand, this reduces the number of cables and the corresponding welding operations and improves the consistency of the feeding assembly. On the other hand, it also improves the electrical performance of the feeding assembly according to the contents of the present disclosure.
[0011] Preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the feed assembly further comprises: a first cavity, the first cavity being used to accommodate the first signal line; a second cavity, the second cavity being disposed adjacent to the first cavity; and a second signal line, the second signal line being disposed on a feed network contained within the second cavity. In this manner, the electrical signal fed into the feed socket is electrically connected via the first signal line in the first cavity to the second signal line in the second cavity, without the need for a coaxial cable. This results in a cable-free feed assembly, which, on the one hand, reduces the number of cables and the corresponding welding operations, thereby improving the consistency of the feed assembly, and, on the other hand, improves the electrical performance of the feed assembly according to the present disclosure.
[0012] Preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, a cavity avoidance hole is provided on the outer wall of the first cavity and / or the outer wall of the second cavity, wherein the first signal line and the second signal line are electrically connected at the cavity avoidance hole. More preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the first signal line has a through hole at the second end and the second signal line has a protrusion, and the protrusion is electrically connected to the first signal line via the through hole at the cavity avoidance hole. In this way, the protrusion is electrically connected to the first signal line via the through hole at the cavity avoidance hole, for example, electrical connection is achieved through the cooperation of the through hole and the protrusion.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion is welded to the first signal line via the through hole at the cavity avoidance hole. In this way, the protrusion is electrically connected to the first signal line via the through hole at the cavity avoidance hole, and a reliable electrical connection such as welding can also be achieved through the cavity avoidance hole.
[0014] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection between the protrusion and the through hole is located within the first cavity, within the second cavity, or at the connection between the first cavity and the second cavity. In this way, the location of the cavity avoidance hole is relatively flexible, and the location of the cavity avoidance hole can be specifically arranged according to the actual space or application scenario, further optimizing the structure of the feed assembly according to the present disclosure.
[0015] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first signal line has a first bent portion, and the through hole is provided at the first bent portion, so that the electrical connection between the through hole and the protrusion can be more easily performed.
[0016] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first signal line is configured as a stripline or microstrip line, and / or the second signal line is configured as a stripline or microstrip line. Compared to traditional coaxial cables, striplines or microstrip lines can significantly improve the third-order intermodulation performance of the feed assembly.
[0017] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first signal line is configured as a sheet metal strip line and the second signal line is configured as a strip line. Compared to traditional coaxial cables, sheet metal strip lines or strip lines can significantly improve the third-order intermodulation performance of the feed assembly.
[0018] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector connecting the first signal line to the connector fixing plate is located within the connector fixing plate or on both sides of the connector fixing plate. In this manner, the position of the connector can be flexibly adapted to be located within the connector fixing plate or on both sides of the connector fixing plate as needed.
[0019] Optionally or alternatively, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the feed network includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a phase shift module, a power splitter module, a combiner module, and a filter module. In this way, the feed network can implement various functions in a specific hardware manner.
[0020] In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, at least two feeding sockets are provided on the connector fixing plate, and the at least two feeding sockets are at a predetermined distance from each other, and the first signal line is electrically connected to the feeding socket via a connector. Preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, at least one of the at least two feeding sockets is not on the same horizontal plane as the corresponding first signal line, and the first signal line is electrically connected to the corresponding feeding socket by means of a connector passing through the cavity in the connector fixing plate. Alternatively or optionally, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, at least one of the at least two feeding sockets is not on the same vertical plane as the corresponding first signal line, and the first signal line is electrically connected to the corresponding feeding socket by means of a connector passing through the cavity in the connector fixing plate. In this way, the electrical connection between the first signal line and the feeding socket can be achieved through the connector, and in this way, the coaxial cable can be completely replaced, and different positions of the feeding socket can be adapted. Specifically, the connector is constructed as a microstrip line or a stripline, which includes a vertical jumper transmission line or a horizontal jumper; or alternatively, the connector is arranged in a preset cavity of the connector fixing plate.
[0021] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting member and the first signal line are integrally formed.
[0022] In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the connector fixing plate further has a welding avoidance hole, and wherein the electrical connection between the first signal line and the connector is achieved at the welding avoidance hole.
[0023] In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the feeding assembly further includes a third signal line, and the third signal line is electrically connected to the second signal line.
[0024] In addition, a second aspect of the present disclosure provides an antenna, comprising:
[0025] reflective panels;
[0026] a radiation vibrator, the radiation vibrator being arranged on one side of the reflection plate;
[0027] A feeding assembly is provided on a side opposite to the radiating element and electrically connected to the radiating element through the reflecting plate, wherein the feeding assembly is constructed as the feeding assembly proposed according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.
[0028] To sum up, in the feeding assembly according to the contents of the present disclosure, the electrical signal fed into the feeding socket is electrically connected to the second signal line of the feeding network via the first signal line, and there is no need to use a coaxial cable at all, which forms a feeding assembly with a cable-free design. On the one hand, this reduces the cables and corresponding welding operations and improves the consistency of the feeding assembly. On the other hand, it also improves the electrical performance of the feeding assembly according to the contents of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] The embodiments are shown and explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are used to illustrate the basic principles and only show the aspects necessary for understanding the basic principles. These drawings are not to scale. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent similar features.
[0030] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a feeding assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0031] FIG2A shows a perspective view of the feed assembly 100 according to FIG1 ;
[0032] FIG2B shows an exploded view of the feed assembly 100 according to FIG1 ;
[0033] FIG3A is a schematic diagram showing connection positions of signal lines according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0034] FIG3B is a schematic diagram showing connection positions of signal lines according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0035] FIG3C is a schematic diagram showing the connection positions of signal lines according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0036] FIG4A is a schematic diagram showing the connection position of a signal line and a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0037] FIG4B is a schematic diagram showing the connection position of a signal line and a connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0038] FIG4C is a schematic diagram showing the connection position of a signal line and a connector according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0039] FIG5A shows an exploded view of a feed assembly 500A according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0040] FIG5B shows a front view of a feed assembly 500A according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0041] FIG5C shows an exploded view of a feed assembly 500B according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0042] FIG5D shows a front view of a feed assembly 500B according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0043] FIG5E shows a perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0044] FIG5F shows a perspective view of a joint fixing plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0045] FIG5G illustrates a top view of a connector fixing plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0046] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of a feeding assembly 600 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0047] FIG7 shows a schematic structural diagram of an antenna 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0048] Other features, characteristics, advantages and benefits of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0049] In the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings that form part of the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example, specific embodiments that can implement the present disclosure. The illustrative embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive of all embodiments according to the present disclosure. It will be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not restrictive, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.
[0050] As mentioned above, the design solutions currently prevalent in the industry mainly fall into the following three directions:
[0051] The first direction: Optimize the coaxial cable between the phase shifter / power divider / filter module and the radiating unit. The commonly used method is to use PIN needles, jumpers or directly extend the radiator core into the signal cavity, or set a protrusion on the signal line in the cavity and extend it out of the cavity to achieve electrical connection with the radiating unit.
[0052] The second direction involves optimizing the coaxial cable between the main feeder connector and the phase shifter / power splitter / filter module. This typically involves changing a section of the coaxial cable from a coaxial signal transmission structure to a microstrip / stripline or suspended stripline structure. This reduces internal RF signal losses and improves the overall antenna gain. However, this only applies to one section, not all of the antenna.
[0053] The third approach is a combination of the first two solutions. Starting from the main feeder connector, air coaxial cables are used for connection. The feed network consists of multiple air coaxial cables connected in parallel, and the inner conductors of the coaxial cables are electrically connected using connection parts with buckle features.
[0054] To summarize the above solutions, the inventors of the present disclosure found that under the mainstream design scheme, the antenna main feeder connector end is electrically connected to the phase shifter / power divider filter and then electrically connected to the signal transmission section between the radiation unit modules, which still retains at least a part of the coaxial cable, and a true cable-free design is not achieved. Although the use of air coaxial cable (including an inner conductor and a slender outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor) formally achieves cable-free design, this air coaxial structure greatly limits the structural form of the antenna. The antenna needs to be provided with multiple parallel cavities, and the position of the antenna connector is limited. This solution is not very feasible when there are a large number of dual-polarized antennas and connector arrangements.
[0055] Furthermore, traditional antenna feed structures involve numerous coaxial cables and numerous solder joints, resulting in significant internal losses during RF signal transmission, making it difficult to increase gain and prone to poor third-order intermodulation performance. Furthermore, the presence of numerous coaxial cables complicates internal antenna assembly and layout, hindering miniaturization and lightweighting.
[0056] In summary, to address the technical issues existing in the prior art, namely, the use of numerous coaxial cables in feed assemblies and antennas including such feed assemblies, which introduce numerous inconveniences, the inventors of the present disclosure have innovatively devised a method of replacing coaxial cables with direct signal lines. This approach not only simplifies assembly complexity but also enhances the stability and accuracy of electrical performance, such as third-order intermodulation, of the feed assembly and antenna according to the present disclosure.
[0057] In order to realize the cable-free design of the antenna, the antenna feeding structure designed in the present disclosure directly uses metal strip lines (including sheet metal strip lines) or PCB boards to replace coaxial cables to realize RF signal transmission starting from the connector end, which can achieve complete cable-free design. The solder joints between the antenna modules are greatly reduced, which will greatly improve the antenna's gain, intermodulation and other electrical performance, improve RF efficiency, and at the same time greatly reduce the difficulty of assembly and layout, which is conducive to the miniaturization and lightweighting of the antenna. Since the stripline / microstrip line structure has a smaller insertion loss than the coaxial cable, the energy dissipation of the antenna from the input port is reduced, the antenna gain will be greatly improved, and the RF efficiency is improved. In addition, while achieving complete cable-free design, the poor antenna intermodulation performance caused by cable bending, secondary processing, and cable welding is avoided.
[0058] To put it abstractly, the feeding assembly for the phase shifter according to the present disclosure includes: a connector fixing plate having a feeding socket thereon, the feeding socket being used to receive an electrical signal fed from the outside; and a first signal line, the first signal line being electrically connected to the feeding socket at a first end and electrically connected to a second signal line of the feeding network at a second end opposite to the first end. In the feeding assembly according to the present disclosure, the electrical signal fed into the feeding socket is electrically connected to the second signal line of the feeding network via the first signal line, without the need for a coaxial cable, thus forming a feeding assembly with a cable-free design. This reduces the number of cables and the corresponding welding operations, thereby improving the consistency of the feeding assembly, and also improves the electrical performance of the feeding assembly according to the present disclosure.
[0059] Preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the feed assembly further comprises: a first cavity, the first cavity being used to accommodate the first signal line; a second cavity, the second cavity being arranged adjacent to the first cavity; and a second signal line, the second signal line being arranged on a feed network accommodated in the second cavity. In this way, the electrical signal fed into the feed socket is electrically connected via the first signal line located in the first cavity to the second signal line located in the second cavity, without the need for a coaxial cable, thus forming a feed assembly with a cable-free design. This, on the one hand, reduces the number of cables and the corresponding welding operations and improves the consistency of the feed assembly, and on the other hand, improves the electrical performance of the feed assembly according to the present disclosure. Of course, preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the second cavity can also be arranged parallel to the first cavity. Preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, a cavity avoidance hole is provided on the outer wall of the first cavity and / or the outer wall of the second cavity, wherein the first signal line and the second signal line are electrically connected at the cavity avoidance hole. More preferably, in one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the first signal line has a through hole at the second end and the second signal line has a protrusion, and the protrusion is electrically connected to the first signal line via the through hole at the cavity avoidance hole.
[0060] The structure of the feed assembly and the corresponding antenna disclosed in accordance with the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Figure 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a feed assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2A shows a stereoscopic view of the feed assembly 100 according to Figure 1, and Figure 2B shows an exploded view of the feed assembly 100 according to Figure 1.
[0061] As can be seen from FIG1 , a feeding assembly 100 for a phase shifter according to the present disclosure includes the following parts, namely: a connector fixing plate 110, which can, for example, be fixedly connected to a connector 120 thereon, the connector fixing plate 110 having a feeding socket 112 (described with reference to FIG2A and FIG2B ), the feeding socket 112 being used to receive an externally fed electrical signal; a first signal line 130, the first signal line 130 being electrically connected to the feeding socket 112 at a first end (e.g., the right end of FIG1 ) and being electrically connected to a second signal line 160 of the feeding network at a second end (e.g., the left end of FIG1 ) opposite to the first end (e.g., the right end of FIG1 ), for example, via a through-hole 132 at the second end (see FIG2B ). Preferably, the feeding assembly 100 according to the present disclosure further includes a first cavity 140, a second cavity 150, and a second signal line 160. The second signal line 160 is disposed on a feeding network housed in the second cavity 150 and, for example, has a protrusion 162. The protrusion 162 is electrically connected to the first signal line 130 via the through-hole 132. The connection method using the through-hole and the protrusion is merely exemplary and non-restrictive. Other connection methods are also feasible, and technical solutions using other connection methods will also fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
[0062] Furthermore, as can be seen from FIG. 2B , the first cavity 140 is used to accommodate the first signal line 130, and a cavity avoidance hole 170 is provided on the outer wall of the first cavity 140 and / or the outer wall of the second cavity 150. If the cavity avoidance hole 170 is provided in both the first cavity 140 and the second cavity 150, the cavity avoidance holes 170 are arranged at corresponding positions, forming a shared cavity avoidance hole 170. Here, the protrusion 162 is electrically connected to the first signal line 130 via the cavity avoidance hole 170 and via the through-hole 132. In this manner, the protrusion 162 is electrically connected to the first signal line 130 via the cavity avoidance hole 170 and via the through-hole 132, for example, through the mating of the through-hole 132 and the protrusion 162. Preferably, the protrusion 162 is welded to the first signal line 130 via the cavity avoidance hole 170 and via the through-hole 132. In this manner, the protrusion 162 is electrically connected to the first signal line 130 via the cavity avoidance hole 170 with the aid of the through hole 132. For example, a reliable electrical connection, such as welding, can also be achieved via the cavity avoidance hole 170. Here, the longitudinal axis of the first cavity 140 and the longitudinal axis of the second cavity 150 are arranged adjacent to each other. To facilitate connection, the first signal line 130 has a first bend (i.e., the bend where the through hole 132 is located in the figure), and the through hole 132 is arranged at the first bend. In this manner, the electrical connection between the through hole 132 and the protrusion 162 can be made more simply.
[0063] FIG3A is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection positions of signal lines according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG3B is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection positions of signal lines according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG3C is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection positions of signal lines according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. As can be seen from FIG3A to FIG3C , the connection positions of the through hole 132 and the protrusion 162 are variable. In FIG3A , the connection position of the through hole 132 and the protrusion 162, i.e., the connection position of the first signal line 130 and the second signal line 160, is located within the first cavity 140; in FIG3B , the connection position of the through hole 132 and the protrusion 162, i.e., the connection position of the first signal line 130 and the second signal line 160, is located within the second cavity 150; and in FIG3C , the connection position of the through hole 132 and the protrusion 162, i.e., the connection position of the first signal line 130 and the second signal line 160, is located at the junction of the first cavity 140 and the second cavity 150. In summary, the cavity avoidance hole 170 is located in the first cavity 140, in the second cavity 150, or at the connection between the first cavity 140 and the second cavity 150. In this way, the location of the cavity avoidance hole 170 is relatively flexible, and the location of the cavity avoidance hole 170 can be targeted according to the actual space or application scenario, further optimizing the structure of the feeding assembly 100 according to the present disclosure.
[0064] In addition, the connection position of the first signal line 130 and the connector 120 is also variable and can be set according to specific application scenarios. In order to make the connection between the first signal line 130 and the connector 120 more secure, a avoidance hole 114 for welding can also be provided at the connector fixing plate 120. The electrical connection between the first signal line 130 and the connector 120 is achieved at the welding avoidance hole 114. Here, Figure 4A shows a schematic diagram of the connection position of the signal line and the connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4B shows a schematic diagram of the connection position of the signal line and the connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 4C shows a schematic diagram of the connection position of the signal line and the connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. It can be seen from Figures 4A to 4C that the connection position of the first signal line 130 and the connector 120 can be located in the connector fixing plate 110, on the left side of the connector fixing plate 110, or on the right side of the connector fixing plate 110.
[0065] In the above embodiment, the first signal line 130 is constructed as a stripline or microstrip line. Compared with traditional coaxial cables, since the stripline / microstrip line structure has lower insertion loss than coaxial cables, the energy dissipation of the antenna from the input port is reduced, the antenna gain will be greatly improved, and the RF efficiency will be improved. Therefore, the stripline or microstrip line can significantly improve the third-order intermodulation performance of the feeding component. Additionally or preferably, the second signal line 160 is constructed as a stripline or microstrip line. Compared with traditional coaxial cables, striplines or microstrip lines can significantly improve the third-order intermodulation performance of the feeding component. In a specific embodiment of the combination, the first signal line 130 is constructed as a sheet metal stripline and the second signal line 160 is constructed as a stripline. Compared with traditional coaxial cables, sheet metal striplines or striplines can significantly improve the third-order intermodulation performance of the feeding component.
[0066] In addition to the first bend described above, the first signal line 130 can also have a second bend. Here, the first signal line 130 has a second bend, which is configured on the connector fixing plate 110. The second bend can be integrally formed with the first signal line or independently provided and connected.
[0067] Figure 5A shows an exploded view of a feed assembly 500A according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5B shows a front view of a feed assembly 500A according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5C shows an exploded view of a feed assembly 500B according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5D shows a front view of a feed assembly 500B according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5E shows a stereoscopic view of a connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5F shows a stereoscopic view of a connector fixing plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 5G shows a top view of a connector fixing plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In summary, the connector fixing plate is provided with at least two feed sockets (e.g., the feed sockets of Figure 5A, i.e., connectors 520A and 520A', or the feed sockets of Figure 5C, i.e., connectors 520B and 520B'). Due to technical parameter requirements, the at least two feed sockets 520A and 520A' or 520B and 520B' are spaced a predetermined distance apart. For example, in dual-polarized antennas and multi-band antennas, small connectors of the 4.3-10 model are generally used. In this case, the spacing between the feed sockets needs to be maintained at more than 45 mm. For clustered large connectors, the spacing between the feed sockets needs to be maintained at more than 75 mm. Therefore, due to the spatial position considerations between the feed sockets, the feed sockets need to be designed to be farther apart. Therefore, this layout requires that the feed socket and the first signal line in the cavity cannot be directly electrically connected, but need to be transferred with the help of a jumper transmission line 580' (the jumper transmission line can be in the form of a strip line or a microstrip line) to pull the connectors apart in the vertical or horizontal direction to maintain a sufficient spacing. In specific implementation, the first signal line is electrically connected to the second signal line, such as one end of the connector of the jumper signal transmission line is electrically connected to the first signal line, and the other end is electrically connected to the feed socket. For layout requirements, the connector fixing panel can be integrally formed using a pultrusion process. There is an integral pultruded cavity on the connector panel. The jumper transmission line and the cavity form an air stripline structure to connect the feed socket and the first signal line. That is to say, the first signal line is electrically connected to the feeding socket via the connecting piece. In this way, the electrical connection between the first signal line and the feeding socket can be achieved through the connecting piece, and in this way, the coaxial cable can be completely replaced, and different positions of the feeding socket can be adapted. Specifically, the connecting piece is constructed as a microstrip line or a stripline, which includes a vertical jumper transmission line or a horizontal jumper; or alternatively, the connecting piece is arranged in a preset cavity of the connector fixing plate. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting piece is integrally formed with the first signal line.The vertically distanced design can solve the problem of dual-polarized antenna connectors being too close together. However, with multi-band antennas, as the number of connectors continues to increase, this solution may still make it difficult to arrange the connector positions. In this case, a jumper can be added to further distance the connectors horizontally to maintain design flexibility.
[0068] As can be seen from Figure 5A, the first signal line has an upward connecting piece 580A, which is used to adapt to the position of the upper connector 520A to adapt to the two connectors 520A and 520A' set at a certain distance from each other, thereby realizing electrical connection with the first signal line 530A. At this time, at least one of the at least two feeding sockets is not on the same horizontal plane as the corresponding first signal line, and the first signal line is electrically connected to the corresponding feeding socket by means of a connecting piece passing through the cavity in the connector fixing plate. As can be seen in FIG5C , in addition to the connector 580B pointing upward in the figure (this connector 580B is to accommodate the upper connector position), the first signal line can also have a connector 580B' pointing closer to the paper in the figure. These two connectors 580B and 580B' are used to adapt to the position of connector 520B, which is a certain distance away from connector 520B'. In this case, at least one of the at least two feeding sockets is not on the same vertical plane as the corresponding first signal line. The first signal line is electrically connected to the corresponding feeding socket by means of a connector passing through the cavity in the connector fixing plate. Here, the feeding network includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: a phase shifting module, a power splitter module, a combining module, and a filtering module.
[0069] Here, the connectors 520B and 520B' pass through the holes 521B and 521B' shown in FIG. 5F , and accordingly, their connectors pass through the cavities 522B and 522B' in the connector fixing plate and connect the feeding sockets and the corresponding signal lines.
[0070] In addition to the electrical connection between the two signal lines described above, electrical connection between three signal lines can also be achieved without a coaxial cable. FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of a feed assembly 600 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As can be seen from FIG6, the feed assembly 600 includes, in addition to the first signal line 630 and the second signal line 660, a third signal line 680, which is electrically connected to the second signal line 660.
[0071] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG7 , the antenna 700 includes: a reflector 792; a radiating element 791, which is disposed on one side (e.g., the lower side) of the reflector 792; and a feeding assembly, which is disposed on the side opposite to the radiating element 791 (e.g., the upper side) and electrically connected to the radiating element 791 through the reflector 792. The feeding assembly is constructed as the feeding assembly proposed in the first aspect of the present disclosure, and its first signal line 730 and second signal line 760 realize electrical connection without a coaxial cable.
[0072] To sum up, in the feeding assembly according to the contents of the present disclosure, the electrical signal fed into the feeding socket is electrically connected to the second signal line of the feeding network via the first signal line, and there is no need to use a coaxial cable at all, which forms a feeding assembly with a cable-free design. On the one hand, this reduces the cables and corresponding welding operations and improves the consistency of the feeding assembly. On the other hand, it also improves the electrical performance of the feeding assembly according to the contents of the present disclosure.
[0073] Although different exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that different changes and modifications can be made which can achieve one or more of the advantages of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other components performing the same function may be appropriately replaced. It will be understood that the features explained herein with reference to a particular figure may be combined with features of other figures, even in those cases where this is not explicitly mentioned. In addition, the method of the present disclosure may be implemented in either a software implementation using appropriate processor instructions or in a hybrid implementation utilizing a combination of hardware logic and software logic to achieve the same result. Such modifications to the scheme according to the present disclosure are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A feeding assembly for a phase shifter, characterized in that: The feeding assembly comprises: A connector fixing plate, wherein the connector fixing plate has a power feeding socket, and the power feeding socket is used to receive an electrical signal fed from the outside; and A first signal line is electrically connected to the feeding socket at a first end and is electrically connected to a second signal line of the feeding network at a second end opposite to the first end.
2. The feeding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding assembly further includes: A first cavity, the first cavity is used to accommodate the first signal line; a second cavity, the second cavity being disposed adjacent to the first cavity; and The second signal line is arranged on a feeding network accommodated in the second cavity.
3. The feeding assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: A cavity avoidance hole is provided on an outer wall of the first cavity and / or an outer wall of the second cavity, wherein the first signal line and the second signal line are electrically connected at the cavity avoidance hole.
4. The feeding assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first signal line has a through hole at the second end and the second signal line has a protrusion, and the protrusion is electrically connected to the first signal line via the through hole at the cavity avoidance hole.
5. The feeding assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: A connection between the protrusion and the through hole is located in the first cavity, in the second cavity, or at a connection between the first cavity and the second cavity.
6. The feeding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first signal line has a first bent portion, and the through hole is provided at the first bent portion.
7. The feeding assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first signal line is configured as a stripline or a microstrip line, and / or the second signal line is configured as a stripline or a microstrip line.
8. The feeding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding network includes at least one of the following: a phase shifting module, a power division module, a combining module, and a filtering module.
9. The feeding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two feeding sockets are arranged on the joint fixing plate, and a predetermined distance is provided between the at least two feeding sockets. The first signal line is electrically connected to the feeding sockets via a connecting member.
10. The feeding assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: At least one of the at least two feeding sockets is not on the same horizontal plane as the corresponding first signal line, and the first signal line is electrically connected to the corresponding feeding socket by means of a connector passing through the cavity in the connector fixing plate.
11. The feeding assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: At least one of the at least two feeding sockets is not on the same vertical plane as the corresponding first signal line, and the first signal line is electrically connected to the corresponding feeding socket by means of a connector passing through the cavity in the connector fixing plate.
12. The feeding assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The connecting element is constructed as a microstrip line or a stripline, which includes a vertical jumper transmission line or a horizontal jumper.
13. The feeding assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The connecting member and the first signal line are formed integrally.
14. The feeding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding assembly further includes a third signal line, and the third signal line is electrically connected to the second signal line.
15. An antenna, characterized in that: The antenna comprises: Reflective panels; A radiation vibrator, wherein the radiation vibrator is arranged on one side of the reflection plate; A feeding component is disposed on a side opposite to the radiating element and is electrically connected to the radiating element through the reflecting plate, wherein the feeding component is constructed as the feeding component according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
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