Piezoelectric driving apparatus, antenna and base station

Abstract

A piezoelectric driving apparatus, an antenna, and a base station, relating to the technical field of communications. The piezoelectric driving apparatus is used for a phase shifter, and the piezoelectric driving apparatus comprises an apparatus fixing bracket, a resonance assembly, a forward pre-pressing assembly and a driven member, the apparatus fixing bracket being used to connect to a frame. The resonance assembly is connected to the device fixing bracket, and the resonance assembly comprises a metal elastomer and a piezoelectric material layer, the piezoelectric material layer being disposed on at least one surface of the metal elastomer, and the metal elastomer comprising a driving foot. The driven member is located at a side of the device fixing bracket facing the frame, and the forward pre-pressing assembly is used to press the driving foot of the metal elastomer towards the driven member under the action of elastic force. In this way, it is possible to convert high-frequency microscopic movement of the resonance assembly into macroscopic displacement of the driven member, so that the driving foot drives the driven member to move relative to the device fixing bracket. Since the piezoelectric driving device directly outputs a driving force meeting a movement requirement, the space occupied thereby is small, and it is possible to meet a miniaturization design requirement for an antenna.

Description

Piezoelectric driving device, antenna and base station

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on January 22, 2024, with application number 202410086683.0 and invention name "A piezoelectric drive device, antenna and base station", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a piezoelectric drive device, an antenna, and a base station. Background Art

[0004] With the development of mobile communications, the usage rate of mobile terminals is increasing. Mobile cellular network coverage is crucial for mobile communications. Since antennas are key components in mobile cellular networks, to meet varying network coverage requirements, antennas typically use electronic tilt systems to adjust signal coverage. Currently, to adjust antenna coverage and optimize signal coverage, the antenna's signal radiation tilt is typically adjusted. Adjusting the antenna's signal radiation tilt typically involves using phase shifters to alter the antenna array's phase distribution, thereby adjusting the antenna's radiation pattern and thus adjusting signal coverage.

[0005] Phase shifters use a power mechanism to drive the dielectric to change the relative position of the dielectric and the stripline, thereby altering the dielectric constant of the signal transmission path within the phase shifter. This allows the antenna signal to experience a phase delay or advance as it passes through the phase shifter, thereby adjusting the directionality of the antenna's signal radiation. However, the power mechanisms currently used in phase shifters are large and heavy, failing to meet the demands for miniaturization and lightweighting of antennas.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a piezoelectric drive device, an antenna, and a base station to achieve a miniaturized and lightweight design of the antenna.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application provides a piezoelectric drive device that can be used in a phase shifter. When specifically configured, the piezoelectric drive device includes a device mount, a resonant component, a positive preload component, and a follower. The device mount is used to connect to the frame of the phase shifter so that the device mount supports the other structures of the piezoelectric drive device. Furthermore, the resonant component is disposed on the device mount, and the resonant component includes a metal elastic body and a piezoelectric material layer. The piezoelectric material layer is disposed on at least one surface of the metal elastic body, and the metal elastic body includes a driving foot. The follower is located on the side of the resonant component facing the frame. The positive preload component is used to press the driving foot of the metal elastic body toward the follower under the action of an elastic force, and the driving foot is used to drive the follower to move relative to the device mount. The piezoelectric drive device provided by the present application can directly convert the microscopic motion of the resonant component into the macroscopic motion of the follower, eliminating the need for an intermediate transmission mechanism, resulting in a simpler structure, smaller size, and lighter weight for the piezoelectric drive device. In addition, since the piezoelectric drive device does not include a magnetic structural component, when used in an antenna, interference with the antenna signal can be effectively avoided, thereby facilitating improvement in the antenna's signal radiation performance.

[0009] The specific configuration of the piezoelectric drive device provided in the present application can be various. In one possible implementation, the metal elastic body includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, and the second surface is disposed toward the device fixing frame. The resonant component includes two piezoelectric material layers, which are disposed on the first surface of the metal elastic body, and the two piezoelectric material layers are arranged adjacent to each other. In addition, the driving foot is disposed on the second surface of the metal elastic body, and the driving foot protrudes from the second surface along the direction from the first surface to the second surface. This makes it easier to bring the driving foot into contact with the follower. When there is a certain phase difference between the high-frequency voltages applied to the two piezoelectric material layers on the first surface of the metal elastic body, the metal elastic body can form a microscopic elliptical motion with a certain regularity, thereby driving the driving foot to move synchronously, and then causing the driving foot to drive the follower to move relative to the device fixing frame.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the present application, the piezoelectric drive device further includes a resonant component bracket and a resonant component mounting bracket, with the resonant component mounting bracket positioned between the device mounting bracket and the resonant component bracket. The resonant component mounting bracket is connected to the device mounting bracket and includes a mounting slot. The metal elastomer is connected to the resonant component bracket, and the resonant component bracket is mounted in the mounting slot. This arrangement can improve the structural reliability of the resonant component.

[0011] In the present application, to avoid interference with the movement of the resonant assembly, the resonant assembly bracket is not rigidly connected to the resonant assembly mounting bracket. Instead, the resonant assembly bracket overlaps the side of the resonant assembly mounting bracket facing away from the device mounting bracket. Furthermore, the piezoelectric drive device further includes a lateral preload assembly located between the end of the resonant assembly bracket and the wall of the mounting slot, along the arrangement direction of the two piezoelectric material layers. The lateral preload assembly includes a lateral preload elastic member and a first rolling member. One end of the lateral preload elastic member abuts the wall of the mounting slot, and the other end of the lateral preload elastic member presses the first rolling member toward the end of the resonant assembly bracket. Consequently, the elastic force of the lateral preload elastic member presses the first rolling member toward the end of the resonant assembly bracket. This allows the lateral preload assembly to limit the movement of the resonant assembly bracket along the arrangement direction of the two piezoelectric material layers as the resonant assembly bracket moves with the metal elastic body, thereby preventing the resonant assembly bracket from moving in this direction. Because the end of the resonant assembly bracket abuts the first rolling element, the provision of the lateral preload assembly does not affect the movement of the resonant assembly bracket with the metal elastic body. Therefore, by providing the lateral preload assembly between the resonant assembly bracket and the wall of the mounting slot, the stability of the resonant assembly bracket's movement can be effectively improved, thereby improving the stability of the resonant assembly's movement, which in turn improves the stability of the driving force output by the resonant assembly via the driving foot.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the present application, the follower is located between the resonant component and the device fixing frame, and the surface of the follower facing the resonant component abuts against the driving foot of the resonant component, so that the driving foot applies driving force to the follower.

[0013] To increase the friction between the driving foot and the driven member, the piezoelectric actuator further includes a friction member connected to the surface of the driven member facing the resonant assembly, with the driving foot abutting against the friction member. Increasing the friction between the driving foot and the driven member effectively improves the efficiency of the transmission of driving force from the driving foot to the driven member, which helps reduce the power consumption of the piezoelectric actuator.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the present application, the piezoelectric drive device further includes a second rolling member positioned between the driven member and the device mounting frame, with both the driven member and the device mounting frame abutting against a surface of the second rolling member. Thus, during movement of the driven member relative to the device mounting frame, the friction pair between the driven member and the device mounting frame is a rolling friction pair, which reduces resistance to relative motion between the driven member and the device mounting frame, thereby facilitating reduced power consumption of the piezoelectric drive device.

[0015] In order to improve the movement reliability of the second rolling element, at least one of the device fixing frame and the driven element can also be provided with a limiting groove, and at least a part of the second rolling element is accommodated in the limiting groove to limit the second rolling element in the limiting groove.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the present application, to enable the positive preload assembly to apply an elastic force to the resonant assembly, the piezoelectric drive device further includes a cover plate connected to a resonant assembly mounting bracket. The positive preload assembly is positioned between the resonant assembly and the cover plate, abutting against the cover plate and the resonant assembly. Thus, the positive preload assembly is pressed toward the resonant assembly through the force exerted by the connection between the cover plate and the resonant assembly mounting bracket.

[0017] When configuring the positive preload assembly, it may include a positive preload elastic member and a pressure plate. The positive preload elastic member is located between the pressure plate and the cover plate, abutting the cover plate and the pressure plate. Furthermore, the pressure plate abuts the resonant assembly. This improves the uniformity and stability of the elastic force applied by the positive preload elastic member to the resonant assembly.

[0018] In one possible implementation of the present application, the piezoelectric drive device further includes a buffer pad located between the forward preload component and the resonant component. This effectively prevents the forward preload component from causing compression damage to the piezoelectric material layer, thereby improving the structural reliability of the piezoelectric drive device.

[0019] The resonant component of the piezoelectric drive device provided in the present application can also adopt other possible settings. For example, in one possible implementation, the metal elastomer is connected to the device fixing frame. In this case, the resonant component includes four piezoelectric material layers, two of the four piezoelectric material layers are located on the first surface of the metal elastomer, and the other two of the four piezoelectric material layers are located on the second surface of the metal elastomer, wherein the first surface and the second surface are two oppositely disposed surfaces of the metal elastomer. In addition, the metal elastomer includes a hollow area and two driving feet, the two piezoelectric material layers located on the same surface of the metal elastomer are respectively located on both sides of the hollow area, and the two piezoelectric material layers located on the first surface are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the two piezoelectric material layers located on the second surface. The two driving feet are located on both sides of the hollow area, and the arrangement direction of the two driving feet intersects with the arrangement direction of the two piezoelectric material layers located on the same surface of the metal elastomer, and the two driving feet protrude from the corresponding side surfaces of the metal elastomer in a direction away from the hollow area. The resonant component adopts the above-mentioned design method, and can apply the same voltage to the two piezoelectric material layers arranged on the same side surface of the metal elastomer, and there is a certain phase difference between the high-frequency voltages applied to the piezoelectric material layers arranged on the two surfaces of the metal elastomer, so that the metal elastomer can form a certain regular microscopic elliptical motion, thereby driving the driving foot to move synchronously, and then the driving foot can drive the follower to move.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the present application, the piezoelectric drive device further includes a friction member connected to the surface of the driven member facing the resonant assembly. Furthermore, the friction member includes two opposing friction plates, with the metal elastic body positioned between the two friction plates, and the two driving feet abutting the two friction plates in a one-to-one correspondence. This effectively increases the friction between the driving foot and the driven member, thereby effectively improving the transmission efficiency of the driving force from the driving foot to the driven member, which helps reduce the power consumption of the piezoelectric drive device.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the present application, the positive preload component is connected to the surface of the follower facing the resonant component, and the positive preload component is in contact with the surface of each friction plate facing away from the metal elastomer, so that each friction plate can be pressed toward the corresponding driving foot under the action of the elastic force of the positive preload component, and the elastic force of the positive preload component can be adjusted to achieve the adjustment of the extrusion force between the friction plate and the corresponding driving foot, thereby achieving the adjustment of the friction force between the friction plate and the corresponding driving foot.

[0022] When the positive preload assembly is specifically configured, it may include a claw-shaped spring, with at least one elastic claw of the claw-shaped spring abutting against the surface of one friction plate facing away from the metal elastic body, and at least one elastic claw of the claw-shaped spring abutting against the surface of the other friction plate facing away from the metal elastic body. This allows the positive preload assembly to press the friction plate toward the driving foot while also simplifying its structure.

[0023] Another possible implementation of the present application also provides a setting method for a resonant component. Specifically, the metal elastomer of the resonant component is connected to the device fixing frame, and the resonant component includes two piezoelectric material layers, and the two piezoelectric material layers are respectively arranged on two opposite surfaces of the metal elastomer. The resonant component also includes a drive shaft, which passes through the two piezoelectric material layers and the metal elastomer, and the drive foot of the metal elastomer is connected to the drive shaft. In addition, the follower and the resonant component are located on the same side of the device fixing frame, and the device fixing frame includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion arranged opposite to each other, and the two ends of the drive shaft are respectively mounted on the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion. In order to transmit the microscopic motion generated by the resonant component to the follower, the piezoelectric drive device also includes a friction member, which is connected to the follower, and the positive preload assembly is used to press the friction member toward the drive shaft under the action of the elastic force, thereby achieving the effect of squeezing the follower and the drive shaft, so as to transmit the microscopic motion generated by the resonant component to the follower through the drive shaft, thereby driving the follower to move.

[0024] In the specific configuration of the friction member, the friction member includes two clamping portions, one of which is connected to the driven member. Furthermore, the drive shaft is located between the two clamping portions, and the positive preload assembly is used to press the two clamping portions toward the drive shaft under the action of elastic force, so that the driven member and the drive shaft are in reliable contact.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the present application, the positive preload assembly includes two springs, each of which is used to press the corresponding ends of the two clamping parts together. This allows the positive preload assembly to press the driven member toward the drive shaft while also simplifying the structure of the positive preload assembly.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present application further provides an antenna comprising a phase shifter and the piezoelectric drive device of the first aspect. The phase shifter comprises a frame, a dielectric and a stripline housed therein, a device mounting bracket of the piezoelectric drive device connected to the frame, and a driven member connected to the dielectric. In this antenna, the piezoelectric drive device, when operating, can directly convert the microscopic motion of the resonant component into the macroscopic motion of the driven member, thereby causing the driven member to drive the dielectric of the phase shifter to move relative to the stripline, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the stripline. Because the piezoelectric drive device provided in the present application directly outputs driving force using a piezoelectric drive method, it eliminates the need for an intermediate transmission mechanism, resulting in a simpler structure, smaller size, and lighter weight of the piezoelectric drive device, which facilitates miniaturization and lightweight design of the antenna. Furthermore, because the piezoelectric drive device does not include a magnetic structural component, interference with the antenna's signal can be avoided when used in an antenna, thereby improving the antenna's signal radiation performance.

[0027] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a base station, comprising a radio frequency processing unit, a baseband processing unit, and the antenna of the second aspect, wherein the baseband processing unit is connected to the antenna via the radio frequency processing unit. The base station provided by the present application has excellent signal radiation performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an assembly structure of a piezoelectric drive device and a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the piezoelectric drive device shown in FIG4 ;

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a resonant component of the piezoelectric drive device shown in FIG5 ;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the resonant component shown in FIG6 from another angle;

[0035] FIG8 is another schematic structural diagram of a resonant component provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the piezoelectric drive device and the phase shifter shown in FIG5 ;

[0037] FIG10 is another schematic structural diagram of a piezoelectric drive device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG11 is an exploded view of the piezoelectric drive device shown in FIG10 ;

[0039] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the piezoelectric driving device and the phase shifter shown in FIG10 according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG13 is another schematic structural diagram of a piezoelectric drive device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a resonant component of the piezoelectric drive device shown in FIG13;

[0042] FIG15 is an exploded view of the piezoelectric drive device shown in FIG13 ;

[0043] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the piezoelectric driving device and the phase shifter shown in FIG13 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Reference numerals: 1000 - base station; 2000 - terminal; 100 - antenna; 10 - radome; 20 - antenna connector; 30 - radiating element; 40 - reflector; 50 - adjustment unit; 5a - power mechanism; 5b - calibration network; 60 - phase shifter; 601 - frame; 602 - dielectric; 603 - strip line; 70 - functional module; 5 - piezoelectric driving device; 501 - device fixing frame; 5011 - guide groove; 5012 - limiting groove; 5013 - first mounting portion; 50131 - first mounting hole; 5014 - second mounting portion; 50141 - second mounting hole; 502 - resonant component; 5021 - metal elastic body; 50211 - first surface; 50212 - second surface; 50213 - driving foot; 50214 - hollow area; 5022 - piezoelectric material layer; 5023 - circuit board; 5024 - drive shaft; 503 - resonant assembly bracket; 504 - resonant assembly fixing bracket; 5041 - mounting groove; 50411 - overlapping portion; 50412 - first groove wall; 50413 - second groove wall; 505 - lateral preload assembly; 5051 - lateral preload elastic member; 5052 - first rolling member; 506 - follower; 5061 - slider; 5062 - protrusion; 5063 - fixing bracket; 507 - friction member; 5071 - friction plate; 5072 - clamping portion; 508 - forward preload assembly; 5081 - preload elastic member; 5082 - pressure plate; 50821 - receiving groove; 509 - buffer pad; 510 - cover plate; 511 - Second rolling element; 200 - Pole; 300 - RF processing unit; 400 - Baseband unit; 500 - Connecting wires; 600 - Adjustment bracket; 700 - Grounding device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be understood as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same figure marks in the figures represent the same or similar structures, and thus their repeated description will be omitted. The words expressing position and direction described in the embodiments of the present application are all explained with reference to the accompanying drawings as examples, but changes can be made as needed, and the changes made are all included in the scope of protection of the present application. The drawings in the embodiments of the present application are only used to illustrate the relative position relationship and do not represent the true proportion.

[0046] It should be noted that the following description sets forth specific details to facilitate understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in a variety of other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] In order to facilitate the understanding of the piezoelectric drive device, antenna and base station provided in the present application, the application scenarios are first introduced below. Figure 1 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the system architecture may include a base station 1000 and a terminal 2000. Wireless communication can be achieved between the base station 1000 and the terminal 2000. The base station 1000 can also be called an access network device, which can be located in a base station subsystem (base btation bubsystem, BBS), a terrestrial radio access network (UMTS terrestrial radio access network, UTRAN) or an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRAN), and is used to provide signal cell coverage to achieve communication between the terminal device and the wireless network. Specifically, the base station 1000 can be a base transceiver station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) or a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a node B (NB) in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, an evolutionary node B (eNB or eNodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Alternatively, the base station 1000 can also be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a g-node (gNodeB or gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, an access network device in a future evolved network, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0048] Base station 1000 is equipped with an antenna 100 to enable signal transmission in space. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an application scenario for antenna 100 used in base station 1000 shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the structure of mast 200 and antenna 100. Antenna 100 includes a radome 10, which is secured to mast 200 or a tower to facilitate signal reception or transmission. Radome 10 has excellent electrical properties for electromagnetic wave penetration and mechanical properties that can withstand harsh external environments, thereby protecting the antenna system from external influences.

[0049] The base station 1000 may further include a radio frequency processing unit 300 and a baseband processing unit 400. The antenna 100 is connected to the radio frequency processing unit 300 via an antenna connector 20 located outside the antenna cover 10. The baseband processing unit 400 may be connected to the antenna 100 via the radio frequency processing unit 300. In some embodiments, the radio frequency processing unit 300 may also be referred to as a remote radio unit (RRU), and the baseband processing unit 400 may also be referred to as a baseband unit (BBU).

[0050] The mast 200 is fixed to the ground at a certain height, and the antenna 100 is fixed to the mast 200 to meet the required radiation distance for the antenna 100. The antenna 100 is detachably fixed to the mast 200 by adjusting the bracket 600, facilitating signal reception or transmission. The bracket 600 can be adjusted to adjust the orientation of the antenna 100 perpendicular to the height of the mast 200.

[0051] In one possible embodiment, as shown in FIG2 , the RF processing unit 300 may be integrated with the antenna 100, and the baseband processing unit 400 may be located at the distal end of the antenna 100. In this case, the RF processing unit 300 and the antenna 100 may be collectively referred to as an active antenna unit (AAU). It should be noted that FIG2 is only an example of the positional relationship between the RF processing unit 300 and the antenna 100. In other embodiments, the RF processing unit 300 and the baseband processing unit 400 may also be located at the distal end of the antenna 100. The RF processing unit 300 and the baseband processing unit 400 may be connected via a connecting wire 500.

[0052] A grounding device 700 is provided between the baseband processing unit 400 and the connecting wire 500. The grounding device 700 typically comprises a grounding electrode buried underground. A sealant may be provided at the connection between the antenna 100 and the connecting wire 500, and a sealant may also be provided at the connection between the grounding device 700 and the connecting wire 500. Specifically, the sealant may comprise at least one of insulating sealing tape and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) insulating tape. Of course, the sealant may also be of other structures and is not limited to tape.

[0053] Furthermore, FIG3 is a structural schematic diagram of the antenna 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3 , the antenna 100 may include a radiation unit 30 and a reflector 40. The radiation unit 30 may also be referred to as an antenna vibrator, a vibrator, etc. The radiation unit 30 is a unit constituting the basic structure of the antenna array, which can effectively radiate or receive antenna signals. The frequencies of different radiation units 30 may be the same or different. The reflector 40 may also be referred to as a base plate, an antenna panel, or a metal reflective surface, etc. The reflector 40 may reflect the received signal and concentrate it at the receiving point. The radiation unit 30 is usually placed on one side of the reflector 40, which not only greatly enhances the signal reception or transmission capability, but also blocks and shields interference signals from the back of the reflector 40. In the present application, the back of the reflector 40 refers to the side of the reflector 40 opposite to the side for setting the radiation unit 30.

[0054] In antenna 100, a feed network is provided between the radiating elements 30 and the antenna connector 20. The feed network provides specific power and phase to the radiating elements 30. As shown in Figure 3, the feed network includes an adjustment unit 50 and a phase shifter 60. The adjustment unit 50 is used to achieve different radiation beam directions, while the phase shifter 60 is used to change the maximum direction of signal radiation. By adjusting the corresponding radiating elements 30 through the phase shifter 60, the electrical downtilt angle of the signal radiated by each radiating element 30 can be changed, thereby changing the radiation direction of each radiating element 30 to meet signal coverage requirements.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, a functional module 70 can also be provided between the phase shifter 60 and the antenna connector 20. The functional module 70 can expand the performance of the antenna 100. Exemplarily, the functional module 70 can include one or a combination of at least two of a combiner, a power splitter, a filter, and a microwave circuit. A combiner or power splitter can be used in either forward or reverse directions to split one signal into multiple signals or combine multiple signals into one. A filter can be used to filter out interference signals. In some cases, the phase shifter 60 also functions as a power splitter or combiner, eliminating the need for a power splitter or combiner in the feed network. The different components included in the feed network can be connected via transmission lines and connectors. It should be noted that the power splitter or combiner can be located inside or outside the radome 10, and the connection relationships between the various components mentioned above are not unique. Figure 3 only illustrates one possible positional relationship and connection method for the various components.

[0056] 3 , the adjustment unit 50 may include a power mechanism 5a and a calibration network 5b. The power mechanism 5a may drive the phase shifter 60 to change the direction of different radiation beams of the antenna 100. The calibration network 5b may send a calibration signal to the power mechanism 5a to control its operation.

[0057] The principle by which the power mechanism 5a drives the phase shifter 60 to change the directionality of the different radiation beams of the antenna 100 is as follows: the power mechanism 5a drives the dielectric of the phase shifter 60 to move relative to the strip line, thereby changing the relative position of the dielectric and the strip line. Because both the dielectric of the phase shifter 60 and the strip line are metal components with a certain dielectric constant, changing the relative position of the dielectric and the strip line can change the dielectric constant of the strip line. Since the strip line is electrically connected to the radiating element 30 of the antenna 100, changing the dielectric constant of the strip line can adjust the phase of the antenna signal passing through the strip line, thereby adjusting the directivity of the signal radiation direction of the antenna 100.

[0058] Currently, conventional phase shifter propulsion mechanisms often utilize a combination of a rotary motor and rack and pinion gears to convert the motor's rotational motion into linear motion, thereby driving the phase shifter's dielectric to move linearly relative to the strip line. However, these propulsion mechanisms are bulky, heavy, and expensive, making them inadequate for the current development of miniaturized and lightweight antennas.

[0059] In view of this, the present application adopts a piezoelectric drive device as the power mechanism of the phase shifter to drive the medium to move relative to the strip line, so as to convert the high-frequency microscopic motion of the resonant component of the piezoelectric drive device into the macroscopic displacement of the medium. Since the driving force directly output by the piezoelectric drive device meets the motion requirements of the medium, it eliminates the need for an intermediate transmission mechanism, so the piezoelectric drive device occupies a smaller space, which is conducive to meeting the miniaturization design requirements of the antenna. And because the piezoelectric drive device is not provided with a magnetic structural part, when it is applied to the antenna, it can avoid interference with the antenna signal, thereby improving the signal radiation performance of the antenna and the base station using the piezoelectric drive device. In order to facilitate the understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the phase shifter provided by the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0060] 4 , which is a schematic diagram of an assembly structure of a piezoelectric driving device 5 and a phase shifter 60 according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the phase shifter 60 includes a frame 601 , and the piezoelectric driving device 5 is mounted on the frame 601 .

[0061] When specifically configuring the piezoelectric drive device 5, reference may be made to FIG5 , which is an exploded schematic diagram of the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in FIG4 . The piezoelectric drive device 5 includes a device mounting frame 501 and a resonant assembly 502 . Referring to both FIG4 and FIG5 , the device mounting frame 501 is configured to be fixedly connected to the frame 601 of the phase shifter 60 , serving as a supporting component for the entire piezoelectric drive device 5 , thereby supporting other components of the piezoelectric drive device 5 .

[0062] 5 , the resonant assembly 502 is located on one side of the device mounting bracket 501. Specifically, the resonant assembly 502 is located on the side of the device mounting bracket 501 facing away from the frame 601 of the phase shifter 60. In this application, for ease of description, the alignment direction of the resonant assembly 502 and the device mounting bracket 501 is defined as the Y direction.

[0063] Referring to Figure 6 , a schematic diagram of the structure of the resonant component 502 of the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in Figure 5 is shown. The resonant component 502 includes a metal elastic body 5021 and a piezoelectric material layer 5022. The metal elastic body 5021 can be made of a deformable metal such as stainless steel or phosphor bronze, and the piezoelectric material layer 5022 can include multiple stacked piezoelectric ceramic layers. The piezoelectric material layer 5022 is disposed on at least one surface of the metal elastic body 5021 and can be connected to the surface of the metal elastic body 5021 by bonding or other means.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present application, the number of piezoelectric material layers 5022 in the resonant component 502 is not limited and can be selected according to specific needs. For example, in the resonant component 502 shown in FIG6 , it includes two piezoelectric material layers 5022, which are disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021, wherein the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021 faces away from the device fixing frame 501. In addition, in the resonant component 502 shown in FIG6 , the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 are arranged adjacent to each other. In the embodiment of the present application, for ease of description, the arrangement direction of the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 in the resonant component 502 shown in FIG6 can be defined as the X direction.

[0065] Referring to FIG7 , FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the resonant assembly 502 shown in FIG6 from another angle. The metal elastic body 5021 further includes a driving foot 50213, which is disposed on the second surface 50212 of the metal elastic body 5021. The driving foot 50213 protrudes from the second surface 50212 along the direction from the first surface 50211 to the second surface 50212, wherein the second surface 50212 of the metal elastic body 5021 is disposed opposite to the first surface 50211. This application does not limit the number of driving feet 50213 of the metal elastic body 5021. For example, in the resonant assembly 502 shown in FIG7 , the metal elastic body 5021 has two driving feet 50213; or in the resonant assembly 502 shown in FIG8 , the metal elastic body 5021 has one driving foot 50213; or in other possible embodiments, the metal elastic body 5021 may have three, four, or more driving feet 50213.

[0066] In the present application, the metal elastomer 5021 can be an integrally molded structure, that is, the driving foot 50213 is a part of the metal elastomer 5021, the two are made of the same material, and they are processed through a single processing process to simplify the structure of the metal elastomer 5021 and improve production efficiency; or the driving foot 50213 can be an independent structure, which can be fixed to the second surface 50212 of the metal elastomer 5021 by welding or bonding. At this time, the materials of the driving foot 50213 and the metal elastomer 5021 can be the same or different, which is conducive to improving the setting flexibility of the driving foot 50213.

[0067] Continuing with FIG. 5 , the resonant assembly 502 further includes a circuit board 5023. The circuit board 5023 can be disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021, the second surface 50212 of the metal elastic body 5021, or a side surface of the metal elastic body 5021. The circuit board 5023 can be provided with a power supply module (not shown in FIG. 6 ), which is electrically connected to each piezoelectric material layer 5022 to provide power to each piezoelectric material layer 5022. In the present application, the circuit board 5023 can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC) to enhance the flexibility of the circuit board 5023. Thus, when the high-frequency voltage applied by the power supply module to the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021 has a certain phase difference, the metal elastic body 5021 can generate a certain regular microscopic motion, thereby driving the driving foot 50213 to move synchronously.

[0068] The piezoelectric driving device 5 shown in FIG5 further includes a resonance component bracket 503 and a resonance component fixing frame 504, wherein the metal elastic body 5021 of the resonance component 502 is connected to the resonance component bracket 503, and the connection method can be but is not limited to threaded connection, welding or riveting.

[0069] The resonant component mounting frame 504 is positioned between the device mounting frame 501 and the resonant component bracket 503, and is fixedly connected to the device mounting frame 501. The resonant component mounting frame 504 includes a mounting slot 5041 that extends through the resonant component mounting frame 504 along the alignment direction of the resonant component mounting frame 504 and the device mounting frame 501. Furthermore, the mounting slot 5041 is provided with a lap portion 50411. The lap portion 50411 may be a protruding structure provided on the wall of the mounting slot 5041, extending along the wall of the mounting slot 5041 toward the interior of the mounting slot 5041.

[0070] The resonant assembly bracket 503 is mounted in the mounting slot 5041 of the resonant assembly fixing frame 504, and the resonant assembly bracket 503 overlaps the overlapping portion 50411 on the side facing away from the device fixing frame 501. It is worth noting that, in the present application, there is no connection between the resonant assembly bracket 503 and the resonant assembly fixing frame 504. Therefore, when the metal elastic body 5021 of the resonant assembly 502 performs microscopic elliptical motion, the resonant assembly bracket 503 can be driven to move synchronously with the metal elastic body 5021. Furthermore, in addition to overlapping the overlapping portion 50411 in the mounting slot 5041, the resonant assembly bracket 503 can also be directly overlapped on the side of the resonant assembly fixing frame 504 facing away from the device fixing frame 501, thereby simplifying the structure of the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0071] 5 , along the X direction, the mounting groove 5041 includes a first groove wall 50412 and a second groove wall 50413 opposite to each other, and a lateral pre-compression assembly 505 is provided between the resonant component bracket 503 and at least one of the first groove wall 50412 and the second groove wall 50413 .

[0072] In the present application, the lateral preload assembly 505 includes a lateral preload elastic member 5051 and a first rolling member 5052. The lateral preload elastic member 5051 can be, but is not limited to, an elastic structural member such as a leaf spring, a wave spring, a compression spring, or a tension spring. For example, in the case where the lateral preload assembly 505 is disposed between the resonant assembly bracket 503 and the first groove wall 50412, one end of the lateral preload elastic member 5051 abuts the first groove wall 50412, and the other end of the lateral preload elastic member 5051 abuts the first rolling member 5052. As a result, the elastic force of the lateral preload elastic member 5051 presses the first rolling member 5052 toward the end of the resonant assembly bracket 503 facing the first groove wall 50412. This allows the lateral preload assembly 505 to limit the movement of the resonant assembly bracket 503 along the alignment direction of the first groove wall 50412 and the second groove wall 50413 during the movement of the resonant assembly bracket 503 with the metal elastic body 5021, thereby preventing the resonant assembly bracket 503 from moving in this direction. Furthermore, because the end surface of the resonant assembly bracket 503 facing the first groove wall 50412 abuts the first rolling element 5052, the provision of the lateral preload assembly 505 does not affect the movement of the resonant assembly bracket 503 with the metal elastic body 5021. Therefore, by providing the lateral preload assembly 505 between the resonant assembly bracket 503 and the first groove wall 50412, the stability of the movement of the resonant assembly bracket 503 can be effectively improved, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the resonant assembly 502, which in turn improves the stability of the driving force output by the resonant assembly 502 via the driving foot 50213.

[0073] It is understood that in order to ensure stable contact between the first rolling element 5052 and the end of the resonant assembly bracket 503, a groove may be provided at the end of the resonant assembly bracket 503 facing the first groove wall 50412. At least a portion of the first rolling element 5052 may be accommodated in the groove, and the sidewalls of the first rolling element 5052 may fit into contact with the groove wall, so that the first rolling element 5052 may roll relative to the groove.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present application, the first rolling element 5052 can be, for example, a roller. Furthermore, a lateral preload assembly 505 can be provided between the resonant assembly support 503 and the second groove wall 50413, or it can be omitted. When a lateral preload assembly 505 is provided between the resonant assembly support 503 and the second groove wall 50413, its specific configuration can be described in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be further described here. Alternatively, only one first rolling element 5052 can be provided between the resonant assembly support 503 and the second groove wall 50413, thereby improving the stability of the resonant assembly support 503 while simplifying the structure of the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0075] The piezoelectric drive device 5 provided in the present application also includes a follower 506, which is used to connect to the medium of the phase shifter 60 to drive the medium to move relative to the strip line. In the present application, the driving force output by the resonant component 502 through the driving foot 50213 can act on the follower 506, thereby driving the follower 506 to move along a set trajectory such as a straight line or a curve. In a specific implementation, referring to Figure 5, along the Y direction, the follower 506 is located between the device fixing frame 501 and the resonant component 502, and the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant component 502 abuts against the driving foot 50213 of the resonant component 502, so that the follower 506 moves with the driving foot 50213 under the action of the friction between it and the driving foot 50213.

[0076] It is worth mentioning that in the present application, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric material layer 5022 by the power supply module can be adjusted to adjust the movement law of the metal elastomer 5021 and the driving foot 50213, thereby adjusting the movement trajectory of the follower 506.

[0077] In addition, the circuit board 5023 of the resonant component 502 can also be provided with a displacement detection device (not shown in Figure 5), which is used to calibrate the displacement of the movement theoretically output by the resonant component 502 with the actual displacement of the follower 506, and send the calibration result to the resonant component 502 to control the resonant component 502 to move according to the calibration result, thereby improving the driving accuracy of the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0078] Since the friction force between the follower 506 and the driving foot 50213 is the key to ensuring the movement stability of the follower 506, in order to increase the friction force between the follower 506 and the driving foot 50213, the piezoelectric driving device 5 provided in the present application also includes a friction member 507. In the piezoelectric driving device 5 shown in Figure 5, the friction member 507 is arranged on the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant component 502, and the driving foot 50213 of the resonant component 502 can abut against the friction plate 5071.

[0079] In the present application, the friction member 507 can be a metal sheet, and the friction member 507 is fixedly connected to the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant assembly 502. The connection method can be, but is not limited to, welding, bonding, or clamping. Alternatively, the friction member 507 and the follower 506 are integrally formed. In this case, the friction member 507 can be a portion of the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant assembly 502 that has a high friction coefficient formed by a grinding process.

[0080] In addition, to ensure that the driving foot 50213 of the resonant assembly 502 abuts the follower 506, the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided in the embodiment of the present application further includes a positive preload component 508. The positive preload component 508 is located on a side of the resonant assembly 502 facing away from the device fixing bracket. The positive preload component 508 presses the resonant assembly 502 toward the follower 506 under the action of an elastic force. In a specific implementation, as shown in FIG5 , the positive preload component 508 may include a positive preload elastic member 5081 and a pressure plate 5082. The positive preload elastic member 5081 may be located on a side of the pressure plate 5082 facing away from the resonant assembly 502, so that the positive preload elastic member 5081 presses the pressure plate 5082 toward the resonant assembly 502 under the action of an elastic force, thereby pressing the resonant assembly 502 toward the follower 506. In the present application, the positive preload elastic member 5081 may be, but is not limited to, an elastic structural member such as a leaf spring, a wave spring, a compression spring, or a tension spring.

[0081] In the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in Figure 5, a receiving groove 50821 can also be provided on the side of the pressure plate 5082 facing the positive preload elastic member 5081, and a portion of the positive preload elastic member 5081 can be accommodated in the receiving groove 50821 of the pressure plate 5082 to improve the structural reliability of the positive preload component 508.

[0082] It is worth mentioning that in the piezoelectric actuator 5 shown in FIG5 , since the piezoelectric material layer 5022 is located on the side of the metal elastic body 5021 facing the positive preloading component 508, in order to prevent the positive preloading component 508 from damaging the piezoelectric material layer 5022, the piezoelectric actuator 5 may further include a buffer pad 509. The buffer pad 509 is located between the positive preloading component 508 and the resonant component 502, and the positive preloading component 508 presses the buffer pad 509 toward the resonant component 502 under the action of an elastic force. This application does not limit the material of the buffer pad 509, and it can be exemplarily a flexible material layer such as foam.

[0083] Continuing with FIG. 5 , the piezoelectric drive device 5 further includes a cover plate 510. The positive preload assembly 508 is located between the cover plate 510 and the resonant assembly 502. The cover plate 510 is fixedly connected to the resonant assembly fixing frame 504. The connection method may be, but is not limited to, a threaded connection, so that the cover plate 510 and the resonant assembly fixing frame 504 are detachably connected, which facilitates the inspection or replacement of the resonant assembly 502. In some possible embodiments, the cover plate 510 and the resonant assembly fixing frame 504 may also be fixedly connected by welding, bonding, or riveting to improve the connection reliability between the cover plate 510 and the resonant assembly fixing frame 504.

[0084] In addition, it can be understood that the positive prestressing elastic member 5081 of the positive prestressing component 508 is located between the cover plate 510 and the pressure plate 5082, and the positive prestressing elastic member 5081 can abut against the cover plate 510 and the pressure plate 5082, and the pressure plate 5082 abuts against the resonance component 502. In this way, the positive prestressing component 508 can be pressed toward the resonance component 502 through the connection between the cover plate 510 and the resonance component fixing frame 504, so that the positive prestressing component 508 applies a positive pressure along the normal direction to the resonance component 502, so that the positive prestressing component 508 presses the driving foot of the resonance component 502 toward the follower 506.

[0085] As described above, the follower 506 can move relative to the device mount 501 under the influence of the resonant assembly 502. To improve the movement stability of the follower 506, as shown in FIG5 , the device mount 501 includes a guide groove 5011. The specific shape of the guide groove 5011 can be adjusted according to the movement trajectory of the follower 506 relative to the device mount 501. For example, the guide groove 5011 can be a linear slide groove, and the guide groove 5011 extends along the X direction. In addition, the follower 506 can also include a slider (not shown in FIG5 ). The slider can be located on the side of the follower 506 facing away from the resonant assembly 502. The slider can be inserted into the guide groove 5011. Then, under the influence of the resonant assembly 502, the slider of the follower 506 can slide along the guide groove 5011.

[0086] To improve the smoothness of the movement of the follower 506 relative to the device mounting frame 501, the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided in this embodiment of the present application further includes a second rolling member 511. This second rolling member 511 is located between the follower 506 and the device mounting frame 501, and both the follower 506 and the device mounting frame 501 abut against the surface of the second rolling member 511. Thus, during the movement of the follower 506 relative to the device mounting frame 501, the friction pair between the follower 506 and the device mounting frame 501 is a rolling friction pair, which reduces the resistance to the relative movement between the follower 506 and the device mounting frame 501, thereby facilitating reduced power consumption of the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0087] The specific type of the second rolling element 511 is not limited in this application, and it can be exemplarily a roller or a ball. It is understood that in order to improve the movement reliability of the second rolling element 511, at least one of the device fixing frame 501 and the driven member 506 can also be provided with a limiting groove 5012. For example, in Figure 5, the device fixing frame 501 is provided with a limiting groove 5012, and at least a portion of the second rolling element 511 can be accommodated in the limiting groove 5012. In an embodiment of the present application, the device fixing frame 501 and the driven member 506 can also be provided with a limiting groove 5012, and the limiting grooves 5012 of the two can be arranged relative to each other. In this way, a portion of the second rolling element 511 is located in the limiting groove 5012 of the device fixing frame 501, and a portion of the second rolling element 511 is located in the limiting groove 5012 of the driven member 506.

[0088] The present application does not limit the number of second rolling elements 511; illustratively, the number may be two, three, or more, and the number may be specifically determined based on the spacing between the device mounting bracket 501 and the follower 506. Furthermore, the present application does not limit the shape of the retaining groove 5012; illustratively, the retaining groove 5012 of the device mounting bracket 501 may have a V-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, and the retaining groove 5012 of the follower 506 may have a V-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, thereby preventing the second rolling element 511 from falling out from between the device mounting bracket 501 and the follower 506.

[0089] In the present application, to facilitate connection between the driven member 506 and the medium 602 of the phase shifter 60, the guide groove 5011 of the device mounting frame 501 can be a through groove. In other words, the guide groove 5011 extends through the device mounting frame 501 along the Y direction. Referring to FIG. 9 , FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the piezoelectric actuator 5 and the phase shifter 60 shown in FIG. 5 . The dielectric 602 and the strip line 603 of the phase shifter 60 are housed within a frame 601. The device mounting frame 501 of the piezoelectric actuator 5 is connected to the frame 601. The side of the follower 506 of the piezoelectric actuator 5 facing away from the resonant component 502 is connected to the dielectric 602 of the phase shifter 60. Specifically, the slider 5061 of the follower 506 inserted into the guide groove 5011 can be used to connect to the dielectric 602 of the phase shifter 60. This facilitates connection between the piezoelectric actuator 5 and the phase shifter 60 and facilitates miniaturization of the piezoelectric actuator 5, thereby reducing the space occupied by the piezoelectric actuator 5 in the antenna.

[0090] The piezoelectric actuator 5 provided herein utilizes a piezoelectric drive mechanism to directly output a driving force that meets the required motion requirements by bringing the driving foot 50213 of the metal elastic body 5021 of the resonant assembly 502 into frictional contact with the follower 506. This mechanism converts the microscopic motion of the resonant assembly 502 into the macroscopic motion of the follower 506. This mechanism eliminates the need for an intermediate transmission mechanism, resulting in a simpler structure, smaller size, and lighter weight. Furthermore, since the piezoelectric actuator 5 lacks magnetic components, interference with antenna signals when used in an antenna is avoided, thereby improving the antenna's signal radiation performance.

[0091] Based on the above-mentioned embodiment's introduction to the driving principle of the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided by the present application, a series of variations can also be made to the specific structure of the piezoelectric drive device 5. For example, refer to FIG10 , which is another structural schematic diagram of the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided by the embodiment of the present application. The piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in FIG10 also mainly includes a device fixing frame 501, a resonant component 502, a follower 506, a positive preload component 508 and a friction member 507, wherein the device fixing frame 501 is still fixedly connected to the frame 601 of the phase shifter 60 to serve as a supporting component of the entire piezoelectric drive device 5 to support other structures of the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0092] The metal elastic body 5021 of the resonant assembly 502 is connected to a side surface of the device mounting bracket 501. The connection method may be, but is not limited to, threaded connection or riveting. Furthermore, as shown in FIG10 , the resonant assembly 502 and the driven member 506 may be located on either side of the device mounting bracket 501. In some possible embodiments, the resonant assembly 502 and the driven member 506 may be located on the same side of the device mounting bracket 501.

[0093] In the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in FIG10 , the metal elastic body 5021 includes a first surface 50211 and a second surface (not shown in FIG10 ) disposed opposite to each other, wherein the first surface 50211 faces away from the device mounting frame 501. The resonant component 502 includes four piezoelectric material layers 5022, two of which are disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021, and the other two of which are disposed on the second surface of the metal elastic body 5021. FIG10 only illustrates the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021. In this embodiment of the present application, the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021 are arranged in the same direction as the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the second surface of the metal elastic body 5021, both being arranged along the X-direction.

[0094] In addition, referring to Figure 11, Figure 11 is an exploded view of the piezoelectric driving device 5 shown in Figure 10. The metal elastic body 5021 includes a hollow area 50214, and two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021 are respectively located on either side of the hollow area 50214. Furthermore, two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the second surface 50212 of the metal elastic body 5021 are respectively located on either side of the hollow area 50214.

[0095] In a possible embodiment of the present application, the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 arranged on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastomer 5021 and the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 arranged on the second surface 50212 of the metal elastomer 5021 can be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, so that the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 arranged on the first surface 50211 of the metal elastomer 5021 and the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 arranged on the second surface 50212 of the metal elastomer 5021 are symmetrically arranged relative to the metal elastomer 5021, which is conducive to the miniaturized design of the resonant component 502, thereby facilitating the reduction of the volume of the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0096] Continuing with FIG. 5 , the metal elastic body 5021 includes two actuating feet 50213, located on either side of the aforementioned hollow region 50214. The arrangement of the two actuating feet 50213 intersects the arrangement of the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the same surface of the metal elastic body 5021. For example, the arrangement of the two actuating feet 50213 is perpendicular to the arrangement of the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the same surface of the metal elastic body 5021. Furthermore, each actuating foot 50213 protrudes from a corresponding side surface of the metal elastic body 5021 in a direction away from the hollow region 50214.

[0097] It is worth mentioning that in the present application, the metal elastic body 5021 can be an integrally formed metal sheet structure, which helps simplify the structure of the resonant component 502, thereby facilitating a reduction in the volume of the piezoelectric actuator 5. Alternatively, the driving foot 50213 can be an independent structure that can be fixed to the side of the metal elastic body 5021 by welding or bonding. In this case, the driving foot 50213 and the metal elastic body 5021 can be made of the same or different materials, which helps increase the flexibility of the placement of the driving foot 50213.

[0098] As shown in FIG11 , the friction member 507 is located on the side of the follower 506 facing the resonant assembly 502, and the friction member 507 is connected to the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant assembly 502. The connection method may be, but is not limited to, welding, bonding, or clamping. Furthermore, the friction member 507 includes two friction plates 5071 disposed opposite each other. (See FIG10 and FIG11 ) The metal elastic body 5021 is located between the two friction plates 5071, and the two driving feet 50213 abut against the two friction plates 5071 in a one-to-one correspondence. In the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in FIG11 of the present application, the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant assembly 502 may further include a fixing bracket 5063. The fixing bracket 5063 protrudes from the surface of the follower 506 in the direction from the follower 506 to the resonant assembly 502. The two friction plates 5071 can be connected to the fixing bracket 5063, which improves the convenience and reliability of the connection between the friction plates 5071 and the follower 506.

[0099] It is worth mentioning that the fixing frame 5063 and the driven member 506 can be an integrally formed structure to improve the integration of the piezoelectric driving device 5. Alternatively, the fixing frame 5063 and the driven member 506 can be detachably connected, which is conducive to improving the flexibility of the setting of the fixing frame 5063.

[0100] Continuing with Figures 10 and 11 , the positive preload assembly 508 is connected to the surface of the follower 506 facing the resonant assembly 502 , and the connection method may be, but is not limited to, welding, bonding, or clamping. The positive preload assembly 508 abuts against the surface of each friction plate 5071 facing away from the metal elastic body 5021 , and can apply a normal positive pressure to each friction plate 5071 , so that the positive preload assembly 508, under the action of the elastic force, presses each friction plate 5071 toward the corresponding driving foot 50213 .

[0101] It is worth mentioning that in the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in Figure 11 of the present application, the positive pre-stressing component 508 may include a claw-shaped spring, at least one elastic claw of the claw-shaped spring abuts against the surface of a friction plate 5071 facing away from the metal elastomer 5021, and at least one elastic claw of the claw-shaped spring abuts against the surface of another friction plate 5071 facing away from the metal elastomer 5021, so as to apply positive pressure in the normal direction to each friction plate 5071, thereby pressing each friction plate 5071 toward the corresponding driving foot 50213. Furthermore, to increase the friction between the friction plate 5071 and the driving foot 50213, the squeezing force applied by the positive preload assembly 508 to the friction plate 5071 can be increased. Specifically, the positive preload assembly 508 can include two or more claw-shaped springs, with at least one elastic claw portion of each claw-shaped spring abutting against the surface of one friction plate 5071 facing away from the metal elastic body 5021, and at least one elastic claw portion of each claw-shaped spring abutting against the surface of another friction plate 5071 facing away from the metal elastic body 5021. Furthermore, the two or more claw-shaped springs of the positive preload assembly 508 can be detachably connected to enhance the flexibility of the positive preload assembly 508.

[0102] The other structures of the piezoelectric driving device 5 shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 may be configured with reference to any of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0103] In the piezoelectric actuator 5 shown in Figures 10 and 11 , the power supply module applies the same voltage to the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the same side surface of the metal elastic body 5021. Therefore, when the high-frequency voltages applied by the power supply module to the piezoelectric material layers 5022 disposed on the two surfaces of the metal elastic body 5021 have a certain phase difference, the metal elastic body 5021 can generate a regular microscopic elliptical motion, thereby driving the driving feet 50213 to move synchronously. Furthermore, because each driving foot 50213 abuts against the corresponding friction plate 5071, the friction force between the driving foot 50213 and the corresponding friction plate 5071 drives the friction plate 5071 to move along a predetermined trajectory, such as a straight line or curve, thereby converting the microscopic motion of the resonant assembly 502 into the macroscopic motion of the friction plate 5071. Furthermore, because the friction plate 5071 is connected to the driven member 506, the driven member 506 can move synchronously with the friction plate 5071.

[0104] Referring to Figure 12, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the piezoelectric drive device 5 and the phase shifter 60 shown in Figure 10, according to an embodiment of the present application. The device mounting frame 501 is fixedly connected to the frame 601 of the phase shifter 60, and the side of the follower 506 facing away from the resonant component 502 is connected to the dielectric 602 of the phase shifter 60. During operation, the piezoelectric drive device 5 can directly convert the microscopic motion of the resonant component 502 into the macroscopic motion of the follower 506, thereby causing the follower 506 to drive the dielectric 602 of the phase shifter 60 relative to the stripline 603, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the stripline 603. Because the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided in the embodiment of the present application directly outputs the driving force that meets the motion requirements using a piezoelectric drive method, it eliminates the need for an intermediate transmission mechanism, resulting in a simpler structure, smaller size, and lighter weight. Furthermore, because the piezoelectric drive device 5 does not include a magnetic structure, interference with the antenna signal can be avoided when used in an antenna, thereby improving the antenna's signal radiation performance.

[0105] Referring to FIG13 , FIG13 is another schematic diagram of the structure of a piezoelectric drive device 5 provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this piezoelectric drive device 5, the resonant component 502 includes, in addition to a metal elastic body 5021 and a piezoelectric material layer 5022, a drive shaft 5024. For the specific configuration of the resonant component 502, reference may be made to FIG14 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the resonant component 502 of the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in FIG13 . The resonant component 502 includes two piezoelectric material layers 5022, one of which is disposed on a first surface 50211 of the metal elastic body 5021, and the other piezoelectric material layer 5022 is disposed on a second surface 50212 of the metal elastic body 5021. The drive shaft 5024 passes through the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 and the metal elastic body 5021, and a drive foot (not shown in FIG14 ) of the metal elastic body 5021 is connected to the drive shaft 5024, and the connection method may be, but is not limited to, bonding. In this way, the driving shaft 5024 can move synchronously with the driving foot, and the driving shaft 5024 can also be understood as the driving foot of the metal elastic body 5021.

[0106] In addition, referring to Figure 15 , which is an exploded view of the piezoelectric drive device 5 shown in Figure 13 , the resonant component 502 is located on one side of the device mounting bracket 501. The device mounting bracket 501 includes a first mounting portion 5013 and a second mounting portion 5014 disposed opposite each other. The first mounting portion 5013 includes a first mounting hole 50131, and the second mounting portion 5014 includes a second mounting hole 50141. The drive shaft 5024 passes through the first mounting hole 50131 and the second mounting hole 50141, respectively, so that the ends of the drive shaft 5024 are respectively mounted on the first mounting portion 5013 and the second mounting portion 5014. In addition, in the present application, the metal elastic body 5021 can be connected to the first mounting portion 5013 to achieve the connection between the metal elastic body 5021 and the device mounting bracket 501.

[0107] It can be understood that the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 are electrically connected to the power supply module provided on the circuit board 5023. When there is a certain phase difference between the high-frequency voltages applied to the two piezoelectric material layers 5022 provided on the metal elastomer 5021 through the power supply module, the metal elastomer 5021 and the driving shaft 5024 are driven to form high-frequency vibrations.

[0108] 15 , in the piezoelectric drive device 5, the friction member 507 includes two clamping portions 5072, which are interlocked with each other on either side of the drive shaft 5024 so that the drive shaft 5024 is clamped between the two clamping portions 5072. This allows the friction member 507 to move linearly along the drive shaft 5024 under the drive of the high-frequency vibration output by the resonant assembly 502.

[0109] Furthermore, the positive preload assembly 508 can be used to apply normal positive pressure to each of the two clamping portions 5072, thereby pressing the two clamping portions 5072 toward the drive shaft 5024. In other words, the friction member 507 is pressed toward the drive shaft 5024, so that the two clamping portions 5072 clamp the drive shaft 5024, thereby increasing the friction between the clamping portions 5072 and the drive shaft 5024. In this embodiment of the present application, the positive preload assembly 508 may include two springs, each located at two opposite ends of the friction member 507. The two springs are connected to corresponding ends of the two clamping portions 5072, and the connection method may be, but is not limited to, a threaded connection, so that each spring presses the corresponding ends of the two clamping portions 5072 together.

[0110] It is worth noting that in this embodiment of the present application, the number of resonant assemblies 502 is not limited. For example, the number can be two as shown in FIG15 , or one, three, or more. When there are two or more resonant assemblies 502, the drive shaft 5024 of each resonant assembly 502 is clamped between the two clamping portions 5072 of the friction member 507. This helps improve the stability of the movement of the friction member 507 and effectively increases the driving force applied to the friction member 507, thereby increasing the movement speed of the friction member 507.

[0111] 13 and 15 , the friction member 507 is positioned between the device mounting bracket 501 and the driven member 506. A protrusion 5062 is provided on the surface of the driven member 506 facing the friction member 507. Furthermore, the friction member 507 has two clamping portions 5072 arranged along the direction from the device mounting bracket 501 to the driven member 506. For ease of description, the two clamping portions 5072 may be designated as a first clamping portion 5072 and a second clamping portion 5072, respectively. The first clamping portion 5072 is closer to the driven member 506 than the second clamping portion 5072, and a groove may be provided on the surface of the first clamping portion 5072 facing the driven member 506 (not shown in FIG. 15 ). In this way, the protrusion 5062 of the above-mentioned follower 506 can be inserted into the groove of the first clamping part 5072, so that the first clamping part 5072 and the follower 506 are clamped together, thereby realizing the clamping of the follower 506 and the friction member 507, so that the friction member 507 can drive the follower 506 to move with it.

[0112] In some possible embodiments of the present application, a groove may be provided on the surface of the follower 506 facing the friction member 507, and a protrusion 5062 may be provided on the surface of the first clamping portion 5072 facing the follower 506, which may also realize the clamping connection between the follower 506 and the first clamping portion 5072. Of course, the follower 506 and the friction member 507 may also be connected in other possible ways, which will not be introduced one by one here, but they should all be understood to fall within the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, in another possible embodiment of the present application, the first clamping portion 5072 and the follower 506 may be formed into an integrally formed structure, which is conducive to improving the movement consistency of the follower 506 and the friction member 507, thereby improving the driving accuracy of the resonance component 502 on the displacement of the follower 506, and further helping to improve the phase adjustment accuracy of the phase shifter 60 using the piezoelectric drive device 5.

[0113] The other structures of the piezoelectric driving device 5 shown in FIG13 may be configured with reference to any of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0114] Referring to Figure 16, Figure 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the piezoelectric drive device 5 and the phase shifter 60 shown in Figure 13, according to an embodiment of the present application. The device mounting frame 501 is fixedly connected to the frame 601 of the phase shifter 60, and the side of the follower 506 facing away from the resonant component 502 is connected to the dielectric 602 of the phase shifter 60. During operation, the piezoelectric drive device 5 can directly convert the microscopic motion of the resonant component 502 into the macroscopic motion of the follower 506, thereby causing the follower 506 to drive the dielectric 602 of the phase shifter 60 to move relative to the stripline 603, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the stripline 603. Because the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided in the embodiment of the present application directly outputs the driving force that meets the motion requirements using a piezoelectric drive method, it eliminates the need for an intermediate transmission mechanism, resulting in a simpler structure, smaller size, and lighter weight. Furthermore, because the piezoelectric drive device 5 does not include a magnetic structure, interference with the antenna signal can be avoided when used in an antenna, thereby improving the antenna's signal radiation performance.

[0115] It is understood that the above-described embodiments of the present application are merely exemplary illustrations of the specific configurations of the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided herein. Adaptive modifications to the structure of the piezoelectric drive device 5 based on the design principles of the piezoelectric drive device 5 provided herein are understood to be within the scope of protection of the present application and are not described individually here.

[0116] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric driving device for a phase shifter, the phase shifter including a frame, characterized in that, The piezoelectric drive device includes a device fixing frame, a resonant component, a positive preload component and a driven member, wherein the device fixing frame is used to be connected to the frame, wherein: The resonant component is arranged on the device fixing frame, the resonant component includes a metal elastic body and a piezoelectric material layer, the piezoelectric material layer is arranged on at least one surface of the metal elastic body, and the metal elastic body includes a driving foot; The follower is located on the side of the resonant component facing the frame, and the positive preload component is used to press the driving foot of the metal elastomer toward the follower under the action of elastic force, and the driving foot is used to drive the follower to move relative to the device fixing frame.

2. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal elastic body includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the second surface facing the device fixing frame; the resonant component includes two piezoelectric material layers, the two piezoelectric material layers are disposed on the first surface of the metal elastic body, and the two piezoelectric material layers are arranged adjacent to each other; The driving foot is disposed on the second surface of the metal elastic body, and the driving foot protrudes from the second surface along a direction from the first surface to the second surface.

3. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 2, wherein The piezoelectric driving device also includes a resonant component bracket and a resonant component fixing frame, the resonant component fixing frame is located between the device fixing frame and the resonant component bracket; the resonant component fixing frame is connected to the device fixing frame, and the resonant component fixing frame includes a mounting groove; the metal elastomer is connected to the resonant component bracket, and the resonant component bracket is installed in the mounting groove.

4. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 3, wherein The resonant component bracket is overlapped on a side of the resonant component fixing frame away from the device fixing frame; The piezoelectric drive device also includes a lateral prestressing component, which is located between the end of the resonance component bracket and the groove wall of the installation groove along the arrangement direction of the two piezoelectric material layers; the lateral prestressing component includes a lateral prestressing elastic member and a first rolling member, one end of the lateral prestressing elastic member abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove, and the other end of the lateral prestressing elastic member presses the first rolling member toward the end of the resonance component bracket.

5. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The driven member is located between the resonant component and the device fixing frame, and a surface of the driven member facing the resonant component abuts against the driving foot of the resonant component.

6. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 5, characterized in that The piezoelectric driving device further includes a friction member connected to a surface of the driven member facing the resonant component, and the driving foot abuts against the friction member.

7. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The piezoelectric drive device further includes a second rolling member, which is located between the driven member and the device fixing frame. Both the driven member and the device fixing frame abut against the surface of the second rolling member.

8. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 7, wherein At least one of the device fixing frame and the driven member is provided with a limiting groove, and at least a portion of the second rolling member is accommodated in the limiting groove.

9. The piezoelectric driving device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, The piezoelectric drive device further includes a cover plate, which is connected to the resonant component fixing frame; the positive preload component is located between the resonant component and the cover plate, and the positive preload component abuts against the cover plate and the resonant component.

10. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The forward preloading assembly includes a forward preloading elastic member and a pressing plate. The forward preloading elastic member is located between the pressing plate and the cover plate. The forward preloading elastic member abuts against the cover plate and the pressing plate, and the pressing plate abuts against the resonant assembly.

11. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The piezoelectric driving device further includes a buffer pad, and the buffer pad is located between the forward preloading assembly and the resonant assembly.

12. The piezoelectric drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal elastic body is connected to the device fixing bracket; the resonant assembly includes four piezoelectric material layers. Two of the four piezoelectric material layers are located on the first surface of the metal elastic body, and the other two of the four piezoelectric material layers are located on the second surface of the metal elastic body. The first surface and the second surface are arranged in opposite directions; The metal elastic body includes a hollowed-out area and two driving feet. The two piezoelectric material layers located on the same surface of the metal elastic body are respectively located on both sides of the hollowed-out area, and the two piezoelectric material layers located on the first surface are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the two piezoelectric material layers located on the second surface; the two driving feet are located on both sides of the hollowed-out area, and the arrangement direction of the two driving feet intersects with the arrangement direction of the two piezoelectric material layers located on the same surface of the metal elastic body, and the two driving feet protrude from the corresponding side surfaces of the metal elastic body in the direction away from the hollowed-out area.

13. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 12, wherein The piezoelectric driving device further includes a friction member, and the friction member is connected to the surface of the driven member facing the resonant assembly; the friction member includes two relatively arranged friction plates, the metal elastic body is located between the two friction plates, and the two driving feet are in one-to-one abutment with the two friction plates.

14. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 13, wherein The forward preloading assembly is connected to the surface of the driven member facing the resonant assembly. The forward preloading assembly abuts against the surface of each friction plate facing away from the metal elastic body, and the forward preloading assembly presses each friction plate against the corresponding driving foot under the action of elastic force.

15. The piezoelectric drive device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The forward preloading assembly includes a claw-shaped spring piece. At least one elastic claw portion of the claw-shaped spring piece abuts against the surface of one friction plate facing away from the metal elastic body, and at least one elastic claw portion of the claw-shaped spring piece abuts against the surface of the other friction plate facing away from the metal elastic body.

16. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resonant assembly further includes a driving shaft, and the metal elastic body is connected to the device fixing bracket; the resonant assembly includes two piezoelectric material layers, and the two piezoelectric material layers are respectively arranged on two opposite surfaces of the metal elastic body; the driving shaft passes through the two piezoelectric material layers and the metal elastic body, and the driving feet of the metal elastic body are connected to the driving shaft; The driven member and the resonant assembly are located on the same side of the device fixing bracket. The device fixing bracket includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion arranged relatively. The two ends of the driving shaft are respectively mounted on the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion; The piezoelectric driving device further includes a friction member, the friction member is connected to the driven member, and the forward preloading assembly is configured to press the friction member against the driving shaft under the action of elastic force.

17. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 16, wherein, The friction member includes two clamping portions, one of the two clamping portions is connected to the driven member; the driving shaft is located between the two clamping portions, and the forward preloading assembly is configured to press the two clamping portions against the driving shaft under the action of elastic force.

18. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 17, wherein The forward preloading assembly includes two reed pieces, the two reed pieces are respectively located at two relatively arranged ends of the friction plate, and each reed piece is configured to press the corresponding ends of the two clamping portions together.

19. An antenna, characterized in that, It includes a phase shifter and the piezoelectric driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the phase shifter includes a frame and a dielectric and a strip line accommodated in the frame, the device fixing bracket of the piezoelectric driving device is connected to the frame, and the driven member is connected to the dielectric.

20. A base station, characterized in that, It includes a radio frequency processing unit, a baseband processing unit and the antenna according to claim 19, and the baseband processing unit is connected to the antenna through the radio frequency processing unit.

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