Phase shifter and antenna

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of antennas, and in particular relates to a phase shifter and an antenna. The phase shifter comprises a housing, phase-shift networks and a signal connector, wherein the housing is internally provided with a first mounting cavity, a first partition plate is provided in the first mounting cavity to divide the first mounting cavity into at least two independent cavities arranged side by side, and a gap is provided in the first partition plate in the thickness direction; and the signal connector passes through the independent cavities through the gap, the edge of the signal connector is fixedly connected to an inner wall of the housing, and the signal connector comprises a signal input portion and a signal transmission portion, the signal input portion and the phase-shift networks being separately arranged in different independent cavities, the signal input portion being electrically connected by means of the signal transmission portion to a phase-shift network adjacent thereto, and the phase-shift networks being electrically connected to each other by means of the signal transmission portion. The electrical connection between the signal input portion and the phase-shift networks can be realized by means of one signal connector, no external adapter is required between the independent cavities, and it is not necessary to add a welding spot, thereby improving the stability of the structure and increasing the electrical indexes of the phase shifter.

Description

Phase shifter and antenna

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present disclosure claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410531820.7, filed on April 29, 2024, entitled “Phase shifter and antenna”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of antennas, in particular to a phase shifter and an antenna. BACKGROUND

[0004] Under the background of the “double carbon” strategy, the carbon emissions and energy loss in production and application need to be considered in the design of base station antennas. Green and low carbon has become one of the focuses of the development of base station antenna technology, and is an important issue that manufacturing enterprises and operators are concerned about. Around this theme, research needs to be carried out in many aspects such as antenna design, production and application evaluation, in order to guide green technology innovation, accelerate the pace of reducing carbon emissions in the base station antenna industry, and maintain the market competitiveness of China's base station antenna products in the world.

[0005] The feed network is a core component of the antenna. At present, most base station antennas are electrically adjustable antennas. The electrically adjustable phase shift network and the power division feed network jointly constitute the main source of internal loss of the antenna. The loss of the phase shift and feed network directly affects the radiation efficiency of the antenna. In order to reduce the loss of the feed network, corresponding solutions can be proposed from several factors affecting the loss:

[0006] 1) Remove or reduce the coaxial cable connection between the phase shifter and the radiating unit, i.e. less cable technology.

[0007] 2) Try to reduce the interconnection nodes of the feed network, highly integrate components such as phase shifters, power dividers and filters, simplify the traditional phase shift feed network architecture to a two-level architecture, reduce the physical path of transmission, and reduce the loss caused by signal reflection.

[0008] 3) Use low dielectric loss transmission lines such as air strip lines to replace PCB microstrip lines.

[0009] Among them, the less cable technology is an important form of reducing the physical path of the phase shift feed network and reducing the insertion loss.

[0010] At present, in order to realize the less cable technology, mainly through two ways:

[0011] I. The signal input cable part is integrated into the phase shifter, which causes the phase shifter cavity width to increase and be in the same cavity as the phase shift network. The signal input cable is too close to the phase shift network, which causes strong coupling, seriously affects the amplitude and phase of the phase shifter, and also causes the module loss to increase, which does not meet the expected loss reduction. If the distance between the main feed network and the phase shift network is reduced, the distance will increase to more than 10 mm, and the isolation will only reach 30 dB. In addition, the width of the strip line itself is about 5 mm, and the overall cavity width will increase by more than 15 mm, which will cause the cavity resonance frequency to decrease to the 1710-2170 MHz frequency band commonly used.

[0012] II. The signal input cable and the phase shift network use independent cavities, and there is a switching structure between the signal input cable and the phase shift network. The conventional structure is an upper and lower stacked cavity, which is connected by welding holes and switching pieces to realize the electrical connection of the upper and lower cavities. Other schemes use similar structures such as left and right parallel structures, which are then connected by switching pieces and require additional welding points, which will increase the module loss. SUMMARY

[0013] To solve the above technical problems or at least partially solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a phase shifter and an antenna.

[0014] The first aspect of the present disclosure provides a phase shifter, comprising a shell, a phase shift network and a signal connecting piece, the shell has a first mounting cavity, a first partition plate is arranged in the first mounting cavity, and the first mounting cavity is divided into at least two independent cavities arranged side by side; a gap is arranged on the first partition plate in the thickness direction, and the gap connects the adjacent two independent cavities; the signal connecting piece is arranged in each independent cavity through the gap, and the edge of the signal connecting piece is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the shell; the signal connecting piece comprises a signal input part and a signal transmission part, the signal input part and the phase shift network are arranged in different independent cavities, and the signal input part and the adjacent phase shift network and each phase shift network are electrically connected through the signal transmission part.

[0015] In some embodiments, an avoidance notch is arranged on the first partition plate, and the avoidance notch is arranged at the position of electrical connection of the adjacent two independent cavities.

[0016] In some embodiments, the side wall of the shell is provided with an observation hole at the position corresponding to the avoidance notch.

[0017] In some embodiments, the width of the gap is greater than the thickness of the signal connecting piece, and there is a gap between the two side surfaces of the signal connecting piece and the two side first partition plates.

[0018] In some embodiments, the signal input part is arranged along the length direction of the first partition plate, and the signal input part enters into the adjacent independent cavity after being bent at the avoiding gap and is electrically connected with the phase shift network.

[0019] In some embodiments, the signal connector comprises a circuit board, and the signal input part and the electric connection line are integrated on the circuit board.

[0020] In some embodiments, the signal input part and the electric connection line are integrally formed metal strip lines.

[0021] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a second partition plate, and the second partition plate divides the housing into a plurality of first installation cavities.

[0022] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with an installation groove on the inner wall, and the edge of the signal connector is clamped in the installation groove.

[0023] In some embodiments, the housing is integrally formed by an integral forming process.

[0024] The second aspect of the present disclosure provides an antenna comprising the phase shifter according to any one of the above.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has the following advantages:

[0026] The phase shifter provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure divides the first installation cavity into at least two independent cavities by the first partition plate, which can realize the mutual isolation between the signal input part and the phase shift network in each independent cavity, reduce the coupling effect between the signal input part and each phase shift network, and the gap on the first partition plate is used for the signal connector to pass through. Through one signal connector, the electrical connection between the signal input part and the phase shift network can be realized, and no external adapter is needed between each independent cavity, without the need to increase additional welding points, thereby improving the stability of the structure and the electrical indicators of the phase shifter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor based on these drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the phase shifter according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of point A in Fig. 1;

[0031] Fig. 3 is a front view of the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig. 4 is a sectional view of B-B in Fig. 3;

[0033] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the shell according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig. 6 is a left view of the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the internal structure of the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Fig. 8 is a schematic view of the isolation groove according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Fig. 9 is a simulation result of the influence of the change of the gap in the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure on the isolation degree;

[0038] Fig. 10 is a schematic view of the transmission loss of the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] In the drawings: 1, shell; 11, first partition; 12, second partition; 13, mounting groove; 14, first mounting cavity; 101, independent cavity; 102, gap; 103, observation hole; 104, signal input port; 2, signal connecting piece; 21, signal input part; 22, phase shift network; 23, isolation groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the schemes of the present disclosure will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0041] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to fully understand the present disclosure, but the present disclosure can also be implemented in other different ways from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all the embodiments.

[0042] In the present document, when an element or node or feature is referred to as being "on", "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" to, or "in contact" with another element or node or feature, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or in contact with the other element or node or feature, or one or more intervening elements can also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on", "directly attached" to, "directly connected" to, "directly coupled" to, or "directly in contact" with another element, there are no intervening elements present. In the present document, when an element or feature is referred to as being "adjacent" to another element or feature, it can mean that the element has a portion that overlaps the adjacent element or a portion that is above or below the adjacent element.

[0043] In the present document, reference can be made to elements or nodes or features being "coupled" together. Unless specifically stated otherwise, "coupled" means that two elements / nodes / features can be directly in contact with each other, or can be electrically, mechanically, logically, or otherwise directly or indirectly linked in order to allow interaction between the two features, even though both features can not be directly connected. In some embodiments, "coupled" is intended to include both direct connection and indirect connection of elements or other features, including connection through one or more intermediate elements.

[0044] In the present document, spatially relative terms such as "on", "above", "left", "right", "front", "back", "up", "down", and the like can be used for the purpose of explaining the orientation of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientations shown in the drawings. For example, if a device is turned over, then a feature that is described as being "below" or "under" another feature would now be described as being "above" or "over" the other feature. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial terms will be interpreted accordingly.

[0045] In the present document, the term "A or B" includes "A and B" as well as "A or B" but does not exclude only "A" or only "B" unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0046] In the present document, the term "substantially" means including any minor variations as a result of design or manufacturing tolerances, device or element variations, environmental influences, and / or other factors. The term "substantially" also allows for differences between a perfect or ideal situation and the actual implementation that can exist due to parasitic effects, noise, and other practical considerations that can exist in an actual implementation.

[0047] In order to achieve the purpose of few cables of the phase shifter, it is common to integrate the signal input cable part into the phase shifter and in the same cavity. The close distance between the signal input cable and the phase shift network causes strong coupling, which seriously affects the amplitude and phase of the phase shifter, and also increases the module loss, which cannot achieve the expected effect of reducing loss. If the influence between the signal input part and the phase shift network is reduced, the signal input cable and the phase shift network will be far away, which will cause the size of the phase shifter to be large, the width of the cavity inside the phase shifter to be large, and the resonance and cost to be increased.

[0048] Placing the signal input cable and the phase shift network in different independent cavities can reduce the coupling between them, but the signal input cable and the phase shift network in different independent cavities need to be connected and need to be supported by plastic structures, which leads to complex installation and unstable structure. At the same time, the connection causes mismatching, which needs to increase the welding points for fixation, and the increase of the welding points will cause the increase of the module loss.

[0049] To solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a phase shifter for installing the phase shift network and the signal connector. In some embodiments, the signal input part on the signal connector and the phase shift network are installed separately in two independent cavities, and the electrical connection between the signal input part and the phase shift network can be achieved through a signal connector, without the need to increase the adapter, reduce the welding points, and reduce the module loss.

[0050] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1-8, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the phase shifter includes a shell 1, a phase shift network 22 and a signal connector 2. The shell 1 has a first installation cavity 14 inside, and a first partition plate 11 is arranged in the first installation cavity 14, which divides the first installation cavity 14 into at least two independent cavities 101 arranged side by side. The first partition plate 11 is provided with a gap 102 in the thickness direction, which connects the adjacent two independent cavities 101. The signal connector 2 is arranged in each independent cavity 101 through the gap 102, and the edge of the signal connector 2 is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the shell 1. The signal connector 2 includes a signal input part 21 and a signal transmission part. The signal input part 21 and the phase shift network 22 are arranged in different independent cavities 101. The signal input part 21 and the adjacent phase shift network 22 and each phase shift network 22 are electrically connected through the signal transmission part.

[0051] The phase shifter of the present disclosure separates the first mounting cavity 14 into at least two independent cavities 101 by the first partition plate 11, so as to realize the mutual isolation between the signal input part 21 and the phase shift network 22 in each independent cavity 101, and reduce the coupling effect between the signal input part 21 and each phase shift network 22. The slit 102 on the first partition plate 11 is used for the signal connecting piece 2 to pass through. The electrical connection between the signal input part 21 and the phase shift network 22 can be realized by one signal connecting piece 2, and no external adapter is needed between each independent cavity 101, without the need to increase additional welding points, thereby improving the stability of the structure and the electrical indicators of the phase shifter.

[0052] Specifically, the signal input part 21 is arranged along the length direction of the independent cavity 101, and the first end of the signal input part 21 extends to the end of the shell 1. The shell 1 is provided with a signal input port 104 at a position corresponding to the first end of the signal input part 21. The phase shifter of the embodiment of the present disclosure integrates the signal input part 21 into the inside of the phase shifter. The signal input part 21 is arranged at the end of the phase shifter, reducing the use of the signal input part 21, and thereby reducing the loss.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the slit 102 extends along the length direction of the first partition plate 11, and the first partition plate 11 is divided into two first partition plates located on both sides of the slit 102. When the signal connecting piece 2 passes through the slit 102, there is a distance between the two sides of the signal connecting piece 2 and the two first partition plates. The length of the slit 102 can also be less than the length of the first partition plate 11. In some embodiments, the purpose of providing the slit 102 is to enable the signal connecting piece 2 to pass through, so the length and width of the slit 102 are related to the length and thickness of the signal connecting piece 2 that passes through.

[0054] In some embodiments, the width of the slit 102 is greater than the thickness of the signal connecting piece 2. There is a gap between the two side surfaces of the signal connecting piece 2 and the two first partition plates 11. For example, the signal connecting piece 2 is a printed circuit board or a metal strip. The smaller the width of the slit 102, the greater the isolation between the two independent cavities 101, and the smaller the influence between the two independent cavities 101. At the same time, the printed circuit board or the metal strip can pass through the slit 102, and the influence between the two independent cavities 101 can be ensured to be small without the need for adapter. The printed circuit board or the metal strip and the shell 1 and the first partition plate 11 together form a strip line structure, wherein the shell 1 corresponds to the upper and lower two metal grounds in the strip line structure, the printed circuit board or the metal strip corresponds to the inner conductor in the strip line structure, and the gap between the two side surfaces of the signal connecting piece 2 and the two first partition plates 11 corresponds to the air medium between the inner conductor and the metal ground.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first partition plate 11 is provided with a gap at the position where the two independent cavities 101 are electrically connected. In some embodiments, the position where the two independent cavities 101 are electrically connected refers to the position where the two independent cavities 101 are electrically connected; the gap is provided for the signal input part 21 or the signal transmission part on the signal connector 2 to avoid contact between the signal input part 21 and the signal transmission part and the first partition plate 11. The second end of the signal input part 21 is bent at the gap and extends into the adjacent independent cavity 101 and is electrically connected with the phase shift network 22.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, taking two independent cavities 101 as an example, the signal connector 2 is arranged between the gaps 102, and the edges of the signal connector 2 are fixedly connected with the inner wall of the shell 1. The signal connector 2 forms the signal input part 21 in one of the independent cavities 101, and the phase shift network 22 is located in the other independent cavity 101 and is electrically connected with the signal input part 21.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the shell 1 is further provided with a second partition plate 12, and the second partition plate 12 divides the shell 1 into a plurality of first installation cavities 14 which are not in communication with each other. Each first installation cavity 14 is further divided into a plurality of independent cavities 101 by the first partition plate 11. In some embodiments, the second partition plate 12 is perpendicular to the first partition plate 11, and the arrangement direction of the plurality of first installation cavities 14 is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the plurality of independent cavities 101.

[0058] For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shell 1 is provided with a second partition plate 12, and the second partition plate 12 is arranged along the up-down direction to divide the inner part of the shell 1 into two first installation cavities 14 arranged left and right. Each first installation cavity 14 is provided with a first partition plate 11, and the first partition plate 11 is arranged perpendicular to the second partition plate 12 to divide the first installation cavity 14 into two independent cavities 101 arranged up and down.

[0059] The number of first partitions 11 in different first installation cavities 14 can be the same or different. According to the number of first partitions 11, the number of independent cavities 101 formed is also different. When the first partition 11 separates the corresponding first installation cavity 14 into two independent cavities 101, generally, the signal input part 21 is arranged in one independent cavity 101, and the phase shift network 22 is arranged in the other independent cavity 101; when the first partition 11 separates the corresponding first installation cavity 14 into more than two independent cavities 101, the signal input part 21 is arranged in one independent cavity 101, and the phase shift networks 22 of different frequency bands are arranged in the other independent cavities 101. The phase shift networks 22 of different frequency bands and the signal input part 21 can be cascaded without the need of adapters to realize the fusion of multiple frequency bands. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the side wall of the shell 1 is provided with an observation hole 103 at the position corresponding to the avoiding gap, and the observation hole 103 is formed by removing the local first partition 11 at the position where the two independent cavities 101 are electrically connected. The function of the observation hole 103 is to avoid the mutual contact between the first partition 11 and the phase shift network 22 or the signal input part 21, and at the same time, the signal input part 21 can be debugged through the observation hole 103, and the standing wave of the phase shifter can be debugged.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal input part 21 is arranged along the length direction of the first partition 11, and the signal input part 21 is bent into the adjacent independent cavity after the avoiding gap and is electrically connected with the phase shift network 22. Specifically, the first end of the signal input part 21 extends to the end of the independent cavity 101 along the length direction of the first partition 11, and corresponds to the signal input port on the shell 1. The signal input part 21 is integrated in the internal part of the phase shifter, which reduces the use of cables.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the signal connecting piece 2 is a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board is provided with an isolation groove 23 at the position corresponding to the gap 102. The isolation groove 23 is arranged on the substrate of the printed circuit board, and the isolation groove 23 penetrates the substrate along the thickness direction of the printed circuit board. The isolation groove 23 is arranged along the length direction of the gap 102. The isolation groove 23 is arranged between the signal input part 21 and the phase shift network 22, and isolates the signal input part 21 from the phase shift network 22, so as to avoid mutual coupling between them.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner wall of the shell 1 is provided with a mounting groove 13, and the edge of the signal connecting piece 2 is clamped in the mounting groove 13. Specifically, the two ends of the shell 1 are open, and the signal connecting piece 2 and the phase shift network 22 are mounted into the shell 1 through the open ends. The inner surfaces of the two side walls of the shell 1 opposite to the gap 102 are respectively formed with the mounting grooves 13, and the edges of the signal connecting piece 2 are clamped in the mounting grooves 13, so as to fix the signal connecting piece 2.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the shell 1 is made by an integral molding process. Specifically, raw materials of the shell 1 are placed into a mold, and are integrally molded by a pultrusion process, which is simple in structure and low in production cost.

[0064] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an antenna, comprising a backplane, a phase shifter, a reflector, and an array of radiators, wherein the backplane provides a ground platform, the phase shifter is positioned at a front side of the backplane, the reflector is positioned at a front side of the phase shifter, and the array of radiators is positioned at a front side of the reflector and coupled with the phase shifter.

[0065] The phase shifter provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure integrates the signal input part and the signal transmission part on a signal connector, the signal connector is provided in each independent cavity through a gap, and the signal input part and each phase shift network are electrically connected. The independent cavity realizes mutual isolation between the signal input part and each phase shift network, avoids mutual coupling, and the signal input part and the phase shift network do not need to be connected by an additional adapter, thereby reducing the welding points, improving the stability of the structure, and improving the electrical indicators of the phase shifter.

[0066] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as“first” and“second”, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms“comprises”,“comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without limitation, an element preceded by“comprises a” does not, without more constraints, foreclose the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0067] The above description is merely one specific implementation of the present disclosure, which enables a person skilled in the art to understand or implement the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure will not be limited to these embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A phase shifter, wherein, The phase shifter comprises a shell (1), a phase shift network (22) and a signal connector (2), The shell (1) has a first installation cavity (14) therein, a first partition plate (11) is arranged in the first installation cavity (14), and the first installation cavity (14) is divided into at least two independent cavities (101) arranged side by side by the first partition plate (11); a gap (102) is arranged on the first partition plate (11) in the thickness direction, and the gap (102) connects two adjacent independent cavities (101); The signal connector (2) is arranged in each independent cavity (101) through the gap (102), and the edge of the signal connector (2) is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the shell (1); the signal connector (2) comprises a signal input part (21) and a signal transmission part, the signal input part (21) and the phase shift network (22) are arranged in different independent cavities (101), and the signal input part (21) and the adjacent phase shift network (22) and each phase shift network (22) are electrically connected through the signal transmission part.

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein An avoiding gap is arranged on the first partition plate (11), and the avoiding gap is arranged at the position of electrical connection of two adjacent independent cavities (101).

3. The phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein An observation hole (103) is arranged on the side wall of the shell (1) at the position corresponding to the avoiding gap.

4. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein The width of the gap (102) is greater than the thickness of the signal connector (2), and there is a gap between the two side surfaces of the signal connector (2) and the two side first partition plates (11).

5. The phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein The signal input part (21) is arranged along the length direction of the first partition plate (11), the signal input part (21) is bent at the avoiding gap and then enters the adjacent independent cavity (101) and is electrically connected with the phase shift network (22).

6. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein The signal connector (2) comprises a circuit board, and the signal input part (21) and the phase shift network (22) are integrated on the circuit board.

7. The phase shifter according to claim 6, wherein The signal input part (21) and the phase shift network (22) are integrally printed and formed.

8. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein A second partition plate (12) is arranged in the shell (1), and the second partition plate (12) divides the shell (1) into a plurality of first installation cavities (14).

9. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein An installation groove (13) is arranged on the inner wall of the shell (1), and the edge of the signal connector (2) is clamped in the installation groove (13).

10. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein The shell (1) is made by an integral molding process.

11. An antenna, wherein, The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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