Connection apparatus, preparation method, radio frequency module, base station and electronic device

Abstract

A connection apparatus, a preparation method, a radio frequency module, a base station, and an electronic device. The connection apparatus comprises one or more inner conductors and an insulating elastomer, wherein the inner conductors are embedded in the insulating elastomer, with two connecting ends of each inner conductor being exposed from two surfaces of the insulating elastomer in a first direction; the two connecting ends of each inner conductor are respectively configured to abut against and electrically connect to first interfaces of two components to be connected; the insulating elastomer is configured to elastically deform when the connecting ends abut against the first interfaces; the inner conductors are structural bodies formed by means of extending in a second direction; and in a third direction, the maximum size of the one or more inner conductors is less than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer. The insulating elastomer can deform to a certain extent under pressure, thereby imparting a certain tendency to recover from deformation to the compressed inner conductors, such that the connecting ends of the inner conductors can be more reliably connected to the interfaces of the components, so as to ensure the long-term reliability of electrical connection; and the preparation cost is low.

Description

A connection device, a manufacturing method, a radio frequency module, a base station, and electronic equipment.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411983892.1, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 27, 2024, entitled "A Connection Device, Preparation Method, Radio Frequency Module, Base Station and Electronic Equipment", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a connection device, a manufacturing method, a radio frequency module, a base station, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of wireless communication technology, the bandwidth, number of channels, phase shifting capability, and system complexity of base stations will increase significantly. The various components of a base station need to be interconnected through connection devices, such as antennas and filters, transceivers (TRX) and filters, and antennas and hybrid beamforming (HBF) phase shifting circuits. Depending on the connection scenario, the connection device can perform connections between printed circuit boards (board-to-board) or between printed circuit boards and components such as filters. Typically, the connection device needs to have a certain tolerance capability, ensuring that when accumulated tolerances occur between the two devices to be connected, the devices can still maintain normal electrical connection to guarantee good signal quality.

[0004] Taking board-to-board connections as an example, a typical connection device in related technologies includes an inner conductor assembly consisting of a flexible pin and an inner core. One end of the flexible pin is connected to one side of a circuit board via an abutment, and the other end of the flexible pin is connected to one end of the inner core, while the other end of the inner core is connected to the other side of a circuit board. Simultaneously, an insulating element is provided radially outside the inner conductor assembly, and an outer conductor is positioned outside the insulating element. Thus, a signal transmission path is formed between the two circuit boards through the inner conductor assembly, impedance matching and shielding are achieved through the outer conductor, and normal electrical connection is maintained based on the flexible pin.

[0005] However, due to the structural limitations of this connecting device, its minimum height cannot meet the requirements for use in scenarios with low stacking height. In addition, the structure is relatively complex, resulting in high manufacturing and usage costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a connection device, a manufacturing method, a radio frequency module, a base station, and an electronic device. By optimizing the structural configuration of the connection device, performance requirements such as low cost, low configuration with high performance, and high reliability are met.

[0007] A first aspect of this application provides a connection device for placement between at least two devices to be connected, comprising one or more inner conductors and an insulating elastomer. The inner conductors are made of a conductive dielectric material to achieve the connection of the at least two devices. The inner conductors are embedded in the insulating elastomer, and two connecting ends of the inner conductors are exposed on two opposing surfaces of the insulating elastomer in a first direction. The connecting ends of the one or more inner conductors are used to press against a first interface of the device to be connected for electrical connection. This allows a signal transmission path to be constructed between the two devices through the inner conductors, for example, but not limited to, for transmitting radio frequency signals. The insulating elastomer is used to generate elastic deformation when the connecting ends are pressed against the first interface. Each inner conductor is a structure extending along a second direction; in a third direction, the maximum size of the one or more inner conductors is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer; the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect each other. It is understood that when the connecting ends of the inner conductors are pressed against the first interface of the device to be connected, the inner conductors are compressed. Long-term compression may cause deformation of the inner conductors, resulting in poor contact between the connecting ends and the first interface, affecting the reliability of the electrical connection. This embodiment is configured such that, based on the compressive deformation characteristic of the insulating elastomer, the insulating elastomer can undergo a certain elastic deformation under pressure during actual assembly. Since the inner conductor is embedded in the insulating elastomer, the elastic deformation generated by the compressive elastomer will cause the compressed inner conductor to have a certain tendency to return to its initial shape. This allows the connection end of the inner conductor to connect more reliably to the device interface, ensuring the long-term reliability of the electrical connection between the two ends of the inner conductor and the device interface. With good tolerance capabilities, it can effectively improve signal quality. Furthermore, the insulating elastomer maintains good resilience even at a small size, meeting the requirements of low-end applications with high-performance scenarios. Simultaneously, the connection device has a simple structure, with the inner conductor extending along the second direction, facilitating processing and manufacturing, resulting in low production costs. Users can freely cut the inner conductor to the required length as needed, and can also cut one inner conductor into multiple inner conductors to meet usage requirements, reducing usage costs. In the third direction, the maximum size of one or more inner conductors is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer. Manufacturers or users only need to cut the area containing the inner conductor, retaining the insulating elastomer as a whole, reducing manufacturing and usage costs such as packaging, transportation, and installation.

[0008] For example, the material of the insulating elastomer may include silicone rubber or nitrile rubber.

[0009] Other exemplary embodiments include the inner conductor material comprising one or more elements, pastes, or alloys selected from silver, tin, copper, or nickel. Here, "paste" includes a mixture of resin and metal powder. When the inner conductor material is a paste, a softer inner conductor structure can be formed, easily adapting to dimensional tolerances between the devices to be connected, and allowing for rapid recovery of elastic deformation in conjunction with the insulating elastomer.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, this application also provides a first implementation of the first aspect: the inner conductor is configured as a plurality of inner conductors, which are sequentially spaced apart in a second direction; the insulating elastomer has a cut at the position between two adjacent inner conductors, the cut penetrating the body of the insulating elastomer, and the two adjacent inner conductors are electrically insulated from each other through the cut. In practical applications, the first direction and the second direction can be two directions perpendicular to each other in the interface end face opposite to the device side of the connecting device. In this way, multiple signal interfaces between devices to be connected can be interconnected through multiple inner conductors, and multiple inner conductors can be arranged using the space available in the second direction, resulting in a smaller overall board area. The inner conductors formed by the cut to transmit signals independently have the characteristics of simple and reliable structure and low manufacturing cost.

[0011] In other practical applications, the inner conductor can be a single conductor, which can penetrate the insulating elastomer along the second direction.

[0012] For example, a connector blank, comprising at least an inner conductor and an insulating elastic element, can be first processed into a single piece using a multi-color extrusion process. This blank is then cut into a semi-finished connector of the required length. Finally, depending on the number of inner conductors, a partial blanking process is used to form a connector with multiple inner conductors. In practical applications, the cutting process can separate the inner conductors into spaced-apart sections, while simultaneously creating cuts through the insulating elastic element. The cuts through which each inner conductor passes achieve electrical insulation.

[0013] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a second embodiment of the first aspect: the connection device further includes one or more outer conductors, each outer conductor being spaced apart from the one or more inner conductors in a third direction, each outer conductor being electrically insulated from each inner conductor, the outer conductor also being made of a conductive dielectric material, and its two connection ends being used for electrical connection to the second interfaces of two devices to be connected. For example, but not limited to, at least two devices to be connected are radio frequency devices, and the one or more outer conductors are used to construct a ground shield link for at least two devices to be connected, thereby achieving impedance matching and shielding isolation through the outer conductors. Furthermore, the outer conductor is located beside the inner conductor in its first direction, without occupying the space that the inner conductor can be arranged beside in other directions, such as beside in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Thus, multiple electrically insulated inner conductors can be spaced apart in the second direction according to the number of signal transmission paths between devices; that is, for the case of multiple signal interface connections, the arrangement of each inner conductor is not affected by the outer conductor.

[0014] In practical applications, the outer conductor and the second interface of the device to be connected can be directly connected to achieve electrical connection, or they can be indirectly connected through conductive structural components.

[0015] For example, the material of the outer conductor may also include one or more elements, pastes, or alloys of silver, tin, copper, or nickel.

[0016] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a third embodiment of the first aspect: the inner conductor includes a first inner conductor located within an insulating elastomer, with both ends of the first inner conductor exposed on the surface of the insulating elastomer. The inner conductor also includes a second inner conductor electrically connected to the first inner conductor, connected to one end of the first inner conductor and covering the surface of the insulating elastomer. The second inner conductor is a connection end of the inner conductor that can contact the first interface surface. With this configuration, the second inner conductor extends along the surface of the insulating elastomer to cover it. In a first direction, the outer dimension of the second inner conductor is larger than the outer dimension of the first inner conductor. Interconnection with the first interface on the side of the device to be connected can be achieved through the second inner conductor, forming a highly reliable surface contact interconnection based on surface contact.

[0017] Based on the third implementation of the first aspect, this application also provides a fourth implementation of the first aspect: the inner conductor includes two second inner conductors, which are electrically connected to both ends of the first inner conductor. High interconnect reliability can be achieved for both devices to be connected.

[0018] Based on the second or third implementation of the first aspect, this application also provides a fourth implementation of the first aspect: the outer conductor is fixed to the side of the insulating elastomer, and the two connecting ends of the outer conductor are exposed on two surfaces of the corresponding side insulating elastomer that are disposed opposite each other in the first direction, forming the connecting ends of the outer conductor. In a specific implementation, the inner conductor, outer conductor, and insulating elastomer can be integrally formed based on an extrusion process, which can reasonably control the process implementation cost while satisfying the reliable interconnection function.

[0019] Based on the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a fifth embodiment of the first aspect: the outer conductor is configured as two, with each outer conductor fixed to one of the two sides of the insulating elastomer in the third direction, and each outer conductor extending along the second direction. This configuration, while achieving impedance matching and shielding isolation, results in a more rational overall structure and better manufacturability.

[0020] Based on the fourth or fifth embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a sixth embodiment of the first aspect: the outer conductor includes a first outer conductor that covers the side surface of an insulating elastomer. The outer conductor also includes a second outer conductor electrically connected to the first outer conductor, which covers the surface of the insulating elastomer and serves as a connection end of the outer conductor that can contact the second interface surface. With this configuration, interconnection with the interface of the device to be connected can be achieved through the second outer conductor, forming a highly reliable surface contact interconnection.

[0021] Based on the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a seventh embodiment of the first aspect: the outer conductor includes two second outer conductors, which are electrically connected to both ends of the first outer conductor. High interconnect reliability can be achieved for both devices to be connected.

[0022] Based on the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh implementation of the first aspect, this application also provides an eighth implementation of the first aspect: the connecting device further includes a structural member, the two end faces of which are respectively used to abut against the two devices to be connected; in the first direction, the size of the connecting assembly formed by the inner conductor, outer conductor, and insulating elastomer is larger than the size of the structural member. Thus, the structural member can provide the function of positioning the devices to be connected, that is, by positioning the distance between the two devices, the assembly accuracy of the connecting device is effectively improved; in addition, in the direction of abutment against the devices to be connected, the larger size of the connecting assembly than the structural member can, on the one hand, further improve the interconnection reliability of the inner and outer conductors, and on the other hand, the actual compression of the insulating elastomer can be controlled by adjusting or changing the thickness of the structural member, meeting the functional needs of different application scenarios, and possessing good designability and adaptability. Furthermore, based on the effective support of the structural member, friction between the inner and outer conductors and the devices can be avoided, eliminating the need for wear-resistant treatment on the surface of the devices to be connected, and reasonably controlling the manufacturing cost of the devices to be connected.

[0023] Based on the eighth embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a ninth embodiment of the first aspect: the structural member includes a through opening in the middle, and a connecting component is inserted into the through opening. The overall structure is relatively compact and simple to implement.

[0024] Based on the ninth embodiment of the first aspect, this application also provides a tenth embodiment of the first aspect: the insulating elastomer includes a small segment and a large segment connected together, and a first stepped surface is formed at the connection between the large segment and the small segment; the outer conductor is fixed to the side of the large segment; the structural component is made of a conductive dielectric material, and the through opening of the structural component includes a small opening segment and a large opening segment connected together, and a second stepped surface is formed at the connection between the large opening segment and the small opening segment; the second stepped surface is adapted to the first stepped surface and is electrically connected to the connection end of the outer conductor on the corresponding side; the structural component also includes a connecting protrusion, which protrudes from the surface of the structural component on the side where the small opening segment is located. With this configuration, the structural component is electrically connected to the corresponding interface on the first device side through the connecting protrusion, and electrically connected to one connection end of the outer conductor through the second stepped surface; the outer conductor is electrically connected to the corresponding interface on the second device side through the other connection end, thus forming a ground connection between the first device and the second device. Based on the setting of the connecting protrusion, an air gap can be formed near the interface surface of the first device to meet the connection application requirements of different scenarios, such as an air microstrip antenna.

[0025] Based on the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth implementation of the first aspect, this application also provides an eleventh implementation of the first aspect: the outer conductor and the insulating elastomer are spaced apart. In practical applications, the configuration of the outer conductor can be selected as needed to construct a ground connection between the devices to be connected, meeting the application needs of different scenarios.

[0026] For example, the middle portion of the outer conductor includes a through opening, and a connecting assembly formed by the inner conductor and an insulating elastomer is inserted into the through opening of the outer conductor.

[0027] A second aspect of this application provides a radio frequency module, which includes at least two devices to be connected and a connecting device, wherein the connecting device is pressed between the at least two devices to be connected, and the connecting device is the connecting device as described above.

[0028] A third aspect of this application provides a base station that includes the connection device as described above, or includes the radio frequency module as described above.

[0029] A fourth aspect of this application provides an electronic device that includes the connection device as described above, or includes the radio frequency module as described above.

[0030] A fifth aspect of this application provides a method for preparing a connecting device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0031] A connector blank is fabricated, the connector blank including an insulating elastomer portion and an internal conductor embedded in the insulating elastomer portion. The internal conductor is exposed on a surface of the insulating elastomer portion that is disposed opposite to it in a first direction. The internal conductor is a structure formed by extending along a second direction. In a third direction, the maximum size of the internal conductor is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer. The first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersect each other.

[0032] A cutting and connecting device blank forming connecting device includes an insulating elastomer formed by cutting an insulating elastomer portion and an inner conductor formed by cutting an inner conductor portion, the inner conductor being embedded in the insulating elastomer.

[0033] Based on the fifth aspect, the present application also provides a first implementation of the fifth aspect: cutting an insulating elastomer and an inner conductor to form a cut, the cut penetrating the body of the insulating elastomer along a first direction, and forming an inner conductor on both sides of the cut along a second direction.

[0034] In practical applications, the process of making the connecting device blank can be carried out by extrusion process in one piece, such as, but not limited to, multi-color extrusion process. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a connection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the interface layout of the device shown in Figure 2;

[0038] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of one processing step of the connecting device shown in Figure 1;

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another connecting device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of another connecting device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the assembly process of the RF module shown in Figure 7;

[0043] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the interface layout of a device adapted to the connection device shown in Figure 9;

[0045] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the assembly process of the RF module shown in Figure 15;

[0051] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0054] This application provides a connection device implementation scheme that meets the performance requirements of low cost, low configuration and high reliability, while conforming to the trend of miniaturization design requirements.

[0055] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application by those skilled in the art, the usage scenarios of the connecting device are first introduced.

[0056] Connecting devices are primarily used for interconnecting devices such as chips, circuit boards, filters, antennas, and transceivers. For example, in connecting printed circuit boards (PCBs), i.e., board-to-board connections, the two boards are typically parallel and spaced apart, each with corresponding electrical connection points (interfaces) for signal terminals. Connecting devices enable communication between these interfaces, thus establishing a signal transmission path between the two boards. Similarly, connecting devices can be used to connect circuit boards and filters, or antennas and filters. Specifically, connecting devices can be radio frequency (RF) connectors, and the devices to be connected can be RF components. RF connectors are used to connect RF components, for example, to transmit RF signals between different RF components in a base station.

[0057] Typically, there is a certain cumulative tolerance between the two connected devices, and the connection device needs to have a certain tolerance capability to overcome the impact of the cumulative tolerance on the electrical connection between the devices.

[0058] In related technologies, a typical connection device includes an inner conductor assembly consisting of a resilient contact pin and an inner core. One end of the resilient contact pin can be connected to one side of a circuit board by abutting, and the other end of the resilient contact pin is connected to one end of the inner core. The other end of the inner core can be connected to another side of a circuit board, thereby maintaining normal electrical connection based on the resilient contact pin. At the same time, an annular insulating member is provided radially outside the inner conductor assembly, and an annular outer conductor is provided outside the insulating member. The outer conductor achieves impedance matching and shielding isolation.

[0059] Due to the structural limitations of this connecting device, its minimum height is approximately 10mm in order to accommodate the product's axial tolerance and vibration requirements, which cannot meet the practical application requirements of low mating height scenarios. Furthermore, the connecting device has a complex structure and high overall implementation cost.

[0060] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a connection device for use between at least two devices to be connected, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the devices. The connection device includes one or more inner conductors and an insulating elastomer. The inner conductors are made of a conductive dielectric material and are embedded within the insulating elastomer. Two connecting ends of the inner conductors are exposed on two opposing surfaces of the insulating elastomer in a first direction. The connecting ends of the one or more inner conductors are used to press against a first interface of the device to be connected for electrical connection, thereby establishing a signal transmission path between the two devices through the inner conductors. The insulating elastomer is used to generate elastic deformation when the connecting ends press against the first interface. The inner conductor is a structure extending along a second direction; in a third direction, the maximum size of the one or more inner conductors is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer. Here, "the inner conductor is embedded in the insulating elastomer" includes the case where the inner conductor is completely located within the insulating elastomer, and its connecting ends are approximately flush with the surface of the insulating elastomer; it also includes the case where a portion of the inner conductor is located within the insulating elastomer, and its connecting ends are located outside the insulating elastomer. It can be understood that each device to be connected may have one or more first interfaces, and each first interface is electrically connected to a connecting end of an inner conductor. It is important to note that the first interface refers to the interface through which the device to be connected needs to send or receive electrical signals, and does not indicate the type of signal transmitted by that interface. It can be understood that different first interfaces of the same device to be connected are typically used to transmit different signals, but can also be used to transmit the same signal. Similarly, the first interfaces of different devices to be connected are typically used to transmit different signals, but can also be used to transmit the same signal. It is also important to note that "the connecting device is positioned between at least two devices to be connected" means that one or more devices to be connected are positioned on one side of the connecting device, and one or more devices to be connected are positioned on the other side of the connecting device. The number of devices to be connected on both sides of the connecting device can be the same or different. For example, one side of the connecting device may have two devices to be connected, and the other side may have one device to be connected.

[0061] It is understandable that when the two connecting ends of the inner conductor are pressed against the first interfaces of at least two devices to be connected, the inner conductor is compressed. Long-term compression may cause deformation of the inner conductor, resulting in poor contact between the connecting ends and the first interfaces, affecting the reliability of the electrical connection. This embodiment is designed in this way because the insulating elastomer can be deformed under pressure. During actual assembly, the insulating elastomer can be compressed to produce a certain amount of elastic deformation. Since the inner conductor is embedded in the insulating elastomer, the elastic deformation generated by the insulating elastomer under pressure will make the compressed inner conductor have a certain tendency to return to its initial shape. The connecting ends of the inner conductor can be more reliably connected to the device interfaces, so as to improve the long-term reliability of the electrical connection between the two ends of the inner conductor and the device interfaces. With good tolerance, it can effectively improve signal quality. At the same time, the insulating elastomer can maintain good resilience when the size is small, which can meet the usage requirements of low-configuration high-performance scenarios. In addition, the connection device has a simple structure, with the inner conductor extending along the second direction, which is easy to process and manufacture, and has a low manufacturing cost. Users can freely cut the inner conductor to the required length as needed, and can also cut one inner conductor into multiple inner conductors to meet the needs of use, resulting in low usage cost. In the third direction, the maximum size of one or more inner conductors is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer. When cutting, the manufacturer or user only needs to cut the area where the inner conductor is located, keeping the insulating elastomer as a whole, which reduces the manufacturing cost and usage cost of packaging, transportation, installation and fixing.

[0062] To better understand the technical solutions and effects of this application, and without loss of generality, the specific embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and using a PCB board as the device to be connected. Please refer to Figures 1, 2, and 3 together, where Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a connection device provided by an embodiment of this application, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency module provided by an embodiment of this application, and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the interface layout of the device shown in Figure 2. For ease of description, three directions are defined: a first direction Z, a second direction Y, and a third direction X, where the first direction Z, the second direction Y, and the third direction X intersect each other. Exemplarily, the third direction X and the second direction Y shown in the figures are perpendicular, and the first direction Z is perpendicular to both the third direction X and the second direction Y.

[0063] As shown in Figure 1, the connecting device 10 includes an inner conductor 1, an outer conductor 2, and an insulating elastic element 3. The inner conductor 1 is embedded in the insulating elastic element 3, and the two outer conductors 2 are fixedly connected to the two sides of the insulating elastic element 3, respectively. Each outer conductor 2 is electrically insulated from the inner conductor 1 by the insulating elastic element 3. One outer conductor 2 is located on one side of the inner conductor 1 in the third direction X, and the other outer conductor 2 is located on the other side of the inner conductor 1 in the third direction X.

[0064] In this embodiment, a portion of the inner conductor 1 is located within the insulating elastomer 3. The inner conductor 1 includes a first inner conductor 11 and a second inner conductor 12. The first inner conductor 11 is located within the insulating elastomer 3, and the two second inner conductors 12 are electrically connected to both ends of the first inner conductor 11, respectively. Each second inner conductor 12 covers the surface of the corresponding side of the insulating elastomer 3, forming a connection end for electrical connection with the device side. In the third direction X, the outer dimension of the second inner conductor 12 is larger than the outer dimension of the first inner conductor 11. As shown in the figure, both ends of the first inner conductor 11 are connected to the middle of the corresponding second inner conductor 12, forming an inner conductor 1 with an I-shaped cross-section. Based on the deformation caused by actual pressure on the insulating elastomer 3, the compressed inner conductor 1 has a certain tendency to recover from the pressure deformation. Simultaneously, the elastic force generated by the insulating elastomer 3 can further act on the second inner conductor 12, allowing the second inner conductor 12 to connect more reliably to the device interface.

[0065] In a specific implementation, the shape of the second inner conductor 12 covering the surface of the insulating elastomer 3 (i.e., parallel to the XY plane) can be a rectangle as shown in Figure 1, or other shapes, such as, but not limited to, circles, ellipses, or other polygons, which can also achieve reliable interconnection with the device side based on surface contact. In contrast, for the rectangular shape of the second inner conductor 12, an integral extrusion (extrusion along the second direction Y) molding process can be used to form the insulating elastomer 3 and the inner conductor 1. Thus, the insulating elastomer 3 and the inner conductor 1 are elongated strips extending along the second direction, and can be cut to the required length according to the product assembly relationship, which is convenient for processing and manufacturing.

[0066] Specifically, the connection device 10 includes multiple inner conductors 1, which are sequentially spaced apart in the second direction Y, enabling interconnection of multiple signal interfaces (first interfaces) between the first device 20 and the second device 30. The figure illustrates the relative positions of the inner conductors 1 and the outer conductor 2, using three inner conductors 1 as an example. The outer conductor 2 is located beside the inner conductor 1 in the third direction X, without occupying the space available for the inner conductor 1 in other directions, such as the side of the inner conductor 1 in the second direction Y intersecting with the third direction X. Thus, multiple electrically insulated inner conductors 1 can be spaced apart in the second direction Y according to the number of signal transmission paths between devices. In other words, for multiple first interface connections, the arrangement of each inner conductor 1 is not affected by the outer conductor 2, and the available space in the second direction Y can be fully utilized to configure multiple inner conductors 1, resulting in a smaller overall board area and achieving high-density multi-interface connections. Here, "high-density multi-interface connection" refers to a connection scenario where the physical distance between the interfaces of the devices to be connected is relatively short, and the overall interface layout density is high. The interface of the devices to be connected can be the interface of one device or the interface of multiple devices.

[0067] In specific implementations, the number of inner conductors 1 can be determined according to the overall product design requirements, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0068] Corresponding to the multiple inner conductors 1, two outer conductors 2 extend along the second direction Y and are respectively located on both sides of the multiple inner conductors 1 in the third direction X. Each outer conductor 2 includes a first outer conductor 21 and a second outer conductor 22. The first outer conductor 21 covers the side of the insulating elastomer 3 perpendicular to the third direction X. The two second outer conductors 22 are electrically connected to both ends of the first outer conductor 21, and each second outer conductor 22 covers two opposing surfaces of the insulating elastomer 3 parallel to the XY plane, forming connection ends for electrical connection with the device side. The two connection ends of the outer conductor 2 are respectively used for press-fit electrical connection with the second interfaces of the two devices to be connected. It is understood that when the two connection ends of the outer conductor 2 press against the second interfaces of the two devices to be connected, the outer conductor 2 is compressed. Long-term compression may cause deformation of the outer conductor 2, resulting in poor contact between the connection ends of the outer conductor 2 and the second interfaces, affecting the reliability of the electrical connection. Similarly, in this embodiment, during actual assembly, the insulating elastomer can undergo a certain elastic deformation under pressure. Since the outer conductor 2 covers the surface of the insulating elastomer 3, the elastic deformation of the insulating elastomer 3 under pressure will cause the compressed outer conductor 3 to have a certain tendency to recover its initial shape. At the same time, the elastic force generated by the insulating elastomer 3 can further act on the second outer conductor 22, allowing the second outer conductor 22 to be more reliably connected to the device interface. It can be understood that each device to be connected can have one or more second interfaces, and each second interface is electrically connected to one connection end of an outer conductor 2. It should be noted that the second interface refers to the interface through which the device to be connected needs to send or receive electrical signals, and is not used to indicate the type of signal transmitted by the interface. It can be understood that different second interfaces of the same device to be connected are usually used to transmit different signals, but can also be used to transmit the same signal. Similarly, the second interfaces of different devices to be connected are usually used to transmit different signals, but can also be used to transmit the same signal. The difference between the second interface and the first interface lies in the connection object; that is, the first interface is electrically connected to the inner conductor of the connecting device, and the second interface is electrically connected to the outer conductor of the connecting device. It is understandable that the second interface and the first interface are usually used to transmit different electrical signals respectively, but they can also be used to transmit the same signal.

[0069] In other possible implementations, the number of outer conductors 2 can be determined according to product design requirements, rather than being limited to two.

[0070] In a specific implementation, the shape of the second outer conductor 22 covering the surface of the insulating elastomer 3 (i.e., parallel to the XY plane) can be a rectangle as shown in the figure, or other shapes, such as, but not limited to, circles, ellipses, or other polygons, which can also achieve reliable interconnection with the device side based on surface contact. For the rectangular second outer conductor 22, an integral extrusion molding process can be used to form the insulating elastomer and the inner and outer conductors, and then cut according to the product assembly relationship, which also has good manufacturability.

[0071] In practice, the connection end of the outer conductor 2 and the connection end of the inner conductor 1 can be set flush to reasonably control the process implementation cost of the connection device 10 and the device to be connected.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, the RF module 100 includes a first device 20 and a second device 30. Exemplarily, the first device 20 and the second device 30 are a PCB board, and are constructed based on the connection device 10 shown in Figure 1 to form electrical interconnections and signal transmission. In other specific implementations, at least one of the first device 20 and the second device 30 may also be a filter or an antenna, or other RF device requiring connection. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0073] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the interface layout on the side of the device to be connected in the form of a PCB board. The figure is a frontal projection view of the interface facing the PCB board. The surfaces of the devices (first device 20, second device 30) include inner conductor connection surfaces 301 and outer conductor connection surfaces 302, serving as interfaces on the device side. The inner conductor connection surfaces 301 are the first interface, and the outer conductor connection surfaces 302 are the second interface. The inner conductor connection surfaces 301 correspond to the connection ends of the inner conductor 1 on the side of the connecting device 10, and each inner conductor connection surface 301 is arranged at intervals along the second direction Y. The outer conductor connection surfaces 302 correspond to the connection ends of the outer conductor 2 on the side of the connecting device 10. The two outer conductor connection surfaces 302 are located on opposite sides of each inner conductor connection surface 301 in the third direction X, and each outer conductor connection surface 302 extends along the second direction Y. Of course, the inner conductor connection surfaces 301 are electrically insulated from each other, and the inner conductor connection surfaces 301 and outer conductor connection surfaces 302 are electrically isolated from each other.

[0074] To ensure the reliability of the connection between the interface and the connection device on the device side, in a specific implementation, the projected area of ​​the inner conductor connection surface 301 and the outer conductor connection surface 302 in the reference plane where the third direction X and the second direction Y are located can be greater than the projected area of ​​the connection end of the inner conductor 1 and the outer conductor 2 in the reference plane where the third direction X and the second direction Y are located.

[0075] It is understood that the shapes of the inner conductor connection surface 301 and the outer conductor connection surface 302 can be consistent with the shapes of the connection ends on the corresponding connection device side. In other possible embodiments, the shapes of the inner conductor connection surface 301 and the outer conductor connection surface 302 may also be inconsistent with the shapes of the connection ends on the corresponding connection device side. It should be understood that as long as the projected area of ​​the interface on the device side in the reference plane is greater than the projected area of ​​the corresponding connection end on the connection device 10 side, it is acceptable. This application does not limit the embodiments.

[0076] In other specific implementations, when the device to be connected is a radio frequency device such as a filter, the interface shown in Figure 3 can also be set on the corresponding radio frequency device interconnected through the connection device 10. Further details will not be provided here.

[0077] In the usage state shown in Figure 2, the signal transmission route is shown by the dashed line 40 in Figure 2. The signal transmission is achieved through the inner conductor 1. The outer conductor 2, located next to the inner conductor 1, is used to construct a grounding shield link to transmit ground signals, and has the functions of impedance matching and shielding isolation.

[0078] In specific implementations, based on the connection device 10 provided in the embodiments of this application, the impedance matching requirement can be met by adjusting the spacing between the outer conductor 2 and the inner conductor 1, thereby satisfying the connection application requirements of different scenarios, such as dielectric microstrip antennas. In other possible implementations, the impedance matching requirement can also be met by adjusting the structural parameters of the inner conductor 1 and / or the outer conductor 2. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0079] Here, the insulating elastomer 3 can undergo elastic deformation under assembly pressure, which can absorb the accumulation of tolerances such as assembly tolerance, flatness, and roughness between the first device 20 and the second device 30. In this way, the second inner conductor 12 (the connection end of the inner conductor 1) and the second outer conductor 22 (the connection end of the outer conductor 2) can maintain long-term reliability of electrical connection with the first device 20 and the second device 30.

[0080] The insulating elastomer 3 is made of an electrically insulating non-metallic elastic material, which can deform under pressure and has good resilience. In specific implementations, the non-metallic elastic material can be silicone rubber or nitrile rubber, such as, but not limited to, fluorosilicone rubber; the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0081] To achieve good elastic properties, the selection of non-metallic elastic materials should consider the compression required for connecting two devices and the permanent deformation after aging of the non-metallic elastic material. For example, in a scenario where the required compression for connecting two devices is 20%, an insulating elastomer with a permanent compression deformation of less than 15% after long-term aging can be selected. This avoids loss of resilience after long-term use and ensures good elasticity.

[0082] Preferably, the hardness of the material used to prepare the insulating elastomer is recommended to be 50HA to 70HA. This setting can, on the one hand, avoid the situation where the permanent deformation cannot meet the requirement of less than 15% when the material hardness is lower than 50HA, and on the other hand, avoid the possibility of damage to the connected device due to excessive rebound force of the connecting device when the material hardness is higher than 70HA.

[0083] Of course, in order to balance product loss and impedance matching requirements, the selection of this non-metallic elastic material needs to meet the requirements for the dielectric constant (Dk) and dielectric loss (Df) of the insulating elastomer 3. This application does not limit the specific embodiments.

[0084] The inner conductor 1 and outer conductor 2 need to have good electrical properties. The conductive dielectric material used to prepare the inner conductor 1 or outer conductor 2 can be one or more elements, pastes, or alloys of silver, tin, copper, or nickel, which are easy to bond with the insulating elastomer 3. For example, the conductive dielectric material can be elemental silver, elemental copper, silver alloy, nickel alloy, tin-copper alloy, silver-nickel alloy, silver paste, copper paste, etc. In addition to obtaining good electrical properties, the aforementioned conductive dielectric material has good structural bonding strength. Preferably, the conductive dielectric material can be one or more pastes of silver, tin, copper, or nickel. Here, "paste" includes a mixture of resin and metal powder. For example, silver paste includes a mixture of resin and silver powder. When the material of the inner conductor is a paste, a softer inner conductor structure can be formed, which can easily adapt to the dimensional tolerances between the devices to be connected and allows for rapid recovery of elastic deformation of the insulating elastomer. Preferably, the sheet resistance of the inner conductor 1 and outer conductor 2 is not less than 100 mΩ / □ / mil. The embodiments in this application are not limited.

[0085] To avoid the skin effect of high-frequency signals, the thickness of the inner conductor 1 can be greater than the required skin depth. Taking silver paste as an example, when the conductive dielectric material of the inner conductor 1 is silver paste, the thickness of the silver paste can be greater than 20 μm to 25 μm when the frequency of the signal transmitted by the inner conductor is 2.6 GHz.

[0086] To further enhance the reliability of the connection under pressure, the projection of the insulating elastomer 3 in a projection plane perpendicular to the second direction Y has a rectangular outline, as shown in Figure 2. The longer side of the rectangular outline is located on the side opposite to the first device 20 and the second device 30. In other words, in the illustrated application scenario, the width W of the insulating elastomer 3 is greater than its height H. This prevents off-center loading of the insulating elastomer 3 under pressure and maintains reliable attitude stability.

[0087] The connecting device described in Figure 1 will be briefly explained below with reference to the processing procedure diagram shown in Figure 4.

[0088] First, a blank 10a for a connecting device that can be processed to form an inner conductor 1, an outer conductor 2, and an insulating elastic element 3 is prepared.

[0089] In a specific implementation, non-metallic elastic materials and conductive dielectric materials can be integrally formed using an extrusion process, such as a multi-color extrusion process, to form a strip-shaped connecting device blank 10a as shown in Figure 4(a). The connecting device blank 10a includes an insulating elastomer portion and an internal conductor embedded in the insulating elastomer portion. The internal conductor is exposed on the surface of the insulating elastomer portion that is disposed opposite to it in a first direction. The internal conductor is a structure formed by extending along a second direction. In a third direction, the maximum size of the internal conductor is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer.

[0090] Then, the semi-finished connecting device 10b is cut into the required length L of the connecting device. As shown in Figure 4(b), the length L of the semi-finished connecting device 10b is also the dimension of the connecting device in the second direction Y.

[0091] Finally, based on the number of inner conductors 1, a partial blanking and cutting process is used to form the connecting device 10. As shown in Figure 4(c), each inner conductor 1 achieves electrical insulation through a cut G. In a specific implementation, the inner conductors 1 can be divided into spaced sections by a cutting process, while a cut G penetrating the body of the insulating elastomer 3 is formed on the insulating elastomer 3. That is, the insulating elastomer 3 is formed by cutting based on the insulating elastomer portion, and the inner conductors 1 are formed by cutting based on the inner conductors.

[0092] Since the maximum size of one or more inner conductors in the third direction is smaller than the maximum size of the insulating elastomer, the cut G can separate only the two inner conductors 1 without breaking the outer conductor 2. As shown in Figure 4(c), when two adjacent inner conductors 1 are electrically insulated from each other by the cut G, the outer conductors 2 on both sides of the connecting device 10 remain as one unit.

[0093] Based on the connection device 10 provided in the embodiments of this application, it can be applied to radio frequency connection scenarios where there are impedance matching requirements between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, such as realizing the connection of various radio frequency interfaces. Specifically, it can realize the connection between radio frequency devices with a matching height as low as 1mm, and the applicable frequency can be below 10G.

[0094] It should be noted that, in order to illustrate the manufacturing process of the connecting device 10 shown in Figure 4(c), this embodiment names the structure shown in Figure 4(a) as connecting device blank 10a and the structure shown in Figure 4(b) as connecting device semi-finished product 10b. However, in other embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the connecting device may also refer to the connecting device blank or the connecting device semi-finished product. For example, Figures 4(a) and 4(b) can both be considered as connecting devices having an inner conductor, which penetrates the insulating elastomer along a second direction. Accordingly, the connecting end of the inner conductor is used for press-fit electrical connection with the first interface of the device to be connected. This can be either the connecting end of the inner conductor being used for direct press-fit electrical connection with the first interface of the device to be connected, or the connecting end of the inner conductor being used for press-fit electrical connection with the first interface of the device to be connected after a cutting process.

[0095] The inner conductor 1 in the aforementioned embodiment has an I-shaped cross-section. In other specific implementations, the inner conductor 1 may also adopt different structural forms.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in the figure, the first inner conductor 11 of the inner conductor 1 is connected to one end of each of the two second inner conductors 12. In the third direction X, the two second inner conductors 12 are located on opposite sides of the first inner conductor 11. That is, one end of the first inner conductor 11 is connected to one side of a second inner conductor 12 in the third direction X, and one end of the first inner conductor 11 is connected to the other side of the other second inner conductor 12 in the third direction X, forming an inner conductor 1 with a Z-shaped cross-section. Thus, reliable interconnection with the device side is achieved based on surface contact.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in the figure, the first inner conductor 11 of the inner conductor 1 is connected to one end of each of the two second inner conductors 12. In the third direction X, the two second inner conductors 12 are located on the same side of the first inner conductor 11, forming an inner conductor 1 with a groove-shaped cross-section, which can also achieve reliable interconnection with the device side based on surface contact.

[0098] To improve the assembly accuracy of the connecting device, in a specific implementation, the connecting device 10 may further include structural components. Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided in an embodiment of this application. To clearly illustrate the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, components or structures with the same function are indicated by the same reference numerals in the figure.

[0099] Compared to the RF module 100 described in Figure 2, the difference in this embodiment is that the connecting device 10 disposed between the two devices further includes a structural member 4. The two end faces of the structural member 4 abut against the first device 20 and the second device 30 respectively to position the distance between the first device 20 and the second device 30. Based on the effective support of the structural member 4, friction between the inner and outer conductors and the devices to be connected can be avoided, eliminating the need for wear-resistant treatment on the surface of the devices to be connected, and enabling reasonable control of the manufacturing cost of the devices to be connected.

[0100] The structural component 4 shown in Figure 7 is generally plate-shaped with a through opening 41 in the middle. The connecting assembly 10' formed by the inner conductor 1, the outer conductor 2, and the insulating elastic component 3 can be inserted into the through opening 41 of the structural component 4. In other possible embodiments, the structural component 4 can also be a structure of other shapes, such as a disc shape. The structural component 4 can also be a plurality of sub-structural components (not shown in the figure) spaced apart from the side of the connecting assembly 10', without the need for a through opening. It should be understood that as long as the structural component 4 can locate the distance between the first device 20 and the second device 30, it is acceptable, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0101] In this embodiment, the outer height H of the connecting component 10' can be greater than the thickness h of the structural member 4. That is, in the first direction Z, the size of the connecting component 10' is larger than the size of the structural member 4. Thus, the actual compression of the insulating elastomer 3 can be controlled by adjusting or changing the thickness h of the structural member 4. Theoretically, the difference between the outer height H of the connecting component 10' and the thickness h of the structural member 4 is equivalent to the compression of the insulating elastomer 3 after assembly. For example, but not limited to, the compression ratio (actual compression / size before compression) of the insulating elastomer 3 can be 10% to 30%, and can be determined according to the design needs of different scenarios. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0102] Please also refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the assembly process of the RF module 100 shown in Figure 7. During assembly, as shown in Figure 8(a), the structural component 4 can be fixedly mounted on the second device 30 first; then, as shown in Figure 8(b), the connecting assembly 10' formed by the inner conductor 1, the outer conductor 2, and the insulating elastic component 3 is placed in the through opening 41 of the structural component 4; finally, as shown in Figure 8(c), the first device 20 is placed on the structural component 4 and the connecting assembly 10' and fixed.

[0103] In specific implementations, the fixed connection between structural component 4 and the first device 20 and the second device 30 can be achieved by welding, riveting, or threaded fasteners, etc. This application does not limit the specific method of connection.

[0104] Furthermore, to facilitate assembly, a clearance fit can be used between the connecting assembly 10' formed by the inner conductor 1, outer conductor 2, and insulating elastic element 3 and the through opening 41. Alternatively, in other implementations, an interference fit can be used between the connecting assembly 10' and the through opening 41. This provides circumferential positioning for the connecting assembly 10', ensuring alignment accuracy between the connecting device and the device to be connected. The specific details can be determined based on the overall product design requirements; this application does not limit the specific implementation.

[0105] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0106] The connection device described in the foregoing embodiments has multiple inner conductors; in other specific implementations, the connection device may also include only one inner conductor. Please refer to Figures 9 and 10, where Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the interface layout of a device adapted to the connection device shown in Figure 9. To clearly illustrate the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, components or structures with the same function are indicated by the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0107] As shown in Figure 9, the connection device 10 includes an inner conductor 1, through which two second inner conductors 12 are electrically connected to the device side. As shown in Figure 10, the surfaces of the first device 20 and the second device 30 include correspondingly disposed inner conductor connection surfaces 301 and outer conductor connection surfaces 302. This allows for applications that implement single-signal interface interconnection.

[0108] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0109] The inner and outer conductors described in the foregoing embodiments all include end conductors. In other specific implementations, the inner and outer conductors may only include a first inner conductor and a first outer conductor. Please refer to Figures 11 and 12 together, where Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided by an embodiment of this application, and Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided by an embodiment of this application. In order to clearly show the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, the same functional components or structures are indicated by the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0110] Compared to the connection device 10 described in Figure 1, the difference in this embodiment is that the inner conductor 1 and outer conductor 2 of the connection device 10 have different structures. The inner conductor 1 includes a first inner conductor 11 located within an insulating elastomer 3, with both ends of the first inner conductor 11 exposed on the surface of the insulating elastomer 3, forming connection ends for electrical connection with the device side. The outer conductor 2 includes a first outer conductor 21 covering the side of the insulating elastomer 3, with both ends of the first outer conductor 21 forming connection ends for electrical connection with the device side. Based on the compressive deformation characteristic of the insulating elastomer 3, during actual assembly, the insulating elastomer 3 can undergo a certain elastic deformation under pressure. This deformation of the insulating elastomer 3 causes the first inner conductor 11 and the first outer conductor 21 to undergo elastic deformation under pressure, exhibiting a tendency to recover from deformation. Thus, the connection ends of the inner conductors can be more reliably connected to the device interface. Furthermore, while possessing the technical advantages of low cost, low configuration, high reliability, and high reliability, multiple inner conductors 1 can be arranged to achieve high-density multi-interface connections.

[0111] In a practical implementation, the heights of both the inner conductor 1 and the outer conductor 2 can be greater than the height of the insulating elastomer 3, and both ends of the inner conductor 1 and the outer conductor 2 can extend beyond the surface of the insulating elastomer 3. Thus, during assembly, the exposed connection ends of the inner conductor 1 and the outer conductor 2 on the surface of the insulating elastomer 3 can first abut against the corresponding interfaces on the device side, further improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the interface on the connection device side and the device side.

[0112] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0113] In cases where the inner and outer conductors consist only of a first inner conductor and a first outer conductor, in other specific implementations, the connecting device may also include only one inner conductor. Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of another connecting device provided in an embodiment of this application. To clearly illustrate the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, configurations or structures with the same function are shown using the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0114] Compared to the embodiment described in FIG11, the difference in the implementation of this application is that the connection device 10 includes an inner conductor 1. As shown in FIG13, its inner conductor 1 includes a first inner conductor 11 located within the insulating elastomer 3, and the outer conductor 2 includes a first outer conductor 21 covering the side of the insulating elastomer 3, which can be used to realize single-signal interface interconnection application scenarios. The two ends of the first inner conductor 11 are the two connection ends of the inner conductor 1.

[0115] It is understandable that during actual assembly, the insulating elastomer 3 can undergo a certain amount of elastic deformation under pressure. Since the first inner conductor 11 is embedded in the insulating elastomer 3, the elastic deformation caused by the pressure on the insulating elastomer 3 will cause the compressed first inner conductor 11 to tend to recover its initial shape. This allows the first inner conductor 11 to connect to the device interface more reliably, ensuring the long-term reliability of the electrical connection between the two ends of the first inner conductor 11 and the first interface of the device. Similarly, since the outer conductor 2 covers the surface of the insulating elastomer 3, the elastic deformation caused by the pressure on the insulating elastomer 3 will cause the compressed outer conductor 2 to tend to recover its initial shape. This allows the first outer conductor 21 to connect to the device interface more reliably, ensuring the long-term reliability of the electrical connection between the two ends of the first outer conductor 21 and the second interface of the device.

[0116] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0117] It should be noted that in other possible implementations, the inner conductor 1 and / or the outer conductor 2 may also have end conductors at one end, rather than being limited to the case described in Figures 11 and 13 which only includes the first inner conductor and the first outer conductor. That is, the inner conductor 1 may have a second inner conductor 12 at one end of the first inner conductor 11, and the outer conductor 2 may have a second outer conductor 22 (not shown in the figure) at one end of the first outer conductor 21, which can also meet the reliability requirements of the electrical connection between the interface of the connection device side and the device side.

[0118] Of course, for structures where the inner conductor 1 and / or the outer conductor 2 are both end conductors, the connection ends of the inner conductor 1 and the outer conductor 2 can be coplanar. This reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the interface surface of the device to be connected and allows for reasonable control of manufacturing costs.

[0119] In the connection devices described in the foregoing embodiments, the connection ends of the outer conductor and the inner conductor are all coplanar, and the outer conductor directly abuts against the device to be connected to form an electrical connection. In other specific implementations, the connection ends of the outer conductor and the inner conductor may also be non-coplanar to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Please refer to Figures 14 and 15 together, where Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided by an embodiment of this application, and Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided by an embodiment of this application. In order to clearly show the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, the same functional components or structures are indicated by the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0120] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the connecting device 10 includes an inner conductor 1, an outer conductor 2, an insulating elastomer 3, and a structural component 4. The insulating elastomer 3 includes a small segment 31 and a large segment 32 connected to each other, with a first stepped surface 33 formed at the connection between the large segment 32 and the small segment 31. The small segment 31 can be positioned opposite to the first device 20, and correspondingly, the large segment 32 is positioned opposite to the second device 30. The entire device forms a stepped basic structure that allows the connection ends of the outer conductor and the inner conductor to be non-coplanar.

[0121] As shown in Figure 14, the inner conductor 1 includes a first inner conductor 11 and a second inner conductor 12. The first inner conductor 11 is located inside the insulating elastomer 3. The two second inner conductors 12 are electrically connected to the two ends of the first inner conductor 11, respectively. One of the second inner conductors 12 covers the surface of the small-sized segment 31 of the insulating elastomer 3, and the other second inner conductor 12 covers the surface of the large-sized segment 32 of the insulating elastomer 3, respectively forming the connection ends of the inner conductor 1 for electrical connection with the device side.

[0122] Two outer conductors 2 are fixedly connected to both sides of the large-size segment 32 of the insulating elastomer 3. Each outer conductor 2 is electrically insulated from the inner conductor 1 by the insulating elastomer 3. The outer conductor 2 includes a first outer conductor 21 and a second outer conductor 22. The first outer conductor 21 covers the side of the large-size segment 32. The two second outer conductors 22 are electrically connected to the two ends of the first outer conductor 21. One of the second outer conductors 22 covers the first step surface 33 of the insulating elastomer 3, and the other second outer conductor 22 covers the surface of the large-size segment 32.

[0123] In this embodiment, structural component 4 is made of a conductive dielectric material, such as, but not limited to, copper, silver, or alloys. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0124] As shown in Figure 15, the structural component 4 includes a through opening 41 and a connecting protrusion 42. The through opening 41 includes a small opening segment 411 and a large opening segment 412 connected to each other, and a second stepped surface 413 is formed at the connection between the large opening segment 412 and the small opening segment 411. The connecting protrusion 42 protrudes from the surface of the structural component 4 and is located on the same side of the structural component 4 as the small opening segment 411. The connecting assembly 10' formed by the inner conductor 1, the outer conductor 2, and the insulating elastic element 3 can be inserted into the through opening 41 of the structural component 4. The second stepped surface 413 of the structural component 4 can abut against the second outer conductor 22 covered by the first stepped surface 33 of the insulating elastic element 3, that is, the second stepped surface 413 is adapted to the first stepped surface 33, which can realize the electrical connection between the structural component 4 and the outer conductor 2. Of course, for the case where the outer conductor 2 is not equipped with a second outer conductor 22, the second step surface 413 and the first step surface 33 are adapted to each other, including the case where the two directly abut each other and the second step surface 413 is electrically connected to the first inner conductor 21 of the outer conductor 2.

[0125] After assembly, the second inner conductors 12 at both ends of each inner conductor 11 can be electrically connected to the interface (inner conductor connection surface 301) on the side of the device to be connected (first device 20 and second device 30), respectively. The structural component 4 is electrically connected to the corresponding interface (outer conductor connection surface 302) on the side of the first device 20 through the connecting protrusion 42, and is electrically connected to one connection end of the outer conductor 2 through the second stepped surface 413. The outer conductor 2 is electrically connected to the corresponding interface on the side of the second device 30 through the other connection end, thus forming a ground connection between the first device 20 and the second device 30.

[0126] Based on the connection protrusion 42, an air gap A can be formed near the interface surface of the first device 20 to meet the connection application requirements of different scenarios, such as an air microstrip antenna. In the usage state shown in Figure 15, the signal transmission path is shown by the dashed line 40 in Figure 15, and signal transmission is achieved through the air gap A and the inner conductor 1.

[0127] Meanwhile, the other end face of the structural component 4 abuts against the second device 30. The structural component 4 is positioned between the first device 20 and the second device 30 to define the distance between them. Further, as shown in FIG15, the maximum height of the outer contour of the connecting assembly 10' can be greater than the maximum thickness of the structural component 4. Thus, by adjusting or changing the thickness of the structural component 4, the actual compression of the insulating elastomer 3 can be controlled to meet the functional requirements of signal connection reliability. The specific amount can be determined according to the overall product design requirements, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0128] Please also refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of the assembly process of the RF module 100 shown in Figure 15. During assembly, as shown in Figure 16(a), the connecting assembly 10' formed by the inner conductor 1, the outer conductor 2, and the insulating elastic member 3 can be placed in the through opening 41 of the structural member 4; then, as shown in Figure 16(b), the assembled connecting assembly 10' and the structural member 4 are fixedly mounted on the second device 30; finally, as shown in Figure 16(c), the first device 20 is placed on the structural member 4 and the connecting assembly 10' and fixed.

[0129] Furthermore, to facilitate assembly, an interference fit can be used between the connecting assembly formed by the inner conductor 1, outer conductor 2, and insulating elastic element 3 and the through opening 41, providing assembly positioning and fixing functions in the circumferential direction of the connecting assembly. In this way, when moving between the processes shown in Figure 16(a) and Figure 16(b), the components maintain a stable relative position, simplifying the tooling and auxiliary equipment for moving between processes and reducing product manufacturing costs.

[0130] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0131] In other possible implementations, structural member 4 may also be partially made of a conductive dielectric material. For example, the portion of structural member 4 between the connecting protrusion 42 and the second step surface 413 may be made of a conductive dielectric material to meet the functional requirements of the ground signal channel.

[0132] In the foregoing embodiments, the outer conductor 2 is integrated onto the insulating elastic element 3 and can be integrally formed with the inner conductor 1 and the insulating elastic element 3 using an extrusion process. In other specific implementations, the outer conductor can also be set independently of the insulating elastic element 3. Please refer to Figures 17 and 18 together, where Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided by an embodiment of this application, and Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency module provided by an embodiment of this application. In order to clearly show the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, the same functional components or structures are indicated by the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0133] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the connection device 10 includes an inner conductor 1, an outer conductor 2a, and an insulating elastomer 3. Referring to Figure 17, the inner conductor 1 includes a first inner conductor 11 and two inner conductors 12. The first inner conductor 11 is located within the insulating elastomer 3. The two second inner conductors 12 are electrically connected to both ends of the first inner conductor 11, and each second inner conductor 12 covers the surface of the insulating elastomer 3 on its corresponding side, forming a connection end for electrical connection with the device side. Multiple inner conductors 1 are sequentially spaced along the second direction Y, enabling high-density multi-interface connections.

[0134] As shown in Figure 18, the outer conductor 2a and the insulating elastomer 3 are spaced apart, and their two end faces are connection ends, which can respectively abut against the interface (outer conductor connection surface 302) on the side of the device to be connected (first device 20 and second device 30) to achieve electrical connection and form a ground connection between the first device 20 and the second device 30. At the same time, based on the abutment and adaptation relationship between the outer conductor 2a and the first device 20 and the second device 30, the distance between the first device 20 and the second device 30 can also be determined.

[0135] The outer conductor 2a shown in Figure 18 has a plate-like structure and a through opening 21a in the middle. The connecting assembly 10' formed by the inner conductor 1 and the insulating elastic member 3 can be inserted into the through opening 21a of the outer conductor 2a. In other possible embodiments, the outer conductor 2a can also be of other shapes; it should be understood that as long as the outer conductor 2a can form a path between the first device 20 and the second device 30, and the distance between the two is fixed, the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0136] In specific implementations, the outer conductor 2a can be made of conductive dielectric materials such as copper, silver, or alloys. This application does not limit the specific materials used in its embodiments.

[0137] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0138] In cases where the outer conductor is independent of the insulating elastic element, in other specific implementations, the connection device may also include only one inner conductor. Please refer to Figure 19, which is a schematic diagram of another connection device provided in an embodiment of this application. To clearly illustrate the differences and connections between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiments, the same functional components or structures are shown with the same reference numerals in the figure.

[0139] Compared to the embodiment described in FIG17, the difference in the implementation of this application is that the connection device 10 includes an inner conductor 1. As shown in FIG17, its inner conductor 1 includes a first inner conductor 11 located within an insulating elastomer 3, which can be used to realize single-signal interface interconnection application scenarios.

[0140] Other functional components and connections can be implemented in the same way as in the aforementioned embodiments. They will not be elaborated further here.

[0141] In addition to the aforementioned connection device and radio frequency module, embodiments of this application also provide a base station, which includes the aforementioned connection device or radio frequency module. It should be understood that other functional components of the base station can be implemented using existing technology, and therefore will not be described in detail herein.

[0142] In addition, this application also provides an electronic device, which includes the above-described connection device or the above-described radio frequency module. It should be understood that other functional components of this electronic device can be implemented using existing technology, and therefore will not be described in detail herein.

[0143] The connection device, based on a high-density layout structure, can meet the performance requirements of low cost, low configuration, high reliability, and high performance in different application scenarios. This provides a technical guarantee for the further evolution of the overall performance of base stations and electronic devices.

[0144] Furthermore, the ordinal numbers "first" and "second," etc., used herein are only for describing the composition or structure of the same function in the technical solution. It is understood that the use of the aforementioned ordinal numbers does not constitute a limitation on the understanding of the technical solution for which protection is sought in this application.

[0145] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connection device, characterized in that For placement between at least two devices to be connected, the connection device includes one or more inner conductors and an insulating elastomer; The inner conductor is embedded in the insulating elastomer, and the two connecting ends of the inner conductor are respectively exposed on two surfaces of the insulating elastomer that are disposed opposite to each other in a first direction. The connecting ends of the one or more inner conductors are used to press against the first interface of the device to be connected for electrical connection, and the insulating elastomer is used to generate elastic deformation when the connecting ends are pressed against the first interface. The inner conductor is a structure formed by extending along the second direction; In a third-party orientation, the maximum dimension of the one or more inner conductors is smaller than the maximum dimension of the insulating elastomer; The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect each other.

2. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The one or more inner conductors are a single inner conductor that penetrates the insulating elastomer along the second direction.

3. The connection device of claim 1, wherein The one or more inner conductors are multiple inner conductors, and the multiple inner conductors are arranged at intervals along the second direction; The insulating elastomer has a cut at a position between two adjacent inner conductors, the cut penetrating the body of the insulating elastomer along the first direction, and the two adjacent inner conductors are electrically insulated from each other through the cut.

4. The connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The connection device further includes one or more outer conductors, which are spaced apart from the one or more inner conductors in a third direction. The outer conductors are electrically insulated from the inner conductors, and the connection ends of the one or more outer conductors are used for press-fit electrical connection with the second interface of the device to be connected.

5. The connection device according to claim 4, characterized in that The at least two devices to be connected are radio frequency devices, and the one or more outer conductors are used to construct a ground shield link for the at least two devices to be connected.

6. The connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The inner conductor includes a first inner conductor and a second inner conductor. The first inner conductor is located inside the insulating elastic body, and both ends of the first inner conductor are exposed on the surface of the insulating elastic body. The second inner conductor is connected to one end of the first inner conductor and covers the surface of the insulating elastic body. The second inner conductor is the connection end of the inner conductor.

7. The connection device according to claim 6, characterized in that The inner conductor includes two second inner conductors, which are electrically connected to the two ends of the first inner conductor, respectively.

8. The connection device according to any one of claims 4 to 5, characterized in that, The outer conductor is fixed to the side of the insulating elastomer, and the two connecting ends of the outer conductor are exposed on the two surfaces of the insulating elastomer that are disposed opposite to each other in the first direction.

9. The connection device according to claim 8, characterized in that The one or more outer conductors are two outer conductors, which are respectively fixed to the two sides of the insulating elastomer in the third direction, and each of the outer conductors extends along the second direction.

10. The connection device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The outer conductor includes a first outer conductor and a second outer conductor. The first outer conductor covers the side of the insulating elastomer, and the second outer conductor is connected to one end of the first outer conductor and covers the surface of the insulating elastomer. The second outer conductor is the connection end of the outer conductor.

11. The connection device according to claim 10, characterized in that The outer conductor includes two second outer conductors, which are electrically connected to the two ends of the first outer conductor, respectively.

12. The connection device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that The connecting device further includes a structural member, the two end faces of which are respectively used to abut against the at least two devices to be connected; in the first direction, the size of the connecting assembly formed by the inner conductor, the outer conductor and the insulating elastomer is larger than the size of the structural member.

13. The connection device according to claim 12, characterized in that The structural component includes a through opening in the middle, and the connecting assembly is inserted into the through opening.

14. The connection device according to claim 13, characterized in that The insulating elastomer includes a small segment and a large segment connected together, and the connection between the large segment and the small segment forms a first stepped surface, and the outer conductor is fixed to the side of the large segment; The structural component is made of a conductive dielectric material. The through opening of the structural component includes a small opening segment and a large opening segment connected to each other, and the connection between the large opening segment and the small opening segment forms a second stepped surface. The second stepped surface is adapted to the first stepped surface and is electrically connected to the connection end of the outer conductor to form a ground connection between the at least two devices to be connected. The structural component also includes a connecting protrusion that protrudes from the surface of the structural component on the side where the small opening segment is located.

15. The connection device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The outer conductor and the insulating elastomer are spaced apart.

16. The connection device of claim 15, wherein The outer conductor includes a through opening in the middle, and a connecting assembly formed by the inner conductor and the insulating elastomer is inserted into the through opening of the outer conductor.

17. The connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that The insulating elastomer is made of silicone rubber or nitrile rubber.

18. The connection device according to any one of claims 4 to 15, characterized in that The material of the inner conductor or the outer conductor includes one or more elements, pastes, or alloys selected from silver, tin, copper, or nickel.

19. A radio frequency module, characterized by The radio frequency module includes at least two devices to be connected and a connection device, wherein the connection device is pressed between the at least two devices to be connected, and the connection device is the connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A base station, comprising: The base station includes the connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, or includes the radio frequency module according to claim 19.

21. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic device includes the connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, or includes the radio frequency module according to claim 19.

22. A method of making a connection device, characterized by The preparation method includes the following steps: A connector blank is fabricated, the connector blank comprising an insulating elastomer portion and an internal conductor embedded in the insulating elastomer portion, the internal conductor being exposed on a surface of the insulating elastomer portion disposed opposite to it in a first direction, the internal conductor being a structure extending along a second direction, and in a third direction, the maximum dimension of the internal conductor being smaller than the maximum dimension of the insulating elastomer; wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect each other. The connecting device blank is cut to form a connecting device, the connecting device including an insulating elastomer formed based on the insulating elastomer portion, and an inner conductor formed based on the inner conductor, the inner conductor being embedded in the insulating elastomer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The blank for manufacturing the connecting device is integrally formed using an extrusion process.

24. The method of manufacturing according to claim 22 or 23, wherein, cutting the insulative elastomer and the inner conductor forms a cut through a body of the insulative elastomer in the first direction and forms the inner conductor on both sides of the cut in a second direction.

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