Antenna Device Slit Design for Folded Substrate Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna devices that emit beams in multiple directions face a trade-off between substrate use efficiency and device height when folded, as increasing the width of the thinner parts to reduce stress leads to reduced efficiency and increased height.
Innovation Solution
The antenna device incorporates a slit in the antenna layer that divides it into two areas, with the slit's width being larger in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, allowing for efficient folding and beam emission in multiple directions while minimizing the device's height by ensuring sufficient width at the folded part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the width of the smaller thickness part is increased to reduce stress on the flexible substrate during folding, then the substrate stress is reduced and folding reliability is improved, but the use efficiency of the substrate decreases and the height of the entire antenna device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a smaller thickness part only at the specific folding location while maintaining normal substrate thickness elsewhere. This localized thinning reduces stress at the critical folding point without requiring the entire substrate to be thinner, thereby maintaining overall substrate use efficiency while improving folding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the substrate into two distinct regions: a smaller thickness part at the folding location and a normal thickness part in other areas. This segmentation allows different structural characteristics in different regions, enabling the folding area to have reduced stress while the rest of the substrate maintains its original mechanical properties and space utilization.
2Reliability
If the width of the smaller thickness part is increased to reduce stress on the flexible substrate during folding, then the substrate stress is reduced and folding reliability is improved, but the height of the entire antenna device when folded increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a smaller thickness part only at the specific folding location while maintaining normal substrate thickness elsewhere. This localized thinning reduces stress at the critical folding point without requiring the entire substrate to be thinner, thereby maintaining overall substrate use efficiency while improving folding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the substrate into two distinct regions: a smaller thickness part at the folding location and a normal thickness part in other areas. This segmentation allows different structural characteristics in different regions, enabling the folding area to have reduced stress while the rest of the substrate maintains its original mechanical properties and space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna device according to the present disclosure includes two wiring layers and an antenna layer. One of the two wiring layers is divided in the x-direction by a first slit extending in the y-direction, and the antenna layer is divided in the x-direction into first and second antenna areas by a second slit extending in the y-direction. The first and second slits overlap each other in the z-direction. One of the first and second slits is larger in width than the other one thereof. The antenna layer includes an antenna conductor formed in the first antenna area and another antenna conductor formed in the second antenna area.