Integrated Antenna Subarray Ground Plate for Simpler Balun Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional base station antennas have complex structures, making installation difficult and increasing production costs due to the complexity of the balun and the need for multiple components supported by nylon plastic cylinders.
Innovation Solution
An antenna subarray design integrating a ground plate with both polarized feeder and balun functions, using sheet metal parts or PCBs to simplify the structure and reduce components, with air dielectric layers to minimize dielectric loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional base station antenna structure is used with separate balun and feeder components supported by nylon plastic cylinders, then the antenna can provide stable signal feeding and support, but the structure becomes complex and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the balun and feeder into a single integrated ground plate structure. The ground plate simultaneously serves as the balun ground reference and the feeder support structure, eliminating the need for separate balun components and nylon plastic cylinders. This merging of functions directly reduces structural complexity while maintaining signal feeding stability through the unified ground reference.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground plate is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides the ground reference for the balun, supports the feeder structure, and serves as the mounting base for radiation elements. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components, simplifying the overall antenna structure while maintaining all necessary functions for stable signal feeding.
2Reliability
If multiple separate components (balun, nylon plastic cylinders, separate feeders) are used in the antenna structure, then each component can be optimized for its specific function, but the number of components increases and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the balun ground reference and feeder support into a single ground plate component. This reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, assembled, and inventoried, directly lowering production costs while maintaining optimized signal feeding and grounding functions through the integrated design.
3Reliability
If a complex balun structure with multiple dielectric substrates and metal layers is used, then the balun can provide effective impedance transformation and balancing, but the balun structure becomes complex and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the balun ground reference directly into the feeder structure through the ground plate, eliminating the need for a separate complex multi-layer balun assembly. The ground plate provides the necessary ground reference plane while the feeder itself handles the impedance transformation, simplifying installation while maintaining effective impedance matching and signal balancing.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna subarray and a base station antenna are disclosed. The antenna subarray includes a reflection plate, a plurality of radiation surfaces, and a ground plate of the plurality of radiation surfaces. The ground plate is vertically disposed on the reflection plate, and includes an integrated bottom end structure and a plurality of branch structures. The bottom end structure is connected to the reflection plate, and a top end of a branch structure is connected to a radiation surface. A feeder layer is disposed on a side of the ground plate, and a dielectric layer is spaced between the ground plate and the feeder layer. A first polarized feeder and a second polarized feeder are disposed on the feeder layer. The ground plate may have both a “ground” function of a polarized feeder and a “ground” function of a balun. The first polarized feeder and the second polarized feeder can implement both a function of a polarized feeder of the radiation surface and a function of a balun feeder.