Phase Shifter Guide Structure for Accurate Dielectric Plate Sliding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing phase shifters in remote electrical tilt antennas suffer from instability due to machining tolerances, leading to inconsistent performance and coordination issues among components.

Innovation Solution

A phase shifter design featuring a metal stripline clamped between first and second dielectric plates, with limiting protrusions on the plates to control their sliding displacement, ensuring accurate phase change without deviation, thereby stabilizing electrical performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the dielectric plates are allowed to slide freely relative to the metal stripline, then the phase shift amount can be adjusted, but the displacement deviation causes unstable electrical performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephase shift adjustmentVSAvoidelectrical performance stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The limiting protrusions act as intermediary elements between the dielectric plates and the metal stripline. These protrusions guide the sliding motion of the dielectric plates along the metal stripline, ensuring that the plates move only in the intended direction (along the length of the stripline) and preventing lateral displacement. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by enabling phase shift adjustment through sliding while simultaneously constraining displacement to maintain stable electrical performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the dielectric plates are clamped tightly to the metal stripline, then displacement is limited and stability improves, but sliding movement is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent coordination stabilityVSAvoidsliding movement freedom
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping structure is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The limiting protrusions provide guidance and constraint during sliding, but allow controlled movement along the length direction. This dynamic approach enables the system to maintain stability when needed (preventing lateral displacement) while allowing necessary movement for phase adjustment (sliding along the stripline), thus resolving the contradiction between stability and operational freedom.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design ensures consistent and stable electrical performance by limiting displacement of dielectric plates relative to the metal stripline, allowing precise phase control and reducing deviations, thus enhancing the overall stability and accuracy of the phase shifter.

Implementation Method 1

changes a signal propagation rate by changing a dielectric constant around a feeder inside the phase shifter, to change a phase shift amount

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDielectric constant change: Dielectric Permittivity

Data Source

PatentEP4246709B1Phase shifter and electrically regulated antenna
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4246709B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4246709B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4246709B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

This application provides a phase shifter and a remote electrical tilt antenna. The phase shifter includes a metal stripline, a first dielectric plate and a second dielectric plate. The metal stripline is clamped between the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate. At least one limiting protrusion protrudes along a length direction on a surface of the first dielectric plate and/or the second dielectric plate facing the metal stripline. The at least one limiting protrusion is configured to limit displacement of the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate relative to the metal stripline when the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate slide. The phase shifter provided in this application enables the first dielectric plate and/or the second dielectric plate to slide exactly along the length direction of the metal stripline without deviation, thereby realizing accurate control of a phase change by the phase shifter.