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The present application claims priority to a
Chinese patent application titled "STRIPLINE PHASE SHIFTER", which was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on December 5, 2023 and assigned with application number 202311658855.9 , and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Technical Field
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The present application relates to the technical field of phase shifter, in particular to a stripline phase shifter.
Background Art
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Phase shifter is a device for adjusting the phase of waves and is widely used in various fields related to communication. Especially in base station antennas, phase shifter is generally provided. For base station antennas, reducing losses in the feeder network can effectively improve efficiency, and phase shifter components account for the majority of losses in the feeder network. Therefore, the key to reduce the losses in feeder network of the base station antennas is to reduce the losses of the phase shifter.
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At present, the phase shifters used in the feeder network of the base station antennas in the industry are mainly microstrip-line phase shifters and dielectric phase shifters. Among them, microstrip-line phase shifters achieve phase change by changing the length of the physical path of the transmission line. The losses in microstrip-line phase shifters are relatively high, especially due to the semi-open structure of the microstrip-line phase shifter, which has high dielectric losses and radiation losses. Dielectric phase shifter achieves phase change by altering the equivalent dielectric constant around the transmission line to change the transmission. The dielectric phase shifter has a closed structure without radiation loss, but still has a higher dielectric loss due to the presence of dielectric around the transmission line. Therefore, how to further reduce the circuit losses of phase shifters while ensuring application performance is an urgent problem that needs to be solved.
Summary of the Invention
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An object of the examples in this description is to provide a stripline phase shifter to solve the problem of reducing circuit losses caused by phase shifters.
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In order to solve the above technical problems, an example of this description provides a stripline phase shifter comprising a phase shifting plate and phase shifting patches arranged on the surface of the phase shifting plate; the surface of the phase shifting plate is provided with empty slots; the surface of the phase shifting plate is a printed circuit board; the phase shifting patches are mounted corresponding to the empty slots; a side of the phase shifting patches fitted to the phase shifting plate is provided with a phase shifting conductor in contact with the printed circuit board; a portion of the phase shifting conductor connected to the printed circuit board forms a connection circuit; the length of the connection circuit changes while the phase shifting patch is rotating, so as to adjust the phase of the circuit; the connection circuit is exposed in the empty slots.
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In some embodiments, the phase shifting patches include upper phase shifting patches and lower phase shifting patches; the upper phase shifting patches and the lower phase shifting patches are respectively mounted on different surfaces of the phase shifting plates.
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In some embodiments, the phase shifting patches are sector-shaped phase shifting patches; the phase shifting patches rotate based on a central axis point; the phase shifting circuit is arranged based on an arc edge and the central axis point of the sector-shaped phase shifting patch.
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Based on the above embodiments, the central axis point of the phase shifting patch is mounted to the phase shifting plate based on a rotational shaft.
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Based on the above embodiments, the rotational shaft includes a clamping structure; the clamping structure is configured to clamp the rotational shafts mounted in the upper phase shifting patch and the lower phase shifting patch in the situation that the upper phase shifting patches and the lower phase shifting patches are respectively arranged on different surfaces of the stripline phase shifter.
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Based on the foregoing embodiments, the empty slots are a sector-shaped slots matching the shape of the sector-shaped phase shifting patch.
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In some embodiments, the stripline phase shifter further includes a pull rod, and the pull rod is configured to control the rotation of the phase shifting patches.
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Based on the above embodiments, the pull rod includes a sawtooth-shaped pull rod; a sawtooth rack fitted with the sawtooth-shaped pull rod is fixed on the phase shifting patches; the phase shifting patches being driven to rotate by the sawtooth rack while the sawtooth-shaped pull rod is being pulled.
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In some embodiments, the phase shifting patch includes a first dielectric substrate, a second dielectric substrate and the phase shifting conductor; the second dielectric substrate and the phase shifting conductor form the circuit board; the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate are pressed against each other.
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Based on the above embodiments, the first dielectric substrate is provided with an empty slot with respect to the arranged position of the phase shifting conductor.
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In some embodiments, the stripline phase shifter further includes a cavity; and the phase shifting plate and the phase shifting patches are arranged inside the cavity.
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As can be seen from the above technical solutions provided in examples of the present description, the phase shifter in examples of the present description comprises a phase shifting plate and phase shifting patches. The surface of the phase shifting plate is provided with empty slots and a printed circuit board. Accordingly, the phase shifting patches are mounted corresponding to the empty slots. A connection circuit is formed by the contact between the phase shifting conductor on the phase shifting patch and the printed circuit board on the phase shifting plate. Moreover, when the phase shifting patch rotates, the length of the connection circuit will change, i.e. changing the length of the circuit that is connected to the printed circuit board, thereby achieving the effect of adjusting the phase. In addition, the connection circuit is exposed in the empty slot, i.e. the connection circuit is directly exposed in the air, thereby avoiding circuit losses caused by the dielectric around the circuit. The stripline phase shifter as described above can function to adjust the phase of the circuit by changing the length of the connection circuit on the phase shifting plate, so that the phase shifter can function normally to change the phase; moreover, the connection circuit is exposed in the empty slot by providing the empty slot on the phase shifting plate, as such, there is no dielectric around this portion of the connection circuit and circuit losses caused by the dielectric are avoided, which significantly reduces losses caused by the phase shifter and device power under the same network coverage range and is beneficial for practical applications.
Description of Drawings
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- Fig. 1 is a structural diagram of a stripline phase shifter according to an example of the description;
- Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram illustrating that two layers of phase shifting plates fit with each other according to an example of the description;
- Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a phase shifting patch according to an example of the description;
- Fig. 4 is a layered structural diagram of a phase shifting patch according to an example of the description;
- Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a rotational shaft according to an example of the description;
- Fig. 6 is a top view of the structure of the phase shifter according to an example of the description.
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Description of reference numerals:
1. phase shifting plate; 11. printed circuit board; 2. phase shifting patch; 21. first dielectric substrate; 22. second dielectric substrate; 23. phase shifting conductor; 3. rotational shaft; 31. clamping structure; 4. pull rod; 5. cavity.
Embodiments
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"Green and low-carbon" is one of the main goals emphasized in the current development of various industries. For base station antennas in mobile communication, if the antenna gain is increased by 1dBi while ensuring the same coverage area, antenna transmission power can be effectively reduced by 10%-20%, thus saving 10%-20% electricity consumption, and achieving the goal of green environmental protection. The gain of the base station antenna is equal to the product of the directional coefficient and efficiency. On the premise of not changing the directional coefficient, the gain needs to be increased by improving efficiency.
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For base station antennas, reducing losses in feeder network can effectively improve efficiency, phase shifter components account for the majority of losses in the feeder network, and emphasis should be placed on reducing losses of phase shifter components. At present, the phase shifters used in the feeder network of the base station antennas in the industry are mainly microstrip-line phase shifters and dielectric phase shifters. Microstrip-line phase shifters achieve phase change by changing the length of the physical path of the transmission line. Dielectric phase shifter achieves phase change by altering the dielectric constant around the transmission line to change the electrical length of transmission line. At present, the applied microstrip-line phase shifter has higher losses than the dielectric phase shifter and thus the device in which the microstrip-line phase shifter is applied generally has a higher loss. Therefore, how to reduce the losses caused by phase shifters is an urgent technical problem that needs to be solved at present.
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Thus, in order to solve the above technical problem, an example of the description provides a stripline phase shifter. As shown in Fig. 1, the stripline phase shifter comprises a phase shifting plate 1 and phase shifting patches 2.
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The phase shifting plate 1 is the main portion of the stripline phase shifter. The surface of the phase shifting plate 1 is provided with a printed circuit board 11, which may be different types of circuit boards such as PCB circuit board or FPC circuit board, without limitation herein. The phase shifting plate 1 may be composed of a relatively thin dielectric substrate (8 mil thick) and a printed circuit board 11. For the convenience of following description, the printed circuit board 11 on the phase shifting plate 1 can be referred to as a top circuit.
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The phase shifting plate 1 is provided with at least one empty slot by digging. These empty slots may correspond to the arranged positions of the phase shifting patches 2. The empty slot may be a slot just dug out on one side of the phase shifting plate 1 with a certain depth or may be a hollow structure that is dug out.
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Preferably, the shape of the empty slot may match the phase shifting patch 2, for example, in the case that the phase shifting patch 2 is a sector-shaped phase shifting patch 2, the empty slot may also be a sector-shaped slot.
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Since the main function of the phase shifter is to change the phase, the printed circuit board 11 on the phase shifting plate 1 may be designed according to the requirements of phase change. Specifically, the printed circuit board 11 may correspond to the arranged position of the phase shifting patches 2, for example as shown in the example of Fig. 1. In practical applications, phase adjustment generally cooperates with other devices, and thus the printed circuit board 11 is connected to internal circuits of other devices through interfaces or other connection means. The printed circuit board 11 may also be adjusted according to needs in practical applications, which will not be limited herein.
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In some embodiments, the stripline phase shifter may include two phase shifting plates 1. The two phase shifting plates 1 fit with each other, as shown in Fig. 2. The surfaces of the two phase shifting plates 1 are provided with the printed circuit board 11, respectively, and accordingly, different phase shifting plates 1 are respectively provided with corresponding phase shifting patches 2. Different phase shifting circuits may be formed by fitting the two phase shifting plates 1 with each other, and the effect of controlling the length of the phase shifter can be achieved by connecting the top circuits on the two phase shifting plates 1. The specific means for fitting the two phase shifting plates 1 can be set according to needs in practical applications, which will not be limited herein.
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The phase shifting patch 2 is a specific module for changing the phase. Since the stripline phase shifter in examples of the description mainly changes the phase by changing the length of the physical path of the transmission line, the phase shifting patch 2 may take the corresponding design method to change the phase.
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A phase shifting conductor 23 is provided on the phase shifting patch 2, and the phase shifting conductor 23 may be disposed on the side of the phase shifting patch 2 fitting the phase shifting plate 1. In the case that the phase shifting patch 2 fits the phase shifting conductor 23, the phase shifting conductor 23 is in contact with the printed circuit board on the phase shifting plate 1, so as to complete the circuit connection based on the phase shifting conductor 23. For the convenience of expression, the portion of the phase shifting conductor 23 that is connected to the printed circuit board 11 may be used as a connection circuit. The connection circuit may be a portion of the phase shifting conductor 23, or the entire of the phase shifting conductor 23, that is, the length of the connection circuit can be changed. Specifically, the length of the connection circuit may be changed when the phase shifting patch 2 rotates, thereby achieving the effect of adjusting the phase of the circuit.
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In addition, the phase shifting patch 2 is arranged corresponding to the empty slot in the phase shifting plate 1, so that the connection circuit in the phase shifting patch 2 is always exposed in the empty slot when the phase shifting patch 2 rotates, that is, the connection circuit is directly exposed in the air without contact with other dielectric. In the situation that the connection circuit is exposed in the air, dielectric loss caused by additional contact with dielectric is avoided, thereby reducing the loss of the connection circuit and achieving the effect of reducing power consumption and increasing efficiency while ensuring normal operation of the phase shifter.
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In some embodiments, the phase shifting patch 2 may be a sector-shaped phase shifting patch 2, as shown in Fig. 3. The sector-shaped phase shifting patch 2 may rotate based on the central axis point, that is, the circle center of the sector. The phase shifting circuit may be arranged based on an arc edge and the central axis point of the sector-shaped phase shifting patch 2. In the situation that the printed circuit board 11 on the phase shifting plate 1 is arranged corresponding to the phase shifting conductor 23, the length of the arc connected with the printed circuit board 11 varies as the phase shifting patch 2 rotates, which accordingly changes the length of connection circuit in the phase shifting conductor 23 so as to achieve the effect of changing the phase. Based on the central axis point, a connected conductor may be constructed in any position in the arc edge so that the length of the connection circuit of the phase shifting patch 2 at the same position may be adjusted according to the needs.
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Fig. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of the phase shifting patch 2, wherein the phase shifting patch 2 includes a first dielectric substrate 21, a second dielectric substrate 22 and the phase shifting conductor 23. The second dielectric substrate 22 may be a relatively thin dielectric substrate (8 mil thick), and the second dielectric substrate 22 and the phase shifting conductor 23 form a printed circuit board. For the convenience of expression, this printed circuit board is referred to as a bottom circuit. The phase shifting conductor 23 may have the shape shown in Fig. 4, which is composed of an arc edge and a line segment connecting the central axis point and the arc edge. The length of the conductor of the connection circuit varies while the phase shifting patch 2 is rotating. In practical applications, the shape of the phase shifting conductor 23 may be adjusted according to the needs, which will not be limited herein. The second dielectric substrate 22 and the first dielectric substrate 21 can be assembled together through PCB lamination process, so as to form a complete structure of the phase shifting patch 2.
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Preferably, the first dielectric substrate 21 is provided with empty slots relative to the arranged position of the phase shifting conductor 23 through digging. As shown in Fig. 4, an empty slot corresponding to the phase shifting conductor 23 is provided in the first dielectric substrate 21 through digging. By digging an empty slot, the dielectric around the phase shifting conductor 23 can be further reduced, thereby further reducing the losses caused by the dielectric around the connection circuit and optimizing the power consumption of the phase shifter.
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The empty slot may be provided according to the requirements of the practical applications, for example, it may completely match the shape of the phase shifting conductor 23, or it may fit the shape of the phase shifting conductor 23 while ensuring the structural stability, as shown in Fig. 4. In practical applications, the shape of the empty slot dug in the first dielectric substrate 21 may be provided according to the specific requirements or needs, which will not be limited herein.
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Accordingly, the stripline phase shifter may further include a rotational shaft 3. The phase shifting patch 2 is mounted on the phase shifting plate 1 via the rotational shaft 3, and the rotational shaft 3 may be mounted to the central axis point of the phase shifting patch 2. The phase shifting patch 2 may rotate based on the rotational shaft 3 while the phase shifting patch 2 is being fixed to the phase shifting plate 1, so that the effect of changing the length of the connection circuit and adjusting the phase of the circuit is achieved.
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When the stripline phase shifter includes two phase shifting plates 1 that fit with each other, different phase shifting plates 1 are also provided with the rotational shafts 3. In some embodiments, the rotational shaft 3 may include a clamping structure 31, as shown in Fig. 5. The clamping structure 31 is configured to clamp the rotational shaft 3 mounted on the upper phase shifting patch 2 and the rotational shaft 3 mounted on the lower phase shifting patch 2. When the two rotational shafts 3 are clamped with each other, rotating any one of the rotational shafts 3 will drive the other rotational shaft 3 to rotate, so as to optimize the whole performance of the stripline phase shifter. The specific clamping process and the details of the clamping structure 31 may be provided according to practical applications, which will not be detailed here.
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In order to achieve the rotation of the phase shifting patch 2, the stripline phase shifter may further include a pull rod 4. As shown in Fig. 1, the pull rod 4 may control rotation of the phase shifting patch 2. Specifically, the pull rod 4 and the phase shifting patch 2 have a corresponding binding relationship with each other, and the phase shifting patch 2 is driven to rotate while the pull rod 4 is being pulled.
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In some embodiments, the pull rod 4 may be a sawtooth-shaped pull rod 4, and accordingly, a sawtooth rack corresponding to the sawtooth-shaped pull rod 4 is fixed on the phase shifting patch 2. In order to ensure that the phase shifting patch 2 is able to rotate, the sawtooth rack may be provided on the arc edge of the phase shifting patch 2. The sawtooth rack matches the sawtooth structure of the sawtooth-shaped pull rod 4, and the two will be clamped with each other after installation. The sawtooth rack is driven to move while the sawtooth-shaped pull rod 4 is being pulled, so as to achieve the effect of pulling the phase shifting patch 2 to rotate. The sawtooth rack may be fixed on the phase shifting patch 2 with a certain manner. In practical applications, the specifications of the sawtooth-shaped pull rod 4 and the sawtooth rack may be set according to the requirements of the practical applications, which will not be limited here.
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In practical applications, other implementation methods may be used to ensure that the phase shifting patch 2 is driven to rotate while the pull rod 4 is pulled, for example, the pull rod 4 and the phase shifting patch 2 are connected via a transmission rope or belt, so that the phase shifting patch 2 is driven to rotate through the transmission rope or belt while the pull rod 4 is being pulled. The specific methods for controlling rotation of the phase shifting patch 2 through the pull rod 4 may be provided according to the requirements of the practical applications, which will not be limited here.
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In some embodiments, the stripline phase shifter further includes a cavity 5. The phase shifting plate 1 and the phase shifting patches 2 are both disposed inside the cavity 5. The cavity 5 is a sealed structure, which mainly provides protection to the internal structures such as the phase shifting plate 1, the phase shifting patches 2 as well as the pull rod 4 and the rotational shaft 3. In case that the connection circuit on the phase shifting patch 2 is directly exposed in the air, the damage to the connection circuit caused by other external objects can be further avoided.
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The phase shifting plate 1 and the phase shifting patches 2 may be disposed in the middle of the internal of the cavity 5, so as to ensure the entire balance for facilitating the practical applications. Specifically, structures such as a clamp structure and a fixed plate structure may be provided inside the cavity 5, so as to achieve the fixation of the phase shifting plate 1. The shape of the cavity 5 and the material used therefor may be set according to the requirements of the practical applications, which will not be limited here.
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Hereunder the whole construction of the stripline phase shifter in examples of this description will be further described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a top view of the construction formed by assembling the above components. As can be seen from the figure, the sawtooth rack on the respective phase shifting patch 2 will be driven to move while the pull rod is being pulled, so that respective phase shifting patch 2 will be driven to rotate. When the phase shifting patch 2 rotates, the length of the corresponding connection circuit will change, so that the phase will be changed by changing the length of the line. In addition, the portion of the phase shifting plate 1 corresponding to the connection circuit is an empty slot, so that the connection circuit is exposed in the empty slot, thereby reducing the line losses caused by the dielectric and achieving the corresponding technical effects.
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Based on the introduction of the examples, it can be seen that the phase shifter comprises a phase shifting plate and phase shifting patches. The surface of the phase shifting plate is provided with empty slots and a printed circuit board. Accordingly, the phase shifting patch is mounted corresponding to the empty slot. The phase shifting conductor on the phase shifting patch contacts the printed circuit board of the phase shifting plate to form a connection circuit. Moreover, the length of the connection circuit will change while the phase shifting patch is rotating, that is, the length of the portion of the circuit that is connected to the printed circuit board changes, thereby achieving the effect of adjusting the phase. In addition, exposing connection circuit in the empty slot, i.e. exposing the portion of the connection circuit directly in the air, will avoid the circuit loss caused by the dielectric around the circuit. Through the abovementioned stripline phase shifter, adjustment of the phase of the circuit is achieved by changing the length of the connection circuit on the phase shifting patch, so that the phase shifter may normally function to change the phase. In addition, providing empty slots in the phase shifting plate will expose the connection circuit in the empty slot so that there is no dielectric around this portion of connection circuit and the circuit losses caused by the dielectric are avoided, thereby significantly reducing the losses caused by the phase shifter and the device power under the same network coverage range, effectively reducing the power of the corresponding device, and facilitating the practical applications.
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It should be noted that the stripline phase shifter can be applied in the technical field of phase shifter, and also can be applied in other technical fields other than the phase shifter, which will not be limited here.
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Only specific embodiments of the present application are described above, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any variations or replacements readily envisaged by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application should be covered by the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.