WO2023216588A1

WO2023216588A1 - Phase shifter

Info

Publication number: WO2023216588A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/139179
Authority: WO
Inventors: 沈敏; 余德建
Original assignee: 普罗斯通信技术（苏州）有限公司
Priority date: 2022-05-10
Filing date: 2022-12-15
Publication date: 2023-11-16
Also published as: CN217182385U

Abstract

The present utility model relates to the field of mobile communications, in particular to a base station antenna phase shifter, comprising a circuit board; and a sliding sheet. The sliding sheet comprises a sliding sheet body and a conductive coating, wherein the sliding sheet is movably clamped to the circuit board, the sliding sheet body is a plastic part, and the conductive coating is coated on the sliding sheet body. The present utility model has the advantages of a compact structure, high universality, high applicability, and a simple structure, can save on die costs, and has a notable popularization significance.

Description

Phase shifter

Technical field

The utility model relates to the field of mobile communications, in particular to a base station antenna phase shifter.

Background technique

With the development of mobile communication technology, 5G systems have become increasingly popular, followed by an increasing density of base stations. In order to save the number of antennas in a single base station, operators mostly use multi-beam antennas, which can provide high-gain coverage. larger area. In addition, in order to solve the coverage problem of the base station antenna, the beam downtilt angle of the base station antenna is usually adjusted. The beam downtilt angle can be adjusted mechanically or electronically. However, mechanical downtilt consumes manpower and material resources, so electrically adjustable downtilt can be used. Electrically adjustable antennas are becoming more and more popular, among which phase shifters are the core component of electrically adjustable antennas.

The phase shifter structure of a traditional antenna system generally consists of a printed circuit board PCB, a wiper, a sector transmission gear, tightening bolts and nuts; tighten the bolts and nuts to fix the PCB and wiper at the center hole, while the sector teeth The snap feature is fixed on the back of the PCB; during the operation of the phase shifter, the sector gear drives the wiper to rotate, thereby realizing the physical phase shifting process of the PCB.

Under traditional processing technology conditions, changing the physical length of the phase shifter circuit mainly relies on the relative movement between the slider and the bottom PCB (both are printed circuit board processes, and the Trace layer is produced by etching on the surface), thereby realizing the adjustment of the phase angle; the slider and the bottom PCB The structure of the bottom PCB board is mainly composed of an internal insulation layer and an external copper layer. Based on this processing technology limitation, the external surface structure of the two components can only be flat, and special-shaped structures such as grooves and gears cannot be produced. During the relative movement of the two components, The plastic sector transmission gear can only be used to compress the slide plate to generate a pressing force to make the two fit together and control the angle of the slide plate at the same time; the structure of the plastic sector teeth is more complex and the tolerance fluctuation range is large, so the pressing force is not stable. It often happens that the pressing force is too small and the two cannot fit tightly, or the pressing force is too large and the slide plate is difficult to slide.

In addition, the printed circuit board processing technology is relatively complex and the cost is relatively high. When the phase shifter adjusts the phase angle, the snapping feature of the sector gear is in direct contact with the back of the PCB. Since the sector gear is a plastic part, it is wear-resistant. The performance is generally better than the bottom PCB with a certain proportion of PTFE added. Therefore, during the relative movement of the two, the green oil layer on the back of the PCB will be worn, affecting the service life of the PCB. The printed circuit board PCB also has its own stiffness and strength. Insufficient defects are prone to warping deformation during long-term phase shifting movement, thus affecting electrical performance.

Therefore, it is necessary to solve this problem.

Utility model content

In view of the above technical problems, the present utility model provides a phase shifter, which solves the problems of complex sector gear structure, large tolerance fluctuation range, and unstable pressing force of the contact between the slide plate and the circuit board. The technical solution adopted by the utility model as follows:

A phase shifter consisting of:

circuit board;

Slider, including slider body and conductive plating;

The slider is movably engaged with the circuit board;

The slide body is a plastic part, and the conductive plating layer is coated on the slide body.

In some embodiments, the slide has a first snapping structure;

The circuit board has a second snap-in structure;

The first snap-in structure cooperates with the second snap-in structure so that the slider snaps into and fits the circuit board.

In some embodiments, the first snap-in structure is a buckle;

The second clamping structure is a slot adapted to the buckle.

In some embodiments, the slide is pivotably mounted on the circuit board, and the slot is configured as an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the rotation path of the snap.

In some embodiments, the buckle and the slide body are an integrally formed structure.

In some embodiments, the sliding plate is provided with a transmission structure, and the transmission structure is operable to move and drive the sliding plate to move.

In some embodiments, the transmission structure is a sector gear with tooth-shaped features.

In some embodiments, the transmission structure and the slide body are an integrally formed structure.

In some embodiments, the slide includes a proximal slide end and a distal slide end;

The circuit board includes a front side of the circuit board and a back side of the circuit board;

The proximal end of the sliding piece is installed on the front side of the circuit board, and the distal end of the sliding piece is folded from the front side of the circuit board to the back side of the circuit board and contacts the back side of the circuit board.

In some embodiments, the conductive plating layer is coated on the slide body through a plastic electroplating process.

In some embodiments, the circuit board is a printed circuit board;

or

The circuit board includes a circuit board body and a conductive coating;

The circuit board body is a plastic part, and the conductive coating is coated on the circuit board body through a plastic electroplating process.

In some embodiments, the slider is pivotally connected to the circuit board through plastic rivets;

or

The sliding piece is pivotally connected to the circuit board through a bolt and nut structure.

In some embodiments, a housing is also included;

The circuit board is mounted on the housing.

In some embodiments, two sets of slide plates and two sets of circuit boards are provided in the housing;

The transmission structure positions of the two sets of slide plates correspond to each other and are driven by the same driving structure.

Compared with the existing technology, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

1. A phase shifter provided by this utility model. The conductive plating layer of the slider is coated on the slider body through a plastic electroplating process. The slider can be easily set into a special shape and directly connected with the circuit board. , which avoids the shortcomings of fixing the sector tooth components through mechanical structures in the traditional process. The structure is simpler and the cost of plastic parts is lower, which can save a lot of costs.

2. The utility model provides a phase shifter, which is provided with a slot on the circuit board and a buckle on the slide. Through the matching structure of the buckle and the slot, the slide is engaged and fitted to the phase shifter. In the above-mentioned circuit board, the slider and the bottom plate have a more stable bonding force, which avoids tolerance fluctuations during the operation of the phase shifter and has good use effects.

3. The utility model provides a phase shifter with a transmission assembly on the sliding plate to drive the sliding plate to move. The transmission assembly, the sliding plate body and the buckle can be easily arranged into an integrated structure, which is convenient for processing and manufacturing. It has the advantage of low cost; it also has the characteristics of stable structure and high structural strength.

4. A phase shifter provided by the present invention, the proximal end of the sliding piece is installed on the front side of the circuit board, and the far end of the sliding piece is folded from the front side of the circuit board to the back side of the circuit board and abuts against the back side of the circuit board. Two stable snap-in structures are formed between the slider and the circuit board, further improving stability.

5. In the phase shifter provided by the present utility model, the circuit board can also be configured as a plastic part and a plating layer is coated on the circuit board body through a plastic electroplating process, which can greatly improve the slider and circuit The degree of friction and wear between boards can improve the wear resistance of the product and thereby extend the service life of the product. The circuit board can also be a traditional printed circuit board, which has certain economic benefits.

6. Due to the simplification of the structure, the phase shifter provided by the utility model can be provided with two sets of phase shifting structures in the casing and has a smaller space volume. The two sets of sliding plates can be driven by the same driving assembly, which has a smaller space. High efficiency.

To sum up, the utility model has a compact structure, strong versatility, strong applicability, and a simpler structure, can save mold costs, and has significant promotion significance.

Description of the drawings

The utility model will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of the slide plate and the circuit board in the present utility model;

Figure 2 is a front view of the connection structure between the sliding piece and the circuit board in the present utility model;

Figure 3 is a back view of the connection structure between the slide plate and the circuit board in the present utility model;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sliding plate of the utility model;

Figure 5 is a front view of the sliding plate structure of the utility model;

Figure 6 is a front view of the circuit board structure of the utility model;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a phase shifter of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a front view of the overall structure of a phase shifter of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a front view of the connection structure between the slide plate and the circuit board using a bolt and nut structure;

Figure 10 is a side view of the connection structure between the slide plate and the circuit board using a bolt and nut structure;

Figure 11 is a back view of the connection structure between the slide plate and the circuit board using a bolt and nut structure;

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a phase shifter using a bolt and nut structure;

Figure 13 is a front view of the overall structure of a phase shifter using a bolt and nut structure;

Explanation of reference numbers:

100 is the sliding plate; 101 is the sliding plate body, 102 is the buckle, and 103 is the transmission structure; 111 is the proximal end of the sliding plate, and 112 is the distal end of the sliding plate;

200 is the circuit board, 201 is the circuit board body, 202 is the card slot, 211 is the front side of the circuit board, and 212 is the back side of the circuit board;

300 is rivets;

400 is the bolt and 401 is the nut;

500 is the shell.

Detailed ways

In order to more clearly explain the embodiments of the present utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the specific implementation manner of the present utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without exerting creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings, and Get other implementations.

In order to keep the drawings concise, each drawing only schematically shows the parts related to the utility model, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. In addition, in order to make the drawings concise and easy to understand, in some drawings, only one of the components with the same structure or function is schematically illustrated or labeled. In this article, "a" not only means "only one", but can also mean "more than one".

It will be further understood that the term "and/or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. .

In this article, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly stated and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or Integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be an internal connection between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in specific situations.

In addition, in the description of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to differentiate the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the specific implementation of a phase shifter in the present invention is explained, which specifically includes a circuit board 200 and a slider 100, wherein a phase shift circuit is designed on the circuit board 200 and the slider 100. The slider 100 includes a slider body 101 and a conductive plating layer. The conductive plating layer can be common metal conductive materials such as copper, aluminum, etc. The slider body 101 is a plastic part, and the conductive plating layer on it is coated through a plastic electroplating process. The slide body 101 provided in this embodiment is a plastic part, which can be easily configured into various special-shaped structures. Therefore, the structure of the slide 100 provided in this embodiment can be configured into various shapes. The sliding piece 100 and the circuit board 200 are movably clamped to the circuit board 200 through the clamping structure, which avoids the need for additional sector-shaped components to compress the sliding piece 100 and the circuit board 200 .

In the phase shifter structure provided in this embodiment, the slider body 101 is changed to a plastic part, and the conductive material on the surface is plated by plastic electroplating, which greatly saves the product cost; the slider 100 can be designed as The irregular special-shaped structure is snap-connected with the circuit board 200, eliminating the need for a mechanical structure to fix the sector components in the traditional process, making the structure simpler and with a smaller tolerance fluctuation range. The slider 100 cooperates with the circuit board 200. The situation is more stable, thereby solving the problem of unstable pressing force between the slider 100 and the circuit board 200 in the traditional structure. After the slider 100 is changed to a plastic part, the strength and stiffness can be improved, and the electrical performance has also been greatly improved. .

On the basis of the foregoing embodiments, the slider 100 is provided with a first snap-in structure, and the circuit board 200 is provided with a second snap-in structure. The first snap-in structure cooperates with the second snap-in structure so that the slider 100 is provided with a first snap-in structure. 100 is snap-connected and attached to the circuit board 200 . In some embodiments, the first snap-in structure is specifically configured to be a buckle 102, and the second snap-in structure is a snap slot 202 adapted to the buckle 102, and a fold can be provided on the buckle 102. The latching slot 202 can be a slot that penetrates the circuit board body 201 or a non-penetrating slot that is provided on the circuit board 200. During assembly, the buckle 102 is arranged in the slot 202. After completing the snap connection between the slide 100 and the circuit board 200, in some other embodiments, the buckle 102 can also be provided on the circuit board 200 and a groove can be provided on the slide 100. The same technology is also used. The effect is good, but the slide 100 needs to have a certain chute width to meet the needs of actual production and installation. It is worth noting that the snap-in structure between the slider 100 and the circuit board 200 in this embodiment can also be replaced by other commonly used snap-in structures in the prior art. In addition, the snap-in structure between the slider 100 and the circuit board in this embodiment The connection method between the boards 200 is not limited to the snap-in structure, and can also be replaced by other commonly used connection structures in the prior art, which will not be described again.

In this embodiment, the structural design of the buckle 102 and the groove 202 can greatly reduce the processing difficulty of the slide 100 and the circuit board 200. The buckle 102 can be formed with the slide body 101 through a plastic injection molding process. The integrated structure not only has structural stability, but also facilitates production and processing. In addition, the number of buckles 102 can also be flexibly set to two or more. Two or more buckles 102 are installed in the same slot 202, which can better provide buckling stability.

In some embodiments, a phase shifter provided in the present invention is configured as an arc-shaped phase shifter, the slide 100 is configured to be pivotably installed on the circuit board 200, and the card The groove 202 is set as an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the rotation path of the buckle 102, and the limit changes as the slide 100 rotates. In other embodiments, the phase shifter in the present utility model It can also be configured as a coaxial line phase shifter, a strip line phase shifter and other structures. The shape of the groove needs to be adaptively set according to the type of phase shifter.

The utility model provides a phase shifter structure. Referring to Figures 1 to 2, since the slide 100 is directly connected to the circuit board 200, the transmission structure 103 is provided on the slide body 101, and the transmission structure 103 is It is operable to move and drive the slide 100, and its structure has the technical effect of being easy to process. Preferably, the transmission structure 103 has a tooth-shaped feature and is used to connect with a driving member having an adapted tooth shape. When it is set In the structure of an arc phase shifter, the transmission structure 103 is correspondingly configured as a sector gear. Since the slide body 101 in the present utility model is a plastic part, the transmission structure 103 can also be configured It is a plastic part and forms an integrated structure with the slide body 101 through the injection molding process, which has the characteristics of stable structure and easy processing.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the slide 100 in the present invention includes a proximal end 111 and a distal end 112, and the circuit board 200 includes a front side 211 and a back side of the circuit board 200. In some embodiments, , the slide 100 is specifically configured to install its slide proximal end 111 on the front surface 211 of the circuit board, and the slide distal end 112 is folded from the circuit board front surface 211 to the circuit board 200 The back side is in contact with the back side of the circuit board 200 to form a snap-in structure between the slider 100 and the circuit board 200. This folded snap-in structure also relies on the plastic slide body 101 to be formed, and is easy to process. In some other embodiments, the slide distal end 112 can also be snap-connected to the back of the circuit board 200 through a common snap-in structure, such as connecting the slide distal end 112 to the circuit board through a separate snap connector. 200 on the back. In the aforementioned embodiments provided with the structure of the buckle 102 and the slot 202 , the buckle 102 is provided at the middle position of the slide 100 , and another slot for snapping with the back of the circuit board 200 is formed at the distal end 112 of the slide. A snap-in structure forms two stable snap-in points between the slider 100 and the circuit board 200 , which can greatly improve the snap-in stability between the slider 100 and the circuit board 200 .

Referring to Figures 5 to 7, in some embodiments, the structure of the circuit board 200 is specifically configured to include a circuit board body 201 and a conductive coating, wherein the conductive coating is coated on the circuit board through a plastic plating process. The circuit board body 201 and the circuit board 200 made of plastic have a very obvious cost advantage over the printed circuit board 200, which is of great significance in improving product economy. At the same time, if the circuit board 200 adopts a plastic electroplating process, the stiffness and strength of the circuit board 200 will be certain. With the improvement of the degree, warping deformation is less likely to occur and the electrical performance is improved. This not only solves the problem of insufficient strength and stiffness of the printed circuit bottom board PCB, but also solves the problem of the difference in wear resistance between the plastic fan teeth and the bottom PCB due to different materials. The circuit board 200 suffers from friction and wear, shortening the product life. The slider 100 and the circuit board 200 made of plastic also have better structural strength. It is worth noting that since the function of the circuit board 200 in the present utility model can be to have a structure with only grooves on the body, the circuit board 200 required in the present utility model can also be a traditional printed circuit board. Although the effect of the preparation process of the circuit board 200 is not as good as that of the circuit board 200 made of plastic parts, when combined with the slider 100 structure made of plastic parts, its effect is still better than that of the traditional phase shifter structure.

Referring to FIGS. 8 to 11 , in an embodiment in which the slide 100 is pivotally connected to the circuit board 200 , the phase shifter is an arc-shaped phase shifter, and the slide 100 is pivoted through a rivet 300 For the circuit board 200, preferably, the rivets 300 are plastic rivets, made of the same plastic material as the skateboard and the circuit board 200; or the skateboard can also be pivoted to the circuit board 200 through a bolt and nut structure. The aforementioned bolt and nut structure can be made of plastic or metal materials.

Referring to Figures 12 and 13, the phase shifter structure provided by the present invention also includes a housing 500. The circuit board 200 is installed in the housing 500. Due to the simplification of the slider 100 and the bottom plate structure, The volume of the phase-shifting structure in these embodiments is greatly reduced. In some embodiments, two sets of slides 100 and two sets of circuit boards 200 are provided in the housing 500 to form two sets of phase-shifting structures. Phase structure, the positions of the transmission structures 103 of the two sets of slides 100 correspond to each other and are driven by the same driving structure. In the embodiment where the transmission assembly is configured as a sector gear, the sector gears of the two groups are arranged oppositely and driven by the same driving assembly. Driven, it can significantly reduce material costs and has further economic benefits.

It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed. The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present utility model. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present utility model. These improvements and modifications can also be made. It should be regarded as the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

Phase shifter, characterized by including:

circuit board;

Slider, including slider body and conductive plating;

The slider is movably engaged with the circuit board;

The slide body is a plastic part, and the conductive plating layer is coated on the slide body.
The phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that:

The sliding piece has a first snap-in structure;

The circuit board has a second snap-in structure;

The first snap-in structure cooperates with the second snap-in structure so that the slider snaps into and fits the circuit board.
The phase shifter according to claim 2, characterized in that:

The first snap-in structure is a buckle;

The second clamping structure is a slot adapted to the buckle.
The phase shifter according to claim 3, characterized in that:

The slide is pivotably mounted on the circuit board, and the slot is configured as an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the rotation path of the buckle.
The phase shifter according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that:

The buckle and the slide body are an integrally formed structure.
The phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that:

A transmission structure is provided on the sliding plate, and the transmission structure is operable to move and drive the sliding plate to move.
The phase shifter according to claim 6, characterized in that:

The transmission structure is a sector gear with tooth-shaped characteristics.
The phase shifter according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that:

The transmission structure and the slide body are an integrally formed structure.
The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, characterized in that:

The slide includes a proximal end of the slide and a distal end of the slide;

The circuit board includes a front side of the circuit board and a back side of the circuit board;

The proximal end of the sliding piece is installed on the front side of the circuit board, and the distal end of the sliding piece is folded from the front side of the circuit board to the back side of the circuit board and contacts the back side of the circuit board.
The phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that:

The conductive plating layer is coated on the slide body through a plastic electroplating process.
The phase shifter according to claim 1 or 10, characterized in that:

The circuit board is a printed circuit board;

or

The circuit board includes a circuit board body and a conductive coating;

The circuit board body is a plastic part, and the conductive coating is coated on the circuit board body through a plastic electroplating process.
The phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that:

The sliding piece is pivotally connected to the circuit board through plastic rivets;

or

The sliding piece is pivotally connected to the circuit board through a bolt and nut structure.
The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, and 12, characterized in that:

Also includes a casing;

The circuit board is mounted on the housing.
The phase shifter according to claim 13, characterized in that:

Two sets of the slide plates and two sets of the circuit boards are provided in the housing;

The transmission structure positions of the two sets of slide plates correspond to each other and are driven by the same driving structure.