Phase shifter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10833407-B2
Application number	US-201916527315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A phase shifter assembly includes first and second phase shifters that respectively include a wiper printed circuit board and a rotatable wiper support, where the wiper printed circuit board and the wiper support are coupled in motion. The phase shifter assembly further comprises: a U-shaped bracket having first and second arms, where the first phase shifter is held on the first arm, and the second phase shifter is held on the second arm; and a rack that is linearly movably supported and is drivable to move linearly; wherein the slide holders has a tooth portion respectively, and the tooth portions are engaged with the common rack. By means of linear movement of the rack, the slide holders can be rotated respectively, and thus the slides are movable within a predetermined range respectively so as to implement phase shifts.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A phase shifter assembly, comprising:
a first phase shifter and a second phase shifter which each include a wiper printed circuit board and a respective wiper support;
a U-shaped bracket having a first arm, a second arm and a bottom edge connecting the first arm and the second arm, wherein the first phase shifter is mounted on the first arm, and the second phase shifter is mounted on the second arm; and
a rack that is configured to move linearly;
wherein at least one of the wiper supports is rotationally coupled to a tooth portion that engages the rack;
wherein the wiper supports are configured to rotate in response to linear movement of the rack, and wiper printed circuit boards are configured to rotate in response to rotation of the respective wiper supports within a predetermined range so as to implement respective phase shifts.

2. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each wiper printed circuit board and a respective one of the wiper supports are constructed to be an integrated member; or each wiper printed circuit board and the respective one of the wiper supports are separate parts with each wiper printed circuit board mounted on the respective wiper support; or each wiper printed circuit board and the respective one of the wiper supports are separate parts and each wiper printed circuit board is coupled to the respective wiper support by a transmission mechanism.

3. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each wiper support has a first end and a second end, wherein each wiper support at its first end is rotatably supported on the bracket or on the respective phase shifter, and has at its second end the tooth portion that is integrated or connected rotation-fixedly.

4. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second phase shifters are arranged to overlap with each other or arranged to be staggered parallel to each other.

5. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second phase shifters respectively include a main printed circuit board, and the wiper printed circuit board is slidable on a predetermined area of the main printed circuit board to implement respective phase shifts.

6. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 5 , wherein conductor guiding portions are provided on the U-shaped bracket adjacent the respective longitudinal ends of each of the main printed circuit boards, and wherein respective first ends of a plurality of conductors are connected to the main printed circuit boards by passing through the respective conductor guiding portions.

7. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped bracket is constructed as an integral component.

8. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped bracket is a cast metal member or a formed metal sheet member or a molded plastic member.

9. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one support leg projects at an angle from one of the arms of the U-shaped bracket.

10. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the phase shifter assembly further comprises a shielding member that at least partially surrounds the first and second phase shifters.

11. A phase shifter assembly, comprising:
a bracket having a first arm, a second arm that is spaced apart from the first arm by a gap and a bottom edge connecting the first arm and the second arm;
a first phase shifter that includes a first main printed circuit board and a first wiper printed circuit board that is mounted for rotation with respect to the first main printed circuit board, the first phase shifter mounted on the first arm of the bracket;
a second phase shifter that includes a second main printed circuit board and a second wiper printed circuit board that is mounted for rotation with respect to the second main printed circuit board, the second phase shifter mounted on the second arm of the bracket; and
a rack that is configured to move linearly;
wherein the rack includes at least one first toothed portion and at least one of the first and second phase shifters includes a second toothed portion that engages the first toothed portion, so that the first and second wiper printed circuit boards are configured to rotate in response to linear motion of the rack in order to implement respective phase shifts.

12. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first phase shifter further comprises a first clip that biases the first wiper printed circuit board against the first main printed circuit board, wherein a first portion of the first clip is on a first side of the first arm and a second portion of the first clip is on a second side of the first arm that is opposite the first side.

13. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first arm is parallel to the second arm.

14. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first phase shifter is mounted on an upper surface of the first arm and the second phase shifter is mounted on a lower surface of the second arm.

15. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first phase shifter further comprises a first wiper support that has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first wiper support is pivotally mounted above the first main printed circuit board and the second toothed portion is part of the second end of the first wiper support.

16. A phase shifter assembly, comprising:
a rack having first and second rows of teeth extending along a length thereof; and
first and second phase shifters including respective first and second wiper supports that are each rotationally coupled to respective ones of the first and second rows of teeth in said rack.

17. The phase shifter assembly of claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second wiper supports is configured to rotate about a respective pivot axis in response to linear motion of said rack, to thereby implement respective phase shifts within the first and second phase shifters.

18. The phase shifter assembly of claim 17 , wherein each of the first and second wiper supports includes respective first and second pluralities of gear teeth that protrude from respective first and second curved surfaces thereon; wherein the first curved surface is at a distalmost end of the first wiper support relative to its pivot axis; and wherein second curved surface is at a distalmost end of the second wiper support relative to its pivot axis.

19. The phase shifter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the pivot axis of the first wiper support is collinear with the pivot axis of the second wiper support.

20. The phase shifter assembly of claim 17 , wherein the pivot axis of the first wiper support is collinear with the pivot axis of the second wiper support.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Yang Chongli
• Ding Guomin
• Wen Weidong

Classifications

• H01Q3/32 Primary

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• H01P1/184

  Strip line phase-shifters (H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/246

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title