RF module for antenna, RF module assembly, and antenna apparatus including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438252-B2
Application number	US-202318134706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2023
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an antenna RF module, an RF module assembly including the antenna RF modules, and an antenna apparatus including the RF module assembly. Particularly, the antenna RF module includes an RF module, a radiation element module arranged on a first side of the RF filter, and an amplification unit board arranged on a second side of the RF filter, an analog amplification element being mounted on the amplification unit board. A plurality of antenna RF modules constitute the RF module assembly, and the RF module assembly and an antenna housing constitute the antenna apparatus. Accordingly, a radome that interrupts dissipation of heat to in front of an antenna is unnecessary, and heat generated from heat generating elements of the antenna apparatus is spatially separated. Thus, it is possible that the heat is dissipated in a distributed manner toward the front and rear directions of the antenna apparatus. The effect of greatly improving performance in heat dissipation can be achieved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An antenna RF module comprising analog RF components, the analog RF components comprising:
an RF filter;
a radiation element module arranged on a first side of the RF filter; and
an amplification unit board arranged on a second side of the RF filter, an analog amplification element being mounted on the amplification unit board,
wherein the antenna RF module is arranged in such a manner as to be exposed to outside air in front that is defined as a space in front of a front surface of an antenna housing, and heat generated in the RF filter and heat generated in the analog amplification element that are in the outside air in front are dissipated toward different directions, respectively.

2. The antenna RF module of claim 1 , wherein the amplification unit board is electrically connected to a main board installed in an internal space in the antenna housing.

3. The antenna RF module of claim 1 , wherein the antenna housing comprises:
a rear housing forming an internal space in which a main board is installed; and
a front housing arranged in such a manner as to cover a space in front of the rear housing, but in such a manner as to separate the internal space from the outside air in front, and
wherein the amplification unit board is detachably combined with the main board with the front housing in between.

4. The antenna RF module of claim 3 , wherein heat generated from the antenna RF module arranged in a front portion of the front housing is dissipated into the outside air in front that is defined as the space in front of the front surface of the antenna housing and heat generated from the main board arranged in a rear portion of the front housing is dissipated into at least the outside air in front that is defined as the space in front of the front housing, or outside air in back that is defined as a space in back of a rear surface of the rear housing.

5. The antenna RF module of claim 1 , wherein the RF filter comprises:
a filter body forming predetermined spaces in a first side and a second side, respectively, in a width direction of the filter body, and
wherein the amplification unit board is arranged in any one of the predetermined spaces and is electrically combined, in a socket-pin coupling manner, with a main board installed in an internal space in the antenna housing.

6. The antenna RF module of claim 5 , wherein the RF filter further comprises:
a filter heat sink panel closing the open space in the filter body and, at the same time, dissipating heat generated from the amplification unit board from the space to outside the filter body in a manner that transfers heat, and
wherein the filter heat sink panel is brought into surface contact with the amplification unit board for heat conduction and dissipates the heat generated from the amplification unit board, through filter heat sink pins integrally formed on an external surface of the filter heat sink panel.

7. The antenna RF module of claim 5 , wherein the RF filter further comprises:
a heat transfer intermediary arranged between the filter heat sink panel and the amplification unit board, absorbing the heat generated from the amplification unit board, and transferring the absorbed heat to the filter heat sink panel, and
wherein the heat transfer intermediary is configured as a vapor chamber or a heat pipe that is provided in such a manner as to transfer the heat through a phase change of a refrigerant that flows inside the vapor chamber or the heat pipe.

8. The antenna RF module of claim 1 , wherein at least one male socket that is combined, in a socket-pin coupling manner, with a main board installed in an internal space in the antenna housing is provided on the amplification unit board, and at least one of a PA element and an LNA element is mounted, as the analog amplification element, on the amplification unit board.

9. The antenna RF module of claim 1 , wherein the radiation element module is provided in such a manner as to generate one polarization signal in dual polarization signals.

10. The antenna RF module of claim 9 , wherein the radiation element module comprises:
a radiation element module cover formed to extend over a long distance in an upward-downward direction and is arranged on each antenna arrangement unit;
a radiation-element printed circuit board arranged in a contacted manner on a rear-surface portion of the radiation element module cover, an antenna patch circuit unit generating at least one polarization signal in the dual polarization signals and an electricity supply line being print-formed on the radiation-element printed circuit board; and
a radiation director formed of a conductive metal material and electrically connected to the antenna patch circuit unit on the radiation-element printed circuit board.

11. The antenna RF module of claim 10 , wherein the radiation director guides a radiation beam toward a front direction and, at the same time, transfers heat generated from the RF filter positioned in back of the radiation-element printed circuit board toward the front direction through heat conduction.

12. The antenna RF module of claim 11 , wherein the radiation director is formed of a material having thermal conductivity that enables the heat conduction.

13. The antenna RF module of claim 10 , wherein a through-hole is formed in one surface of the radiation element module cover, and the radiation director is combined in such a manner as to be exposed to the outside air in front of the radiation element module cover and is electrically connected to the antenna patch circuit unit through the through-hole.

14. The antenna RF module of claim 10 , wherein the radiation element module cover is formed by injection molding, at least one director fixation protrusion combinable with the radiation director is formed on a director fixation unit in a manner that protrudes toward the front direction, the director fixation unit shape-fitting on a rear surface of the radiation director being provided on one surface of the radiation element module cover, and the radiation director is fixed by the at least director fixation protrusion being pressure-inserted into at least one director fixation groove, the at least one director fixation groove being formed in the shape of a recess at a position on the rear surface of the radiation director that corresponds to the at least one director fixation protrusion.

15. The antenna RF module of claim 10 , wherein the radiation element module cover is formed by injection molding, and at least one board fixation hole for screw-fastening by a fixation screw to the radiation-element printed circuit board is formed in the radiation element module cover in a manner that passes therethrough.

16. The antenna RF module of claim 10 , wherein the radiation element module cover is formed by injection molding, and at least one reinforcement rib is integrally formed on one surface of the radiation element module cover.

17. The antenna RF module of claim 1 , wherein the amplification unit board is combined with a main body in a socket-pin coupling manner, with a front housing in between, the front housing being arranged in such a manner as to separate a space in front of the main board in a rear housing of the antenna housing in which the main board is installed and a space in back of the RF filter from each other, and blocking a flow of heat transferred from a direction of the antenna housing in which the main board is arranged or blocking a flow of a foreign material from the outside.

18. The antenna RF module of claim 17 , whe

Assignees

• Kmw Inc

Inventors

• Kim Duk Yong
• Moon Young Chan
• Park Nam Shin
• Jang Sung Ho
• Kim Jae Hong
• Shim Joon Hyong
• Jeong Bae Mook
• Yun Min Seon
• So Sung Hwan
• Seo Yong Won
• Choi Oh Seog
• Ji Kyo Sung
• Ryu Chi Back
• Ahn Seong Min
• Kim Jae Eun

Classifications

• H01Q19/10

  using reflecting surfaces · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q21/06

  Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart · CPC title

• H01Q9/045

  with particular feeding means (for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428) · CPC title

• H01Q1/246

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title