WO2024185136A1

WO2024185136A1 - Antenna device and wireless device

Info

Publication number: WO2024185136A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/009102
Authority: WO
Inventors: 良英高橋
Original assignee: 日本電気株式会社
Priority date: 2023-03-09
Filing date: 2023-03-09
Publication date: 2024-09-12

Abstract

[Problem] To achieve cost reduction and gain enhancement for antennas. [Solution] An antenna device of the present disclosure comprises: a substrate; a plurality of antenna elements that are disposed on a first surface of the substrate; a power-feeding circuit that is disposed on a second surface of the substrate that is the reverse side of the first surface; and a first conductor that is disposed to a position facing the power-feeding circuit. A void is formed between the power-feeding circuit and the first conductor.

Description

Antenna device and radio device

This disclosure relates to an antenna device and a wireless device.

In 5G base station equipment, there is a demand for an increase in equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) and a decrease in power consumption. In order to increase EIRP, it is necessary to increase the transmission power of the radio equipment or improve the antenna gain. However, increasing the transmission power of the radio equipment leads to an increase in the power consumption of the base station equipment. Therefore, in order to increase EIRP, it is desirable to improve the antenna gain.

International Publication No. 2022/176285

Here, in an array antenna device in which many antenna elements are arranged, in order to improve the antenna gain with the same antenna area, it is important to reduce the power loss that occurs in the power feed circuit. The power feed circuit is a circuit that distributes the power fed from the radio circuit section to each element in the array antenna device. Patent Document 1 discloses an antenna structure with a microstrip line. Generally, in a microstrip line, a power feed circuit is formed on the front surface of a printed circuit board, and a ground layer is formed on the back surface of the printed circuit board. In this case, since electromagnetic waves propagate inside the printed circuit board, dielectric loss occurs and the antenna gain decreases. Therefore, in order to improve the antenna gain in an antenna structure with a microstrip line, it is possible to use, for example, a printed circuit board with a low dielectric constant and low dielectric loss tangent.

However, printed circuit boards with low dielectric constants and low dielectric tangents are generally expensive. Therefore, there is a demand for a structure that can improve antenna gain at a lower cost.

In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide an antenna device and a wireless device that enable improved antenna gain at low cost.

In one aspect of the present invention, the antenna device comprises a substrate, a plurality of antenna elements arranged on a first surface of the substrate, a power supply circuit arranged on a second surface, which is the reverse surface of the first surface of the substrate, and a first conductor arranged in a position opposite the power supply circuit, and a gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the first conductor.

In one aspect of the present invention, the antenna device includes a substrate, a plurality of antenna elements arranged on a first surface of the substrate, a power supply circuit arranged on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface, which distributes power to the plurality of antenna elements, and a conductor arranged opposite the power supply circuit and functioning as a ground for the power supply circuit, with an air gap formed between the power supply circuit and the conductor.

In one aspect of the present invention, a wireless device includes an antenna device and a transceiver, the antenna device including a substrate, a plurality of antenna elements arranged on a first surface of the substrate, a power supply circuit arranged on a second surface of the substrate that is the reverse side of the first surface, and a first conductor arranged in a position opposite the power supply circuit, with a gap formed between the power supply circuit and the first conductor.

This disclosure makes it possible to provide an antenna device and a wireless device that can improve antenna gain at low cost.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an antenna device according to a first embodiment. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an antenna device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a second embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of dimensions of an antenna device according to a second embodiment. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless device having an antenna device according to a second embodiment. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an antenna device according to a first modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an antenna device according to a second modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an antenna device according to a third embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a third embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a first example of arrangement of a support member in the third embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a second arrangement example of the support member in the third embodiment. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless device having an antenna device according to a third embodiment.

Next, the embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing and each embodiment described in the specification, components having similar functions are given similar reference numerals.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the antenna device 1 in this embodiment includes a substrate 10, an antenna element 20, a power supply circuit 30, and a conductor 40.

Antenna device 1 is a device that performs transmission processing of radio frequency signals.

An electrical wiring pattern is provided on the substrate 10 of the antenna device 1, and a plurality of antenna elements 20 are arranged on one side, the first side, of the substrate 10. The plurality of antenna elements 20 are arranged along the X direction in FIG. 1 (the direction from the back side to the front side of the paper, or the opposite direction). The substrate 10 may be referred to as a printed circuit board.

The antenna element 20 of the antenna device 1 is disposed on a first surface, which is one surface of the substrate 10. The antenna element 20 functions as a primary resonator for the transceiver of the antenna device 1 to transmit and receive signals.

The power supply circuit 30 of the antenna device 1 is disposed on the second surface, which is the reverse side of the first surface of the substrate 10. The power supply circuit 30 is a circuit that supplies power to the multiple antenna elements 20.

The conductor 40 of the antenna device 1 serves as the first conductor and is disposed in a position opposite the power supply circuit 30. The conductor 40 functions as the ground of the power supply circuit 30.

Furthermore, a gap 50 is formed between the power supply circuit 30 and the conductor 40. The gap 50 is, for example, an air layer.

By having the structure shown in FIG. 1, in the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, electromagnetic waves propagate through the gap 50 formed between the substrate 10 and the conductor 40. On the other hand, as described above, in a typical microstrip line, electromagnetic waves propagate through a printed circuit board. Here, the air present in the gap has a lower relative dielectric constant than the printed circuit board. Therefore, the antenna device 1 of this embodiment can reduce dielectric loss during power supply compared to an antenna device having a typical microstrip line.

Furthermore, in the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, the following effect is obtained by the electromagnetic waves propagating through the gap 50. That is, in the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to use a printed circuit board with a low dielectric constant and low dielectric tangent, which is generally considered to be expensive, and a versatile, low-cost board can be used.

As described above, the antenna device 1 in this embodiment makes it possible to improve antenna gain at low cost.

Second Embodiment
An antenna device 2 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the antenna device 2 in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the antenna device 2 in this embodiment is an array antenna device including a substrate 10, a plurality of antenna elements 21, a power supply circuit 30, a conductor 41, an antenna element power supply section 60, a radome 70, a radome connection section 80, an antenna element 22, and a bandpass filter 90.

Antenna device 2 is a device that performs transmission processing of radio frequency signals.

An electrical wiring pattern is provided on the substrate 10 of the antenna device 2, and a plurality of antenna elements 21 are arranged on a first surface, which is one side of the substrate 10. The plurality of antenna elements 21 are arranged along the X direction in FIG. 2. The substrate 10 may be referred to as a printed circuit board. The substrate 10 may be, for example, a general-purpose glass epoxy substrate, but is not limited to this.

The antenna element 21 of the antenna device 2 is disposed on a first surface, which is one side of the substrate 10. The first surface is the direction of radio wave emission from the antenna element 21, and may be referred to as the front surface or upper surface. The second surface of the substrate 10, which is opposite to the first surface, may be referred to as the back surface or lower surface. The antenna element 21 functions as a primary resonator for transmitting and receiving signals by the transceiver 100, which will be described later. The multiple antenna elements 21 are disposed on the first surface of the substrate 10 at a predetermined distance apart. The antenna element 21 may be, for example, a patch antenna or a dipole antenna, but is not limited to these.

The antenna device 2 emits radio waves from the antenna element 22 in the Z direction in FIG. 2 (the direction in which the first surface of the substrate 10 is oriented) due to dual resonance between the antenna element 21 and the antenna element 22 described below, making it possible to transmit and receive signals to and from a communication device in that direction.

The power supply circuit 30 of the antenna device 2 is disposed on the second surface, which is the reverse side of the first surface of the substrate 10. The power supply circuit 30 is a circuit that supplies power to the multiple antenna elements 21. The power supply circuit 30 is disposed along the multiple antenna elements 21. The power supply circuit 30 distributes power to the multiple antenna elements 21. The power supply circuit 30 is electrically connected to an antenna element power supply unit 60, which will be described later. The power supply circuit 30 is connected to a connector 130, which will be described later. In FIG. 2, the power supply circuit 30 is connected to the connector 130 on the second surface side of the substrate 10, passes through the first surface side of the substrate 10, and is again formed on the second surface side of the substrate 10. However, the power supply circuit 30 may be connected to the connector 130 on the second surface side of the substrate 10, and may be formed only on the second surface side without passing through the first surface side of the substrate 10. Specifically, the connector 130 may be a coaxial connector, but is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 3 described later, the conductor 41 of the antenna device 2 serves as a first conductor and is disposed in a position facing the power supply circuit 30. The conductor 41 functions as a ground for the power supply circuit 30. A portion of the conductor 41 is adjacent to the substrate 10. The material of the conductor 41 may be, for example, a metal, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the conductor 41 may be formed in combination with an insulator as long as at least the surface is a conductor. For example, the conductor 41 may be formed by covering the surface of an insulating material such as plastic or resin with a conductor such as metal plating.

Furthermore, a gap 51 is formed between the power supply circuit 30 and the conductor 41. The gap 51 is, for example, an air layer. The positional relationship between the power supply circuit 30, the conductor 41, and the gap 51 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device 2 of this embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device 2 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 at the dotted line portion (a).

The void 51 is formed along the power supply circuit 30. Electromagnetic waves generated from the power supply circuit 30 propagate through the void 51. The void 51 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 3, but is not limited to this. The void 51 is further formed so as to be surrounded by the substrate 10 and the conductor 41. The void 51 may be formed by cutting a part of the rectangular parallelepiped conductor 41 and placing it adjacent to the substrate 10. Alternatively, the void 51 may be formed by placing the conductor 41 cast in a U-shape adjacent to the substrate 10. However, the shape of the conductor 41 that forms the void 51 and the method of creating that shape are not limited to the above.

The size of the gap 51 may be determined by the characteristic impedance, but is not limited to this. The size of the gap 51 may be determined by the characteristic impedance of the connector 130, for example. The characteristic impedance of the connector 130 may be 50Ω. Components that affect the characteristic impedance include the width of the power supply circuit 30 and the distance from the second surface of the substrate 10 to the surface of the conductor 41 that faces the second surface of the substrate 10. In other words, components that affect the characteristic impedance include the Y-direction dimension of the power supply circuit 30 in FIG. 3 and the Z-direction dimension of the gap 51 in FIG. 3. In addition, it is preferable to make the distance between the side surfaces of the conductor 41 adjacent to the gap 51 (the Y-direction dimension of the gap 51), indicated by the bidirectional arrow in FIG. 3, as long as possible. This is because the distance between the side surfaces of the conductor 41 adjacent to the gap 51 affects the characteristic impedance if it is shorter than a certain value.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of dimensions in the cross section of the antenna device 2 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 3. The example dimensions of the antenna device 2 shown in FIG. 4 are an example of design and are not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 4, the distance from the second surface of the substrate 10 to the surface of the conductor 41 facing the second surface of the substrate 10 (the dimension in the Z direction of the gap 51) may be, for example, 0.5 mm. The width of the power supply circuit 30 (the dimension in the Y direction of the power supply circuit 30 in FIG. 4) may be, for example, 2.0 mm. The distance between the side surfaces of the conductor 41 adjacent to the gap 51 (the dimension in the Y direction of the gap 51 in FIG. 4) may be, for example, 8.0 mm or more. The thickness of the substrate 10 (the dimension in the Z direction of the substrate 10 in FIG. 4) may be 1.0 mm. The thickness of the conductor 41 may be 1.5 mm. The distance between one end of the power supply circuit 30 and the side of the conductor 41 adjacent to the gap 51 (the dimension in the Y direction between one end of the power supply circuit 30 and one end of the gap 51 in FIG. 4) may be 3.0 mm.

Now, let's return to the explanation of Figure 2.

The antenna element power supply section 60 of the antenna device 2 connects the power supply circuit 30 arranged on the second surface of the substrate 10 to the antenna element 21. The antenna element power supply section 60 may be a through hole formed in the substrate 10, but is not limited to this.

The radome 70 of the antenna device 2 is disposed opposite to the first surface of the substrate 10 and covers the first surface. The radome 70 is connected to the substrate 10 via a radome connection part 80 described later. The radome 70 has a function of protecting the first surface of the substrate 10 and the antenna element 21. Furthermore, the radome 70 has a function of dissipating heat generated in the antenna device 2 or in a radio connected to the antenna device 2 to the outside. The main heat source of the heat generated in the antenna device 2 or in a radio connected to the antenna device 2 is, for example, a transceiver 100 described later. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 described later, the transceiver 100 is thermally connected to the conductor 41 via a bandpass filter 90 described later. Then, the heat from the transceiver 100 propagates through the conductor 41 and is transferred to the radome 70. The heat source and the conductor 41 may be adjacent and directly connected. Also, the heat source and the conductor 41 may be connected via another component, and the heat from the heat source may be transferred to the conductor 41 via the other component. The other part may be a metal part, but is not limited to this. The material of the radome 70 may be, for example, a resin, or a metal having high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, silver, or copper. The radome 70 may be, for example, made of the same material as the conductor 41. The radome 70 may be thermally connected to the conductor 41. However, the material of the radome 70 is not limited to the above.

The radome connection part 80 of the antenna device 2 connects the substrate 10 and the radome 70. Thus, the radome 70 and the radome connection part 80 serve as the second conductor. The radome connection part 80 is fixed to the conductor 41 and the substrate 10 by the fastening part 140. The fastening part 140 may be, for example, a screw, but is not limited to this.

The antenna element 22 of the antenna device is disposed on the radome 70. The multiple antenna elements 22 are arranged along the X direction in FIG. 2. The multiple antenna elements 22 are disposed on the radome 70 at a predetermined distance apart. The antenna element 22 is disposed in a position facing the antenna element 21. The antenna element 22 may be, for example, a slot antenna, but is not limited to this. The antenna element 22 couples and resonates with the antenna element 21.

The bandpass filter 90 of the antenna device 2 is connected to the power supply circuit 30 via the connector 130. The bandpass filter 90 is also connected to the conductor 41.

The antenna device 2 of this embodiment has the structure shown in Figures 2 and 3, and thus has the same effect as the first embodiment. Furthermore, the antenna device 2 of this embodiment can adjust and maintain the size of the gap by using the shape of the conductor 41. Therefore, compared to the antenna device 3 of the third embodiment described below, it is possible to maintain a higher dimensional accuracy of the gap. This makes it possible to maintain a reduction in dielectric loss during power supply.

The antenna device 2 in this embodiment may be mounted on a wireless device. An example of a wireless device 5 having the antenna device 2 in this embodiment is shown in FIG. 5. The wireless device 5 shown in FIG. 5 is a device that performs wireless communication, and includes the antenna device 2 in this embodiment and a transceiver 100. The transceiver 100 is a mechanism for the antenna device 2 to transmit and receive signals. The transceiver 100 may be disposed adjacent to the bandpass filter 90. The transceiver 100 may also be referred to as a transceiver, an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit, or an amplifier. The radome 70 and antenna element 22 of the antenna device 2 are located on the surface of the wireless device 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the radome 70 of the antenna device 2 may be extended to cover the surface of the wireless device 5.

The wireless device 5 shown in FIG. 5 is, for example, a base station device. The base station device may be, for example, a Node B, an e-Node B, a g-Node B, a Home Node B, or a Home e-Node B. A base station device equipped with the antenna device 2 of this embodiment can increase the equivalent isotropic radiated power compared to a base station device equipped with a conventional antenna device. The wireless device 5 equipped with the antenna device 2 of this embodiment is not limited to a base station device, and may be other wireless devices that perform wireless communication.

Furthermore, in an antenna device using a general microstrip line, the heat transfer path from the heat source to the radome includes the substrate, which reduces the heat transfer efficiency. On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the heat source is directly connected to the conductor 41, the heat transfer path from the heat source to the radome 70 is the heat source, conductor 41, fastening part 140, radome connection part 80, and radome 70. Therefore, by forming the conductor 41, fastening part 140, and radome connection part 80 from a material with high thermal conductivity, the heat dissipation effect can be improved. In addition, in this embodiment, compared to an antenna device using a general microstrip line, it is not necessary to add any further metal parts to increase the heat transfer efficiency to the radome. Therefore, it is possible to achieve low cost and low mass.

(Variation 1)
In this embodiment, the conductor 41 of the antenna device 2 and the radome connecting portion 80 are thermally connected by using the fastening portion 140. Alternatively, a hole may be formed in the substrate 10 and the conductor 41 and the radome connecting portion 80 may be directly connected to each other.

6 is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the antenna device 2 in the first modified example of this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, a conductor connection portion 110 is disposed on a part of the substrate 10. The conductor connection portion 110 is disposed on a portion of the substrate 10 that contacts the conductor 41 and the radome connection portion 80. The conductor connection portion 110 may also be a protrusion formed on the radome connection portion 80 or the conductor 41. For example, it may be a protrusion provided on the surface of the radome connection portion 80 adjacent to the substrate 10. The protrusion may protrude from the radome connection portion 80 in the opposite direction to the Z-direction arrow in FIG. 6. Alternatively, the conductor connection portion 110 may be a protrusion provided on the surface of the conductor 41 adjacent to the substrate 10. The protrusion may protrude from the conductor connection portion 110 in the same direction as the Z-direction arrow in FIG. 6. The conductor 41 and the radome connection portion 80 may be directly connected by drilling a hole in the portion of the substrate 10 that contacts the conductor 41 and the radome connection portion 80 and fitting a protrusion into the hole. In other words, a hole may be formed in the substrate 10, the conductor 41 or the radome connection part 80 may be inserted into the hole, and the conductor 41 and the radome connection part 80 may be directly connected. The radome 70, the radome connection part 80, and the conductor connection part 110 are preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity. Specifically, the radome 70, the radome connection part 80, and the conductor connection part 110 may be made of a conductor such as a metal.

In this modified example, when the heat source is directly connected to the conductor 41, heat is conducted from the heat source to the radome 70 via a transmission path that includes the conductor 41, the conductor connection part 110, and the radome connection part 80. This provides the same heat dissipation effect as the second embodiment.

(Variation 2)
In this embodiment, the conductor 41 of the antenna device 2 and the radome connecting portion 80 are thermally connected by using the fastening portion 140. Alternatively, the conductor 41 and the radome connecting portion 80 may be thermally connected by providing a through hole 150 in a part of the substrate 10.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the antenna device 2 in the second modified example of this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, a plurality of through holes 150 are formed in the substrate 10. The through holes 150 are formed in a portion of the substrate 10 that contacts the conductor 41 and the radome connection portion 80. That is, the conductor 41 and the radome connection portion 80 are connected via the through holes 150 formed in the substrate 10. The conductor 41 and the radome connection portion 80 are connected in the Z direction in FIG. 7 via the through holes 150. The radome 70 and the radome connection portion 80 are preferably formed of a material with high thermal conductivity. Specifically, the radome 70 and the radome connection portion 80 may be formed of a conductor such as a metal.

In this modified example, when the heat source is directly connected to the conductor 41, heat is conducted from the heat source to the radome 70 via the transmission path of the conductor 41, the through hole 150, and the radome connection part 80. This provides the same heat dissipation effect as the second embodiment.

Third Embodiment
An antenna device 3 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that, in the following, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the antenna device 3 in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, the antenna device 3 in this embodiment includes a substrate 10, an antenna element 21, a power supply circuit 30, a conductor 42, a support member 120, an antenna element power supply section 60, a radome 70, a radome connection section 80, an antenna element 22, and a bandpass filter 90.

The conductor 42 of the antenna device 3 is disposed in a position facing the power supply circuit 30 on the second surface of the substrate 10. The conductor 42 functions as a ground for the power supply circuit 30. The material of the conductor 42 may be, for example, a metal, but is not limited to this. The conductor 42 is adjacent to the support member 120 described below.

The support member 120 of the antenna device 3 is disposed between the conductor 42 and the substrate 10. The support member 120 has a function of maintaining the gap 52 between the conductor 42 and the substrate 10 at a predetermined dimension. The material of the support member 120 may be, for example, a metal, but is not limited to this. The support member 120 may also be referred to as a spacer. The shape of the support member 120 may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, but is not limited to this.

A gap 52 is formed between the power supply circuit 30, the conductor 42, and the support member 120. The gap 52 is, for example, an air layer. The positional relationship between the power supply circuit 30, the conductor 42, the support member 120, and the gap 52 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device 3 of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device 3 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8 at the dotted line portion (b).

The void 52 is formed along the power supply circuit 30. Electromagnetic waves generated from the power supply circuit 30 propagate through the void 52. The void 52 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 9, but is not limited to this. The void 52 is further formed so as to be surrounded by the substrate 10, the conductor 42, and the support member 120.

The size of the gap 52 may be determined by the characteristic impedance, but is not limited to this. The size of the gap 52 may be determined by, for example, the characteristic impedance of the connector 130. The characteristic impedance of the connector 130 may be 50Ω. Components that affect the characteristic impedance include the width of the power supply circuit 30 and the distance from the second surface of the substrate 10 to the surface of the conductor 42 facing the second surface of the substrate 10. In other words, components that affect the characteristic impedance include the Y-direction dimension of the power supply circuit 30 in FIG. 9 and the Z-direction dimension of the gap 52 in FIG. 3. The distance from the second surface of the substrate 10 to the surface of the conductor 42 facing the second surface of the substrate 10 (the Z-direction dimension of the gap 52) may be, for example, 0.5 mm. In addition, it is preferable to make the distance between the side surfaces of the support members 120 adjacent to the gap 52 (the Y-direction dimension of the gap 52), indicated by the double-headed arrow in FIG. 9, as long as possible. This is because if the distance between the sides of the support member 120 adjacent to the gap 52 is shorter than a certain distance, it affects the characteristic impedance. The distance between the sides of the support member 120 adjacent to the gap 52 may be, for example, 8.0 mm or more.

The position where the support member 120 is arranged will be explained using Figures 10 and 11, which are examples of top views of the antenna device 3 in Figure 8.

10 is an example of the arrangement of the support members 120 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the support members 120 may be arranged in a plurality of locations along the outer periphery of the substrate 10. The support members 120 may be arranged at regular intervals. When the support members 120 are arranged sparsely as in FIG. 10, the number of support members 120 used is small, and therefore costs can be reduced. The support members 120 may be arranged densely along the outer periphery of the substrate 10. Similarly, FIG. 11 is also an example of the arrangement of the support members 120 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the support members 120 may be arranged in a plurality of locations along the power supply circuit 30. When the support members 120 are arranged densely as in FIG. 11, the dimensions of the gaps 52 are likely to be kept constant. When the dimensions of the gaps 52 are kept constant, the heat dissipation efficiency is higher than when the support members 120 are arranged sparsely. The support members 120 may be arranged sparsely along the power supply circuit 30.

The antenna device 3 of this embodiment has the same effects as the second embodiment by having the structure shown in Figures 8 to 11. Moreover, the antenna device 3 of this embodiment is easier to design so that the mass of the conductor is smaller than that of the antenna device 2 of the second embodiment, so that it is possible to achieve low cost and low mass.
Moreover, the antenna device 3 in this embodiment may be mounted on a wireless device, similar to the antenna device 2 in the second embodiment. An example of a wireless device 6 having the antenna device 3 in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 12. The wireless device 6 shown in Fig. 12 is a device that performs wireless communication, and has the antenna device 3 in this embodiment and a transceiver 100. The transceiver 100 may be the same as the transceiver included in the wireless device 6 shown in Fig. 5. The radome 70 and antenna element 22 of the antenna device 3 are located on the surface of the wireless device 6. Note that, as shown in Fig. 12, the radome 70 of the antenna device 3 may be extended to cover the surface of the wireless device 6.

The wireless device 6 shown in FIG. 12 is, for example, a base station device. The base station device may be, for example, a Node B, an e-Node B, a g-Node B, a Home Node B, or a Home e-Node B. A base station device equipped with the antenna device 3 of this embodiment can increase the equivalent isotropic radiated power compared to a base station device equipped with a conventional antenna device. In addition, it can achieve lower costs and lower mass compared to a base station device equipped with the antenna device 2 of the second embodiment. The wireless device 6 equipped with the antenna device 3 of this embodiment is not limited to a base station device, and may be other wireless devices that perform wireless communication.

Note that this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. In addition, this disclosure can be implemented by combining the respective embodiments as appropriate.

Furthermore, some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.
(Appendix 1)
A substrate;
a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
a power supply circuit disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface;
a first conductor disposed at a position facing the power supply circuit;
an air gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the first conductor;
Antenna device.
(Appendix 2)
The gap is formed along the power supply circuit.
2. The antenna device of claim 1.
(Appendix 3)
a portion of the first conductor adjacent to the substrate;
The gap is formed so as to be surrounded by the substrate and the first conductor.
3. The antenna device according to claim 2.
(Appendix 4)
a support member disposed between the first conductor and the substrate;
the gap is formed by the substrate, the first conductor, and the support member.
2. The antenna device of claim 1.
(Appendix 5)
The member is arranged in plurality along the outer periphery of the substrate.
5. The antenna device according to claim 4.
(Appendix 6)
The member is arranged in plurality along the power supply circuit.
5. The antenna device according to claim 4.
(Appendix 7)
an antenna element feeding section that connects the plurality of antenna elements and the feeding circuit;
7. An antenna device according to claim 1 .
(Appendix 8)
a radome covering the first surface side of the substrate;
a connection portion that connects the substrate and the radome,
8. The antenna device of claim 7.
(Appendix 9)
A hole is formed in the substrate,
the first conductor or the connection portion is inserted into the hole, and the first conductor and the connection portion are directly connected to each other;
the radome and the connection portion are a second conductor;
9. The antenna device of claim 8.
(Appendix 10)
the first conductor and the connection portion are connected via a through hole formed in the substrate,
the radome and the connection portion are a second conductor;
9. The antenna device of claim 8.
(Appendix 11)
The antenna element feed portion is a through hole formed in the substrate.
8. The antenna device of claim 7.
(Appendix 12)
the plurality of antenna elements include patch antennas;
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
(Appendix 13)
the plurality of antenna elements include a dipole antenna;
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
(Appendix 14)
The antenna device is an array antenna device.
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
(Appendix 15)
The substrate includes a glass epoxy substrate.
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
(Appendix 16)
the first conductor is a metal;
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
(Appendix 17)
the second conductor is a metal;
11. The antenna device according to claim 9 or 10.
(Appendix 18)
A substrate;
a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
a power supply circuit disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface, and configured to distribute power to the plurality of antenna elements;
a conductor that is disposed in a position facing the power supply circuit and functions as a ground of the power supply circuit;
An air gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the conductor.
Antenna device.
(Appendix 19)
A substrate;
a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
a power supply circuit disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface;
a first conductor disposed at a position facing the power supply circuit;
an air gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the first conductor;
An antenna device;
A transceiver;
Wireless device.

REFERENCE SIGNS

LIST

1, 2, 3

Antenna device

5, 6 Radio device 10

Substrate

20, 21, 22 Antenna element 30

Power supply circuit

40, 41, 42

Conductor

50, 51, 52 Gap 60 Antenna element power supply section 70 Radome 80 Radome connection section 90 Bandpass filter 100 Transmitter/receiver 110 Conductor connection section 120 Support member 130 Connector 140 Fastening section 150 Through hole

Claims

A substrate;
a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
a power supply circuit disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface;
a first conductor disposed at a position facing the power supply circuit;
an air gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the first conductor;
Antenna device.
The gap is formed along the power supply circuit.
2. The antenna device according to claim 1.
a portion of the first conductor adjacent to the substrate;
The gap is formed so as to be surrounded by the substrate and the first conductor.
3. The antenna device according to claim 2.
a support member disposed between the first conductor and the substrate;
the gap is formed by the substrate, the first conductor, and the support member.
2. The antenna device according to claim 1.
The support members are arranged in a plurality along the outer periphery of the substrate.
5. The antenna device according to claim 4.
The support member is arranged in a plurality of members along the power supply circuit.
5. The antenna device according to claim 4.
an antenna element feeding section that connects the plurality of antenna elements and the feeding circuit;
An antenna device according to any one of the preceding claims.
a radome covering the first surface side of the substrate;
a connection portion that connects the substrate and the radome,
8. The antenna device according to claim 7.
A hole is formed in the substrate,
the first conductor or the connection portion is inserted into the hole, and the first conductor and the connection portion are directly connected to each other;
the radome and the connection portion are a second conductor;
9. The antenna device according to claim 8.
the first conductor and the connection portion are connected via a through hole formed in the substrate,
the radome and the connection portion are a second conductor;
9. The antenna device according to claim 8.
The antenna element feed portion is a through hole formed in the substrate.
8. The antenna device according to claim 7.
the plurality of antenna elements include patch antennas;
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
the plurality of antenna elements include a dipole antenna;
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
The antenna device is an array antenna device.
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
The substrate includes a glass epoxy substrate.
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
the first conductor is a metal;
5. The antenna device according to claim 3 or 4.
the second conductor is a metal;
11. An antenna device according to claim 9 or 10.
A substrate;
a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
a power supply circuit disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface, and configured to distribute power to the plurality of antenna elements;
a conductor that is disposed in a position facing the power supply circuit and functions as a ground of the power supply circuit;
An air gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the conductor.
Antenna device.
A substrate;
a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface of the substrate;
a power supply circuit disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface;
a first conductor disposed at a position facing the power supply circuit;
an air gap is formed between the power supply circuit and the first conductor;
An antenna device;
A transceiver;
Wireless device.