Transceiver stacked assembly

• US 6,329,949 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Wu, Hui, Schwartz, Richard F, Ma, Zhengxiang, Korisch, Ilya Alexander, Barnett, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US09/523,913
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/841, 343/872, 343/846, 333/202, 333/206, 333/207, 455/90
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/03 Constructional details, e.g. casings, housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/52 Hybrid arrangements, i.e. arrangements for transition from single-path two-direction transmission to single-direction transmission on each of two paths or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0024 Shield cases mounted on a PCB, e.g. cans or caps or conformal shields

Abstract

A transceiver (100) comprises a stacked metal laminate assembly of a plurality of layers (104-112) inside an enclosure (102). A first layer (104) forms an antenna. A second layer (106) forms a ground plane for the antenna. A third layer (108) forms “front-end” filters (duplexer). A fourth layer (110) together with the second layer forms an electromagnetic isolation enclosure for the filters. A fifth layer (112) comprises a PC board with electronic circuits of the transceiver mounted thereon, and is both mounted to and electronically shielded by the fourth layer. Each of the first through fourth layers is preferably made from a single metal layer, such as a sheet of metal, by stamping. Each of the first through fourth layers is either bent along its periphery into a substantially “cake-pan” shape, or is flat and has a separate side wall (130) attached thereto. Flanges (122 and 124) that are unitarily formed with the filters extend through orifices (126 and 128) in the second and fourth layers to connect the filters with the antenna and the electronic circuits. The connections may be conductive or capacitive. The assembly is put together by stacking the first through fourth layers and then epoxying, soldering, or welding them together.

Claims

1. A transceiver stacked assembly comprising:

a first assembly layer comprising a single metal layer forming an antenna;

a third assembly layer connected to the first layer and comprising a single metal layer forming a pair of filters including a transmit filter and a receive filter and further forming a combiner which together with the filters of the third layer forms a duplexer;

a second assembly layer connected to and interposed between the first and the third layers and comprising a single metal layer forming a ground plane of the antenna; and

a fourth assembly layer connected to the third layer and comprising a single metal layer forming together with the second layer an electromagnetic isolation enclosure for the filter.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

a first one of the first and the third layers forms a pair of flanges that extend through the second layer to a second one of the first and the third layers to couple the filters to the combiner.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

each layer includes walls that serve to connect the layer to an adjacent layer and to space a rest of the layer from the adjacent layer.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein:

the walls of each frame include a flange along a periphery of the frame having a width of about one-quarter wavelength of an operating frequency of the transceiver stacked assembly and closely spaced from or contacting the adjacent layer.

5. A method of making the assembly of claim 1 comprising:

stacking the assembly layers adjacent to each other; and

one of epoxying, soldering, welding, and mechanically attaching the assembly layers together.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

stamping each assembly layer out of a single sheet of metal.

7. An assembly made by the method of claim 5.

14. A method of making the assembly of claim 1 comprising:

stamping each single metal layer assembly layer out of a single sheet of metal;

stacking the assembly layers adjacent to each other; and

one of epoxying, soldering, welding, and mechanically attaching the assembly layers together.

15. An assembly made by the method of claim 14.

8. A transceiver stacked assembly comprising:

a first assembly layer forming an antenna;

a third assembly layer connected to the first layer and forming a filter;

a second assembly layer connected to and interposed between the first and the third layers and forming a ground plane of the antenna;

a fourth assembly layer connected to the third layer and forming together with the second layer an electromagnetic isolation enclosure for the filter; and

a fifth layer connected to the third and fourth layers and defining electronic circuitry of the transceiver which is electromagnetically shielded by the fourth layer.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the first layer comprises a single metal layer forming the antenna;

the second layer comprises a single metal layer;

the third layer comprises a single metal layer forming the filter; and

the fourth layer comprises a single metal layer.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the filter of the third layer comprises a pair of filters including a transmit filter and a receive filter.

11. The assembly of claim 9 wherein:

a first one of the first and the third layers forms a flange that extends through the second layer to a second one of the first and the third layers to couple the filter to the antenna.

12. The assembly of claim 9 wherein:

each metal layer is formed from a single sheet of metal into a cake-pan shape.

13. The assembly of claim 9 wherein:

each layer is made by stamping, etching, or mechanically forming the layer from a single sheet of metal.

16. The assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the fifth layer comprises a printed circuit board having electronic components mounted thereon, the printed circuit board being mounted on the fourth layer.

17. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising:

an electromagnetically permeable housing surrounding the assembly of the first through fourth layers.

18. A transceiver assembly comprising:

a first assembly layer comprising a single metal layer forming an antenna;

a third assembly layer connected to the first layer and comprising a single metal layer forming a filter;

a second assembly layer connected to and interposed between the first and the third layers and comprising a single metal layer forming a ground plane of the antenna; and

a fourth assembly layer connected to the third layer and comprising a single metal layer forming together with the second layer an electromagnetic isolation enclosure for the filter;

wherein

each metal layer has a unitary construction including a frame formed by a bent periphery of the layer that serves to connect the layer to an adjacent layer and to space a rest of the layer from the adjacent layer.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein:

the antenna and the filter are interconnected with each other in a connectorless manner.

20. A transceiver stacked assembly comprising:

a first assembly layer forming an antenna;

a third assembly layer connected to the first layer and forming a filter;

a second assembly layer connected to and interposed between the first and the third layers and forming a ground plane of the antenna;

a fourth assembly layer connected to the third layer and forming together with the second layer an electromagnetic isolation enclosure for the filter; and

a fifth layer connected to the fourth layer and defining electronic circuitry of the transceiver which is electromagnetically shielded by the fourth layer; and

wherein

the filter includes flanges bent away from a plane of the third layer,

the second and the fourth metal layers include orifices each having at least one of the flanges extending therethrough,

the flange that extends through the orifice of the second layer connects the filter to the antenna, and

the flange that extends through the orifice of the fourth layer connects the filter to the electronic circuitry.

21. The assembly of claim 20 wherein:

the layers are connected by being one of epoxied, soldered, welded, and mechanically attached together.

22. The assembly of claim 20 wherein:

the flanges effect capacitive-coupling connections to the electronic circuitry and to the antenna.