INTERCONNECT FEED DEVICES FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, AND PROCESSES FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20130229323A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Ying-Ming, Riley, Brinnan C., Pigon, Brett, Clark, William E., Sprinkle, Steven R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,013,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/905
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6473 Impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6599 Dielectric material made conductive, e.g. plastic material coated with metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Interconnect feed devices (10) are provided for electrically connecting first and second electrical components (17, 21). The interconnect feed devices (10) can include a dielectric shell (23) with an electrically-conductive coating (40), and leads (22) positioned within individual conduits (30) of the shell. Each lead (22) and its associated conduit (30) can act as a coaxial cable for transmitting radio frequency (RF) energy between the first and second electrical components (17, 21). The shell (23) can be manufactured using a process, such as stereolithography, that allows the shell to be formed with relatively complicated geometries, which in turn can facilitate relatively complicated cable routing.

Claims

1. An interconnect feed device for electrically connecting a first and a second electrical component, comprising:

a plurality of electrically-conductive leads;

a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric, unitary shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough, each of the passages having an associated one of the leads positioned therein; and

an electrically-conductive coating disposed on an exterior of the shell, wherein each of the conduits, the associated lead positioned within the conduit, and the coating form a coaxial transmission path operative to transmit radio frequency energy between the first and second electrical components.

2. The interconnect feed device of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises a thermosetting material.

3. The interconnect feed device of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive leads are non-insulated.

4. The interconnect feed device of claim 1, wherein the passages are of substantially equal length.

5. The interconnect feed device of claim 4, wherein each of the conduits has a first and a second end, the first ends of the conduits are positioned substantially in an in-line pattern, and the second ends of the conduits are positioned substantially in a square pattern.

6. The interconnect feed device of claim 5, further comprising an end plate adjoining the first ends of the conduits, wherein:

the end plate has a plurality of through holes formed therethough;

each of the through holes adjoins an associated one of the passages in the conduits; and

each of the leads extends through an associated one of the passages.

7. The interconnect feed device of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of electrically-conductive pins, each of the pins being disposed in part within an associated one of the passages at the second end of the associated conduit.

8. The interconnect feed device of claim 6, further comprising a metallic housing mounted on the end plate.

9. The interconnect feed device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of electrical connectors mounted in the housing and each receiving an associated one of the leads.

10. A phased-array antenna system, comprising:

an antenna element array comprising a plurality of feed arms operative to radiate and receive radio-frequency energy;

a plurality of transmit/receive electronic channels operative to transmit and receive the radio frequency energy radiated and received by the feed arms; and

a plurality of interconnect feed devices electrically connected to the feed arms and the transmit/receive electronic channels, wherein each of the interconnect feed devices comprises;

a plurality of electrically-conductive leads;

a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric, unitary shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough, each of the passages having an associated one of the leads positioned therein; and

an electrically-conductive coating disposed on an exterior of the shell, wherein the conduits, the associated leads positioned within the conduits, and the coatings form coaxial transmission paths operative to transmit radio frequency energy between the feed arms and the transmit/receive electronic channels.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the passages are of substantially equal length.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

each of the transmit/receive electronic channels comprises a plurality of connectors operative to form an electrical connection between the transmit/receive electronic channels and the interconnect feed devices;

the connectors are positioned substantially in an in-line pattern;

first ends of the conduits of the interconnect feed devices are positioned substantially in an in-line pattern that substantially matches the pattern of the connectors;

each of the feed arms of the antenna element array comprises a plurality of contacts, the contacts being operative to form electrical connections between the feed arms and the interconnect feed devices;

the contacts on each of the feed arms are positioned substantially in a square pattern; and

second ends of the conduits of the interconnect feed devices are positioned substantially in a square pattern that substantially matches the pattern of the contacts.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the interconnect feed devices further comprises:

an end plate adjoining the first ends of the conduits, the end plate having a plurality of through holes formed therein;

each of the through holes adjoining an associated one of the passages in the conduits; and

each of the leads extending through an associated one of the passages;

a metallic housing mounted on the end plate; and

a plurality of electrical connectors mounted in the housing and each receiving one of the leads and mating with an associated one of the connectors of the transmit/receive electronic channels.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the interconnect feed devices further comprises a plurality of electrically-conductive pins, each of the pins being disposed in part within an associated one of the passages at the second end of the associated conduit and contacting an associated one of the feed arms.

15. A process for manufacturing an interconnect feed device for electrically connecting a first and a second electrical component, comprising:

unitarily forming a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough;

applying an electrically-conductive coating to the shell; and

inserting electrically-conductive leads into each of the passages.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein unitarily forming a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough comprises forming the shell by stereolithography.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein unitarily forming a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough comprises forming the shell so that the passages are of substantially equal length.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein unitarily forming a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough further comprises forming the shell so that first ends of the conduits are positioned substantially in an in-line pattern, and second ends of the conduits are positioned substantially in a square pattern.

19. The process of claim 15, wherein unitarily forming a rigid or semi-rigid, dielectric shell comprising a plurality of individual tubular conduits each having an internal passage extending therethrough comprises forming the dielectric shell to further comprise an end plate that adjoins first ends of the conduits and includes passages for receiving portions of the leads;

and the process further comprises;

placing a housing and contacts on the end plate so that each of the contacts is in electrical contact with an associated one of the leads; and

inserting pins in the passages at second ends of the conduits.