POWER COMBINER

• US 20140145794A1
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo California, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cap Wireless Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: COURTNEY, Patrick, BEHAN, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,293,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2016 Slot line filters; Fin line filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00

Abstract

A power combining apparatus includes an output waveguide section having inner and outer coaxial conductors, wherein an outer surface of the inner conductor and an inner surface of the outer conductor each includes a substantially linear taper, a center waveguide section having an input, an output, and a plurality of antenna elements, the output of the center waveguide section being coupled to the output waveguide section, and an output waveguide section coupled to the output of the center waveguide section. A power combining apparatus includes an output waveguide section having a central longitudinal axis, and inner and outer coaxial conductors configured to maintain a substantially constant characteristic impedance along the central longitudinal axis, a center waveguide section having an input, an output, and a plurality of antenna elements, the output of the center waveguide section being coupled to the output waveguide section, and an input waveguide section coupled to the input of the center waveguide section.

Claims

1. A power combining apparatus, comprising:

an input waveguide section having inner and outer coaxial conductors, wherein an outer surface of the inner conductor and an inner surface of the outer conductor each comprises a substantially linear taper;

a center waveguide section having an input, an output, and a plurality of antenna elements, the output of the center waveguide section being coupled to the output waveguide section; and

an output waveguide section coupled to the output of the center waveguide section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor comprises a substantially conical shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output waveguide section comprises a central longitudinal axis, and wherein the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor have a substantially constant ratio of radial dimension along the central longitudinal axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna elements comprise a plurality of receive antenna elements associated with the input waveguide section and a plurality of transmit antenna elements associated with the output waveguide section.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the center waveguide section comprises a central longitudinal axis and a plurality of trays arranged circumferentially around the central longitudinal axis, wherein each of the trays include one of the receive antenna elements and one of the transmit antenna elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the trays further comprises at least one active element.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the trays further comprises an input antipodal finline structure including the receive antenna element for such tray and an output antipodal finline structure including the transmit antenna element for such tray.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output coaxial waveguide section has a substantially constant characteristic impedance, and wherein the antenna elements are arranged such that the antenna elements have an effective combined impedance substantially equal to characteristic impedance of the output waveguide section.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output waveguide section comprises inner and outer coaxial conductors, wherein an outer surface of the inner conductor of the output waveguide section and an inner surface of the outer conductor of the output waveguide section each comprises a substantially linear radial taper.

10. A power combining apparatus, comprises:

an output waveguide section having a central longitudinal axis, and inner and outer coaxial conductors, wherein an outer surface of the inner conductor and an inner surface of the outer conductor have a substantially constant ratio of radial dimension along the central longitudinal axis;

a center waveguide section having an input, an output, and a plurality of antenna elements, the output of the center waveguide section being coupled to the output waveguide section; and

an input waveguide section coupled to the input of the center waveguide section.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor comprises a substantially conical shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor each comprises a substantially linear taper.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the antenna elements comprise a plurality of receive antenna elements associated with the input waveguide section and a plurality of transmit antenna elements associated with the output waveguide section.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the center waveguide section comprises a central longitudinal axis and a plurality of trays arranged circumferentially around the central longitudinal axis, wherein each of the trays include one of the receive antenna elements and one of the transmit antenna elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the trays further comprises at least one active element.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the trays further comprises an input antipodal finline structure including the receive antenna element for such tray and an output antipodal finline structure including the transmit antenna element for such tray.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the output coaxial waveguide section has a substantially constant characteristic impedance;

and

wherein the antenna elements are arranged such that the antenna elements have an effective combined impedance substantially equal to the characteristic impedance of the output waveguide section.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input waveguide section comprises inner and outer coaxial conductors, wherein an outer surface of the inner conductor of the input waveguide section and an inner surface of the outer conductor of the input waveguide section each comprises a substantial linear radial taper.

19. A power combining apparatus, comprising:

an output waveguide section having a central longitudinal axis, and inner and outer coaxial conductors configured to maintain a substantially constant characteristic impedance along the central longitudinal axis;

a center waveguide section having an input, an output, and a plurality of antenna elements, the output of the center waveguide section being coupled to the output waveguide section; and

an input waveguide section coupled to the input of the center waveguide section.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor comprises a substantially conical shape.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor have a substantially constant ratio of radial dimension along the central longitudinal axis.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the antenna elements comprise a plurality of receive antenna elements associated with the input waveguide section and a plurality of transmit antenna elements associated with the output waveguide section.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the center waveguide section comprises a central longitudinal axis and a plurality of trays arranged circumferentially around the central longitudinal axis, wherein each of the trays include one of the receive antenna elements and one of the transmit antenna elements

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the trays further comprises at least one active element.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the trays further comprises an input antipodal finline structure including the receive antenna element for such tray and an output antipodal finline structure including the transmit antenna element for such tray.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the antenna elements are arranged such that the antenna elements have an effective combined impedance substantially equal to the characteristic impedance of the input waveguide section.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the output waveguide section comprises inner and outer coaxial conductors, wherein an outer surface of the inner conductor of the output waveguide section and an inner surface of the outer conductor of the output waveguide section each comprise a substantially linear radial taper.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of the outer conductor each comprises a substantially linear taper.