Retractable Dielectric Waveguide

• US 20140285294A1
• Filed: 06/02/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Haroun, Baher, Herbsommer, Juan Alejandro
• Granted Patent: US 9,166,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/256
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15192 Resurf arrangement of the internal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/001 Manufacturing waveguides or transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/002 Manufacturing hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/121 integrated in a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/165 Non-radiating dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/00 Coupling devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/184 the guides being strip lines or microstrips
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/108 Combination of a dipole with a plane reflecting surface H01Q19/106 takes precedence; strip line H01Q9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/30 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. Yagi antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 : Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 : Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A rotatable coupler for dielectric wave guides is described. A first dielectric wave guide (DWG) has an interface surface at a one end of the DWG. A second DWG has a matching interface surface at an end of the second DWG. A rotatable coupling mechanism is coupled to the two DWG ends and is configured to hold the interface surface of the first DWG in axial alignment with the interface surface of the second DWG while allowing the interface surface of the first DWG to rotate axially with respect to the interface surface of the second DWG.

Claims

1. A rotatable coupler for dielectric wave guides, the coupler comprising:

a first dielectric wave guide (DWG) with an interface surface at a first end of the first DWG;

a second DWG with an interface surface at a first end of the second DWG; and

a rotatable coupling mechanism coupled to the first DWG and to the second DWG, the coupling mechanism configured to hold the interface surface of the first DWG in axial alignment with the interface surface of the second DWG while allowing the interface surface of the first DWG to rotate axially with respect to the interface surface of the second DWG.

2. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the first DWG has a core having a cross sectional shape and the second DWG has a core having a compatible cross sectional shape, wherein the rotatable coupling mechanism further comprises an alignment mechanism configured to align the core of the first DWG with the core of the second DWG while the coupling mechanism is not rotating.

3. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the interface surface of the first DWG is a cone shape and the interface surface of the second DWG is a matching cone shape.

4. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the interface surface of the first DWG is a pyramid shape and the interface surface of the second DWG is a matching pyramid shape.

5. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the interface surface of the first DWG is a flat surface and the interface surface of the second DWG is a matching flat surface.

6. The coupler of claim 1, further comprising a lubricant between the interface surface of the first DWG and the interface surface of the second DWG.

7. The coupler of claim 6, wherein the lubricant has a dielectric constant approximately equal to a dielectric constant of a core of the first DWG and the second DWG.

8. The coupler of claim 1, further comprising a spring powered retractor mechanism coupled to the rotatable coupler, the retractor mechanism being operable to cause the first DWG to wind into a coil around the rotatable coupling.

9. The coupler of claim 1, further comprising a manually operated retractor mechanism coupled to the rotatable coupler, the retractor mechanism being operable to cause the first DWG to wind into a coil around the rotatable coupling.

10. The coupler of claim 1, further comprising a connector coupled to an opposite end of the first DWG.

11. A system with a retractable dielectric wave guide cable comprising:

a first dielectric wave guide (DWG) with one end coupled to a rotatable coupling mechanism;

a second DWG fixed to a substrate with an end coupled to the rotatable coupling mechanism;

a housing around substrate and the rotatable coupling mechanism configured to allow the first DWG to retract into the housing when the coupling mechanism is rotated; and

wherein the rotatable coupling mechanism is configured to hold an interface surface of the first DWG in axial alignment with an interface surface of the second DWG while allowing the interface surface of the first DWG to rotate axially with respect to the interface surface of the second DWG.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an integrated circuit mounted on the substrate and coupled to an opposite end of the second DWG, wherein the integrated circuit is operable form a sub terahertz signal for transmission through the second DWG.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first DWG has a core having a cross sectional shape and the second DWG has a core having a compatible cross sectional shape, wherein the rotatable coupling mechanism further comprises an alignment mechanism configured to align the core of the first DWG with the core of the second DWG while the coupling mechanism is not rotating.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface surface of the first DWG is a cone shape and the interface surface of the second DWG is a matching cone shape.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a lubricant between the interface surface of the first DWG and the interface surface of the second DWG.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the lubricant has a dielectric constant approximately equal to a dielectric constant of a core of the first DWG and the second DWG.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a spring powered retractor mechanism coupled to the rotatable coupler, the retractor mechanism being operable to cause the first DWG to wind into a coil around the rotatable coupling.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising a manually operated retractor mechanism coupled to the rotatable coupler, the retractor mechanism being operable to cause the first DWG to wind into a coil around the rotatable coupling.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a connector coupled to an opposite end of the first DWG.

20. The system of claim 11 being a mobile consumer electronic device.