WAVEGUIDE STRUCTURE UTILIZING COMPLIANT HELICAL SUPPORT

• US 3,750,058 A
• Filed: 12/08/1971
• Issued: 07/31/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarence Jesse Willis, Jon Calvin Jr. Bankert, Milton Lutchansky, Nicholas Osifchin
• Original Assignee: Clarence Jesse Willis, Jon Calvin Jr. Bankert, Milton Lutchansky, Nicholas Osifchin
• Inventors: Lutchansky, Milton, Bankert, Jon Calvin Jr., Osifchin, Nicholas, Willis, Clarence Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieberman, Eli
• Assistant Examiner(s): Punter, Wm. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/205,796
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 174/99R,98R,107,42 333/98R,95R,95,98 138/106,112
• US Class Current: 333/242
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/00 Auxiliary devices coupling devices of the waveguide type H01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/14 flexible

Abstract

A waveguide structure having a compliant effectively continuous support is obtained by wrapping an elongated compliant member such as a rubber tube, a stranded compliant member or a coiled wire around a waveguide in a helical or braided pattern and then inserting the waveguide into a conduit. The pitch of the helix, the elastic modulus of the material, and wall thickness of the compliant member can be varied to change the stiffness of the support and to minimize electrical losses due to both weight loading induced deflections and deflections caused by earth forces on the conduit.

Claims

1. A waveguide structure comprising a section of waveguide which can transmit a plurality of electromagnetic wave modes, said wave modes including the TE01 circular wave mode and spurious wave modes having beat wavelengths with said TE01 wave mode at specified frequencies so that TE01 mode interchanges energy with said spurious modes when said section of waveguide has mechanical deformations therein corresponding to said beat wavelengths;

a section of rigid protective jacket surrounding said section of waveguide and spaced therefrom; and

an elongated compliant member wrapped in the form of a helix about said section of waveguide and supporting said section of waveguide within said jacket, said helix having a pitch smaller than the smallest one of said beat wavelengths so that said mechanical deformation of said waveguide resulting from weight and thermal loadings corresponding to said beat wavelengths are eliminated.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elongated compliant member comprises a compliant rubber tube.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elongated compliant member comprises a structure formed into a plurality of relatively closely spaced coils along The length thereof, said coils having outer diameters substantially equal to one-half the difference between the outer diameter of said waveguide and the inner diameter of said jacket so that said waveguide is supported by said coils.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elongated compliant member comprises a stranded structure including a plurality of compliant tubular members.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a plurality of said elongated compliant members each of which is wrapped in the form of a helix about said section of waveguide, a first portion of said members wrapped in a first direction about said section and a second portion of said members wrapped in a second direction about said section so as to form a structure of intertwined compliant members for supporting said waveguide.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elongated compliant member includes an axial opening therethrough which is compressed when said section of waveguide deflects toward said jacket, said member providing a relatively low modulus support before said opening is completely compressed and a relatively high modulus support after said opening is completely compressed, said member having dimensions so that said opening is completely compressed when said waveguide contacts said jacket whereby further deflection of said section of waveguide toward said jacket is prevented.