Octave band gap diplexer

• US 5,471,177 A
• Filed: 07/29/1994
• Issued: 11/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Steinberg, Fritz, Hudspeth, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): GENSLER, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US08/286,034
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 333/110, 333/126, 333/129, 333/134, 333/135
• US Class Current: 333/126
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2138 using hollow waveguide filters H01P1/2131 takes precedence

Abstract

A diplexer (14) has a first rectangular waveguide (38) extending from a front port (16) to a back wall (70), the back wall having a rectangular opening (72) therein constituting a section of a second rectangular waveguide (20) and serving as a back port (18) of the diplexer. A first spectral region of electromagnetic power communicates between the front port and a side port (28), and a second spectral region of electromagnetic power communicates between the front port and the back port. A center frequency of the second spectral region is greater than a center frequency of the first spectral region by a factor greater than or equal approximately to two. The side port includes an aperture (126) disposed in a sidewall (42) of the first waveguide, a third waveguide (32), and a coupling element (128) extending from the third waveguide through the aperture into the first waveguide for coupling electromagnetic power at the first spectral region between the first and the third waveguides. Coupled resonators (112, 124) disposed within the third waveguide provide a bandpass filter characteristic at the first spectral region, and inhibit propagation of electromagnetic power at the second spectral region between the first and the second waveguides. Within the inner conductor are two spaced apart cylindrical elements (100, 112) constituting plates of a capacitor (102).

Claims

1. A diplexer having a front port and a back port and a side port for communicating a first spectral region of electromagnetic power between said front port and said side port and a second spectral region of electromagnetic power between said front port and said back port, wherein a center frequency of said second spectral region is greater than a center frequency of said first spectral region by a factor greater than or equal approximately to two, the diplexer comprising:

a first waveguide and a second waveguide each having a rectangular cross section and supporting a transverse electric mode of electromagnetic wave, said first waveguide having a cut-off frequency below said first spectral region, said second waveguide having a cut-off frequency below said second spectral region and above said first spectral region;

a back wall terminating said first waveguide, said back wall having an opening through which said second waveguide extends for communicating with said first waveguide, said opening having cross sectional dimensions smaller than corresponding cross sectional dimensions of said first waveguide, said opening serving as said back port, said back wall serving as a shorting element to inhibit propagation of radiation at said first spectral region into said second waveguide, an end of said first waveguide opposite said back wall serving as said front port; and

wherein said side port comprises an aperture disposed in a sidewall of said first waveguide, a third waveguide, and a coupling element extending from said third waveguide through said aperture into said first waveguide for coupling electromagnetic power at said first spectral region between said first and said third waveguides; and

tuning means disposed within said third waveguide for inhibiting propagation of electromagnetic power at said second spectral region between said first and said third waveguides.

2. A diplexer according to claim 1 wherein said third waveguide is a coaxial transmission line having an inner conductor and an outer conductor encircling said inner conductor for supporting a transverse electromagnetic mode of electromagnetic wave.

3. A diplexer according to claim 2 wherein said coupling element is a probe oriented perpendicular to said inner conductor, and said tuning means is connected between said probe and said inner conductor.

4. A diplexer according to claim 3 wherein said tuning means is a band pass filter which passes said first spectral region and attenuates said second spectral region.

5. A diplexer according to claim 4 wherein said filter comprises a first resonator which is the said probe disposed perpendicularly with said inner conductor, and a second elongated resonator disposed coaxially with said inner conductor, said two resonators being inductively coupled.

6. A diplexer according to claim 5 wherein, in said coaxial transmission line, said outer conductor has a square cross section, at least a portion of said inner conductor lying in a plane parallel to an axis of said first waveguide.

7. A diplexer according to claim 6 further comprising a conductive plate extending within said coaxial transmission line from said outer conductor to a junction between said resonators, said plate serving to determine an amount of the inductive coupling between said resonators and to determine a coupling coefficient of said filter.

8. A diplexer according to claim 5 further comprising a capacitor interconnecting said second resonator of said filter with a portion of said inner conductor.

9. A diplexer according to claim 8 wherein plate elements of said capacitor are configured as cylindrical sections spaced apart from each other across a gap of said capacitor and are arranged coaxially along the axis of said inner conductor.

10. A diplexer according to claim 9 wherein said cylindrical sections have annular end surfaces facing each other across said gap.

11. A diplexer according to claim 9 further comprising a tuning ring slidably positioned along one of said cylindrical sections of said capacitor.

12. A diplexer according to claim 9 further comprising a tuning ring slidably positioned along one of said resonators for tuning said resonator.

13. A diplexer according to claim 9 further comprising a pair of tuning rings slidably positioned along respective ones of said cylindrical sections of said capacitor for adjusting capacitance of said capacitor.

14. A diplexer according to claim 13 wherein said capacitor comprises an insulating bushing of dielectric material disposed in said gap contiguous with end faces of said cylindrical sections of said capacitor.

15. A diplexer according to claim 14 wherein one of said resonators coincides with one of said cylindrical sections of said capacitor to permit a sliding of one of said tuning rings along both said one cylindrical section and said one resonator.

16. A diplexer according to claim 15 wherein said coaxial transmission line further comprises dielectric spacers disposed between said inner and said outer conductor for positioning said inner conductor within said outer conductor, and means connecting with said outer conductor for tightening said spacers against said inner and said outer conductors.

17. A diplexer according to claim 16 wherein, in said coaxial transmission line, said outer conductor has a square cross section, at least a portion of said inner conductor lying in a plane parallel to an axis of said first waveguide, and wherein said tightening means comprises screws mounted to an outer wall region of said third waveguide.

18. A diplexer according to claim 2 wherein said coaxial transmission line further comprises dielectric spacers disposed between said inner and said outer conductor for positioning said inner conductor within said outer conductor, and means connecting with said outer conductor for tightening said spacers against said inner and said outer conductors.

19. A diplexer according to claim 18 wherein, in said coaxial transmission line, said outer conductor has a square cross section, at least a portion of said inner conductor lying in a plane parallel to an axis of said first waveguide, and wherein said tightening means comprises screws mounted to an outer wall region of said third waveguide.