Coupling element for realizing electromagnetic coupling and apparatus for coupling a radio telephone to an external antenna

• US 6,157,819 A
• Filed: 05/14/1997
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pulse Finland Oy (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Finland Oy (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Vuokko, Kai, Annamaa, Petteri
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US08/856,277
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/550, 455/90, 455/128, 343/702, 343/814, 361/816
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use

Abstract

The antenna (D) of a radio telephone radiates electromagnetic RF radiation which is directed to a dielectric body block (10) according to the invention. By means of an inner and an outer conductor (1, 2) formed on the surface of the block a signal carried by the electromagnetic radiation is coupled to a coaxial cable (12) which takes it to an external antenna.

Claims

1. A coupling element for transferring an electromagnetic field between an element radiating at a radio frequency and a particular signal port forming the end of a cable, comprising a dielectric body block and in connection with said dielectric body block,

a coupling hole arranged to intercept an electromagnetic field and to direct said electromagnetic field into said dielectric body block,

an outer conductor to provide an electric ground plane for guiding said electromagnetic field through said body block, and

an inner conductor connected galvanically to a conductor of said cable to guide said electromagnetic field through said dielectric body block to said signal port.

2. The coupling element of claim 1, wherein said dielectric body block is elongated in the direction of a certain longitudinal axis and is confined by a first end surface and a second end surface in the direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, whereby said coupling hole is the same as said first end surface.

3. The coupling element of claim 2, wherein said outer conductor is an electrically conductive material layer on a certain third surface of said body block, the third surface being substantially perpendicular to said first and second end surfaces, and said inner conductor is an electrically conductive material layer on a certain fourth surface of said body block, the fourth surface being substantially perpendicular to said first and second end surfaces.

4. The coupling element of claim 3, wherein said second end surface is electrically open.

5. The coupling element of claim 3, wherein said second end surface is electrically conductive to provide a short circuit between said inner conductor and said outer conductor.

6. The coupling element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said dielectric body block is further confined by a fifth and a sixth surface which intersect said first and second and surfaces and said third and fourth surfaces.

7. The coupling element of claim 6, wherein said coupling element includes on at least one of said fifth and sixth surfaces at least one electrically conductive parasitic element in order to affect the electrical characteristics of said coupling element.

8. The coupling element of claim 3, wherein said third surface is a plane surface and said fourth surface is a plane surface.

9. The coupling element of any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein said third surface is part of a first cylinder surface, the longitudinal symmetry axis of which coincides with said longitudinal axis, and said fourth surface is part of a second cylinder surface, the longitudinal symmetry axis of which coincides with said longitudinal axis.

10. An apparatus for connecting a radio telephone having a first antenna, to an external antenna, comprising:

a cable for feeding an external antenna;

a coupling element between the first antenna and said feed cable, comprising a dielectric body block, a coupling hole to feed an electromagnetic field from the first antenna to said dielectric buy block, an outer conductor on the outer surface of said dielectric body block to provide an electric ground plane for guiding said electromagnetic field through said dielectric body block, and an inner conductor on the opposite surface of said dielectric body block to guide said electromagnetic field through said dielectric body block to said field cable; and

means for detachably contacting said radio telephone to said apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said feed cable is a coaxial cable comprising a skin conductor and a middle conductor, wherein said middle conductor is connected to said inner conductor of the coupling element, and said skin conductor is connected to said outer conductor of the coupling element.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the longitudinal axis of the coupling element is substantially on the same plane with the longitudinal axis of the first antenna and forms a certain predetermined angle with the longitudinal axis of the first antenna, said predetermined angle being selected such that the longitudinal axis of the coupling element and the longitudinal axis of the first antenna are non-parallel.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said predetermined angle is substantially 40 degrees.