Method of and apparatus for connecting waveguides
First Claim
1. A waveguide connector for coupling an elliptical waveguide to a rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly, said waveguide connector comprising:
- a one-piece unitary housing having a passageway formed therethrough, opposite ends thereof being adapted to engage the elliptical waveguide and the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly;
said passage having an axially inwardly extending elliptical waveguide receiving portion, an inner surface of the elliptical waveguide receiving portion terminating in a shoulder for abutting an end portion of the elliptical waveguide thereagainst; and
said housing having only a single flange, said flange being a rectangular-waveguide mounting flange adapted to connect to the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A waveguide connector for connecting an elliptical waveguide to a rectangular waveguide includes an elliptical-waveguide-receiving portion adapted to receive an end portion of an elliptical waveguide. The waveguide connector also includes a rectangular-waveguide-connecting portion adapted to connect to an end portion of a rectangular waveguide. After the end portion of the elliptical waveguide has been received in the elliptical-waveguide-receiving portion of the waveguide connector, the elliptical waveguide and the waveguide connector are soldered together. The rectangular-waveguide-connecting portion of the waveguide connector includes a flange with attachment points therein. The rectangular-waveguide-connecting portion of the waveguide connector is attached to a rectangular waveguide through the attachment points via screws, bolts, or the like. One embodiment of the waveguide connector includes unitary construction wherein a stepped transformer having transition sections is formed therewith.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A waveguide connector for coupling an elliptical waveguide to a rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly, said waveguide connector comprising:
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a one-piece unitary housing having a passageway formed therethrough, opposite ends thereof being adapted to engage the elliptical waveguide and the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly;
said passage having an axially inwardly extending elliptical waveguide receiving portion, an inner surface of the elliptical waveguide receiving portion terminating in a shoulder for abutting an end portion of the elliptical waveguide thereagainst; and
said housing having only a single flange, said flange being a rectangular-waveguide mounting flange adapted to connect to the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
said stepped transformer comprises a plurality of transition sections having sufficiently-small dimensions to cut off a first excitable higher order mode in a pre-defined frequency band;
at least one transition section of said stepped transformer comprises an elongated transverse cross section that is symmetrical about two mutually-perpendicular transverse axes common to corresponding axes of the rectangular waveguide and of the elliptical waveguide;
the elongated transverse cross section comprises a dimension that increases progressively from step to step along a length of the transformer; and
each step increases in the direction of both of the mutually-perpendicular transverse axes such that both a cut-off frequency and an impedance of the stepped transformer vary monotonically along the length of the stepped transformer.
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5. The waveguide connector of claim 1, further comprising a stepped transformer, wherein a transverse cross section of said stepped transformer has a generally rectangular shape, a width and a height of the generally rectangular shape increasing progressively from step to step along a length of the stepped transformer.
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6. The waveguide connector of claim 5, wherein the generally rectangular shape of the transverse cross section comprises arcuate corners.
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7. The waveguide connector of claim 1, further comprising a stepped transformer, wherein a cutoff frequency of said stepped transformer progressively increases, at each step, from a waveguide having a lower cutoff frequency toward a waveguide having a higher cutoff frequency.
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8. The waveguide connector of claim 1, further comprising a stepped transformer, wherein an impedance of said stepped transformer progressively increases from a waveguide having a lower impedance toward a waveguide having a higher impedance.
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9. The waveguide connector of claim 1, wherein said elliptical waveguide receiving portion is constructed with a pair of oppositely disposed solder ports adapted for permitting the introduction of solder and the securement of a non-flared waveguide therein.
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10. A method of connecting an elliptical waveguide to a rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly comprising:
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providing a waveguide connector having a one-piece, unitary housing comprising an elliptical waveguide receiving portion and only a single flange;
inserting an end portion of the elliptical waveguide axially into a receiving sleeve formed in the elliptical waveguide receiving portion;
securing the end portion of the elliptical waveguide to the elliptical waveguide receiving portion; and
fastening the flange to the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of connecting an elliptical waveguide to a rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly comprising:
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providing a one-piece, unitary housing having an elliptical waveguide receiving portion in a first end thereof and only a single flange in a second end thereof, the housing further including a passageway passing through the elliptical waveguide receiving portion and the single flange;
inserting an end of the elliptical waveguide axially into the elliptical waveguide receiving portion;
securing the end of the elliptical waveguide to the elliptical waveguide receiving portion; and
fastening the single flange to the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A waveguide connector adapted to be coupled to an elliptical waveguide, the waveguide connector comprising:
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a one-piece, unitary housing having a passageway formed therethrough, an end of said passageway being adapted to receive and surroundingly engage an axial end part of the elliptical waveguide thereby defining an elliptical waveguide receiving portion;
an inner surface of the elliptical waveguide receiving portion terminating in a shoulder for abutting an outer end surface of said elliptical waveguide thereagainst;
means for securing the end surface of the elliptical waveguide in abutment against said shoulder; and
a single flange for connecting said waveguide connector to a rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
said stepped transformer comprises a plurality of transition sections having sufficiently-small dimensions to cut off a first excitable higher order mode in a pre-defined frequency band;
at least one transition section of said stepped transformer comprises an elongated transverse cross section that is symmetrical about two mutually-perpendicular transverse axes common to corresponding axes of a rectangular waveguide of the rectangular waveguide and mounting flange assembly and of the elliptical waveguide; and
mutually-perpendicular transverse axial dimensions of said transition sections increase such that both a cut-off frequency and an impedance of the stepped transformer vary monotonically along a length of the stepped transformer.
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30. The waveguide connector of claim 29, wherein the generally rectangular shape of said transverse cross section includes arcuate corners.
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31. The waveguide connector of claim 23, further comprising a stepped transformer wherein a transverse cross section of said stepped transformer has a generally rectangular shape, a width and a height of the generally rectangular shape increasing progressively from step to step along a length of said stepped transformer.
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32. The waveguide connector of claim 23, further comprising a stepped transformer wherein a cutoff frequency of said stepped transformer progressively increases, at each step, from a waveguide having a lower cutoff frequency toward a waveguide having a higher cutoff frequency.
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33. The waveguide connector of claim 23, further comprising a stepped transformer, wherein an impedance of said stepped transformer progressively increases from a waveguide having a lower impedance toward a waveguide having a higher impedance.
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34. The waveguide connector of claim 23, wherein the waveguide connector is made of unitary construction.
Specification