Method of manufacturing microwave filter components and microwave filter components formed thereby

• US 6,904,666 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alford, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WAMSLEY, PATRICK G
• Application Number:
  US10/631,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 295/921, 298/25, 296/00, 295/94, 295/95, 298/30, 29/253.5, 333/202, 204/192.18
• US Class Current: 29/592.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/007 Manufacturing frequency-selective devices resonators H01P11/008
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A simplified method for forming passive microwave components, such as a filter, and passive microwave components formed by the method. The method includes forming a ceramic insert having a plurality of resonator regions and then die casting an outer casing of a conductive material about the ceramic insert. Each resonator region has a cavity that may be filled with the conductive material used to die cast the outer casing or, alternatively, may be filled with a resonator rod made of different materials than the encapsulating metal.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a microwave filter comprising:

forming a ceramic insert having a plurality of resonator regions;

placing the ceramic insert inside a die,

introducing a molten metal into the die; and

allowing the molten metal to solidity so as to encapsulate the ceramic insert.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of resonator regions includes a cavity, and further comprising:

inserting one of a plurality of resonator rods into each of the cavities.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of resonator rods is shorter than the corresponding cavity to define an air gap.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the resonator rod is formed of a first material having a different composition than a second material forming the encapsulating metal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of resonator regions has a cavity, and introducing the molten metal further comprises:

allowing the molten metal to fill each cavity thereby forming a corresponding resonator rod.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

machining the solidified metal to add an input port and an output port.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a plurality of tuning adjustment elements each associated with one of the resonator regions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic insert is formed by a manufacturing technique selected from the group consisting of ceramic injection molding, casting and extruding.