Wave transmission lines and networks – Plural channel systems – Having branched circuits
Patent
1998-02-17
1999-11-23
Pascal, Robert
Wave transmission lines and networks
Plural channel systems
Having branched circuits
333112, H01D 518
Patent
active
059907592
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to direction couplers and, more particularly, to a direction coupler suitable for CATV.
BACKGROUND ART
In CATV networks, there are cases wherein a transmission route needs to be modified due to an increase in the number of subscribers or relocation of a relay station or the like.
If the number of subscribers increases, the number of branches (distributions) must be increased. If a relay station or the like is relocated, there may be cases wherein the direction of transmission becomes opposite.
With conventional directional couplers, such cases must be coped with by replacing a tap plate with one for an increased number of branches. To reverse the direction of transmission, the cable connections are reversed, or the direction coupler itself is remounted in a reversed right-left position.
However, the reversing of cable connection may not be easy. If an existing cable may be disconnected, the cable may well be too short to connect to the opposite terminal. Since an extension cable cannot be used for the reconnection, it becomes necessary to replace all the cables along the route to be modified. The costs required therefor is unignorable.
The remounting of a direction coupler into a reversed right-left position is not easy, either. Since cables used for CATV are thick and difficult to handle, it is not easy to disconnect cables from and reconnect the cables to a direction coupler.
In works for reversing the direction of transmission, increases in the number of branches are often required as well.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, according to the invention, there is provided a directional coupler that makes it possible to reverse the direction of transmission without disconnecting it from the cables and, further, makes it easy to change the number of branches. The directional coupler has a construction wherein a mother board having a current passing circuit and a branch unit having a branching circuit are arranged in parallel between first and second terminals, and the mother board is connected to said first and second terminals so that current can pass through each terminal, and the branch unit is mounted, relative to the mother board, so that an input terminal of the branch unit is connected to one terminal selected from said first and second terminals so as to allow transmission of a high frequency signal, and so that an output terminal of said branch unit is connected to the other one of the terminals so as to allow transmission of a high frequency signal, and wherein a tap plate having a distributing circuit is connected to a branch terminal of said branch unit so as to allow transmission of a high frequency signal.
The high frequency signal herein includes a television signal, a control signal, and a communication transmission signal as in telephone.
The directional coupler may further have a construction wherein the branch unit is supported to the mother board so that the branch unit can be rotated along a surface of the mother board, with a central portion of the branch unit being a fulcrum, and the branch unit has terminals for input and for output which are provided at positions symmetrical about said fulcrum, and wherein corresponding to the input terminal and the output terminal of the branch unit, the mother board has relay terminals that are respectively connected to the first and second terminals so that a high frequency signal can be transmitted.
Furthermore, the branch terminal of the branch unit may be provided at a position of a center of rotation.
The input side and the output side of the branch unit can be reversed merely by replacing the connections to the first and second terminals where a high frequency signal can be transmitted, with each other.
The number of branch terminals or the amount of branching can be changed simply by replacing the entire unit. If the branch unit is rotatably supported, the connections can be easily changed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating an embodiment of t
REFERENCES:
patent: 3641464 (1972-02-01), Crowhurst et al.
patent: 4476447 (1984-10-01), Lauchner
patent: 5058198 (1991-10-01), Rocci et al.
patent: 5638035 (1997-06-01), Romerein et al.
Bettendorf Justin P.
Maspro Denkoh Co., Ltd.
Pascal Robert
LandOfFree
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