Wave transmission lines and networks – Plural channel systems – Nonreciprocal gyromagnetic type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2003-05-13
Bettendorf, Justin P. (Department: 2817)
Wave transmission lines and networks
Plural channel systems
Nonreciprocal gyromagnetic type
C333S024200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06563394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a coaxial circulator and an element sharing device, and more particularly, to a coaxial circulator constructed so that a ferrite member to which a static magnetic field is applied is positioned at a junction of a Y-shaped strip conductor and an element sharing device using such a circulator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an element sharing device used in a wave decoupling device of a multiplex radio communications apparatus, such as an antenna sharing device, is formed from a waveguide component. In recent years, however, as devices have become cheaper and more compact, there is a growing need to make the element sharing device a coaxial component.
However, in an element sharing device, in which multiple. transmission frequencies pass through the same point, it is known that harmonic distortion (2f
2
−f
1
, f
1
+f
2
−f
3
) arises due to arbitrary two waves or three waves of the transmission frequency, and that, if this harmonic distortion enters the reception frequency band, the true reception signal is degraded. Normally, an isolation function of the circulator used on the element sharing device drops the harmonic distortion arising on the transmitting side to a level below which reception is no longer affected. However, harmonic distortion generated inside the element sharing device is transmitted as is to the reception side, creating many problems. Accordingly, it is desirable that no harmonic distortion be generated inside the element sharing device.
FIGS. 16
,
17
A,
17
B,
18
,
19
A and
19
B are diagrams illustrating the conventional art.
FIG. 16
is a diagram showing an expanded view of a conventional coaxial circulator. As shown in the diagram, coaxial connectors
31
1
through
31
3
are mounted at three openings in the sides of a metal block
11
and a Y-shaped inner conductor
13
(having a circular junction at a center thereof) is fixedly mounted by soldering between the three central conductors
31
1
through
31
3
. On a top side of the inner conductor
13
are mounted, in order, a polytetrafluoroethylene support
15
a
and a ferrite member
17
a
whose position is determined by the polytetrafluoroethylene support
15
a,
a copper disc
19
a,
an aluminum ring
21
a
and a magnet
23
a
whose position is determined by the aluminum ring
21
a,
on top of which a yoke
25
a
is mounted and attached to the block
11
by using a screw. The bottom side of the inner conductor
13
is configured similarly.
FIGS. 17A and 17B
are second diagrams illustrating the conventional art.
FIG. 17A
is a plan view of the inner conductor
13
and
FIG. 17B
is a cross-sectional view of an assembled coaxial circulator along the line a—a of FIG.
17
A.
It should be noted that, in order to prevent the occurrence of harmonic distortion in a coaxial circulator of this type, the copper discs
19
a,
19
b
that contact the ferrite members
17
a,
17
b
must be securely electrically grounded.
FIG. 18
is a third diagram illustrating the conventional art, and more specifically, shows an expanded view of an upper right portion of FIG.
17
B. Conventionally, ring
21
a
is thickened, so that when a screw
35
is tightened to a screw hole
33
in the block
11
, the yoke
25
a
urges the ring
21
a
downward, pressing the copper disc
19
a
against an inner stepped portion of the block
11
so that the copper disc
19
a
is grounded. The copper disc
19
b
is similarly grounded.
However, the problem with the above-described arrangement is that the seating of the copper discs
19
a
and
19
b
against the block
11
becomes partially inadequate if the parts on the inside of the copper discs
19
a,
19
b,
(that is, the ferrite members
17
a,
17
b,
the polytetrafluoroethylene supports
15
a,
15
b,
and so on) are not shaped exactly to the correct dimensions, and this inadequate or incomplete contact generates harmonic distortion.
FIGS. 19A and 19B
are fourth diagrams illustrating the conventional art.
FIG. 19A
, for example is a diagram showing output characteristics in the event that harmonic distortion (two-wave and three-wave distortion) is generated.
It should be noted that it has been confirmed that the state of the grounding of the copper discs
19
a
and
19
b
to the stepped portion of the block
11
can be improved by inserting copper foil thereinbetween, thus making it possible to improve the output characteristics.
FIG. 19
b
shows such improved output characteristic.
However, insertion of the copper foil is an unsatisfactory solution to the above-described drawback because it complicates the structure of the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful coaxial circulator and element sharing device in which the above-described disadvantages are eliminated.
Another and further object of the present invention is to provide an improved and useful coaxial circulator and element sharing device having a simple structure that adequately suppresses harmonic distortion.
The above-described objects of the present invention are achieved by a coaxial circulator having ferrite members to which a static magnetic field is applied disposed at a junction of a Y-shaped strip conductor, the coaxial conductor comprising:
a dielectric substrate;
an inner pattern of the Y-shaped strip conductor provided on a center of an upper surface of the dielectric substrate; and
ground patterns provided on the upper surface and a lower surface of the dielectric substrate along a periphery of the conductive inner pattern and electrically connected to each other via a plurality of through-holes in the dielectric substrate,
the substrate being sandwiched by an upper block and a lower block, the ferrite members being provided adjacent to both the upper side and a lower side of the substrate so as to ground the ground patterns to the upper and lower block surfaces.
According to the invention described above, by providing a,conductive inner pattern on top of the dielectric substrate, together with the peripheral ground patterns a variety of waveguide structures (that is, characteristics) can be achieved. Additionally, changes to the conductive inner pattern can be easily added, thus making it possible to provide a coaxial circulator with the desired characteristics without regard for variations in the characteristics of peripheral components. Additionally, the ground patterns of the dielectric substrate are sandwiched by the ground faces of the blocks together with the upper and lower ferrite members the bringing together of which makes it possible to obtain a full and complete ground plane of the waveguides (specifically, the upper and lower edge surfaces of the ferrite members on the periphery of the conductive inner pattern.
The above-described objects of the present invention are also achieved by device comprising:
a single dielectric substrate having dielectric substrate portions of a plurality of coaxial circulators, a Y-shaped conductive inner pattern provided on a center of an upper surface of each one of the dielectric substrate portions, ground patterns provided on the upper surface and a lower surface of each of the dielectric substrate portions and electrically connected to each other via a plurality of through-holes formed in each of the dielectric substrate portions along a periphery of the conductive inner pattern, each of the dielectric substrate portions being sandwiched by an upper block and a lower block, ferrite members being provided adjacent to both the upper side and the lower side of each of the dielectric substrate portions so as to ground the ground patterns to the surfaces of the upper and lower block; and
the plurality of coaxial circulators directly coupled to each other via the single dielectric substrate.
According to the invention described above, by directly coupling a plurality of coaxial circulators via a single dielectric substrate structure, the harmonic distorti
Bettendorf Justin P.
Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman
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