Telecommunications – Carrier wave repeater or relay system – Portable or mobile repeater
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-03
2003-12-02
Vuong, Quochien (Department: 2685)
Telecommunications
Carrier wave repeater or relay system
Portable or mobile repeater
C455S001000, C455S001000, C455S081000, C455S131000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658233
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to satellite broadcast receiving converters, and more specifically to a satellite broadcast receiving converter which is used to receive satellite broadcasts and satellite communications, and which receives circularly polarized waves having a vertical polarization component and a horizontal polarization component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 10
to
13
, there is shown a conventional satellite broadcast receiving converter.
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of the converter, and
FIG. 11
is a sectional view thereof taken along such a line XI—XI of FIG.
10
.
FIG. 12
is a partially enlarged view of the converter, showing how a probe is installed.
FIG. 13
is a partially enlarged view of the converter, showing a circuit board mounted therein.
A housing
31
and a waveguide
32
are manufactured by die-casting with a metal such as aluminum or zinc and then forming the components into one unit. The housing
31
is formed into a substantially rectangular box, including a bottom wall
31
a,
side walls
31
b
that are vertical and which surround the bottom wall
31
a,
a housing portion
31
c
that is uncovered and is defined by the side walls
31
b,
a penetrating hole
31
d
formed in the bottom wall
31
a
in the vicinity of one end thereof and extending perpendicularly thereto, and a stepped portion
31
e
having a step along an upper periphery of the side walls
31
b.
The waveguide
32
is a relatively narrow cylinder, extending from the bottom wall
31
a
at a position corresponding to the penetrating hole
31
d.
The waveguide
32
includes a substantially cylindrical tube section
32
b
having an opening
32
a
from which polarized waves are guided, a hollow
32
c
formed lengthwise at the center of the tube section
32
b,
and a holder portion
32
d.
The holder portion
32
d
is a semi-columnar recess, as shown in
FIG. 12
, which is formed in the tube section
32
b
to extend toward the opening
32
a
from a portion of the periphery of the penetrating hole
31
d
of the housing
31
.
A probe
33
for detecting horizontally polarized waves is composed of a tubular insulator
33
a
made of resin such as fluorine resin, polyethylene, or Teflon, and a linear core conductor
33
b
passing through the insulator
33
a
at the center thereof and mainly made of a metal such as brass or nickel. The core conductor
33
b
is formed into substantially an L-shape, leading to a first end
33
c
while the other end thereof, namely a second end
33
d,
is formed at the tip of the straight part.
Referring to
FIG. 12
, the insulator
33
a
is forced into the holder portion
32
d
in the waveguide
32
, allowing the probe
33
to be installed into the waveguide
32
. Once the probe
33
has been installed, the second end
33
d
of the core conductor
33
b
protrudes into the housing portion
31
c
of the housing
31
while the first end
33
c
extends into the hollow
32
c
of the waveguide
32
.
In
FIG. 13
, there is shown a rectangular circuit board
34
formed of a single insulating sheet. The circuit board
34
includes a thin flat plate
34
a,
three penetrating holes
34
b
formed in the vicinity of a side edge of the plate
34
a
and extending perpendicularly thereto, bridges
34
d
and
34
e
defining the penetrating holes
34
b
to form a T-shape, and a small opening
34
c
formed in the vicinity of the penetrating holes
34
b.
A copper ground conductor
35
is formed on the underside of the circuit board
34
except for the underside of the bridge
34
e,
and the underside of the bridge
34
d
serves as a short-circuit for the probe
33
.
A probe
36
for detecting vertically polarized waves is formed across the bridge
34
e
with a conductive pattern, and extends from the intersection of the bridges
34
d
and
34
e
toward the plate
34
a
of the circuit board
34
. In turn, the probe
36
is connected to a circuit pattern (not shown) formed on the top of the plate
34
a.
The circuit board
34
is contained on the bottom wall
31
a
of the housing
31
so that the penetrating hole
31
d
may communicate with the penetrating holes
34
b
in the plate
34
a.
Also, the second end
33
d
of the core conductor
33
b
of the probe
33
is inserted in the opening
34
c
in the plate
34
a,
and the circuit board
34
is then fixed to the bottom wall
31
a
of the housing
31
by any appropriate means. The second end
33
d
of the core conductor
33
b
that protrudes from the circuit board
34
is soldered by a solder
37
to the circuit pattern.
A box-shaped metallic short-circuit wall
38
is formed by aluminum or zinc die-casting. The short-circuit wall
38
is mounted to the circuit board
34
by an appropriate technique such as caulking so as to cover the penetrating holes
34
b
in the circuit board
34
. The short-circuit wall
38
has a base
38
a
acting as a short-circuit for the probe
36
.
A cover
39
formed of a single rectangular metal sheet is placed on the step
31
e
of the side walls
31
b
of the housing
31
, and is fixed thereto by an appropriate technique. Accordingly, the housing portion
31
c
of the housing
31
is closed and electrically shielded.
Such a conventional satellite broadcast receiving converter is of the type in which the housing
31
and the waveguide
32
are manufactured by die-casting such as aluminum die-casting and then forming the components into one unit. Therefore, a large number of materials are required, resulting in increased material costs as well as prolonged manufacturing time. This makes the converter expensive and less efficient in production.
In addition, the following problem also occurs with such a conventional satellite broadcast receiving converter. The housing
31
and the waveguide
32
have different sizes and configurations, and therefore more complex and expensive die-casting molds are required. This also makes the converter more expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a satellite broadcast receiving converter which has superior production efficiency and is inexpensive.
To this end, a satellite broadcast receiving converter according to the present invention has a metal housing formed into a box, a tubular waveguide, and a box-shaped short-circuit wall which opposes the waveguide so as to communicate with a hollow formed in the waveguide, wherein the housing, the waveguide, and the short-circuit wall are joined together on a single metal sheet. These components are stamped out of the metal sheet, and then folded. With this feature, the number of materials making up the converter can be reduced. A simple manufacturing process as well as shortened manufacturing time can also be obtained.
The converter may include a circuit board on which an electric circuit is formed, wherein the circuit board is held by and between the housing and an end of the waveguide. This enables the circuit board to be held therebetween in a simple manner.
Preferably, the waveguide includes a hooking tab at a free-end edge of the end thereof, which is engaged with the circuit board. The use of a hooking tab ensures that the waveguide is mounted and positioned to the circuit board in a simple manner.
Preferably, a folding guide line is formed in a joining portion joining the housing with the waveguide, and the folding guide line may include cuts. The folding guide line facilitates folding of the waveguide at a predetermined position, so that the circuit board can be easily mounted to the waveguide.
Accordingly, the present invention provides for a satellite broadcast receiving converter with a simple configuration having high production efficiency as well as high reliability. There is no need for an expensive die-casting mold, so that an inexpensive satellite broadcast receiving converter can be obtained.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4058813 (1977-11-01), Risko
patent: 4679249 (1987-07-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 4837524 (1989-06-01), Nakamura
patent: 4896163 (1990-01-01),
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Le Lana
Vuong Quochien
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