Assembly of microwave components

In a microwave assembly comprising a pair of microwave components and a stripline type of connecting device for electrically interconnecting said components;

• each of said microwave components being of one of the following types:
• (i) a component having a coaxial terminal assembly comprising tubular conductive structure defining a ground plane and a conductor within said tubular conductive structure located substantially coaxially thereof and spaced therefrom and having an end portion projecting beyond one end of the tubular structure, (ii) a circuit component of the microstrip or the strip-line type comprising conductive carrier structure defining a ground plane, dielectric substrate on the carrier structure, and a conductor mounted on the substrate and having an end portion projecting beyond one end of the substrate, and (iii) a ridge waveguide comprising hollow conductive structure defining a ground plane, a conductor projecting beyond one end of the tubular structure and including ridge structure within the hollow structure;
• said stripline connecting device comprising:
• (a) elongated interconnecting structure for microwave transmission having conductive terminal portions at opposite ends thereof, said terminal portions having lateral faces respectively contacting but unjoined to the projecting end portions of the conductors of said microwave components,
• (b) two sections of dielectric material respectively located at laterally-opposed sides of said interconnecting structure,
• (c) two housing portions of conductive material defining a ground plane for the connecting device, located at laterally-opposed sides of said dielectric sections, and respectively containing channels in which said dielectric sections are respectively located,
• (d) clamping means for clamping said housing portions together, with said dielectric sections sandwiched between said housing portions and with said conductive terminal portions of said interconnecting structure and the projecting end portions of the conductors of said microwave components sandwiched between said dielectric sections, said projecting end portions extending into said stripline connecting device in overlapping relationship with said housing portions so that clamping forces on said housing portions effectively clamp together the projecting end portions and the conductive terminal portions contacted thereby,
• and in which:
• one of said components is of the microstrip type, and the conductive carrier structure thereof has projecting portions extending into positions between said two housing portions, and
• said clamping means clamps said projecting portions between said two housing portions, thus, providing good ground continuity for said assembly in the region where said one component and said connecting device are joined.

In a microwave assembly comprising:

• (i) a pair of microwave components, at least one of which is of the microstrip type and comprises conductive carrier structure defining a ground plane, dielectric substrate on the carrier structure, and a conductor mounted on the substrate and having an end portion projecting beyond one end of the substrate, and (ii) a stripline connecting device for electrically interconnecting said components;
• the other of said microwave components comprising conductive structure defining a ground plane, a conductor located adjacent said conductive structure, and dielectric means between said latter conductor and said conductive structure, the latter conductor having a projecting end portion;
• said stripline connecting device comprising:
• (a) elongated interconnecting structure for microwave transmission having conductive terminal portions at opposite ends thereof, said terminal portions having lateral faces respectively contacting but unjoined to the projecting end portions of the conductors of said microwave components,
• (b) two sections of dielectric material respectively located at laterally-opposed sides of said interconnecting structure,
• (c) two housing portions of conductive material defining a ground plane for the connecting device and located at laterally-opposed sides of said dielectric sections, and
• (d) clamping means for clamping said housing portions together, with said dielectric sections sandwiched between said housing portions and with said conductive terminal portions of said interconnecting structure and the projecting end portions of the conductors of said microwave components sandwiched between said dielectric sections, said projecting end portions extending into said stripline connecting device in overlapping relationship with said housing portions so that clamping forces on said housing portions effectively clamp together the projecting end portions and the conductive terminal portions contacted thereby, and in which said microwave assembly further comprises a conductive floor on which the conductive carrier structure of said microstrip type component is mounted, and said floor includes as an integral part thereof one of said housing portions of said stripline connecting device.

A fixture for:

• (i) receiving a drop-in microwave circuit component having a periphery and at spaced locations about said periphery a plurality of coaxial terminal assemblies, each comprising tubular conductive structure defining a ground plane and a conductor within said tubular conductive structure located substantially coaxially thereof and spaced therefrom and having an end portion projecting beyond one end of the tubular structure, and (ii) making electrical connection between said conductors and the conductors of a plurality of coaxial connectors, each of said conductors having a projecting end portion, said fixture including a plurality of stripline connecting devices each comprising:
• (a) elongated interconnecting structure for microwave transmission having conductive terminal portions at opposite ends thereof, said terminal portions having lateral faces respectively contacting but unjoined to said projecting end portions of the conductors of a coaxial terminal assembly and a mating coaxial connector,
• (b) two sections of dielectric material respectively located at laterally-opposed sides of said interconnecting structure,
• (c) two housing portions of conductive material defining a ground plane for the connecting device, located at laterally-opposed sides of said dielectric sections, and respectively containing channels in which said dielectric sections are respectively located, and
• (d) clamping means for clamping said housing portions together, with said dielectric sections sandwiched between said housing portions and with said conductive terminal portions of said interconnecting structure and the projecting end portions of the conductors of said microwave components sandwiched between said dielectric sections, said projecting end portions extending into said stripline connecting device in overlapping relationship with said housing portions so that clamping forces on said housing portions effectively clamp together the projecting end portions and the conductive terminal portions contacted thereby, and in which said fixture further comprises a conductive floor which has a portion extending adjacent said periphery of said drop-in microwave circuit component, said floor portion including as integral parts thereof one of the housing portions of each of said stripline connecting devices.