Quadrant driver for microwave switches

Abstract

A quadrant driver is disclosed, for use to drive the rotor of a microwave switch at 90.degree. from one given input-output configuration to another given input-output configuration and vice verse. The driver comprises a magnet and bearing holder rotatably mounted inside a housing. The holder supports, on one side, a thin, high magnetic density magnet and, on the other side, a bearing operatively connected to the rotor of the microwave switch to rotate this rotor when the holder is itself rotated, the holder and magnet being rotated between two rest positions, each of the rest positions corresponding to one of the two configurations of the microwave switch. A pair of coils are mounted concentric to mild steel cores mounted within the housing so that one of the cores faces with a given offset the magnet when the magnet is in one of its rest positions and the other core faces with a given offset the magnet when this magnet is in the other of its rest positions. A power source is used to selectively energize each of the coils to cause rotation of the magnet and associated holder from one of its rest position to the other, and vice versa, whenever desired. The advantages of using the quadrant driver are: size reduction, weight reduction, production cost reduction, maintenance cost reduction, easily adjustable to different driving voltages.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.