Top exit coupler
AssigneeJ.E. Thomas Specialties Limited
InventorRobert L. Romerein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a CATV housing the main RF circuit, a coupler circuit and splitter circuit are located respectively on a platform board, coupler board and splitter board respectively. The coupler board is between and perpendicular to the platform board attached to the housing and to the splitter board attached to the lid. The coupler circuit has a main RF circuit input and output near the bottom of the coupler board and a tap output to the splitter at the top of the board. A ground plane on the coupler board approximates, relative to the coupler circuitry, transmission line impedance. In combination with ground planes on the platform board and splitter board, the ground planes provide approximate transmission line impedance to both the main RF path and to the path through the coupler to the splitter output.
Claims18
In a coaxial cable distribution system;
- a conducting housing and a lid therefor,
- a platform circuit board attached to said housing,
- said housing defining at least two ports for connection of a coaxial cable at each one,
- said platform board supporting a first extent of a radio frequency (`RF`) path, between one of said ports and a first terminal,
- and supporting a second extent of said RF path extending from a second terminal to another of said ports,
- a coupler circuit board having an end adjacent said platform board, and an end remote from said platform board,
- said coupler circuit board including at the platform board adjacent end, coupler main input and output terminals,
- means for electrically connecting each of said platform board terminals to a different one of said coupler board terminals,
- and means for mechanically connecting said coupler board to said platform board, and said platform board terminals being electrically connected to said coupler terminals,
- a coupler circuit mounted on said coupler board responsive to the signal across said coupler input terminals to produce a coupler output signal at a coupler tap adjacent the platform board remote end of said coupler board,
- a splitter board having a splitter circuit thereon including a splitter input terminal, adjacent the platform remote end of said coupler board,
- a connection between said coupler top terminal and said splitter input terminal located adjacent said platform board remote end of said coupler board.
In combination:
- a cable network distribution housing:
- a lid therefor,
- a platform board mounted on said housing,
- a splitter board mounted on said lid approximately parallel to said platform board and spaced therefrom,
- a coupler board extending between said platform board and said splitter board,
- an RF circuit on said platform board,
- a coupler circuit on said coupler board,
- a splitter circuit on said splitter board,
- said coupler circuit having an input adjacent said platform board and an output adjacent said splitter board,
- said RF circuit being connected to said coupler input,
- said coupler output being directly connected to said splitter circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.