Coaxial line section assembly and method with VSWR compensation
AssigneeSPX Corporation
InventorWilliam A. DeCormier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A apparatus for joining coaxial line sections for high-power RF signals includes a feature that permits the impedance and the electrical profile of the inner joining element to remain comparatively uniform as the sections of coaxial conductor change dimensions with temperature. The apparatus for joining coaxial line sections further includes a feature in the outer joining element that compensates for impedance lumps caused by the nonuniform profile of the inner element at the joints.
Claims27
An apparatus for joining a first coaxial line section having a first inner conductor and a first outer conductor to a second coaxial line section having a second inner conductor and a second outer conductor, comprising:
- an inner conductor junction fitting substantially fixed to the first coaxial line inner conductor and free to move longitudinally with respect to the second coaxial line inner conductor while maintaining electrical continuity therewith;
- a transverse ridge component on said inner conductor junction fitting that provides spring-loaded electrical and mechanical continuity between said inner conductor junction fitting and the second coaxial line inner conductor;
- a first outer conductor mating flange fixed to the first coaxial outer conductor line section;
- a second outer conductor mating flange fixed to the second coaxial outer conductor line section;
- and
- an impedance adapted shape that forms an integral part of said second outer conductor flange, wherein said impedance adapted shape introduces an impedance variation that compensates for the impedance variation caused by said transverse ridge component of said inner conductor junction fitting.
An apparatus for connecting segments of coaxial high-power radio frequency (RF) signal conductors, comprising:
- means for coupling inner conductor elements of the coaxial lines electrically and mechanically;
- means for compensating for longitudinal motion between the coupled inner conductor elements;
- means for electrically coupling outer conductor elements of the coaxial lines;
- and
- means for compensating for diameter irregularities in the outer surface of the inner conductor coupling means with offsetting diameter alterations in the inner surface of the outer conductor coupling means.
A method for joining coaxial signal conductors, comprising:
- coupling the elements that comprise the inner conductor using joints that permit relative axial travel on one side of the coupling plane to afford compensation for differential expansion between inner and outer conductors;
- maintaining a substantially unchanging electrical profile at the site of longitudinal travel of the moving element of the inner conductor through positioning of a spring assembly to shield the end of the moving element from RF for all positions of the moving element;
- coupling the elements that comprise the outer conductor using structurally robust mounting flanges indissolubly attached to the outer conductor elements being coupled;
- and
- shaping the internal profile of the outer conductor mounting flanges in such fashion that the profile introduces impedance variations that mirror and compensate for those introduced by the external profile variations of the inner conductor coupling elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.