Waveguide transitions and method of forming components
AssigneeAndrew Corporation
InventorJeffrey Paynter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A waveguide transition for transitioning from an overmoded waveguide to another waveguide is provided, where one end of the waveguide is configured to connect to a rectangular waveguide and the other end is configured to connect to an elliptical waveguide. The transition has an internal shape having top and bottom walls and two side walls. The top and bottom walls are shaped to join smoothly with waveguides at each end of the transition, while the side walls diminish in height along the length of the transition. The waveguide transition may employ mode filtering to suppress unwanted higher modes. A method of forming waveguide components is also disclosed, involving thixoforming of components in single pieces, the components having internal shapes configured for mold core removal.
Claims28
A waveguide transition for transitioning from a rectangular waveguide to an elliptical waveguide, at least one of the waveguides being an overmoded waveguide, the transition having a transition passage, said transition passage including:
- i. a rectangular end having a rectangular cross-section and an elliptical end having an elliptical cross-section, at least one of the rectangular and elliptical ends having a cross-section dimensioned to support overmoded transmission;
- and
- ii. internal top, bottom and side walls connecting the rectangular end and the elliptical end;
- wherein:
- a. the cross-sectional shape of the top and bottom walls varies continuously between straight at the rectangular end and semi-elliptical at the elliptical end;
- b. the top and bottom walls are shaped to join smoothly with a passage of rectangular cross-section at the rectangular end and with a passage of elliptical cross-section at the elliptical end;
- c. the cross-sectional shape of the side walls is straight or convex at all points between the rectangular end and the elliptical end, the height of the side walls diminishing continuously along the length of the transition, being larger at the rectangular end than at the elliptical end;
- d. the side walls are shaped to join smoothly with a passage of rectangular cross-section at the rectangular end;
- and
- e. the transition passage is configured to support a mode filter by further including one or more slots formed in the internal walls.
A waveguide transition comprising:
- i. a casting defining an internal passage extending therethrough having a first end of rectangular cross-section and a second end of non-rectangular cross-section, the cross-section of said passage at one of the first and second ends being shaped and dimensioned to support dominant mode transmissions at a signal frequency, and the cross-section of said passage at the other of the first and second ends being shaped and dimensioned to support overmoded transmissions at the signal frequency;
- and
- ii. a metallic mode filter mounted within said passage and configured and positioned to suppress unwanted higher modes more than signals at the signal frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.