Reactive power dividers/combiners using non-slotted conductors and methods

A power combiner/divider comprising:

• a main conductor defining an axis, and having a length along the axis, the main conductor having multiple different diameters along its length defining multiple portions;
• an input connector having a center conductor, adapted to be coupled to a signal source, electrically coupled to the main conductor and having an axis coincident with the main conductor axis, and having a second conductor, the input connector defining a first end of the combiner/divider, the combiner/divider having a second end axially spaced apart from the first end;
• a first ground conductor radially exterior of the main conductor and coupled to the second conductor of the input connector;
• an electrically and thermally conducting inner flange, axially between the first ground conductor and the second end, radially exterior of the main conductor, and having an inner surface and a face surface;
• an outer ground conductor axially between the inner flange and second end and having an inner surface;
• a cylinder conductor, having the general shape of a hollow cylinder, having an inner cylindrical surface and outer cylindrical surface, radially exterior of and radially spaced apart from one of the portions of the main conductor, having a cylinder axis coincident with the main conductor axis, and having a proximal end electrically connected to the inner flange and a distal end extending towards the second end;
• a plurality of output connectors having respective axes that are perpendicular to the main conductor axis, the output connectors being radially spaced apart relative to the main conductor axis, the output connectors having center conductors electrically coupled to the distal end of the cylinder conductor, via the outer cylindrical surface of the cylinder conductor, and having respective second conductors electrically coupled to the outer ground conductor;
• the outer ground conductor having an inner surface radially exterior of the outer cylindrical surface of the cylinder conductor;
• and
• an electrically and thermally conducting outer backplate at the second end electrically coupled to the main conductor and axially spaced apart from the distal end of the cylinder conductor by a gap.

A method of manufacturing a power combiner/divider, the method comprising:

• providing a main conductor defining an axis;
• providing a coax input connector having a center conductor, adapted to be coupled to a signal source and having an axis coincident with the main conductor axis;
• electrically coupling the input connector to the main conductor;
• providing a hollow cylinder conductor radially exterior of and spaced apart from the main conductor, having a cylinder axis coincident with the main conductor axis, having an outer cylindrical surface;
• providing a plurality of coax output connectors having respective axes that are perpendicular to the main conductor axis, the output connectors being radially spaced apart relative to the main conductor, the output connectors having center conductors;
• providing an electrically and thermally conducting inner flange, radially exterior of the main conductor and having an inner surface and a face surface;
• electrically coupling the respective center conductors of the output connectors to the hollow cylinder conductor;
• and
• defining a passband filter between the input connector and the output connectors.