Circular waveguide mode filter and breakdown switch device, utilizing resonant iris

Claim 1

TE01 MODE CIRCULAR WAVEGUIDE SWITCH COMPRISING A SECTION OF CIRCULAR WAVEGUIDE OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM INTERNAL DIAMETER SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO PROPAGATE THE TE01 MODE, FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE DISCS, TRANSVERSELY MOUNTED IN SAID WAVEGUIDE A KNOWN DISTANCE APART, AT LEAST FOUR RADIALLY DIRECTED SLOTS EACH OF WHICH IS ELECTRICALLY SYMMETRICAL ABOUT ITS LONG DIMENSION AND HAS LONG EDGES CONFRONTING EACH OTHER, SAID SLOTS BEING SYMMETRICALLY ARRAYED IN EACH DISC, THE LONG DIMENSION OF EACH SLOT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE RADIUS OF THE DISC IN WHICH IT IS ARRAYED, EACH SLOT BEING LOCATED BETWEEN THE CENTER AND THE EDGE OF THE DISC IN WHICH IT IS ARRAYED AND BEING DIMENSIONED TO COUPLE THERETHROUGH MICROWAVE ENERGY IN A PRESCRIBED FREQUENCY RANGE WHICH HAS A VOLTAGE FIELD COMPONENT TRANSVERSE TO THE LONG SLOT DIMENSION AT SAID DISC, AND TO BREAK DOWN ACROSS SAID LONG DIMENSION WHEN THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID SLOT EXCEEDS A PRESCRIBED VALUE THE CENTER PORTION OF EACH DISC BEING FREE OF PERFORATION BY ANY OF THE SLOTS ARRAYED IN SAID DISC, AND ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE PERVIOUS GAS IMPERVIOUS MEANS CLOSING EACH SLOT AND HERMETICALLY SEALING THE SPACE IN SAID WAVEGUIDE SECTION BETWEEN SAID DISCS.