Microwave resistance measuring system including thermoplastic microstrip coupler

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A MATERIAL AT MICROWAVE FREQUENCIES COMPRISING A COUPLER HAVING A FIRST CONDUCTOR, A SECOND CONDUCTOR WIDER THAN SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR, A LAYER OF DIELECTRIC MATERIAL SUPPORTING SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR, SAID DIELECTRIC MATERIAL AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUCTORS BEING DISPOSED IN FIRST ND SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SEGMENTS, AND A THIRD SEGMENT CONNECTING SAID FIRST SEGMENT TO SAID SECOND SEGMENT AT ADJACENT ENDS THEREOF, SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR FORMING CONTINUOUS MEMBER ALONG THE INSIDE OF SAID COUPLER AND SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR FORMING A CONTINUOUS MEMBER ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID COUPLER THE TRANSMISSION PATH OF SAID COUPLER BEING PARALLEL TO THE LONG AXES OF THE FIRST CONDUCTORS OF ALL SAID SEGMENTS, AND SAID THIRD SEGMENT COUPLING THE TRANSMISSION PATHS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEGMENTS SAID COUPLER BEING ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE MATERIAL WITH SAID THIRD SEGMENT EXPOSED THERETO, SAID THIRD SEGMENT HAVING THE SHAPE OF THE SURFACE TO BE TESTED, MEANS FOR SPACING SAID COUPLER FROM SAID SURFACE TO BE TESTED, MEANS FOR SPACING SAID COUPLER FROM SAID SURFACE AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND MAINTAINING SAID SPACING WHEN SAID COUPLER IS MOVED ABOUT SAID SURFACE, A SOURCE OF ENERGY COUPLED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUCTORS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE EXPOSURE OF SAID COUPLER TO THE MATERIAL TO MEASURE THE CHANGE IN SAID ENERGY PRODUCED BY THE MATERIAL.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A MATERIAL AT MICROWAVE FREQUENCIES COMPRISING A COUPLER HAVING A FIRST CONDUCTOR, A SECOND CONDUCTOR WIDER THAN SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR, A LAYER OF DIELECTRIC MATERIAL SUPPORTING SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR IN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR, SAID DIELECTRIC MATERIAL AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUCTORS BEING DISPOSED IN FIRST ND SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SEGMENTS, AND A THIRD SEGMENT CONNECTING SAID FIRST SEGMENT TO SAID SECOND SEGMENT AT ADJACENT ENDS THEREOF, SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR FORMING CONTINUOUS MEMBER ALONG THE INSIDE OF SAID COUPLER AND SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR FORMING A CONTINUOUS MEMBER ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID COUPLER THE TRANSMISSION PATH OF SAID COUPLER BEING PARALLEL TO THE LONG AXES OF THE FIRST CONDUCTORS OF ALL SAID SEGMENTS, AND SAID THIRD SEGMENT COUPLING THE TRANSMISSION PATHS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEGMENTS SAID COUPLER BEING ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE MATERIAL WITH SAID THIRD SEGMENT EXPOSED THERETO, SAID THIRD SEGMENT HAVING THE SHAPE OF THE SURFACE TO BE TESTED, MEANS FOR SPACING SAID COUPLER FROM SAID SURFACE TO BE TESTED, MEANS FOR SPACING SAID COUPLER FROM SAID SURFACE AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND MAINTAINING SAID SPACING WHEN SAID COUPLER IS MOVED ABOUT SAID SURFACE, A SOURCE OF ENERGY COUPLED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUCTORS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE EXPOSURE OF SAID COUPLER TO THE MATERIAL TO MEASURE THE CHANGE IN SAID ENERGY PRODUCED BY THE MATERIAL.