Parametric frequency converters

Claim 1

A PARAMETRIC FREQUENCY CONVERTER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A CHASSIS COMPARTMENT MADE OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL; A CONDUCTIVE PARTITION MOUNTED WITHIN SAID COMPARTMENT TO SEPARATE SAID COMPARTMENT INTO A FIRST CAVITY RESONATOR, RESONANT AT A FREQUENCY FP OF A PUMP OSCILLATOR SIGNAL, AND A SECOND CAVITY RESONATOR, RESONANT AT A FREQUENCY F1 OF AN IDLER SIGNAL; SAID CONDUCTIVE PARTITION MOUNTED SO AS TO DEFINE AN IRIS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAVITY RESONATORS; A CONDUCTIVE DISC; MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR INSULATING MEMBER FOR MOUNTING SAID DISC ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID COMPARTMENT TO COVER AN OPENING IN SAID COMPARTMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID IRIS; A NONLINEAR VARIABLE CAPACITANCE DIODE HAVING A PAIR OF ELECTRODES; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID DIODE IN SID IRIS SO THAT ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES MAKES ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE TOP OF SAID COMPARTMENT AND THE OTHER OF SAID ELECTRODES IS COUPLED THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID COMPARTMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID IRIS TO MAKE ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID CONDUCTIVE DISC; SAID CONDUCTIVE DISC AND SAID COMPARTMENT EXHIBITING THEREBETWEEN A SUBSTANTIAL CAPACITVIE REACTANCE AT A FREQUENCY FS OF AN APPLIED INPUT SIGNAL AND A SMALL CAPACITIVE REACTANCE AT THE FREQUENCIES FP AND F1; MEANS FOR APPLYING SAID INPUT SIGNAL ACROSS SAID CAPACITIVE REACTANCE; MEANS DEFINING AN APERTURE IN SAID FIRST CAVITY RESONATOR FOR COUPLING PUMP OSCILLATOR SIGNALS INTO SAID FIRST CAVITY RESONATOR; AND MEANS DEFINING AN APERTURE IN SAID SECOND CAVITY RESONATOR FOR COUPLING THEREFROM OUTPUT IDLER SIGNALS AT THE FREQUENCY F1 PRODUCED BY THE INTERACTION OF SAID INPUT AND PUMP OSCILLATOR SIGNALS IN THE NONLINEAR CAPACITANCE OF SAID DIODE.