Helical resonator with variable capacitor having fixed plate which also functions as inductance

Claim 1

A HELICAL RESONATOR FOR USE IN A CIRCUIT RESPONSIVE TO APPLIED SIGNALS OF HIGH FREQUENCY AND HAVING A HOUSING FORMING A CONDUCTIVE CAVITY, AND INCLUDING IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED FIXED SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A FIRST END FIXED TO A WALL OF THE CAVITY AND A SECOND END EXTENDING IN THE CAVITY, AN INDUCTIVE COIL HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS RESPECTIVELY SUPPORTED BY SAID FIRST AND SECOND ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER PROVIDING MECHANICAL RIGIDITY FOR SAID COIL, AN ELONGATED STRIP-LIKE INDUCTOR PORTION SUPPORTED BY SAID SECOND END OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND END OF SAID COIL, SAID INDUCTOR PORTION BEING SHAPED TO CONFORM TO SAID SECOND END OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID INDUCTOR PORTION BEING DIMENSIONED AND ORIENTATED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO PROVIDE A PREDETERMINED OVERALL INDUCTANCE OF THE HELICAL RESONATOR, AND AN ANNULAR MEMBER DISPOSED IN THE CAVITY AND HAVING A SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID SECOND END OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER ADJACENT SAID INDUCTOR PORTION TO FORM A CAPACITOR WITH SAID INDUCTOR PORTION, WITH SAID DIMENSIONS OF SAID INDUCTOR PORTION CONTROLLING THE RANGE OF VARIABILITY OF THE CAPACITANCE THEREOF, SAID ANNULAR MEMBER BEING LINEARLY ADJUSTABLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO VARY THE CAPACITANCE OF SAID CAPACITOR AND HAVING A SPLIT THEREIN TO PREVENT CONDUCTION THEREIN ABOUT A CLOSED LOOP, WHEREBY SAID INDUCTOR PORTION FUNCTIONS AS PART OF THE INDUCTANCE AND AS PART OF THE CAPACITANCE OF THE HELICAL RESONATOR.