US4471329A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Microwave circuit component for superhigh-frequency signals
Assignee: Italtel SpA
•
Filing: 1982-03-04
•
Granted: 1984-09-11
•
Expires: 2002-03-04
Abstract
Abstract A circuit component for use with signals of superhigh frequency, on the order of 10 GHz or more, has a waveguide structure with four conductive walls defining a channel of rectangular cross-section, the channel bottom being overlain by a dielectric layer supporting at least one microstrip of copper or the like closely spaced from one of the lateral walls. The supporting layer preferably consists of a polymeric material of relatively low dielectric constant, e.g. between 2 and 3. The width and height of the channel are less than half the free-space wavelength of the highest-frequency signal to be transmitted; the circuit is tuned by metallic screws which are threaded into the adjoining wall and partly overlie the microstrip at a low level, the axes of adjacent screws being separated by less than an eighth of that wavelength.
Inventors
- 👤 Enzo Cavalieri d'Oro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:25
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01P; H01P1/00; H01P1/32; H01P1/38; H01P5/00; H01P5/12; H01P5/16; H01P5/18; H01P5/184
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A circuit component for the transmission of signals of very elevated frequency, comprising: a metallic base; a pair of parallel metallic walls rising from said base and defining between them a channel of a width less than half the free-spacing wavelength of a superhigh-frequency signal to be transmitted; a dielectric substrate in said channel overlying said base; four substantially identical microstrip conductors, whose width is a small fraction of the channel width, supported on said substrate and conductively interconnected by a ring underlain by a ferrimagnetic core in said substrate enabling a directional control of signal transmission between said strip conductors by an externally applied magnetic field, said ring having a median circumference equal to the substrate wavelength of said superhigh-frequency signal and forming junctions with said microstrip conductors at locations spaced 90° apart; and a metallic patch conductively connected to said base, said patch being situated inside said ring and closely approaching diametrically opposite quandrantal segments thereof disposed between respective pairs of said junctions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A circuit component for the transmission of signals of very elevated frequency, comprising: a metallic base; a pair of parallel metallic walls rising from said base and defining between them a channel of a width less than half the free-spacing wavelength of a superhigh-frequency signal to be transmitted; a dielectric substrate in said channel overlying said base; four substantially identical microstrip conductors, whose width is a small fraction of the channel width, supported on said substrate and conductively interconnected by a ring underlain by a ferrimagnetic core in said substrate enabling a directional control of signal transmission between said strip conductors by an externally applied magnetic field, said ring having a median circumference equal to the substrate wavelength of said superhigh-frequency signal and forming junctions with said microstrip conductors at locations spaced 90° apart; and a metallic patch conductively connected to said base, said patch being situated inside said ring and closely approaching diametrically opposite quandrantal segments thereof disposed between respective pairs of said junctions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
165 words
A circuit component for the transmission of signals of very elevated frequency, comprising: a metallic base; a pair of parallel metallic walls rising from said base and defining between them a channel of a width less than half the free-space wavelength of a superhigh-frequency signal to be transmitted; a dielectric substrate in said channel overlying said base; and a plurality of substantially identical microstrip conductors of highly conductive metal, whose width is a small fraction of the channel width, supported on said substrate close to said walls, said microstrip conductors being interconnected by a circular foil portion underlain by a ferrimagnetic disk of substantially the same diameter embedded in said substrate for enabling a directional control of signal transmission between said microstrip conductors by an externally applied magnetic field, said microstrip conductors having relatively wide low-impedance terminal portions separated from said circular foil portion by narrower strip sections of higher impedance whose length above said substrate equals half the substrate wavelength of said superhigh-frequency signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
165 words
A circuit component for the transmission of signals of very elevated frequency, comprising: a metallic base; a pair of parallel metallic walls rising from said base and defining between them a channel of a width less than half the free-space wavelength of a superhigh-frequency signal to be transmitted; a dielectric substrate in said channel overlying said base; and a plurality of substantially identical microstrip conductors of highly conductive metal, whose width is a small fraction of the channel width, supported on said substrate close to said walls, said microstrip conductors being interconnected by a circular foil portion underlain by a ferrimagnetic disk of substantially the same diameter embedded in said substrate for enabling a directional control of signal transmission between said microstrip conductors by an externally applied magnetic field, said microstrip conductors having relatively wide low-impedance terminal portions separated from said circular foil portion by narrower strip sections of higher impedance whose length above said substrate equals half the substrate wavelength of said superhigh-frequency signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2, further comprising a metallic top spanning said walls and closing said channel from above, the height of said channel between said substrate and said top being less than half said free-space wavelength.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2 wherein said circular foil portion is a closed ring with a median circumference equal to the substrate wavelength of said superhigh-frequency signal, said ring forming junctions with four of said microstrip conductors at locations spaced 90° apart.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 4 wherein said junctions are interconnected by alternately wider and narrower continuous quadrantal segments of said ring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 4 wherein a metallic patch conductively connected to said base is disposed inside said ring and closely approaches diametrically opposite quadrantal segments thereof disposed between respective pairs of said junctions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2 wherein said circular foil portion is a disk forming junctions with three of said strip conductors at locations spaced 120° apart.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2 wherein said narrower strip sections are each divided into two quarter-wavelength subsections, the subsections adjoining said terminal portions being of greater width than those adjoining said circular foil portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2 wherein an ancillary microstrip conductively connected to said base lies between two of said strip conductors extending along opposite sides of said channel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2 wherein said disk has a thickness equaling that of said substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2 wherein, with a signal frequency of at least 10 GHz, said substrate consists of glass-fiber-reinforced Teflon with a dielectric constant of about 2.3.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 2, 3, 4, 8 or 11, further comprising a plurality of tuning screws threaded into respective transverse bores of said walls at a level slightly above said microstrip conductors, said screws overhanging said microstrip conductors to an adjustable extent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 12 wherein the spacing of said microstrip from said level is a small fraction of the channel height.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A circuit component as defined in claim 12 wherein said screws have axes spaced apart by less than an eighth of the substrate wavelength of said superhigh-frequency signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2926317A
Cited
US3020500A
Cited
US3496492A
Cited
US3513413A
Cited
US3716805A
Cited
US3925740A
Cited
US4316160A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-09-11 | 1988-03-12 | 1988-09-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-09-11 | 1992-03-12 | 1992-09-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-09-11 | 1996-03-12 | 1996-09-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |