Waveguide hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10103417-B2
Application number	US-201614995070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

Waveguide hinges are provided that allow for a substantially continuous RF waveguide to be formed through the hinge when the hinge elements are in a particular relative rotational configuration with respect to one another; the substantially continuous RF waveguide is not formed when the hinge elements are in various other relative rotational configurations. Such waveguide hinges allow for waveguide elements to be repositioned during periods when RF energy is not being transmitted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a first member;
a second member;
a first radio-frequency (RF) waveguide portion located within the first member; and
a second RF waveguide portion located within the second member, wherein:
the first member and the second member are rotatably coupled with one another relative to a rotational axis, thereby forming a hinge, and are transitionable between a first relative rotational configuration and a second relative rotational configuration,
in the first relative rotational configuration, the first RF waveguide portion and the second RF waveguide portion are aligned with one another to form a substantially continuous first waveguide through the first member and the second member, and
in the second relative rotational configuration, the first RF waveguide portion and the second RF waveguide portion are not aligned with one another to form the substantially continuous first waveguide through the first member and the second member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first RF waveguide portion enters the first member along a direction substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and
the second RF waveguide portion exits the second member along a direction substantially parallel to a second axis that is also perpendicular to the rotational axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first RF waveguide portion enters the first member along a direction substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and
the second RF waveguide portion exits the second member along a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first RF waveguide portion enters the first member and the second RF waveguide portion enters the second member along directions substantially parallel to the rotational axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third RF waveguide portion located in the first member; and
a fourth RF waveguide portion located in the second member, wherein:
the third RF waveguide portion and the fourth RF waveguide portion are aligned with one another to form a substantially continuous second waveguide through the first member and the second member when the first member and the second member are in the first relative rotational configuration, and
the third RF waveguide portion and the fourth RF waveguide portion are not aligned with one another to form the substantially continuous second waveguide through the first member and the second member when the first member and the second member are in the second relative rotational configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the first RF waveguide portion and the third RF waveguide portion enter the first member along directions substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and
the second RF waveguide portion and the fourth RF waveguide portion exit the second member along directions substantially parallel to a second axis that is also perpendicular to the rotational axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the first RF waveguide portion and the third RF waveguide portion enter the first member along directions substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis,
the second RF waveguide portion exits the second member along a direction that is substantially parallel to the rotational axis, and
the fourth RF waveguide portion exits the second member along a direction substantially parallel to a second axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a positive locking mechanism that locks when the first member and the second member are transitioned into the first relative rotational configuration and that prevents the first member and the second member from rotating relative to one another when locked.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to cause the apparatus to move from the second relative rotational configuration to the first relative rotational configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the drive mechanism is an item selected from the group consisting of: a torsion spring, a linear spring, and a motor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
in the first relative rotational configuration, the first RF waveguide portion and the second RF waveguide portion provide a first path for RF energy, and
the first RF waveguide portion and the second RF waveguide portion both have rectangular cross-sections in planes perpendicular to the first path that are substantially the same.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the rectangular cross-sections have an aspect ratio of between 1.8:1 and 2.2:1.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first RF waveguide portions located in the first member, wherein the plurality of first RF waveguide portions includes the first RF waveguide portion; and
a plurality of second RF waveguide portions located in the second member, wherein the plurality of second RF waveguide portions includes the second RF waveguide portion, wherein:
each of the second RF waveguide portions corresponds to a corresponding one of the first RF waveguide portions,
in the first relative rotational configuration, each of the first RF waveguide portions and each of the corresponding second RF waveguide portions are aligned with one another to form a corresponding substantially continuous waveguide through the first member and the second member, and
in the second relative rotational configuration, each of the first RF waveguide portions and each of the second RF waveguide portions are not aligned with one another to form the corresponding substantially continuous waveguide through the first member and the second member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
one or more of the first RF waveguide portions enters the first member along a direction substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and
one or more of the second RF waveguide portions exits the second member along a direction substantially perpendicular to a second axis that is also perpendicular to the rotational axis.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
one or more of the first RF waveguide portions enters the first member along a direction substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and
one or more of the second RF waveguide portions exits the second member along a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first RF waveguide portions enters the first member and one or more of the second RF waveguide portions exits the second member along a directions substantially parallel to the rotational axis.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
one or more of the first RF waveguide portions enters the first member along a direction substantially parallel to a first axis that is perpendicular to the rotational axis,
one or more of the second RF waveguide portions exits the second member along a direction substantially parallel to a second axis that is also perpendicular to the rotational axis, and
one or more of the second RF waveguide portions exits the second member along a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deployable boom having a dist

Assignees

• Space Systems/Loral LLC

Inventors

• Gomberg Evan I

Classifications

• H01P1/122 Primary

  Waveguide switches · CPC title

• H01P1/062

  the relative movement being a rotation · CPC title

• H01P5/12

  Coupling devices having more than two ports (H01P5/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/064 Primary

  the axis of rotation being perpendicular to the transmission path, e.g. hinge joint · CPC title

• H01Q1/288

  Satellite antennas · CPC title