Radiofrequency RF rotating joint for rotary RF wave-guiding device and rotary RF device including such a joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11075436-B2
Application number	US-201916696931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

An RF joint rotating about an axis of rotation (Z) includes a number N, greater than or equal to 1, of RF transmission channels, a first, internal surface of symmetry of revolution about the axis (Z) and of RF transmission having a first, internal radius r 1 , and a second, external surface of symmetry of revolution about the axis (Z) and of RF transmission having a second, external radius r 2 , strictly less than the first, internal radius r 1 . The first and second RF transmission surfaces facing one another and rotationally mobile about the axis (Z) are configured through the first and second radii r 1 , r 2 , the geometry of the first and second RF access ports, and the geometry of the first and second RF containment and guidance means, such that: each RF transmission channel Vi, i varying from 1 to N, comprises a first RF rotating waveguide, and the N first RF rotating waveguides are distributed angularly over a predetermined number NC, greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N, of sections of surfaces of revolution about the axis (Z) of the second RF transmission surface, each of the NC sections being situated along the longitudinal axis of symmetry (Z) at a predetermined different level L 1 ( k ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radiofrequency RF rotating joint for radio-electrically connecting together first and second parts of a rotary RF wave-guiding device, and for transmitting RF electromagnetic signals between said first and second parts of said rotary RF wave-guiding device, the RF rotating joint comprising:
a first, outer part, of overall annular form, having a first, internal, electrically conductive, electromagnetic signal transmission surface, with symmetry of revolution over an angular interval of extension of a length that is non-zero and less than or equal to 360 degrees about a longitudinal axis of rotation (Z); and
a second part, internal to the first part, having a second, external, electrically conductive, electromagnetic signal transmission surface, with axis of revolution over an angular interval of extension about the longitudinal axis (Z), disposed without mechanical contact facing the first, internal surface, and rotationally mobile about the longitudinal axis (Z) over a predetermined interval of angular rotation; and
an integer number N, greater than or equal to 1, of distinct RF transmission channel(s) Vi, i varying from 1 to N, between the first part and the second part of the rotary RF wave-guiding device;
the first, internal, electromagnetic signal transmission surface comprising a succession of a predetermined number NC, greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N, of first sections of surfaces of revolution about the axis (Z), situated at different first levels L 1 ( k ), k varying from 1 to NC, along the longitudinal axis of symmetry (Z) about an associated first internal average radii r 1 ( k ), k varying from 1 to NC, and comprising N first RF access ports and first, meta-material-based, RF electromagnetic signal containment and guidance means; and
the second, external, RF electromagnetic signal transmission surface comprising a succession of NC second sections of surfaces of revolution about the axis (Z), situated at the different first levels L 1 ( k ), k varying from 1 to NC, along the longitudinal axis of symmetry (Z) about associated second external average radii r 2 ( k ), k varying from 1 to NC, strictly less than the corresponding first, internal, average radii r 1 ( k ), and comprising N second RF access ports and second meta-material-based, RF electromagnetic signal containment and guidance means; and
the first and second RF transmission surfaces being configured by the first and second average radii r 1 ( k ), r 2 ( k ), the first levels L 1 ( k ), k varying from 1 to NC, the geometry of the first and second RF access ports, and the geometry of the first and second RF containment and guidance means, such that:
each RF transmission channel Vi, i varying from 1 to N, comprises a first different curved sliding RF waveguide, and
the N first curved sliding RF waveguides are distributed angularly over the NC first sections of surfaces of revolution about the axis (Z), each of the first and second NC sections of surfaces of revolution about the axis (Z) being situated along the longitudinal axis of symmetry (Z) at its associated first level L 1 ( k ), k varying from 1 to NC.

2. The radiofrequency RF rotating joint according to claim 1 , wherein:
each first curved sliding RF waveguide, associated with the RF transmission channel Vi, i varying from 1 to N, is delimited:
in radial height or small side b k between the first section of surface of revolution and the second section of surface of revolution about the axis (Z) of rank k of the first and second transmission surfaces, k lying between 1 and NC,
in axial height or large side a k between two first lateral containment and guidance walls of the first and second sections of surfaces of revolution about the axis (Z) of rank k, and
in length between a first circumferential end containment and guidance wall relating to the first, meta-material-based, RF electromagnetic signal containment and guidance means and a second circumferential end containment and guidance wall relating to the second, meta-material-based, RF electromagnetic signal containment and guidance means, disposed, for one, in proximity to the first associated RF access port and, for the other, in proximity to the second associated RF access port, without one of the first and second circumferential end containment and guidance walls being interposed between said first and second RF access ports.

3. The RF rotating joint according to claim 2 , wherein:
the two first lateral containment and guidance walls of each first curved sliding waveguide are each formed by a one-or two-dimensional network of blocks with electrically-conductive surface;
the blocks of the two lateral walls of each first curved sliding waveguide are slender and protrude from one and the same electrically-conductive circumferential surface of the first curved sliding RF waveguide, or from the two electrically-conductive circumferential surfaces of the first curved sliding RF waveguide with one lateral wall per circumferential surface, or by interleaving of the blocks from the two electrically-conductive circumferential surfaces for at least one lateral wall taken from among the two lateral walls.

4. The RF rotating joint according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first and second circumferential end containment and guidance walls of each first curved sliding RF waveguide are disposed on either side of the first and second RF access ports; and
the two containment and guidance circumferential end walls are each formed by a one-or two-dimensional network of blocks with electrically-conductive surface, and
the blocks of the two circumferential end walls are slender and protrude respectively from the first transmission surface for the first end wall associated with and disposed in the vicinity of the first RF access port and from the second transmission surface for the second end wall associated with and disposed in the vicinity of the second RF access port.

5. The RF rotating joint according to claim 4 , wherein
the blocks of the end walls of the RF transmission channel or of several RF transmission channels situated at one and the same longitudinal level are formed by circumferential lines of blocks arranged combwise so as to allow a free mechanical crossing of the first and second end walls when the first and second parts rotate relative to one another while ensuring their electromagnetic wave containment function.

6. The radiofrequency RF rotating joint according to claim 1 , wherein the integer number N of RF transmission channels is equal to 1, and
wherein the single RF transmission channel V 1 comprises one of the N first curved sliding RF waveguides, disposed orthogonally to the longitudinal axis (Z) of symmetry at one of the different first levels L 1 ( k ).

7. The radiofrequency RF rotating joint according to claim 1 , wherein:
the integer number N of distinct RF transmission channels Vi is greater than or equal to 2, and
each RF transmission channel Vi, i varying from 1 to N, comprises one of the N first curved sliding RF waveguides, and
the N first curved sliding RF waveguides are distributed angularly along one and the same transverse circle, disposed orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of symmetry at one of the different first levels L 1 ( k ).

8. The radiofrequency RF rotating joint according to claim 1 , wherein:
the integer number N, of distinct RF transmission channels Vi is greater than or equal to 2, and
each RF transmission channel Vi, i varying from 1 to N, comprises one of the N first curved sliding RF waveguides, and
the N first curved sliding RF waveguides are distributed longitudinally along the axis of symmetry (Z) at the different first levels L 1 ( k ).

9. The

Assignees

• Thales Sa
• Centre Nat Etd Spatiales

Inventors

• Vynohradov Dimitri
• Brossier Jérôme
• Monteillet Benjamin
• Lorenzo Jérôme
• Ferrando Nicolas

Classifications

• H01Q21/064

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title

• H01P3/123 Primary

  with a complex or stepped cross-section, e.g. ridged or grooved waveguides (H01P3/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P5/182

  the waveguides being arranged in parallel · CPC title

• H01P1/065

  the axis of rotation being parallel to the transmission path, e.g. stepped twist · CPC title

• H01P1/068

  the energy being transmitted in at least one ring-shaped transmission line located around the axis of rotation, e.g. "around the mast" rotary joint (H01P1/069 takes precedence; coaxial line with solid inner conductor H01P1/067) · CPC title