Compact twist for connecting orthogonal waveguides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9203128-B2
Application number	US-201213652684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2012
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	Dec 1, 2015
Grant date	Dec 1, 2015

Abstract

A compact interfacing device for rotating electro-magnetic fields between an input and output waveguide includes a support bar extending between opposing sides of a frame, the frame encircling an interior space divided by the support bar; and a dipole bar orientated orthogonal to the support bar. When the input waveguide interfaces an input-side of the frame and is arranged so that an extent of an input width of the input waveguide is orientated at first angle with respect to an extent of the dipole-bar length, and when the output waveguide interfaces an output-side of the frame and is arranged so that an extent of an output width of the output waveguide is orientated at a second angle with respect to the extent of the dipole-bar length, an input electric field aligned perpendicular to the extent of the input width is rotated upon propagating through the compact interfacing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compact interfacing device for rotating electro-magnetic fields between an input waveguide and an output waveguide, the interfacing device comprising:
a support bar extending between and connected to opposing sides of a frame, the support bar having a support-bar length and a support-bar thickness;
the frame encircling an interior space divided by the support bar, the frame having a frame thickness; and
a dipole bar orientated orthogonal to the support bar, the dipole bar having a dipole-bar thickness and a dipole-bar length that is less than the support-bar length, wherein
when the input waveguide interfaces an input-side of the frame and is arranged so that an extent of an input width of the input waveguide is orientated at a first angle with respect to an extent of the dipole-bar length, and
when the output waveguide interfaces an output-side of the frame and is arranged so that an extent of an output width of the output waveguide is orientated at a second angle with respect to the extent of the dipole-bar length, the second angle being equal to and opposite the first angle,
wherein an input electric field aligned perpendicular to the extent of the input width is rotated upon propagating through the compact interfacing device so that an output electric field, which is aligned perpendicular to the extent of the output width, is coupled to the output waveguide.

2. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first flange to position an output-face of the input waveguide at the input-side of the frame; and
a second flange to position an input-face of the output waveguide at the output-side of the frame.

3. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the dipole bar intersects the support bar at half the support-bar length.

4. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the support-bar thickness is about equal to the dipole-bar thickness and wherein the frame thickness is greater than the support-bar thickness and the dipole-bar thickness, wherein the frame thickness is an insertion length of the compact interfacing device for rotating electro-magnetic fields, wherein the dipole-bar thickness is much less than the input width and the output width.

5. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the first angle is 45 degrees and the second angle is −45 degrees.

6. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the dipole-bar length is on the order of half a wavelength of the rotated electro-magnetic fields.

7. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the input width is about equal to the output width.

8. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the input waveguide is a single mode waveguide.

9. The compact interfacing device of claim 1 , wherein the output waveguide is a single mode waveguide.

10. A waveguide system comprising:
an input waveguide configured to support an input electric field propagating along a length of the input waveguide, the input electric field being perpendicular to an extent of an input width of the input waveguide;
an output waveguide configured to support an output electric field propagating along a length of the output waveguide, the output electric field being perpendicular to an extent of an output width of the output waveguide, wherein the extent of the input width is orientated at a first angle with respect to the extent of the output width; and
a compact interfacing device positioned between the input waveguide and the output waveguide, the compact interfacing device including:
a support bar extending between and connected to opposing sides of a frame, the support bar having a support-bar length and a support-bar thickness;
a dipole bar orientated orthogonal to the support bar, the dipole bar having a dipole-bar thickness and a dipole-bar length that is less than the support-bar length; and
the frame encircling an interior space divided by the support bar, the frame having a frame thickness that equals an insertion length,

wherein the compact interfacing device is configured to rotate the input electric field by the first angle, and wherein the insertion length is much less than a shortest one of the input width, a thickness, and the length of the input waveguide and much less than a shortest one of the output width, a thickness, and the length of the output waveguide.

11. The waveguide system of claim 10 ,
wherein the frame thickness is greater than the support-bar thickness and greater than the dipole-bar thickness, wherein when the extent of the input width is orientated at a second angle with respect to an extent of the dipole-bar length, the second angle being half of the first angle, and
when the extent of the output width is orientated at a negative of the second angle with respect to the extent of the dipole-bar length,
then the input electric field supported in the input waveguide is rotated through the first angle by the interfacing device so that the output electric field is supported in the output waveguide.

12. The waveguide system of claim 11 , wherein the interior space of the frame is divided by the support bar into a first open region and a second open region, and wherein a first portion of the dipole bar partially bisects the first open region, and wherein a second portion of the dipole bar partially bisects the second open region.

13. The waveguide system of claim 11 , wherein the interior space of the frame includes:
an insertion region on a first side of the dipole bar and on a first side of the support bar; and
an exit region on a second side of the dipole bar and on a second side of the support bar, the second side of the dipole bar opposing the first side of the dipole bar and the second side of the support bar opposing the first side of the support bar.

14. The waveguide system of claim 11 , wherein the dipole bar intersects the support bar at half the support-bar length.

15. The waveguide system of claim 11 , wherein the support-bar thickness is much less than the input width and the output width, and wherein the frame thickness is much less than the input width and the output width.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Hoover John C
• Covert Lance

Classifications

• Y10T29/49016

  Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making · CPC title

• H01P1/065

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

• H01P1/173

  using a conductive element · CPC title

• H01P1/165

  for rotating the plane of polarisation · CPC title

• H01P5/082

  Transitions between hollow waveguides of different shape, e.g. between a rectangular and a circular waveguide · CPC title