Signal splitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9379425-B2
Application number	US-201213429210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2012
Priority date	Mar 24, 2011
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A signal splitter for creating at least two symmetrical equal-power signals from an input signal for use in an amplifier device includes at least one input terminal pair and at least two output terminal pairs. A primary conductor structure supplied from the at least one input terminal pair is provided for induction of a current flow in at least two secondary conductor structures each connected to an output terminal pair of the at least two output terminal pairs and the at least two secondary conductor structures. A center of a conductor length of each of the at least two secondary conductor structures is connected to ground, and the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures are realized as conductor tracks applied to a printed circuit board.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A signal splitter operable to create at least two symmetrical signals from an input signal, the signal splitter comprising:
at least one input terminal pair;
at least two output terminal pairs;
a primary conductor structure supplied from the at least one input terminal pair; and
at least two secondary conductor structures, each of the at least two secondary conductor structures being connected to an output terminal pair of the at least two output terminal pairs, the primary conductor structure being for induction of a current flow in the at least two secondary conductor structures,
wherein a center of a line length of each secondary conductor structure of the at least two secondary conductor structures is connected to ground,
wherein the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures comprise conductor tracks applied to a printed circuit board, and
wherein the primary conductor structure surrounds the at least two secondary conductor structures as a loop.

2. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the primary conductor structure substantially runs in a U-shape, and
wherein the at least two secondary conductor structures are arranged in limbs of the U-shape.

3. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein an arrangement of the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures exhibits at least one symmetry.

4. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an arrangement of the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures exhibits at least one symmetry.

5. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the at least two secondary conductor structures comprises at least two windings.

6. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a first capacitor for forming a resonant circuit is connected between input terminals of the at least one input terminal pair terminating the primary conductor structure, a center of a conductor length of the primary conductor structure is connected to ground via a second capacitor, or a combination thereof.

7. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two secondary conductor structures comprises at least two windings.

8. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least two windings comprise three windings.

9. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first capacitor for forming a resonant circuit is connected between input terminals of the at least one input terminal pair terminating the primary conductor structure, a center of a conductor length of the primary conductor structure is connected to ground via a second capacitor, or a combination thereof.

10. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a power supply is connected via the second capacitor to the primary conductor structure.

11. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the power supply is connected via the second capacitor to the primary conductor structure when power is supplied to the signal splitter via an output of a transistor.

12. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two symmetrical signals are equal power signals.

13. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two secondary conductor structures comprises at least two windings.

14. The signal splitter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first capacitor for forming a resonant circuit is connected between input terminals of the at least one input terminal pair terminating the primary conductor structure, a center of a conductor length of the primary conductor structure is connected to ground via a second capacitor, or a combination thereof.

15. An amplifier device comprising:
an input-side driver transistor operable to provide a basic signal to be amplified; and
at least one signal splitter operable to split the basic signal to at least two amplifier modules, the at least two amplifier modules each delivering part of an overall power of the amplifier device, the at least one signal splitter comprising:
at least one input terminal pair;
at least two output terminal pairs;
a primary conductor structure supplied from the at least one input terminal pair; and
at least two secondary conductor structures, each of the at least two secondary conductor structures being connected to an output terminal pair of the at least two output terminal pairs, the primary conductor structure being for induction of a current flow in the at least two secondary conductor structures,

wherein a center of a line length of each secondary conductor structure of the at least two secondary conductor structures is connected to ground,
wherein the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures comprise conductor tracks applied to a printed circuit board, and
wherein the primary conductor structure surrounds the at least two secondary conductor structures as a loop.

16. The amplifier device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein leads from the at least one signal splitter to the at least two amplifier modules are designed to be a same length, and
wherein no balun is used before an input of the at least two amplifier modules.

17. The amplifier device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the at least two amplifier modules, the at least one signal splitter, and the input-side driver transistor are provided on a common printed circuit board.

18. The amplifier device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least two amplifier modules, the at least one signal splitter, and the input-side driver transistor are provided on a common printed circuit board.

19. A magnetic resonance device comprising:
a transmit unit comprising an amplifier device, the amplifier device comprising:
an input-side driver transistor operable to provide a basic signal to be amplified; and
at least one signal splitter operable to split the basic signal to at least two amplifier modules, the at least two amplifier modules each delivering part of an overall power of the amplifier device, the at least one signal splitter comprising:
at least one input terminal pair;
at least two output terminal pairs;
a primary conductor structure supplied from the at least one input terminal pair; and
at least two secondary conductor structures, each of the at least two secondary conductor structures being connected to an output terminal pair of the at least two output terminal pairs, the primary conductor structure being for induction of a current flow in the at least two secondary conductor structures,

wherein a center of a line length of each secondary conductor structure of the at least two secondary conductor structures is connected to ground,
wherein the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures comprise conductor tracks applied to a printed circuit board, and
wherein the primary conductor structure surrounds the at least two secondary conductor structures as a loop.

Assignees

• Albrecht Adam
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Albrecht Adam

Classifications

• H01P5/12 Primary

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

• G01R33/34

  Constructional details, e.g. resonators {, specially adapted to MR} · CPC title

• H03H7/48

  Networks for connecting several sources or loads, working on the same frequency or frequency band, to a common load or source (phase shifters providing two or more output signals H03H7/21) · CPC title

• H03H7/42

  Networks for transforming balanced signals into unbalanced signals and vice versa, e.g. baluns · CPC title

• G01R33/3614 Primary

  RF power amplifiers · CPC title