Ferrite circulator with asymmetric dielectric spacers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531050-B2
Application number	US-201514829183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A circulator for a waveguide is provided. The circulator comprises a waveguide housing including a central cavity, and a ferrite element disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, with the ferrite element including a first surface and an opposing second surface. The circulator also comprises a pair of asymmetric dielectric spacers including a first dielectric spacer located on the first surface of the ferrite element, and a second dielectric spacer located on the second surface of the ferrite element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circulator, comprising:
a waveguide housing including a central cavity;
a ferrite element disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, the ferrite element including a first surface and an opposing second surface; and
a pair of asymmetric dielectric spacers including a first dielectric spacer located on the first surface of the ferrite element, and a second dielectric spacer located on the second surface of the ferrite element;
wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different shapes.

2. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers comprise the same dielectric materials.

3. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have substantially the same thickness.

4. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different thicknesses.

5. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric spacer has a lower dielectric constant than the second dielectric spacer.

6. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different sizes.

7. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric spacer has a circular shape and the second dielectric spacer has a triangular shape.

8. A switching waveguide circulator, comprising:
a waveguide housing including a central cavity and a plurality of waveguide arms that extend from the central cavity;
a ferrite element disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, the ferrite element including a plurality of segments that each protrude toward a respective one of the waveguide arms, the ferrite element including a first surface and an opposing second surface;
a pair of asymmetric dielectric spacers including a first dielectric spacer located on the first surface of the ferrite element, and a second dielectric spacer located on the second surface of the ferrite element; and
a magnetizing winding disposed in the segments of the ferrite element;
wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different shapes.

9. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers comprise the same dielectric materials.

10. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have substantially the same thickness.

11. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different thicknesses.

12. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the first dielectric spacer has a lower dielectric constant than the second dielectric spacer.

13. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different sizes.

14. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the first dielectric spacer has a circular shape and the second dielectric spacer has a triangular shape.

15. A circulator, comprising:
a waveguide housing including a central cavity;
a ferrite element disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, the ferrite element including a first surface and an opposing second surface; and
a pair of asymmetric dielectric spacers including a first dielectric spacer located on the first surface of the ferrite element, and a second dielectric spacer located on the second surface of the ferrite element;
wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different shapes;
wherein the first dielectric spacer has a different dielectric constant than the second dielectric spacer.

16. The circulator of claim 15 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have substantially the same thickness.

17. The circulator of claim 15 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different thicknesses.

18. The circulator of claim 15 , wherein the first and second dielectric spacers have different sizes.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Kroening Adam M
• Covert Lance

Classifications

• H01P1/38

  Circulators · CPC title

• H01P1/39 Primary

  Hollow waveguide circulators · CPC title

• H01P1/383 Primary

  Junction circulators, e.g. Y-circulators · CPC title