Ferrite circulator with reduced-height transformers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570791-B2
Application number	US-201614987469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2016
Priority date	Aug 6, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A circulator comprises a waveguide housing having a plurality of hollow waveguide arms that communicate with a central cavity, the waveguide housing having a height defined by a plurality of waveguide sidewalls between a waveguide floor and a waveguide ceiling. A ferrite element is disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, with the ferrite element including a central portion. The ferrite element further includes a plurality of ferrite segments that each extend from the central portion and terminate at a distal end. A plurality of dielectric transformers each having an upper surface protrude into the waveguide arms away from the central cavity along the waveguide floor. The dielectric transformers have a height that is less than the height of the waveguide housing such that the upper surface of the transformers is separated from the waveguide ceiling by a gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circulator, comprising:
an electrically conductive waveguide housing having a plurality of hollow waveguide arms that communicate with a central cavity, the waveguide housing having a waveguide floor and a waveguide ceiling, the waveguide arms each having a width between opposing sidewalls coupled to the waveguide floor and the waveguide ceiling, the waveguide housing having a height defined by a distance between the waveguide floor and the waveguide ceiling;
a ferrite element disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, the ferrite element including a central portion and a plurality of ferrite segments that each extend from the central portion and terminate at a distal end; and
a plurality of dielectric transformers each having an upper surface and respectively protruding into the waveguide arms away from the central cavity along the waveguide floor, the dielectric transformers each respectively coupled to the distal end of each of the ferrite segments, the dielectric transformers each having a width that is substantially the same as the width between the opposing sidewalls of the waveguide arms, the dielectric transformers having a height that is less than the height of the waveguide housing such that the upper surface of the transformers is separated from the waveguide ceiling by a gap;
wherein the distal end of each of the ferrite segments is mounted in a recess located along a proximal edge of each of the dielectric transformers.

2. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein each ferrite segment includes a channel for threading a control wire through the ferrite element.

3. The circulator of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetizing winding disposed in the ferrite element.

4. The circulator of claim 1 , further comprising a first dielectric spacer located on an upper surface of the ferrite element, and a second dielectric spacer located on a lower surface of the ferrite element.

5. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the gap provides a clearance between the upper surface of the transformers and the waveguide ceiling of at least about 0.005 inches.

6. The circulator of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide housing includes three waveguide arms.

7. The circulator of claim 6 , wherein the ferrite element has a Y-shaped structure that includes three ferrite segments that each respectively extend into one of the three waveguide arms.

8. A switching waveguide circulator, comprising:
an electrically conductive waveguide housing having a plurality of hollow waveguide arms that communicate with a central cavity, the waveguide housing having a height defined by a plurality of waveguide sidewalls between a waveguide floor and a waveguide ceiling;
a ferrite element disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, the ferrite element including a central portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, the ferrite element further including a plurality of ferrite segments that each extend from the central portion and terminate at a distal end;
a plurality of dielectric transformers each having an upper surface and respectively protruding into the waveguide arms away from the central cavity along the waveguide floor, the dielectric transformers each respectively coupled to the distal end of each of the ferrite segments, the dielectric transformers each having a width that is substantially the same as the width between the opposing sidewalls of the waveguide arms, the dielectric transformers having a height that is less than the height of the waveguide housing such that the upper surface of the transformers is separated from the waveguide ceiling by a gap;
a magnetizing control wire threaded through the ferrite segments;
a first dielectric spacer located on the upper surface of the ferrite element; and
a second dielectric spacer located on the lower surface of the ferrite element;
wherein the distal end of each of the ferrite segments is mounted in a recess located along a proximal edge of each of the dielectric transformers.

9. The circulator of claim 8 , wherein the gap provides a clearance between the upper surface of the transformers and the waveguide ceiling of at least about 0.005 inches.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Covert Lance
• Kroening Adam M

Classifications

• H01P1/39 Primary

  Hollow waveguide circulators · CPC title

• H01P5/12 Primary

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

• H01P3/12

  Hollow waveguides (H01P3/20 takes precedence) · CPC title