Waveguide Arrangement Containing A Ridged Waveguide And A Waveguide, And Connecting Interface

Abstract

A waveguide arrangement contains a first ridged waveguide and a second waveguide. The first ridged waveguide contains a first casing with a first cavity and a first ridge extending in the first cavity in the longitudinal direction. The first ridge is conductively connected to a wall of the first casing. The second waveguide contains a second casing with a second cavity. The first ridged waveguide overlaps the second waveguide in the longitudinal direction of the waveguide arrangement in a connecting section to produce a capacitive coupling between the first ridge and the second waveguide.

Claims

1. A ridged waveguide arrangement, comprising: a first ridged waveguide; and a second waveguide; wherein the first ridged waveguide comprises a first casing with a first cavity and a first ridge extending in the first cavity in a longitudinal direction, the first ridge conductively connected to a wall of the first casing; wherein the second waveguide comprises a second casing with a second cavity; wherein the first ridged waveguide overlaps the second waveguide in the longitudinal direction of the waveguide arrangement in a connecting section to produce a capacitive coupling between the first ridge and the second waveguide.

2. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the second waveguide is a ridged waveguide and comprises a second ridge extending in the second cavity in the longitudinal direction; wherein the second ridge is conductively connected to a wall of the second casing; wherein the first ridged waveguide overlaps the second waveguide in the longitudinal direction of the waveguide arrangement in a connecting section to produce a capacitive coupling between the first ridge and the second ridge.

3. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least sections of the second ridge overlap the first casing in the longitudinal direction in the connecting section.

4. The waveguide arrangement according to one claim 1, wherein at least sections of the first ridge overlap the second casing in the longitudinal direction in the connecting section.

5. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least sections of the first ridge overlap the second ridge in the longitudinal direction in the connecting section.

6. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first casing comprises a first window; wherein the second casing comprises a second window; and wherein the first window overlaps the second window in the connecting section.

7. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the first window and the second window are of identical proportions and shape and overlap one another without offset.

8. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 6, wherein at least part of the first ridge overlaps the first window in the longitudinal direction; and wherein at least part of the second ridge overlaps the second window in the longitudinal direction.

9. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the first window is completely surrounded by an electrically conductive adhesive in the circumferential direction, said adhesive defining an adhesive area that completely surrounds the first window; and wherein the adhesive adhesively bonds the first ridged waveguide to the second ridged waveguide.

10. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the first ridged waveguide and the second ridged waveguide have point symmetry with respect to one another in the connecting section.

11. The waveguide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least sections of the first ridge have a height in the connecting section that is lower than a height of the first ridge outside the connecting section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are discussed more thoroughly below on the basis of the appended drawings. The representations are schematic and not to scale. Identical reference signs relate to identical or similar elements. In the drawings:

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a ridged waveguide.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a waveguide arrangement.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a ridged waveguide.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of two capacitively coupled ridges of two ridged waveguides.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a ridged waveguide.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a sectional view of a ridged waveguide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows the general design of a ridged waveguide 100. The ridged waveguide 100 comprises a casing 110. The casing 110 surrounds a cavity 120. A ridge 130 extends in the cavity 120. The casing 110, the cavity 120 and the ridge 130 extend in a longitudinal direction 102. The casing 110 has a rectangular cross-section in the example in FIG. 1. Other cross-sectional shapes are possible, however, for example square, with or without rounded edges, elliptical, circular, etc. The casing 110 is formed from multiple walls 112, the walls 112 surrounding the cavity 120. The end faces of the casing 110 are open, with the result that the cavity 120 is accessible. An electromagnetic wave is fed into the ridged waveguide 100 at one end face and then propagates in the longitudinal direction 102 through the cavity 120 in the direction of the opposite end face. A ridged waveguide 100 as described herein is thus used to transmit electromagnetic waves, or signals, in a radio-frequency range.

[0053] The casing 110 and the ridge 130 comprise an electrically conductive material. By way of example, the casing 110 and the ridge 130 are made from a metallic material or are coated with such a material. The ridge 130 projects into the cavity 120 from one wall 112 as a comb. The ridge 130 is conductively connected to the casing 110. By way of example, the ridge 130 is produced together with the casing 110 or a portion of the casing 110 from one block of material. This means that the ridge 130 and at least a portion of the casing 110 are integral. However, the casing 110 may also be made up of two or more shell halves or shell portions. In general, the ridged waveguide 100 may be manufactured using different manufacturing and production techniques. One section or portion of the ridged waveguide 100 may be manufactured by means of 3D printing, for example, whereas other sections or portions are manufactured from a material body by means of milling. In principle, however, any suitable methods of manufacture are possible for each section, or portion, of the ridged waveguide.

[0054] The geometrical design of the ridged waveguide 100 and in particular the positioning of the ridge 130 in the cavity 120 may have a positive effect on the transmission properties of radio-frequency signals via the ridged waveguide 100.

[0055] In order to connect two ridged waveguides 100 to one another at their end faces, said end faces are typically connected to one another using a butt joint by placing the two end faces to be connected abutting one another and connecting them, for example using a flange or a screw or clamp connection. However, additional connecting elements such as these have the disadvantage that they require additional installation space or assembly space, which is disadvantageous for use in large quantities.

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a waveguide arrangement 10 containing a first ridged waveguide 100A and a second ridged waveguide 100B. The first ridged waveguide 100A and the second ridged waveguide 100B are connected to one another in a connecting section 140, with the result that an electromagnetic wave propagating in the first ridged waveguide 100A is coupled into the second ridged waveguide 100B (or vice versa).

[0057] The waveguide arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 2 is distinguished in particular in that a separate connecting element is dispensed with in the connecting section 140. Rather, the first ridged waveguide and the second ridged waveguide have an altered shape and design in the connecting section such that the two ridged waveguides are joined to one another to produce a capacitive coupling between the first ridge 130A and the second ridge 130B.

[0058] The first ridged waveguide and the second ridged waveguide are in particular connected to one another in such a way that their outer surfaces merge flush one into the other. Preferably, the same applies to the inner surfaces defining the cavity. This means that, in the preferred configuration, both the outer surfaces of the ridged waveguides and the inner surfaces of the ridged waveguides merge substantially without offset.

[0059] In this configuration, the first ridged waveguide 100A and the second ridged waveguide 100B are of identical design in respect of their shape in the connecting section 140. The second ridged waveguide 100B is merely rotated through 180°, and is connected to the first ridged waveguide 100A in the connecting section 140.

[0060] The first ridge 130A runs on the top wall in the first ridged waveguide 100A, this direction statement “top” and also other direction statements in this description referring to the representations in the figures. The second ridge 130B runs on the bottom wall in the second ridged waveguide 100B. The ridges 130A, 130B are shown in dashes and extend in the longitudinal direction 102 of the waveguide arrangement 10.

[0061] The first ridge 130A comprises a first retaining lug 150A and the second ridge 130B comprises a second retaining lug 150B in the connecting section 140. The two retaining lugs fit into corresponding depressions in the particular other ridged waveguide. A stepped transition from one ridged waveguide to the other ridged waveguide may be seen in the cross-sectional representation in FIG. 2.

[0062] The shape and the size of the ridge 130A, 130B also change in the connecting section 140. The reason for this is that the cross-section of the ridged waveguides is altered in the connecting section 140 so that the ridged waveguides are connected to one another without offset at the top, at the bottom, at the front or at the rear (referenced to the plane of the drawing).

[0063] A signal crossover 160 for radio-frequency signals is arranged between the two retaining lugs 150A, 150B in the connecting section 140 and in the longitudinal direction 102. The two ridges 130A, 130B are capacitively coupled to one another at this signal crossover 160. By way of example, an electromagnetic wave in the waveguide arrangement 10 propagates from left to right in the longitudinal direction 102 along the first ridge 130A, the electromagnetic wave is capacitively coupled into the second ridge 130B at the signal crossover 160, and then propagates in the longitudinal direction 102 again along the second ridge 130B.

[0064] Even though two ridged waveguides are connected to one another in FIG. 2, the waveguide arrangement 10 described herein is not restricted to this and may instead comprise one ridged waveguide and one conventional waveguide, the conventional waveguide in this second variant corresponding to the second ridged waveguide, but without there being a ridge in this second waveguide. The other features relating to the casing also apply to the conventional waveguide.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows an isometric representation of the first ridged waveguide 100A by way of illustration. The first retaining lug 150A, the signal crossover 160A with a window 165A and a further step as mating piece for the second retaining lug 150B (see FIG. 2) may be seen in this representation. The first ridge 130A in the first ridged waveguide 100A is shown by dashed lines. The height of the first ridge 130A changes along the longitudinal direction of the ridged waveguide 100A. In particular, the height and quite generally the cross-sectional area of the first ridge 130A decrease as the connecting section 140 or the second ridged waveguide 100B is increasingly approached.

[0066] FIG. 4 shows, by way of illustration, the relative arrangement of the two ridges 130A, 130B in a state in which the two ridged waveguides 100A, 100B are connected to one another. For the purposes of simpler representation, FIG. 4 shows only the ridges and not the other elements of the ridged waveguides.

[0067] As may clearly be seen, the height and the shape of the ridges change in the connecting section 140. The exact adaptation of the shape of the ridges is a matter relating to the properties of the crossover of a radio-frequency electromagnetic wave, or the radio-frequency transformation, in the connecting section 140.

[0068] At least part of the two ridges 130A and 130B overlaps in the longitudinal direction 102 in the connecting section 140. The coupling, or the capacitive crossover, between the two ridges takes place at this point.

[0069] FIG. 5 shows a detailed representation of the design of a waveguide 100A in the connecting section 140. The casing 110A has a stepped profile, with the extreme right step corresponding to the retaining lug and the extreme left step being the mating piece for the retaining lug of the other waveguide. The radio-frequency crossover between the two waveguides takes place by way of the middle step. Here, one or more windows 165 in the form of apertures are arranged in the casing 110A. The same number of windows is arranged in both waveguides. When two waveguides are connected to one another, the windows are situated above one another and allow a signal crossover transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction 102 of the waveguide arrangement. An electromagnetic wave is transmitted from one waveguide to the other waveguide through the windows 165.

[0070] The number of windows also corresponds to the number of transmission channels that may be transmitted by way of a waveguide arrangement. If for example two ridged waveguides are connected to one another, there is preferably provision for a single ridge, spatially associated with a window 165, for each transmission channel. A ridge ends close to or below a window 165 in each case

[0071] To connect two waveguides to one another, there is provision for the two retaining lugs to be connected to the casing of the particular other waveguide by way of an adhesive area 170. The adhesive areas are represented by a shaded area in FIG. 5. The adhesive used here is preferably an electrically conductive adhesive, or a metallic adhesive.

[0072] To insulate two spatially adjacent transmission channels in the connecting section 140 from one another, the respective windows 165 are likewise enclosed by an adhesive area 170. By way of example, adhesive may be applied to the middle step around a window 165 in a closed line here, this being repeated for each window 165. When the second waveguide is pressed onto the first waveguide in the connecting section 140, two spatially adjacent transmission channels are insulated from one another in respect of radio-frequency electromagnetic waves because the adhesive surrounding the windows 165 fills a gap between the two waveguides in the connecting section.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of a ridged waveguide 100 and in particular highlights the relative position of an end face 132 of the ridge 130 in relation to the window 165 in the casing of the ridged waveguide 100. The ridge 130 extends in the longitudinal direction 102 in the cavity of the ridged waveguide 100. The cross-section and the height of the ridge 130 changes in the direction of the connecting section and extends into the stepped region of the connecting section. In a variant that is shown in FIG. 6, the end face 132 extends in the longitudinal direction 102 to the degree that the end face 132 protrudes beyond the rear edge 167 of the window 165 (that is to say in the longitudinal direction 102 and in the direction of the other waveguide), but the end face 132 of the ridge 130 ends before the front edge 166 (which is the edge closest to the other waveguide). In this example, (only) part of the ridge 130 thus overlaps the window 165 in the longitudinal direction. It is conceivable for the end face 132 of the ridge 130 to end to the left of the rear edge 167.

[0074] Additionally, it should be pointed out that “comprising” does not preclude other elements or steps and “a(an)” or one” does not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, it will be pointed out that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims should not be regarded as a restriction.

[0075] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0076] 10 waveguide arrangement [0077] 100 ridged waveguide [0078] 100A first ridged waveguide [0079] 100B second ridged waveguide [0080] 102 longitudinal direction [0081] 110 casing [0082] 112 wall [0083] 120 cavity [0084] 130 ridge [0085] 132 end face [0086] 140 connecting section [0087] 150 retaining lug [0088] 160 signal crossover [0089] 165 window [0090] 166 front edge [0091] 167 rear edge [0092] 170 adhesive area