CA1218428A - Waveguide connector arrangements - Google Patents

Waveguide connector arrangements

Info

Publication number
CA1218428A
CA1218428A CA000455105A CA455105A CA1218428A CA 1218428 A CA1218428 A CA 1218428A CA 000455105 A CA000455105 A CA 000455105A CA 455105 A CA455105 A CA 455105A CA 1218428 A CA1218428 A CA 1218428A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
connector
waveguide
parts
rack
carried
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000455105A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Martin L. Da Costa
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BAE Systems Electronics Ltd
Original Assignee
Marconi Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Marconi Co Ltd filed Critical Marconi Co Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1218428A publication Critical patent/CA1218428A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01PWAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
    • H01P1/00Auxiliary devices
    • H01P1/04Fixed joints
    • H01P1/042Hollow waveguide joints

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A two-part slidably detachable waveguide connector, particularly for a radar system, is provided on one part with a slidable first outwardly spring biased waveguide portion, on the other part with a second mating waveguide portion and on either part with a tubular guide which relatively locates the waveguide portions and surrounds their mating interface when they are attached. One of the waveguide connector parts may be mounted on the rear of rack-mounted radar equipment and the other part in a corresponding position on the rack, so that the parts may be rapidly engaged or disengaged by merely sliding the equipment into or out of the rack.

Description

The present invention rela-tes to the connection and dis-connection cf waveguides and is particularly concerned with micro-wave interfaces on items of equipment which need to be rapidly connected and disconnected, such as radar and other military equipment.
Hitherto, detachable waveguide connections have been made by bolting together flanged mating surfaces of the wave-guides. This procedure which generally involves the tightening or untightening of a number of nuts and bolts, is time consuming and awkward, particularly when the connection is not easily accessible. However, it has hitherto been believed that a tight bolted flange connection is necessary in order to ensure low power losses at the mating interface and to ensure that dirt and mois-ture are excluded.
We have found that a satisfactory connection with suf ficiently low losses can be achieved without using a tightly locked mating interface.
According to the present invention, there is provided a two part slidably detachable waveguide connector wherein a first waveguide portion slidable in the axial direction is carried by one part and biassed away from said part by spring means, a second waveguide portion arranged to mate in alignment with said first waveguide portion is carried by the other part and a tubular outer sleeve is carried by either part and, when the connector parts are attached, slidably locates said waveguide portions and surrounds their mating interface.

-2a-Said connector may be incorporated in an arrangement further comprising guide means distinct from said connector which in use slidably locate the connector parts and align them when they are separated. Thus one of the waveguide connector parts may be mounted on the rear of the casing on a piece of equip-ment arranged to be rack-mounted and the other waveguide connec-tor part is then mounted at a corresponding position on the rack, so that the connector parts can be mated simply by sliding the equipment into the rack and held in position by frictional engagement between the equipment and the rack. Any slight initial mismatch in the positions or orientations of the ~ 2 ~ ~ 4 2 8 connector parts may be accommodated by providing an alignment taper on the engaging surfaces of either or both of the connector parts. However the waveguide portions should be a close sliding fit in the outer sleeve in order to ensure their mating faces accurately abut one another, and thereby ensure low electrical losses at the interface.
Normally any strain on the connector caused by slight initial misalignment will be taken by the flexible casing of the equipment~or the rack.
The~invention is however also applicable to multiple bayonet connectors as used in military applications, for example.
Preferably the outwardly biassed waveguide por-tion is mounted on one (male)part of the connector and the tubular guide is incorporated in the other (female)part of the connector. The connector may incorporate a shutter over the recessed mating surface of the female part of the conn-ector which is opened by a coarse alignment pin on the male connector part when the parts are brought together.
One of the mating surfaces (which are preferably planar) may be provided with a groove surrounding the inner surface of the waveguide. The groove acts as a waveguide choke at the connector interface and thereby reduces the mismatch in impedance between the connector parts (which is inherent in all waveguide and transmission line discontinuities) and hence any power losses which might otherwise occur.
In most cases the lengths of waveguide connected by the connector will be rectangular in cross section and will need to be rotationally aligned about their common axis. One length of waveguide may be gripped within the tubular guide and the tubular outer sleeve(which may suitably by circular in cross-section) in turn may be aligned by means of a pin mounted on the body of the associated 1;~18428 CQnneCtor part which engages an axial slot in its surface. The bodies of the connector parts may be relatively aligned by means of a dowel pin projecting from one body into a hole in the other~
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings, of which:
Figure 1 is an axial sectional elevation of one part of a connector for use in an arrangement in accordance wi-th the invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view taken on Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an axial sectional elevation of another connector part suitable for fitting to that shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a plan view taken on Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation showing the connector parts of Figures 1 to 4 in a schematic arrangement in accordance with the invention, and Figure 6ais a~axial section of one part of a bayonet connector for use in an arrangement in accordance with the invention, Figure 6b is an axial section of a corresponding connector part aligned with the connector part of Figure 6a, and Figure 7 is an axial section showing the connector parts of Figures 6a and 6b locked together.
Similar parts are indicated by corresponding reference numberals throughout the drawings.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the connector part shown comprises a guide tube 1 integral with a supporting flange 2 and a tubular insert member 3 which is a sliding fit in the guide tube. A rectangular section waveguide 4 is brazed to the inner wall of insert member 3 so as to lie flush with a flat mating surface 9 of the latter. Supporting flange 2 is provided with four holes lZ.~8 ~8 5 and tubular insert member 3 is similarly provided with four threaded holes 6 (Figure 2) on its flange portion so that the supporting flange 2 and tubular insert member 3 can be bolted to a common supporting plate (not shown) 5 which i.s thus clamped between them. ~uide tube 1 is provided with a tapered alignment surface 7 to enable the corresponding male part of the connector (shown in Figures 3 and 4) to be inserted into guide tube 1.
The corresponding male part of the connector com-prises a tubular waveguide portion 10 (Figure 3) provided with a flat mating surface 11. A section of waveguide 12 is brazed to the inside wall of waveguide portion 10 and lies flush with surface 11. A tapered alignment surface 13 is provided on the perimeter of surface 11, enabling waveguide portion 10 to be slid into the guide portion 1 of the female connector part shown in Figures l and 2. Waveguide portion 10 is slidingly supported by a supporting flange 14 and biassed outwardly by a spring 15 which acts on a ring 16 which is in turn held in place by a clip 17. Outward movement of waveguide portion 10 is limited by an annular stop 18, and a pin 19 projects into an axial slot 20 to ensure rotational alignment of waveguide portion 10 with flange Figure 5 shows an arrangement incorporating the connector parts of Figures 1, 2 and 3, 4 mounted on the rear of an equipment casing 21 and a vertical member 22 of a rack respectively. Shelves 23 and 24 of the rack co-operate with the casing 21 to guide the two parts of the connector into mating engagement as shown when the equip-ment is slid into the rack as indi.cated by arrow A, the extent of this travel being limited by one or more stops 25. Spring 15 acts against frictional engagement between casing 21 and shelf 23 to force mating surfaces 11 and 9 into close contact. Waveguide section 12 need not be particularly flexible but it should be long enough to allow i~l8~

reasonable freedom of movement of waveguide portion 10 in the direction of arrow A. The connection may be broken simply by withdrawing the equipment from the rack in the opposite direction to arrow A. It will be 5 apparent that the invention includes within its scope similar arrangements in which mating surface 9 rather than mating surface 11 is outwardly spring biassed or in which guide tube 1 is integral with waveguide portion 10 and co-operates with a male connector part mounted on the equiprnent casing.
Figure 6a shows a connector part comprising a waveguide portion 10 slidably mounted within a guide tube 1. A rectangular section of waveguide 12 is fitted into waveguide portion 10 and is rotationally aligned 15 by a pin 19 which engages a longitudinal slot 20. A guide bushing 25 mounted via a carrier member 26 on guide tube 1 is a sliding fit around waveguide portion 10. A rotat-able locking collar 27 is slidably mounted on a carrier 26 and is spring biassed away from the direction of 20 engagement by means not shown. Waveguide portion 10 is provided with a flat mating surface 9 and is biassed outwardly by a spring 15.
The corresponding connector part shown in Figure 6b is fixed to an equipment casing 21 (by means 25 not shown) and comprises a tube 28 within which is mounted a waveguide portion 10' from a flange 29. A
rectangular waveguide section 12 ' runs to waveguide port-ion 10' from the interior of the equipment casing.
Dowel pins 30 ensure rotational alignment of the wave-30 guide portion 10 with tube 28.
The locking collar 27 is provided with a bayonetslot 31 and tube 28 is provided with a corresponding locking portion 32. The connector parts may be inter-locked as shown in Figure 7 by rotating collar 27 to 35 align locking portion 28 with its bayonet slot 31 and then further rotating collar 27 to prevent withdrawal, 1~18 ~28 The connector parts are rotationally aligned relative to each other by longitudinal ribs (not shown) in carrier member 26 which engage in corresponding slots (not shown) in the inside surface of tube 28.

Claims (8)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. A two part slidably detachable waveguide connector wherein a first waveguide portion slidable in the axial direction is carried by one part and biassed away from said part by spring means, a second waveguide portion arranged to mate in alignment with said first waveguide portion is carried by the other part and a tubular outer sleeve is carried by either part and, when the connector parts are attached, slidably locates said waveguide portions and surrounds their mating interface.
2. A waveguide connector as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said outwardly biassed waveguide portion is mounted on a male connector part and the tubular outer sleeve is incorporated in a mating female connector part.
3. A waveguide connector as claimed in Claim 2 wherein a shutter is provided over the recessed mating surface of the female part of the connector, which shutter is opened by a coarse alignment pin on the male connector part when the parts are brought together.
4. A waveguide connector as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein a groove surrounding the inner surface of the waveguide is provided on one of the mating surfaces of the connector to reduce any impedance mismatch between the connector parts.
5. A waveguide connector according to any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the bodies of the connector parts are relat-ively aligned by means of one or more dowel pins projecting from one body into a hole in the other.
6. A waveguide connector according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein one part carries a bayonet pin and the other part carries a collar having a bayonet slot, said collar being rotatable independently of said other part.
7. An arrangement comprising a two part slidably detachable waveguide connector wherein a first waveguide portion slidable in the axial direction is carried by one part and biassed away from said part by spring means, a second waveguide portion arranged to mate in alignment with said first waveguide portion is carried by the other part and a tubular outer sleeve is carried by either part and, when the connector parts are attached, slidably locates said waveguide portions and surrounds their mating interface, said arrangement further comprising guide means distinct from said connector which in use slidably locate the connector parts and align them when said parts are separated.
8. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 7 wherein a rack constitutes said guide means and one of said waveguide connector parts is mounted on the rear of the casing of a rack-mountable piece of equipment and the other of said waveguide connector parts is mounted at a corresponding position on the rack, so that the connector parts can be mated by sliding the equipment into the rack and held in position by frictional engagement between said piece of equipment and said rack.
CA000455105A 1983-05-27 1984-05-25 Waveguide connector arrangements Expired CA1218428A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8314805 1983-05-27
GB8314805 1983-05-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1218428A true CA1218428A (en) 1987-02-24

Family

ID=10543520

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000455105A Expired CA1218428A (en) 1983-05-27 1984-05-25 Waveguide connector arrangements

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0128686B1 (en)
JP (1) JPS60501485A (en)
AU (1) AU559622B2 (en)
CA (1) CA1218428A (en)
DE (1) DE3475588D1 (en)
GB (1) GB2140977B (en)
WO (1) WO1984004854A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4962991A (en) * 1985-01-23 1990-10-16 Raytheon Company Quick-disconnect waveguide connector assembly
FR2596584B1 (en) * 1986-03-28 1988-05-20 Alcatel Thomson Faisceaux DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL COUPLING OF A MICROWAVE BOX ON ITS SOURCE AND ITS SUPPORT AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH A DEVICE
US5797255A (en) * 1994-10-14 1998-08-25 Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho Bobbin changing method and apparatus
EP3382792B1 (en) * 2017-03-30 2021-06-09 TE Connectivity Germany GmbH Microwave connector assembly

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2928059A (en) * 1958-01-06 1960-03-08 Itt Waveguide coupling
US3383633A (en) * 1966-05-25 1968-05-14 Navy Usa Automatic quick-opening waveguide closure
JPS4524663Y1 (en) * 1970-02-25 1970-09-28
JPS5311562A (en) * 1976-07-19 1978-02-02 Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> Waveguide connection structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS60501485A (en) 1985-09-05
AU2968284A (en) 1984-12-18
EP0128686B1 (en) 1988-12-07
GB8413525D0 (en) 1984-07-04
GB2140977B (en) 1986-07-23
WO1984004854A1 (en) 1984-12-06
EP0128686A1 (en) 1984-12-19
AU559622B2 (en) 1987-03-12
GB2140977A (en) 1984-12-05
DE3475588D1 (en) 1989-01-12

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