US 12,218,457 B1
Contactless high power RF connector
Christoph Neumaier, Baiern (DE); Herbert Hammerschmidt, Kolbermoor (DE); and Josef Landinger, Aschau (DE)
Assigned to SPINNER GmbH, Munich (DE)
Filed by SPINNER GmbH, Munich (DE)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/899,636.
Application 18/899,636 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2022/079599, filed on Oct. 24, 2022.
Int. Cl. H01P 5/04 (2006.01); H01P 1/12 (2006.01); H01P 5/18 (2006.01); H01R 13/52 (2006.01)
CPC H01R 13/52 (2013.01) [H01P 1/127 (2013.01); H01P 5/04 (2013.01); H01P 5/184 (2013.01); H01P 5/187 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An RF connector comprising a first coupler section, a second coupler section symmetrical to the first coupler section, and at least one housing, wherein the first coupler section comprises a first conductor, and the second coupler section comprises a second conductor,
wherein each of the first conductor and the second conductor:
comprises an elongated structure of a flat conductive material,
is recessed against an outer surface of the at least one housing,
has a length corresponding to 1/4 or a multiple of 1/4 of a nominal wavelength of a signal to be coupled,
is connected at a first end thereof to a coaxial connector, and
is connected at a second end thereof to the at least one housing,
wherein the RF connector is configured to be switched between an ON state and an OFF state by moving one of the first conductor and the second conductor against the other of the first conductor and the second conductor,
wherein in the OFF state the first conductor is distant from the second conductor and
in the ON state the first conductor is in close proximity to the second conductor such that the first and second conductors are facing each other, and
wherein the RF connector comprises a mechanical support structure configured to guide a relative movement of the first and second conductors between respective on-positions corresponding to the ON state and respective off-positions corresponding to the OFF state and to hold the first and second conductors in said positions.