US 11,916,273 B1
Broadband rotary joint for millimeter wave transmission
Zhe Li, San Jose, CA (US); Samuel Lenius, Palo Alto, CA (US); Chia-Hung Lin, Santa Clara, CA (US); Craig Moriwaki, San Jose, CA (US); William Martin Peters, Jr., San Jose, CA (US); Kelvin Kwong, San Jose, CA (US); Robert J. Lockwood, San Carlos, CA (US); and Peng Ye, Foster City, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/067,536.
Int. Cl. H01P 1/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H01P 1/06 (2006.01); H01P 3/12 (2006.01); H01Q 1/50 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC H01P 1/062 (2013.01) [G01S 7/481 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H01P 3/12 (2013.01); H01Q 1/50 (2013.01); B60W 60/001 (2020.02); B60W 2420/52 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary joint, comprising:
a shaft comprising a first end, a second end, and a cavity defined by an inner surface of the shaft and extending through the shaft from the first end to the second end, and wherein the shaft is oriented along a rotational axis that extends between the first end and the second end;
a first waveguide section oriented along the rotational axis and comprising a first proximal end and a first distal end, wherein the first proximal end of the first waveguide section is positioned within the cavity of the shaft and secured to the inner surface of the shaft; and
a second waveguide section oriented along the rotational axis and comprising a second proximal end and a second distal end, wherein the second proximal end of the second waveguide section is positioned within the cavity of the shaft and unsecured to the inner surface of the shaft to form a radial gap between an outer surface of the second proximal end and a laterally adjacent portion of the inner surface of the shaft, wherein at least a portion of the cavity of the shaft defines an inner surface of the rotary joint, and wherein the shaft and the first waveguide section are configured to rotate about the rotational axis and relative to the second waveguide section.