The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 23, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 01, 1998
Peter S Hames, South Pasadena, CA (US);
Neil E Bucknam, Northridge, CA (US);
Ira Lehman, Burbank, CA (US);
PRC Inc., McLean, VA (US);
Modern Technologies Corp., Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
These and other objects of the present invention are provided by an ambient load waveguide switch mounted between a feed horn and a low noise amplifier in a ground based antenna. The ambient load waveguide switch includes a housing assembly having a through path. A shuttle assembly is positioned within the housing assembly and moves linearly within the housing assembly on a guide assembly between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the shuttle assembly has a waveguide alignable with the through path of the housing assembly. In a second position, the shuttle assembly has an ambient load element alignable with the through path of the housing assembly. A motor assembly moves the shuttle assembly in a first direction and compresses a first spring to bias the shuttle assembly into the first position. The motor assembly moves the shuttle assembly in a second direction and compresses a second spring to bias the shuttle assembly into the second position. There are horizontal and vertical alignment mechanisms for accurately and repeatedly positioning the waveguide and the ambient load cell in the first and second position, respectively. Advantageously, the guide assembly is relatively flexible resulting in long life and infrequent calibration. The waveguide provides a straight line path and is under two inches in length.