Abstract:
A power distributor device comprising a metal body for supporting a number of coaxial connectors of various dimensions, wherein the inner end of the pin of one connector of greater size exhibits a central recess into which are opening holes extending through the side wall of the recess and adapted to receive the inner ends of the pins of the other connectors, the recess communicating with the outside through a passage-way in the wall of the supporting body which permits the insertion into said recess of a means for electrically connecting said inner ends of the pins of the whole of the connectors, the invention being usable with multicoupling elements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a power distributing device of the type comprising a supporting metal body carrying a number of coaxial input and output connectors of different sizes and each one comprising an outer socket element which may be secured onto the supporting body and inner pin element coaxial with the socket element and retained within the latter by a ring made from an electrically insulating material, the supporting body comprising an inner space communicating with the outside through passage-ways for the connector pins, the inner ends of which are electrically connected to the inside of the inner space. The invention relates also to a method of mounting the coaxial connectors onto the said supporting body. 
     Power distributing devices of this kind are already known. They generally comprise two to four orthogonal access ways and an output way. The making of such distributors is very difficult applications where it is desirable to have the same electric length between the different access ways and the output way while avoiding intermodulation effects. 
     Heretofore it has not been possible to manufacture power distributors likely to comply with these reqirements in a quick and simple manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a distributor device of a simple structure which may be assembled quickly and easily while providing the same electric length between the acess ways and the output way. 
     For reaching this goal the power distributor device according to the invention is characterized in that the inner end of the pin of one connector of greater dimensions exhibits a central recess into which opening holes are provided which extend through a side wall of the recess and are adapted to receive the inner ends of the pins of the other connectors, the recess communicating with the ouside through a passage-way within the wall of the supporting body permitting the insertion into the recess of a means for the electric connection of the inner ends of the pins of the whole of the connectors. 
     According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the supporting body exhibits a parallelepipedic shape and the connectors are each fastened onto one of the outer faces of the body while being arranged orthogonally with respect to each other, the holes for receiving the pins being formed of bores extending at right angles to the center line axis of the receiving pin and intersecting on the axis of the aforesaid recess. 
     According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the aforesaid recess is formed of a blind axial hole provided in the front face of the inner end of the receiving pin and the passage-way for the insertion of the means for the connection of the ends of the pins is formed of a bore provided in that face of the supporting body which is located axially in front of the blind hole. 
     According to still another advantageous feature of the invention, the connecting means inserting bore may be closed by a screw, the penetration dept of which is adjustable and forms a means for the adjustment of the electric length of the inner ways of the distributor. 
     The method of assembling a power distributing device according to the invention is characterized by the steps of inserting into the recess receiving the pin accomodating the pins of the other connectors a mounting rod, the diameter of which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess, fitting the ends of the other pins into the receiving holes to cause them to be in abutment against the side surface of the rod, securing the pins in this position, inserting a welding means through the aforesaid passage-way and closing this passage-way by means of the screw. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and further objects, characterizing features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly as the following explanatory description proceeds with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings given by way of non limiting example only illustrating several embodiments of the invention and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a view in section taken upon the line I--I of FIG. 3 and showing a first embodiment of a power distributing device according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view seen in the direction of the arrow II of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a view seen in the direction of the arrow III of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a detail view of the inner part shown by the arrow IV of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a view in cross-section taken upon the line V--V of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment of the distributor device according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a view in section taken upon the line VII--VII of the supporting block 1 of FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 8 is a detail view of the part shown by the arrow VIII of FIG. 6. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows by way of example a power distributor device which comprises a supporting body 1 adapted to carry three coaxial female connectors, namely two access connectors 2, 3 (see FIG. 3) of smaller dimensions and an output connector 4 of larger dimensions. These connectors are orthogonally mounted within the supporting body 1. The latter is of parallelepipedic shape and the connectors are each secured on one of its outer sides or faces. 
     The connector 5 is of standard shape known per se and comprises a socket-shaped outer element 5 and a pin-like inner element 6 which ius coaxial with the socket element 5 and is retained within the latter by a cylindrical ring 7 made from an electrically insulating material such as teflon, for instance. The pin 6 is force-fitted into a suitable axial hole of the plug 7. The socket element 5 is fastened as by screwing to the body 1. Both connectors 2, 3 which are of the same kind and also per se each comprise an outer sleeve element 10 in which is coaxially mounted a pin element 11 retained with the sleeve 10 by a cylindrical ring or bushing 12 made from an electrically insulating material such as teflon. The connectors 2 and 3 are each fastened onto one face or side of the supporting block or holder 1 by means of four screws 13. 
     Through the body 1 fully extends in the axial direction of the connector 4 a cylindrical bore 15 which comprises at one end an internally threaded annular recess 16 adapted to receive the connector 4. The other end 17 of the bore 15 is threaded also and is adapted to receive a screw 18, the function of which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin 6 of the connector 4 extends axially into the space defined in the bore 15 by the ring 7 of the connector and the screw 18. Each wall of the supporting block or holder 1, the outside face of which carries a connector 2, 3, is formed of a cylindrical bore 20 drilled or pierced therethrough, through which the pin 11 of the connector extends into the inner space of the body 1, the bore feing closed by the insulating cylindrical member 12 made from teflon. 
     According to the embodiment shown, the pin 6 consists of two axially aligned parts, namely, an outer toung-shaped tubular part 22 adapted to receive the pin of a male connector (not shown), and an inner part 23 which is fitted into an axial blind hole 24 formed within the axially inner end of the part 22 with a cylindrical axial end stud 25. As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the end portion 26 of the plug 23 exhibits and axial blind hole 27 opening into the front face 28 and two bores 29, 30 which extend perpendicularly through the end 26 at some distance from the face 28 and are crossing or intersecting at the blind hole 27. The diameters of the bores 29 and 30 are slightly greater than the diameters of the pins 11 so that they may engage these bores. As shown in FIG. 1, in the assembled condition of the distributor, each pin 11 of a connector extends into a bore 29, 30 down to the level of the blind hole 27 and the electrical connection of the pins 6 and 11 of the three connectors is provided by welding or soldering by means of a welding or soldering agent inserted into the hole 27 through the open end 17 of the bore 15 of the supporting body 1 which is molten or fused by means of a soldering iron or bit or welding means also inserted through the open end 17 of this bore. When entering and filling the blind hole 27 and the adjacent portions of the bores 29, 30, the welding or soldering agent provides for a perfect electrical connection of the pins. After the connection operating step, the open end 17 of the bore 15 is closed by inserting the screw 18 therein. 
     To provide for the proper, accurate and perfectly reproducible positioning of the inner ends of the various pins to be electrically connected, a mounting rod or stick 32 shown in dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1 is used for the assembling step. This rod or stick exhibits a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the blind axial hole 27 so as to insertable into this hole through the open end 17 of the bore 15 at the start of the assembling of the distributor subsequently to the mounting onto the supporting body 1 of the connector 4. Then the pins 11 of the connectors 2 and 3 are axially pushed or driven inwards of the inner space of the body 1 until the ends of these pins enter the corresponding bores 29, 30, respectively, in the end of the pin 6 and are caused to abut the peripheral surface of the mounitng stick or rod 32 inserted into the blind hole 27, the outer sleeve elements 10 of the connectors having been previously fastened onto the supporting body 1. For keeping the pins 11 in this position illustrated. FIG. 1, there is screwed onto each of the connectors 2 and 3 an auxiliary mounting member 34 which is provided with a central axial stud portion 35 arranged so as to be engageable with the outer end of the pin while retaining the latter in position axially as well as radially. Then the mounitng rod 32 is withdrawn and the inner ends of the three pins 6 and 11 are assembled together by means of a conventional solder ar eutectic welding agent such as tin, for instance, and of a soldering iron or bit which is inserted through the open end 17. After having thus carried out the electrical connector of the pins, the screw 18 is inserted into the end 17 down to the desired depth. By adjusting the dept of penetration of the screw, it is possible to vary the capacitance established between the inner face of the screw and the junction of the pins, which is equivalent to a variation in the electric lengths of the ways inside of the distributor. The screw may be fastened as by welding, for instance, in its adjusted position. 
     FIGS. 6 to 8 show a second embodiment of a power distibutor device according to the present invention. In these Figures, the same reference numerals for like or similar parts or elements are used or in embosiment of FIGS. 1 to 5. 
     The distributor according to FIGS. 6 to 8 comprises two connector 4, 40 of greater sizes and two connectors 2, 3 of smaller sizes, all four of which are arranged orthogonally. Unlike the supporting body 1 according to FIG. 1, the body 1 of the second embodiment comprises in confronting relationship with the bore 24 forming the passage-way for the pin 11 of a connector 2, 3, a bore 37, the diameter of which corresponds to that of the bore 15 and which is adapted to form the passage-way of the pin 41 of the second connector 40. The pin 41 consists of two axially aligned parts assembled through axial fitting, namely, one part identical with the outer part 22 and one axially inner part 43 which comprises an axial cylindrical end stud portion 44 adapted to engage the axial blind hole 24 of the part 22, and at the opposite end a cylindrical axial end portion 45, the diameter of which is the same as the diameters of the pins 11 of the connectors 2, 3. Upon assembling the power distributor, the pin 41 of the connector 40 engages with its end portion 45 the corresponding bore 29 or 30 of the pin 6 of the connector 4 and is connector therein to the ends of the other pins in the fashion already described hereabove with reference to the first embodiment. It is further seen that the axially outer part 22 of the pin 41 exhibits at its blind axial bore 24 a transverse hole 46 premitting making both parts 42 and 43 of the pin 41 fast to each other as by welding or soldering for instance. 
     It should be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention which have just been described without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus the number of the orthogonally arranged connectors may be different. In the case of the supporting body of paallelepipedic shape it sould be possible to provide four connectors about the receiving pin, namely one on each available face. It should be pointed out that the pins 6 and 41 of the connectors of larger sizes may be made as an intregral part. Various configurations of the supporting body and of the pins may be contemplated and it matters only that the inner end of the pin receiving the other pins exhibit bores and holes for the accommodation of the other pins and the positioning and the connectors of the ends of the pins engaging the pin of the support. 
     It appears from the desription of the structure of the distributor device according to the invention and from its method of assembling that the invention perfectly attains the goal aimed at and stated hereinabove, namely the quick, cheap and accurately reproducible provision of a power distributor with a simple construction while providing for the same electric length between the acces ways and the output ways(s) while avoiding any intermodulation effect whatsoever. The distributor has a compact structure. All the ways are phase-balance to an accuracry better than 0.5° at a frequency of 1 GHz. The connection of the pins is performed by controlled welding, permitting the use of a high power.