Patent ID: 6909346

Claim:
A transmission-line structure, comprising: a first dielectric sheet defining first and second broad sides, said first broad side of said first dielectric sheet bearing first and second separate electrically conductive planar strips, each defining at least a first end, said first end of said first planar strip and said first end of said second planar strip being spaced apart by a distance; a second dielectric sheet defining first and second broad sides, said first broad side of said second dielectric sheet defining a single continuous electrical conductor which defines first and second nonconductive regions, which nonconductive regions are spaced apart by about said distance, said first broad side of said second dielectric sheet being juxtaposed with said second broad side of said first dielectric sheet with at least portions of said first and second nonconductive regions of said continuous electrical conductor registered with said first ends of said first and second planar strips, respectively; a nonconductive planar surface bearing a third electrically conductive planar strip defining first and second ends, said first and second ends of said third planar strip being separated by about said distance, said planar surface being associated with said second side of said second dielectric sheet with said first and second ends of said third planar strip registered with said first ends of said first and second planar strips, respectively, said third electrically conductive planar strip being conductively isolated from said single continuous electrical conductor; a first electrically conductive through via arrangement connecting said first end of said first planar strip to said first end of said third strip through said first nonconductive region; and a second electrically conductive through via arrangement connecting said first end of said second planar strip to said second end of said third strip through said second nonconductive region, to thereby form said first, second and third planar strips into a continuous strip conductor in which at least a portion of each of said first, second and third planar strips overlies a side of said continuous electrical conductor to thereby form a strip transmission line including at least portions of said first, second and third planar strips; further comprising: a gap in said third planar strip; and mechanically operated switch means making controllable electrical and mechanical contact with a portion of said third planar strip on both sides of said gap.