Patent ID: 7227434

Claim:
A tuning screw assembly in combination with a resonator having a resonator cavity inside a frame or housing ( 400 ), comprising a stationary, internally threaded sleeve member ( 100 ) being in threaded engagement with a central, externally threaded tuning screw member ( 200 ), which extends into said resonator cavity and is rotatable within said sleeve member against a frictional locking force exerted between the mutually engaging threads so as to adjust the resonating frequency of said resonator, characterized in that the sleeve member ( 100 ) comprises a first axial part ( 1 ) provided with a first threaded portion ( 32 ), an unthreaded intermediate axial part ( 2 ), and a second axial part ( 3 ), which is provided with a second threaded portion ( 34 ), wherein said sleeve member ( 100 ) has a substantially uniform cylindrical outer shape, is formed of a single integral piece, and is provided with at least one tapered slot ( 10 , 12 ) through the wall thereof in said unthreaded intermediate axial part ( 2 ), so as to make the unthreaded intermediate axial part ( 2 ) resilient in the axial direction, said first and second threaded portions ( 32 , 34 ) of the sleeve member ( 100 ) are axially misaligned relative to each other in such a way that they do not fit exactly with the external thread ( 23 ) of the tuning screw ( 200 ), said first axial part ( 1 ) of the sleeve member ( 100 ) is attached to said resonator frame or a housing ( 400 ), whereas said second axial part ( 3 ) of the sleeve member is resiliently movable in the axial direction, because of the resiliency of the intermediate axial part ( 2 ), so as to engage with the external thread ( 230 ) of the screw member ( 200 ) and achieve said frictional locking force upon adjustment of the resonating frequency of said resonator.