A coupler with a tunable resonant rod

Abstract

The present application discloses a coupler with an adjustable resonant rod, comprising: a cavity, the upper end surface of which is provided with a cover plate; a signal input terminal is provided on the outer wall of a first side surface of the cavity, and a signal output terminal is provided on the outer wall of a second side surface of the cavity, the first side surface and the second side surface being opposite to each other; a signal coupling terminal is provided on the outer wall of a third side surface of the cavity, and the signal input terminal, the signal output terminal, and the signal coupling terminal are respectively die-cast integrally with the cavity; a through hole is provided on the cover plate, and an adjustable resonant rod is provided through the through hole, and the adjustable resonant rod is used to adjust the coupling degree of the coupler. The present application enables rapid and precise adjustment of the coupling degree of the coupler.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a coupler, and in particular to a coupler with an adjustable resonant rod. Background Art

[0002] Couplers are key components in fiber-optic communication systems, coupling optical signals from one fiber to multiple fibers for optical signal distribution. The design and physical structure of the coupler itself dictate a limited adjustment range for its coupling parameters. Existing couplers with manual or mechanical adjustment require manual operation of knobs or alteration of their internal structure via motors. This process is relatively slow, and precisely adjusting the coupling degree to the desired value is difficult. Inaccurate coupling parameter adjustment can lead to deviations in the coupler's signal power distribution, thus affecting communication quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a coupler with an adjustable resonant rod. By arranging the adjustable resonant rod in the cavity, the coupling degree of the coupler can be adjusted quickly and accurately without an external power source.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] A coupler with an adjustable resonant rod, the coupler comprising: a cavity, the upper end surface of the cavity being provided with a cover plate; an outer wall of a first side surface of the cavity being provided with a signal input end, an outer wall of a second side surface of the cavity being provided with a signal output end, the first side surface and the second side surface being opposite to each other; an outer wall of a third side surface of the cavity being provided with a signal coupling end, the signal input end, the signal output end, and the signal coupling end being die-cast integrally with the cavity respectively; a through hole being provided on the cover plate, an adjustable resonant rod being provided through the through hole, the adjustable resonant rod being used to adjust the coupling degree of the coupler.

[0006] Optionally, the adjustable resonant rod includes: a resonant rod body, a first end of the resonant rod body is fixed in the cavity, and a second end of the resonant rod body extends out of the through hole and is fixed with an adjustment knob.

[0007] Optionally, the middle portion of the adjustment knob is a hexagonal groove, and each side of the hexagonal groove corresponds to an adjustment position.

[0008] Optionally, an adjusting piece is sleeved on the middle part of the resonant rod body, and the outer periphery of the adjusting piece is an irregular hexagon.

[0009] Optionally, the radius of the adjusting member corresponds one-to-one to the adjusting gear position.

[0010] Optionally, the radius of the adjusting member is 0.2 mm to 2.4 mm.

[0011] Optionally, a resistor is provided on the inner wall of the third side surface of the cavity.

[0012] Optionally, the resistance of the resistor is 50Ω to 500Ω.

[0013] Optionally, a coupling transmission line is provided in the cavity, one end of the coupling transmission line is connected to the signal coupling end, and the other end of the coupling transmission line is connected to the resistor.

[0014] Optionally, a main transmission line is further provided in the cavity, one end of the main transmission line is connected to the signal input end, and the other end of the main transmission line is connected to the signal output end.

[0015] This application offers the following beneficial effects: By incorporating a tunable resonant rod within the cavity and combining it with a unique adjustment element design, this application enables rapid and precise adjustment of the coupling degree without the need for an external power source, significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of coupling parameter adjustment. This application not only simplifies the structure and reduces costs, but also flexibly adapts to the needs of different application scenarios, ensuring high-precision signal power distribution and stable communication quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A top view of a coupler with a tunable resonant rod provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 A front view of a coupler with a tunable resonant rod provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of an adjustable resonant rod provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the planar structure of the tunable resonant rod shown.

[0020] Reference numerals:

[0021] 1. Cavity; 2. Adjustable resonant rod; 21. Knob; 22. Resonant rod body; 23. Rotating part; 3. Main transmission line; 4. Signal input end; 5. Signal output end; 6. Resistor; 7. Coupling transmission line; 8. Signal coupling end; 9. Cover; 10. First side; 11. Second side; 12. Third side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0024] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0025] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing throughout the text includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 FIG1 is a top view of a coupler with an adjustable resonant rod according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 is a front view of a coupler with a tunable resonant rod, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the coupler includes: a cavity 1, a cover plate 9 is provided on the upper end surface of the cavity 1; a signal input terminal 4 is provided on the outer wall of the first side surface 10 of the cavity 1, and a signal output terminal 5 is provided on the outer wall of the second side surface 11 of the cavity 1, and the first side surface 10 and the second side surface 11 are opposite to each other; a signal coupling terminal 8 is provided on the outer wall of the third side surface 12 of the cavity 1, and the signal input terminal 4, the signal output terminal 5 and the signal coupling terminal 8 are respectively die-cast as one piece with the cavity 1, and a through hole is provided on the cover plate 9, and an adjustable resonant rod 2 is provided through the through hole, and the adjustable resonant rod 2 is used to adjust the coupling degree of the coupler.

[0027] The present invention can quickly and accurately adjust the coupling degree of the coupler by injecting a tunable resonant rod into the coupler, thereby resolving the problem of insufficient precision in existing methods of adjusting the coupling degree of the coupler by manual operation or by a drive device such as a motor.

[0028] In another exemplary embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the adjustable resonant rod 2 includes: a resonant rod body 22 , a first end of the resonant rod body 22 is fixed in the cavity 1 , and a second end of the resonant rod body 22 extends out of the through hole and is fixed with an adjusting knob 21 .

[0029] In this embodiment, the middle portion of the adjustment knob 21 is a hexagonal groove, and each side of the hexagonal groove is correspondingly provided with an adjustment gear. For example, Figure 4 As shown, the adjustment gear may include adjusting gears 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (each gear specifically corresponds to Figure 4 The numbers 1 to 6 in the figure, and the setting of the number of gears is only exemplary and can be adjusted according to the specific situation of the coupler), the adjusting knob 21 can be rotated by an Allen wrench to adjust the adjusting gear.

[0030] In addition, each adjustment position can adjust the distance between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7. At the same time, by adjusting the distance, the coupling degree between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7 can be adjusted, that is, the transmission efficiency of the signal from the main transmission line 3 to the coupled transmission line 7. Taking a coupler with a coupling degree of 20dB as an example, as the adjustment knob is turned counterclockwise from gear 1 to a higher gear, the distance between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7 will gradually increase, thereby gradually reducing the coupling degree between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7. Specifically, the corresponding relationship between the distance between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7 and the coupling degree is shown in Table 1:

[0031]

[0032] As shown in Table 1, for a coupler with a coupling degree of 20 dB, the standard spacing between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7 corresponds to the distance when the adjustment knob 21 is in position 1. At this point, the coupling degree remains unchanged at the designed value of 20 dB. When rotating counterclockwise from position 1 to position 2, the spacing between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7 increases by 0.2 mm, reducing the coupling degree by 0.4 dB to 19.6 dB. Continuing counterclockwise to position 3, the spacing between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7 increases by a further 0.3 mm, reducing the coupling degree by another 0.6 dB to 19.4 dB. Moving from position 3 to position 4 increases the spacing by 0.4 mm, resulting in an additional 0.8 dB reduction in coupling, bringing the coupling degree to 19.2 dB. Moving from position 4 to position 5 increases the spacing by another 0.5 mm, reducing the coupling degree by 1 dB to 19.0 dB. Finally, when switching from level 5 to level 6, the spacing increases by 1mm and the coupling drops significantly by 2dB, resulting in a final coupling of 18.0dB.

[0033] In addition, the adjustment distance and coupling degree changes shown in Table 1 have been rigorously measured. The specific measurement process is as follows:

[0034] 1. Initial performance measurements:

[0035] Before adjusting the coupler, first test it using a network analyzer to obtain its performance parameters in its original state. These parameters include, but are not limited to, key indicators such as coupling, insertion loss, and return loss. This step establishes a baseline for comparing performance changes after subsequent adjustments.

[0036] 2. Establishment of electromagnetic field simulation model:

[0037] Based on the actual coupler structure, a 3D electromagnetic field simulation model of the coupler is constructed using finite element method (FEM) software (such as HFSS). This model requires accurate input of the geometric parameters of the resonant rod and its surroundings, such as size, shape, and material properties.

[0038] 3. Parametric research and simulation analysis:

[0039] By varying parameters such as the position and shape of the resonant rod in the simulation model, the changes in the resonant rod under different gear positions are simulated, and the changes in coupling and other related performance indicators after each adjustment are recorded. The goal of this step is to find the quantitative relationship between the change in the resonant rod position and the coupling degree, that is, how the coupling degree changes with each gear adjustment.

[0040] 4. Formation of theoretical adjustment reference:

[0041] Based on the simulation results, we developed a set of theoretical adjustment rules, which describe how the coupling degree changes when the resonant rod is adjusted from one position to another. This set of rules provides a scientific basis for subsequent practical operations.

[0042] 5. Experimental verification and calibration:

[0043] Physically adjust the coupler in a real environment according to the theoretical adjustment reference. Use a network analyzer to measure the adjusted coupling and other performance parameters again. Compare the experimental data with the simulation predictions to check for consistency. If there are any discrepancies, return to the simulation phase to further optimize the model settings or adjust the algorithm until theory and practice are well matched.

[0044] 6. Final confirmation:

[0045] After multiple iterations of optimization, once the simulation results are confirmed to match the actual situation, a stable relationship between the resonant rod adjustment and the change in coupling degree can be considered. The resulting adjustment guide can then be applied to actual products, guiding users to flexibly adjust the coupler's operating state according to their needs and ensure accurate signal power distribution.

[0046] In summary, through the complete closed-loop verification process shown above, the present application can ensure the reliability of the coupler design.

[0047] In this embodiment, each adjustment of the coupling degree is achieved by changing the position of the adjustment knob 21. Each change in position causes a subtle change in the distance between the main transmission line 3 and the coupled transmission line 7, thereby precisely controlling the coupling degree of the coupler. This mechanism allows users to flexibly adjust coupler performance according to actual needs to ensure accurate signal power distribution.

[0048] In another exemplary embodiment, an adjusting member 23 is sleeved on the middle portion of the resonance rod body 22 , and the outer periphery of the adjusting member 23 is an irregular hexagon.

[0049] In this embodiment, the radius of the adjusting member 23 is not uniform, and the change in radius of the adjusting member 23 corresponds to each adjustment gear on the adjusting knob 21. That is, the higher the gear on the adjusting knob 21, the larger the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23, and the lower the gear, the smaller the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23. Specifically, when the adjustment gear is gear 1, the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23 is 0.2mm; when the adjustment gear is gear 2, the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23 increases by 0.3mm to 0.5mm; when the adjustment gear is gear 3, the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23 increases by 0.4mm to 0.9mm; when the adjustment gear is gear 4, the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23 increases by 0.5mm to 1.4mm; when the adjustment gear is gear 5, the radius of the corresponding adjusting member 23 increases by 1mm to 2.4mm.

[0050] The working principle of the adjustment member 23 is as follows: each time the adjustment knob 21 is rotated to a new position, the adjustment member 23 will provide a preset radius, which determines the exact spacing between the main transmission line 3 and the coupling transmission line 7, thereby achieving precise control of the coupling degree between the main transmission line 3 and the coupling transmission line 7. Specifically, when the user rotates the adjustment knob 21 with an Allen wrench, he is actually rotating the entire adjustment member 23. Since the radius of the adjustment member 23 varies with the change of the circumferential position, the rotational action will cause the position of the resonant rod body 22 relative to other fixed components to change. This position change directly affects the physical distance between the main transmission line 3 and the coupling transmission line 7, thereby changing the electromagnetic field coupling strength between the two, and ultimately achieving the adjustability of the coupling degree.

[0051] By adopting such an adjustment member 23 with a variable radius, the present application enables the coupler to achieve fast and precise coupling degree adjustment without an external power source. This not only simplifies the structure of the coupler and reduces costs, but also improves the adjustment efficiency and accuracy of the coupler coupling degree, and is very suitable for application scenarios that require frequent adjustment of coupling parameters.

[0052] In another exemplary embodiment, a resistor 6 is provided on the inner wall of the third side surface 12 of the cavity 1 .

[0053] In this embodiment, the coupled transmission line 7 extracts a small amount of energy from the RF signal received at the signal input terminal 4 and directs it to the resistor 6. Resistor 6 absorbs this coupled signal energy, preventing it from being reflected back into the system and causing interference. Furthermore, in the coupler, unabsorbed or unprocessed signals may be reflected back to the signal input terminal or other components, increasing the standing wave ratio (VSWR) and thus affecting the coupling performance of the coupler. By directing the coupled signals to an appropriate load (i.e., resistor 6), these signals can be effectively terminated, avoiding unnecessary reflections and thus optimizing the overall performance of the system.

[0054] It should be noted that in the coupler shown in this application, the resistance of the resistor is set to a standard value (50Ω to 500Ω). Setting it to a standard value helps the coupler described in this application achieve optimal impedance matching and minimize reflection loss.

[0055] In another exemplary embodiment, a coupling transmission line 7 is provided in the cavity 1 , one end of the coupling transmission line 7 is connected to the signal coupling end 8 , and the other end of the coupling transmission line 7 is connected to the resistor 6 .

[0056] In this embodiment, the primary function of coupled transmission line 7 is to extract a small portion of energy from the RF signal received by signal input terminal 4 and direct this energy to resistor 6. Resistor 6 absorbs this coupled signal energy, preventing it from reflecting back into the coupler and potentially causing interference. Because this portion of the signal is directed to the independent resistor 6 rather than returning to the main transmission path, it helps minimize the impact on the original signal quality and ensures signal integrity along the main transmission path.

[0057] Furthermore, the coupled transmission line 7 is able to extract a certain percentage of the RF signal, allowing this signal to be used for various monitoring and control purposes. For example, this portion of the signal can be used for power measurement, fault detection, or as feedback for automated control systems. Thus, the coupled transmission line 7 not only supports system monitoring and testing but also provides the necessary signal source for other auxiliary functions while maintaining optimal performance of the main signal path.

[0058] In summary, the design of the coupled transmission line 7 is intended to achieve accurate extraction of the RF signal and effectively direct this signal to a specific destination (such as resistor 6), thereby facilitating the monitoring, testing and other auxiliary functions of the system while ensuring the high performance and stability of the main signal path.

[0059] In another exemplary embodiment, a main transmission line 3 is further provided in the cavity 1 , one end of the main transmission line 3 is connected to the signal input end 4 , and the other end of the main transmission line 3 is connected to the signal output end 5 .

[0060] In this embodiment, the main transmission line 3 connects the signal input terminal 4 with the signal output terminal 5. Its core function is to provide an efficient, low-loss transmission channel for RF signals from the input terminal to the output terminal. This channel is designed to minimize energy loss and waveform distortion during signal transmission, ensuring signal fidelity and integrity. In other words, the function of the main transmission line 3 is to create an optimized path, allowing the RF signal to be transmitted from the input terminal to the output terminal within the coupler with minimal attenuation and maximum fidelity. This not only improves signal transmission efficiency, but also effectively maintains signal quality and avoids unnecessary distortion or attenuation.

[0061] Below, this application compares this solution with the traditional coupler through specific experiments. The specific experiments are as follows:

[0062] The experimental equipment includes: a network analyzer, a traditional motor-driven coupler (as a control group), the tunable resonant rod coupler in this scheme, and an Allen wrench (used to adjust the coupler in this scheme).

[0063] Experimental environment: Room temperature is controlled at 25℃±2℃, relative humidity is 40%-60%, and the experiment is carried out in a shielded room to reduce external interference.

[0064] Experimental steps:

[0065] Step 1: Initial state measurement:

[0066] Use a network analyzer to measure the initial coupling degree of the two couplers (traditional motor drive coupler and the coupler of this solution) and record the original coupling degree values.

[0067] Step 2: Set target coupling:

[0068] A target coupling value is set, for example, from 20dB to 18dB, to compare the adjustment time and accuracy required for the two couplers to achieve the target.

[0069] Step 3: Conventional Motor Drive Coupler Test:

[0070] Operate the conventional motor drive coupler according to the manufacturer's instructions, gradually adjusting its internal structure until the coupling degree reaches or approaches the target value.

[0071] Record the time required for each adjustment, the change in coupling degree, and the target coupling degree finally achieved.

[0072] Step 4: Test the tunable resonant rod coupler of this solution:

[0073] Use an Allen wrench to rotate the adjustment knob in this solution and adjust the coupling degree in sequence according to the gear changes given in Table 1 until it reaches or approaches the target value.

[0074] Also record the time required for each adjustment, the change in coupling degree, and the target coupling degree finally achieved.

[0075] Step 5: Data Analysis:

[0076] The changing trend of coupling degree during the adjustment process, the time required for each adjustment, and the final achieved coupling degree accuracy of the two couplers were compared.

[0077] The specific experimental results are shown in Table 2:

[0078] Table 2

[0079]

[0080] As shown in Table 2, regarding adjustment speed: a conventional motor-driven coupler requires approximately 30 seconds to complete a full adjustment process, while the tunable resonant rod coupler in this solution only takes about 5 seconds to complete the same operation. This demonstrates that this solution has faster adjustment speed. Regarding adjustment accuracy: after multiple adjustments, the conventional motor-driven coupler ultimately achieved a target coupling degree of 18.0±0.3dB, while the coupler in this solution more accurately achieved 18.0±0.1dB, demonstrating that this solution provides higher adjustment accuracy.

[0081] The above experiments clearly demonstrate that the tunable resonant rod coupler of this application not only adjusts the coupling degree in a relatively short time, but also achieves a more precise target coupling degree setting. This improvement, thanks to its unique mechanical design and the absence of an external power source, allows users to directly and quickly fine-tune the coupling degree, thereby improving work efficiency and ensuring communication quality.

[0082] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A coupler having a tunable resonant rod, characterized in that: The coupler comprises: A cavity (1), wherein the upper end surface of the cavity (1) is provided with a cover plate (9); The outer wall of the first side surface (10) of the cavity (1) is provided with a signal input terminal (4), and the outer wall of the second side surface (11) of the cavity (1) is provided with a signal output terminal (5), and the first side surface (10) and the second side surface (11) are opposite to each other; the outer wall of the third side surface (12) of the cavity (1) is provided with a signal coupling terminal (8), and the signal input terminal (4), the signal output terminal (5) and the signal coupling terminal (8) are respectively die-cast integrally with the cavity (1); The cover plate (9) is provided with a through hole, and an adjustable resonance rod (2) is provided through the through hole, and the adjustable resonance rod (2) is used to adjust the coupling degree of the coupler; The adjustable resonant rod (2) comprises: A resonant rod body (22), wherein a first end of the resonant rod body (22) is disposed in the cavity (1), and a second end of the resonant rod body (22) extends outside the through hole and is fixed with an adjustment knob (21); An adjusting member (23) is sleeved on the middle portion of the resonant rod body (22), and the outer periphery of the adjusting member (23) is an irregular hexagon; The radius of the adjusting member (23) corresponds to the adjusting gear position one by one.

2. The coupler with a tunable resonant rod according to claim 1, wherein: The middle portion of the adjustment knob (21) is a hexagonal groove, and each side of the hexagonal groove corresponds to an adjustment gear.

3. The coupler with a tunable resonant rod according to claim 1, wherein: The radius of the adjusting member (23) is 0.2 mm to 2.4 mm.

4. The coupler with a tunable resonant rod according to claim 1, wherein: A resistor (6) is provided on the inner wall of the third side surface (12) of the cavity (1).

5. The coupler with a tunable resonant rod according to claim 4, wherein: The resistance of the resistor (6) is 50Ω to 500Ω.

6. The coupler with a tunable resonant rod according to claim 4, wherein: A coupling transmission line (7) is provided in the cavity (1), one end of the coupling transmission line (7) is connected to the signal coupling end (8), and the other end of the coupling transmission line (7) is connected to the resistor (6).

7. The coupler with a tunable resonant rod according to claim 1, wherein: A main transmission line (3) is also provided in the cavity (1), one end of the main transmission line (3) is connected to the signal input end (4), and the other end of the main transmission line (3) is connected to the signal output end (5).

Images