Passive waveguide components manufactured by three dimensional printing and injection molding techniques
View Patent ↗Various embodiments are directed toward low cost passive waveguide components. For example, various embodiments relate to passive waveguide components created busing a low cost fabrication technology. In some embodiments, a three-dimensional (3D) printing process is used to create a design mold and a non-conductive structure of the waveguide is formed using a plastic injection molding process. A conductive layer may be formed over the non-conductive structure such that the conductive layer creates an electrical feature of the passive waveguide component.
1. A waveguide manufactured by the steps of:
creating a design mold for the waveguide using a three-dimensional printer; receiving the design mold;
receiving a non-conductive material;
fabricating a non-conductive structure of the waveguide using a plastic injection molding process, the fabricating the non-conductive structure being based on the design mold, wherein the non-conductive structure comprises the non-conductive material; and
forming a conductive layer on an exposed surface of at least one non-conductive structural feature of the non-conductive structure to create an electrical feature of the waveguide.
2. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive material comprises plastic, ceramic, or wood.
3. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein forming the conductive layer on the exposed surface of the at least one non-conductive structural feature of the non-conductive structure comprises plating the exposed surface with a conductive material.
4. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is manufactured by the additional step of trimming or polishing the non-conductive structure or the conductive layer.
5. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer comprises copper or silver.
6. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer has a thickness that enables the electrical feature of the waveguide to function within an accepted parameter.
7. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is manufactured by the additional step of cleaning the non-conductive structure to remove debris left behind by fabrication.
8. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is manufactured by the additional step of identifying, in the design mold, a plane through the at least one non-conductive structural feature, wherein the plane is an E-plane of the waveguide or an H-plane of the waveguide.
9. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is further manufactured by the steps of:
identifying, in the design mold, a first structural feature of the waveguide that is not implementable as a non-conductive structural feature of the non-conductive structure; and
modifying, in the design mold, the first structural feature to a second structural feature, wherein the second structural feature is implementable as a non-conductive structural feature of the non-conductive structure.
10. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is further manufactured by the steps of:
identifying, in the design mold, a plane through the waveguide along which the waveguide may be split into a plurality of separate structural features, wherein the plurality of seperate structural features is adapted for fabrication as a plurality of separate non-conductive structural features of the non-conductive structure and wherein the plurality of separate structural features is adapted for receiving the conductive layer; and
splitting, in the design mold, the waveguide along the plane, thereby resulting in the plurality of separate structural features.
11. The waveguide of claim 10 , wherein fabricating the non-conductive structure based on the design mold comprises fabricating the plurality of separate structural features of the waveguide as the plurality of separate non-conductive structural features of the non-conductive structure.
12. The waveguide of claim 11 , wherein the waveguide is further manufactured by the step of assembling the plurality of separate non-conductive structural features of the non-conductive structure.
13. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide comprises a waveguide filter, a waveguide diplexer, a waveguide multiplexer, a waveguide bend, a waveguide transition, a waveguide spacer, or an antenna adapter.
14. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is further manufactured by the steps of:
measuring performance of the electrical feature of the waveguide; and
modifying the design mold for the waveguide based on the performance.