Impedance tuners with mechanical stop

1. A method for preventing mechanical or electrical contact between the metallic probes (slugs) and the center conductor of the slabline in slide screw impedance tuners, while allowing high reflection factor and power handling, employs adjustable mechanical stops attached either on the vertical tuner axis controlling the position of said probes or on the probes themselves; whereby said probes are capacitively coupled with said center conductor and can be positioned at close proximity to said center conductor.

2. A method as in claim 1 , whereby said tuners comprise multi-section probes; each said probe comprising a plurality of conductive probe sections, supported mechanically by a dielectric or metallic structure which allows said probes to be moved together in a direction perpendicular and parallel to the axis of said slabline, wherein said probes comprise adjustable mechanical obstacles limiting the vertical movement.

3. Multi-section RF tuner probes as in claim 2 , wherein said mechanical obstacle has the form of a cross bar attached to said probes and is adjusted and secured at such distance from the bottom of said probes as, for said obstacle to make mechanical contact with the top of the slabline in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slablines.

4. Multi-section RF probes as in claim 2 , wherein said mechanical obstacle has the form of a cross bar attached to the vertical axis controlling the movement of said probes, and is adjusted and secured at such distance from the bottom of said probes as, for said obstacle to make mechanical contact with the top of the slabline in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slablines.

5. A method as in claim 1 , whereby said impedance tuner comprises an input and an output port and a slotted airline (slabline) between said ports, one or more mobile carriages travelling parallel to the axis of said slabline, each carriage comprising one or more vertical assemblies; whereby each said assembly comprises a remotely controlled vertical axis on which is attached a metallic probe, said probe being movable perpendicularly and parallel to the axis of said slabline and having a basic form of a parallelepiped with a concave bottom surface parallel to and facing the center conductor of said slabline;

and whereby said vertical assembly comprises at least one adjustable mechanical obstacle limiting the vertical movement of said probe, when said probe is approaching the said center conductor, in order to prevent electrical or mechanical contact between said probe and center conductor.

6. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise an adjustable mechanical obstacle limiting their vertical movement, wherein said obstacle has the form of one or more screws inserted vertically into cross bars, said cross bars being attached to or built into the body of said probes, said screws being adjusted at such distance from the bottom of said probes, as to make contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline.

7. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise a mechanical obstacle limiting their vertical movement, wherein said obstacle has the form of one or more screws inserted vertically into a cross bar, which is attached to the vertical axis controlling the movement of said probes, said screws being adjusted at such distance from the bottom of said probes, as to make mechanical contact with the slabline in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline.

8. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise a mechanical obstacle limiting their vertical movement, wherein said obstacle has the form of one or more dowel pins inserted vertically into a cross bar, said cross bar being attached to or built into the body of said probes, said dowel pins being adjusted and secured at such distance from the bottom of said probes, as to make contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline.

9. A slide screw tuner as in claim 5 , whereby said vertical axis is manually controlled using a precision screw.

10. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise a mechanical obstacle limiting their vertical movement, wherein said obstacle has the form of one or more dowel pins inserted vertically into a cross bar, said cross bar being attached to or built into said vertical axis controlling the vertical movement of said probes, said dowel pins being adjusted and secured at such distance from the bottom of said probes, as to make mechanical contact with the slabline in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline.

11. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise fixed and adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical probe movement, wherein said fixed obstacle has the form of a cross bar 1 attached to or built into said probes, and said adjustable obstacle has the form of dowel pins inserted vertically into a cross bar 2 , attached to the vertical axis controlling the vertical movement of said probes; said cross bar 1 is placed at a distance from the bottom of said probe such as to make mechanical contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probe is inserted, when or immediately after said probe makes mechanical contact with the center conductor; and whereby said dowel pins are fine adjusted and secured on the cross bar 2 such as to make mechanical contact with the slabline before the probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor.

12. Multi-section RF probes for slide screw impedance tuners, comprising a plurality of conductive probe sections, supported mechanically by a dielectric or metallic structure, wherein said probes comprise adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical movement as in claim 11 .

13. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise fixed and adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical probe movement, wherein said fixed obstacle has the form of a cross bar, attached to or built into said probes, and said adjustable obstacle has the form of dowel pins inserted vertically into said cross bar; said cross bar is placed at a distance from the bottom of said probe such as to make mechanical contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probe is inserted, when or immediately after said probe makes mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline and said dowel pins are fine adjusted and secured such as to make contact with the slabline before the probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor.

14. Multi-section RF probes for slide screw impedance tuners, comprising a plurality of conductive probe sections, supported mechanically by a dielectric or metallic structure, wherein said probes comprise adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical movement as in claim 13 .

15. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise fixed and adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical probe movement, wherein said fixed obstacle has the form of a cross bar 1 , attached to or built into said probes, and said adjustable obstacle comprises a cross bar 2 , attached to the vertical axis and vertical screws inserted into said cross bar 2 ; and whereby said cross bar 1 is placed at a distance from the bottom of said probe such as to make mechanical contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probe is inserted, when or immediately after said probe makes mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline; and whereby said screws inserted in the cross bar 2 are fine adjusted such as to make contact with said slabline before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor.

16. Multi-section RF probes for slide screw impedance tuners, comprising a plurality of conductive probe sections, supported mechanically by a dielectric or metallic structure, wherein said probes comprise adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical movement as in claim 15 .

17. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said probes for said tuners comprise fixed and adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical probe movement, wherein said fixed obstacle has the form of a cross bar attached to or built into said probes, and said adjustable obstacle has the form of screws inserted vertically into said cross bar; said cross bar is placed at a distance from the bottom of said probe such as to make mechanical contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probe is inserted, when or immediately after said probes make mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline; and whereby said screws are fine adjusted such as to protrude from the cross bar and make contact with the slabline just before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor.

18. Multi-section RF probes for slide screw impedance tuners, comprising a plurality of conductive probe sections, supported mechanically by a dielectric or metallic structure, wherein said probes comprise adjustable mechanical obstacles of vertical movement as in claim 17 .

19. A method as in claim 5 , wherein said tuner probes comprise at least one adjustable mechanical obstacle limiting their vertical movement towards said center conductor, said obstacle being attached to or built into said probes and placed at such distance from the bottom of said probes, for said mechanical obstacle to make contact with the top of the slabline, in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline.

20. Probes for slide screw impedance tuners as in claim 19 , wherein said adjustable mechanical obstacle has the form of a cross bar, attached to or built into said probes.

21. A method as in claim 5 , whereby said vertical assembly comprises an adjustable mechanical obstacle limiting the vertical movement of said probes, wherein said mechanical obstacle is attached to or built into the vertical axis controlling the movement of said probes and placed at such distance from the bottom of said probes as for said obstacle to make contact with the top of the slabline in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slablines.

22. Vertical assemblies for slide screw impedance tuners, as in claim 21 , comprising an adjustable mechanical obstacle limiting their vertical movement, wherein said obstacle has the form of an inverse “L” cross bar attached to or built into said vertical axis controlling the vertical movement of said probes, said cross bar being placed at such distance from the bottom of said probes, as to make mechanical contact with the slabline in which said probes are inserted, before said probes make electrical or mechanical contact with the center conductor of said slabline.

23. Multi-section RF probes for slide screw impedance tuners, comprising a plurality of conductive probe sections, supported mechanically by a dielectric or metallic structure, wherein said probes comprise an adjustable mechanical obstacle of vertical movement as in claim 6 , 7 , 8 or 10 .