Claims
- 1. In a coaxial cable distribution system; a conducting housing and a lid therefor,
- a platform circuit board attached to said housing,
- said housing defining at least two ports for connection of a coaxial cable at each port,
- said platform board supporting a first extent of a radio frequency (`RF`) path, between one of said ports and a first port terminal,
- and supporting a second extent of said RF path extending from a second path terminal to another of said ports,
- a coupler circuit board located between said platform board and a splitter board,
- a coupler circuit mounted on said coupler circuit board,
- said coupler circuit including, coupler main input and main output terminals,
- means for mechanically and electrically connecting each of said path terminals to a different one of said coupler main terminals,
- said coupler circuit including, a coupler output terminal,
- a splitter circuit board located adjacent said lid,
- a splitter circuit thereon including a splitter input and splitter output,
- an electrical connection between said coupler main output terminals and splitter input, said connection being spaced from said platform circuit board.
- 2. In a coaxial distribution circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for mechanically and electrically connecting each coupler board main terminal to either platform board terminal allows connection of a coupler board input terminal to either platform board output terminals.
- 3. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 1 including a platform ground plane on said platform board, a coupler ground plane on said coupler board connected to said platform ground plane and a splitter ground plane on said splitter board connected to said coupler ground plane.
- 4. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the connection between said coupler board ground plane and said platform ground plane is remote from the connection between said coupler board ground plane and said splitter board ground plane.
- 5. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said platform board ground plane is connected to said housing adjacent said one of said ports and said another of said ports wherein said splitter circuit has at least two output terminals and wherein said splitter ground is connected to said lid adjacent at least one of said splitter terminals.
- 6. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said platform board ground plane is connected to said housing adjacent said one of said ports and said another of said ports wherein said splitter circuit has at least two output terminals and wherein said splitter ground is connected to said lid adjacent at least one of said splitter terminals.
- 7. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupler includes circuitry for altering the relative strength of coupler RF output signals across a spectrum.
- 8. In a coaxial cable distribution housing having a lid, for closing said housing,
- a coupler board disposed in said housing to extend from a housing adjacent portion of the board to a lid-adjacent portion of the board,
- a coupler circuit supported on said coupler board,
- said coupler circuit being arranged to receive an input signal from a main RF path at said housing adjacent portion of the board and to provide an output signal over a direct connection from said lid-adjacent portion of the board to a splitter spaced from said main RF path.
- 9. In a coaxial cable distribution housing as claimed in claim 8 including a platform board mounted on said housing, and a splitter board mounted adjacent said lid,
- means for connecting an RF circuit on said platform board to said coupler circuit input,
- means remote from said platform board for connecting the input of a splitter circuit on said splitter board to said coupler output.
- 10. In combination:
- a cable network distribution housing having opposed ends,
- a lid therefor,
- a platform board mounted on said housing,
- a splitter board mounted on said lid approximately parallel to said platform board and spaced thereform,
- a coupler board extending between said platform board and said splitter board,
- an RF circuit on said platform board,
- a coupler circuit on said coupler board,
- a splitter circuit on said splitter board,
- said coupler circuit having an input adjacent said platform board and an output adjacent said splitter board,
- said RF circuit being connected to said coupler input,
- said coupler output being directly connected to said splitter circuit.
- 11. In combination as claimed in claim 10, a ground plane for each of said platform, coupler and splitter boards, each of said ground planes acting to providing a ground current path which generally follows the circuit on the respective board, and provides an impedance with the circuit on the same board which approximates a characteristic impedance.
- 12. In combination as claimed in claim 11 wherein said coupler circuit is reversible relative to said RF circuit.
- 13. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said splitter circuit has at least one output connected to a splitter port, wherein said platform ground plane is connected to said housing adjacent each of said ends and said splitter ground plane is connected to said lid adjacent said-splitter port.
- 14. In combination as claimed in claim 10 wherein said coupler circuit is reversible relative to said RF circuit.
- 15. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 10 a coupler ground plane on said coupler board, and there are means to connect said coupler ground plane to a first conductor near said coupler input and spaced means for connecting said coupler ground plane to a second conductor near said coupler output.
- 16. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 15 wherein said platform board ground plane is connected to said housing.
- 17. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 10 a coupler ground plane on said coupler board, and there are means to connect said coupler ground plane to a first conductor near said coupler input and spaced means for connecting said coupler ground plane to a second conductor near said coupler output.
- 18. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 17 wherein said first conductor is a platform board ground plane and said second conductor is a splitter board ground plane.
- 19. In a coaxial cable distribution system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said coupler includes means for altering the relative strength of RF signals in a frequency spectrum between said coupler input and said coupler output with a coupler intermediate a main circuit and a splitter circuit so arranged that the coupler to splitter connection is remote from the main RF path so that the main path signals are less likely to affect the splitter signals.
- 20. For a coaxial cable distribution system,
- a housing and a lid therefor,
- a main RF path spaced from said lid,
- a splitter circuit adjacent said lid,
- a coupler circuit having an input with first and second connections spaced to include a portion of said main RF path, said first and second connections being located remote from said lid,
- said coupler circuit having a coupler output with a splitter connection to said splitter circuit,
- said coupler output and said splitter connection being located spaced from said first and second connections,
- wherein said coupler includes circuitry for modifying the relative strength of coupler RF output signals in a spectrum.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2160854 |
Oct 1995 |
CAX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 08/633,527 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,300) filed Apr. 17, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5058198 |
Rocci et al. |
Oct 1991 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
633527 |
Apr 1996 |
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