Garnet centering ring for circulators and isolators

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is designed to overcome the above noted limitations that are attendant in the "prior art" and toward this end it contemplates the provision of a novel centering ring which will hold the garnets of the circulator/isolator in a centered relationship with respect to the center conductor, magnets and pole piece.
An object of this invention is to hold the components in assembly without the need for adhesive or dielectric grease.
Another object is to provide a circulator/isolator device which can be assembled without the need of additional fixtures or "eyeballing" by the assembler.
Still another object is to provide such a circulator/isolator device which may be readily and economically fabricated and will enjoy a long life and operation.
It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects can be readily attained in a device for directing radio frequencies comprising a housing forming an enclosure with at least two radio frequency transmission lines extending into the enclosure of the housing.
A central conductor is located within the enclosure to electrically connect the lines with one another.
At least one garnet is also located within the enclosure adjacent a portion of the central conductor.
A magnetic field source within the enclosure provides a magnetic field around the at least one garnet and the central conductor.
A positioning device is used for centering the magnetic field source relative to the at least one garnet and the center conductor.
The positioning device includes a main body portion for retaining the magnetic field source and a plurality of land portions on the main body portion dimensionally sized to position the at least one garnet and the center conductor relative to the magnetic field source.
Desirably, the main body portion is in the form of an annulus dimensionally sized to receive said magnetic field source therewithin.
The land portions extend radially inwardly from one end of the main body portion.
The land portions have inwardly facing abutment surfaces which align with sides of the at least one garnet to position the same relative to the magnetic field source