Transducers with substantially linear response characteristics

Claim 1

A DIAPHRAGM TYPE TRANSDUCER HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAR RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS OVER A WIDE RANGE OF FLUID PRESSURE LOADING, SAID TRANSDUCER COMPRISING: (A) A DIAPHRAGM HAVING OPPOSED SURFACES AND AN ANNULAR, RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE AREA SURROUNDING A RELATIVELY RIGID, CENTRALLY DISPOSED BOSS, THE SAID BOSS BEING AT LEAST ABOUT TWICE THE THICKNESS OF SAID FLEXIBLE AREA AND THE RADIUS OF SAID BOSS BEING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.3 AS LARGE AS THE RADIUS OF SAID FLEXIBLE AREA; (B) MEANS RESTRAINING THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID FLEXIBLE AREA; (C) STRAIN GAGE MEANS BONDED TO SAID DIAPHRAGM FLEXIBLE AREA SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE OUTER EDGE OF A SURFACE THEREOF SO AS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO RADIAL COMPONENTS OF STRESS AT SUCH SURFACE OUTER EDGE; (D) STRAIN GAGE MEANS BONDED TO SAID DIAPHRAGM FLEXIBLE AREA SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE INNER EDGE OF A SURFACE THEREOF SO AS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO RADIAL COMPONENTS OF STRESS AT SUCH SURFACE INNER EDGE; (E) CONDUCTOR MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SUCH FIRSTMENTIONED STRAIN GAGE MEANS AND SAID SECOND-MENTIONED STRAIN GAGE MEANS IN A WHEATSTONE BRIDGE CIRCUIT; AND (F) MEANS FOR UNIFORMLY PRESSURE LOADING ONE SURFACE OF SAID DIAPHRAGM RELATIVE TO THE OTHER SURFACE THEREOF TO EFFECT FLEXURE OF THE SURFACES OF THE DIAPHRAGM FLEXIBLE AREA.