Transducer

Claim 2

In a reversible electroacoustical transducer: a plurality of electroacoustical energy convErters, each of which has an active-response surface and a mounting surface in opposite disposition therewith, and each of which is spatially disposed from the others; a plurality of electrodes respectively connected to the activeresponse surfaces and the mounting surfaces of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters; base means connected to the mounting surface electrode ends of each of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters for the supporting thereof in a predetermined array within said electroacoustical transducer; and substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-responsive surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters, without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of electroacoustical energy converters comprises a piezoelectric crystal element.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said space means connected to the mounting surface electrode ends of each of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters for the supporting thereof in a predetermined array within said electroacoustical transducer comprises a flexible, resilient, pressure release base.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 wherein said base means connected to the mounting surface electrode ends of each of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters for the supporting thereof in a predetermined array within said electroacoustical transducer comprises a balsa wood base.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises strut means.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surface of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises a balsa wood strut.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises a wafer.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises a balsa wood wafer.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises a plurality of rigid decoupling wafers.

Claim 11

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises a plurality of balsa wood wafers.

Claim 12

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises: a first plurality of decoupling wafers effectively connected between opposite ends of adjacent sides of adjacent ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters; and a second plurality of decoupling wafers effectively connected between intermediate locations of predetermined sides of said first plurality of decoupling wafers and the sides of adjacent ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters in such manner respectively as to effect a Y-cross-sectional configuration for each combination thereof.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 11, wherein each of said first and second plurality of decoupling wafers is a balsa wood wafer.

Claim 14

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises: a first wafer having a first wall of predetermined thickness and a first slot located therein that runs partially therethrough in a direction that is substantially parallel to the aforesaid electroacoustical energy converter support means; a second wafer having a second wall of a thickness that is sufficiently complementary with said first slot to be slidably inserted therein and a second slot partially running therethrough in a direction that is parallel to said first slot and of such dimension as to be sufficiently complementary with said first wall to be sliDable thereover, with said first and second slots of said first and second wafers slided together in such manner as to cause an overlapping and interweaving of said first and second wafers, so as to effect an X-cross-sectional geometrical configuration of the combination thereof.

Claim 15

The device of claim 13, wherein said first and second slotted wafers are balsa wood wafers.

Claim 16

The device of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid, impedance mismatching, bracing means respectively angularly connected only between the sides contiguous with the active-response surfaces of predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters and the sides contiguous with the base mounting surfaces of predetermined adjacent others thereof for effecting the lateral mechanical and pressure energy decoupling between predetermined ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters without further contact with the remainder of the sides thereof comprises: a first plurality of decoupling wafers effectively connected between opposite ends of adjacent sides of adjacent ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters, respectively; a second plurality of decoupling wafers effectively connected between intermediate locations of predetermined sides of said first plurality of decoupling wafers and the sides of adjacent ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters, respectively; and a third plurality of decoupling wafers effectively connected between intermediate locations of the sides of said first plurality of decoupling wafers that are opposite those to which said second plurality of decoupling wafers are effectively connected and the sides of adjacent ones of said plurality of electroacoustical energy converters in such manner respectively as to cause said first, second, and third plurality of decoupling wafers to effect a predetermined configuration for each combination thereof.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 15 wherein said first, second, and third plurality of decoupling wafers are balsa wood decoupling wafers.