Electroacoustic transducer assembly

Claim 2

AN ELECTROACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A DISK SHAPED, ELECTROACOUSTIC CERAMIC TRANSDUCER HAVING A FIRST FACE AND A SECOND FACE OPPOSITE THE FIRST FACE AND A FIRST ELECTRODE AND A SECOND ELECTRODE AFFIXED TO THE FIRST AND THE SECOND OPPOSITE FACES THEREOF, RESPECTIVELY; A HOUSING FORMED OF A BLOCK OF MATERIAL OF LOW ACOUSTIC ATTENUATION AND DISTORTION AND HAVING A CAVITY THEREIN TO RECEIVE THE TRANSDUCER; A NONCONDUCTIVE LIQUID FREE OF DISSOLVED AND ENTRAINED AIR FORMING A THIN FILM INTERFACE BETWEEN THE FIRST ELECTRODE AND THE HOUSING HOLDING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE TRANSDUCER IN POSITION SUCH THAT THE SAID FIRST ELECTRODE IS IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE HOUSING COMPRISING: AN O-RING IN CONTACT WITH THE SECOND FACE OF THE TRANSDUCER;

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the restraining means comprises: a plastic mastic filling a portion of the cavity in contact with the second face of the transducer and surrounding a portion of the electrical contacting means.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 wherein the restraining means comprises: a block of potting compound affixed to the second face of the transducer surrounding a portion of the electrical contact means.

Claim 5

An electroacoustic transducer system comprising: a frame having a first end and a second end; an electroacoustic transducer assembly mounted at the first end of the frame; the electroacoustic transducer assembly comprising: a disk shaped, electroacoustic ceramic transducer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and a first electrode and a second electrode affixed to the first and the second opposite faces thereof, respectively; a housing formed of a block of material of low acoustic attenuation and distortion and having a cavity therein to receive the transducer; a nonconductive liquid free of dissolved and entrained air forming a thin film interface between the first electrode and the housing; holding means for holding the transducer in position such that the first electrode is in intimate contact with the housing; electrical contacting means connected to the second electrode; and restraining means for holding the electrical contacting means to prevent excessive motion thereof; and a reflector mounted at the second end of the frame positioned such that the acoustic wave propagated by the transducer is transmitted to the reflector aNd back to the transducer.

Claim 6

An electroacoustic transducer system comprising: a frame having a first end and a second end; an electroacoustic transducer assembly mounted at the first end of the frame; the electroacoustic transducer assembly comprising: a disk shaped, electroacoustic ceramic transducer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and a first electrode and a second electrode affixed to the first and the second opposite faces thereof, respectively; a housing formed of a block of material of low acoustic attenuation and distortion and having a cavity therein to receive the transducer; a nonconductive liquid free of dissolved and entrained air forming a thin film interface between the first electrode and the housing; holding means for holding the transducer in position such that the first electrode is in intimate contact with the housing; electrical contacting means connected to the second electrode; and restraining means for holding the electrical contacting means to prevent excessive motion thereof; and a reflector mounted at the second end of the frame positioned such that the acoustic wave propagated by the transducer is transmitted to the reflector aNd back to the transducer.

Claim 7

An electroacoustic transducer system comprising: a frame having a first end and a second end; a pair of electroacoustic transducer assemblies mounted in the frame, side by side at the first end thereof; each of said electroacoustic transducer assemblies comprising: a disk shaped, electroacoustic ceramic transducer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and a first electrode and a second electrode affixed to the first and the second opposite faces thereof, respectively; a housing formed of a block of material of low acoustic attenuation and distortion and having a cavity therein to receive the transducer; a nonconductive liquid free of dissolved and entrained air forming a thin film interface between the first electrode and the housing; holding means for holding the transducer in position such that the first electrode is in intimate contact with the housing; electrical contacting means connected to the second electrode; and restraining means for holding the electrical contacting means to prevent excessive motion thereof; and a pair of reflectors mounted at the second end of the frame positioned such that the acoustic wave propagated by one transducer is transmitted in a path to one reflector, then to the other reflector and then to the second transducer.

Claim 8

An electroacoustic transducer system comprising: a frame having a first end and a second end; a pair of electroacoustic transducer assemblies mounted in the frame, side by side at the first end thereof; each of said electroacoustic transducer assemblies comprising: a disk shaped, electroacoustic ceramic transducer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and a first electrode and a second electrode affixed to the first and the second opposite faces thereof, respectively; a housing formed of a block of material of low acoustic attenuation and distortion and having a cavity therein to receive the transducer; a nonconductive liquid free of dissolved and entrained air forming a thin film interface between the first electrode and the housing; holding means for holding the transducer in position such that the first electrode is in intimate contact with the housing; electrical contacting means connected to the second electrode; and restraining means for holding the electrical contacting means to prevent excessive motion thereof; and a pair of reflectors mounted at the second end of the frame positioned such that the acoustic wave propagated by one transducer is transmitted in a path to one reflector, then to the other reflector and then to the second transducer.

Claim 9

An electroacoustic transducer system for mounting in the wall of a flow chamber comprising: a mounting affixed to the wall of the flow chamber and having an opening therein making an acute angle with the axis of the flow chamber; a pipe mounted in the opening of the mounting and having threads at both ends thereof; an electroacoustic transducer assembly comprising: a disk shaped, electroacoustic ceramic transducer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and a first electrode and a second electrode affixed to the first and the second opposite faces thereof, respectively; a housing formed of a block of material of low acoustic attenuation and distortion and having a cavity therein to receive the transducer; a nonconductive liquid free of dissolved and entrained air forming a thin film interface between the first electrode and the housing; holding means for holding the transducer in position such that the first electrode is in intimate contact with the housing; electrical contacting means connected to the second electrode; and restraining means for holding the electrical contacting means to prevent excessive motion thereof; the housing having threads thereon; the housing being threaded to the pipe at the end adjacent the flow chamber such that the face of the housing is in contact with the contents of the flow chamber; a nipple having threads thereon and being mounted in threaded relationship with the pipe at the other end thereof and being affixed to the mounting; the electrical contacting means running through the pipe and the nipple to the exterior of the mounting.

Claim 10

An electroacoustic transducer system for mounting in the wall of a flow chamber comprising: a mounting affixed to the wall of the flow chamber and having an opening therein making an acute angle with the axis of the flow chamber; a pipe mounted in the opening of the mounting and having threads at both ends thereof; an electroacoustic transducer assembly comprising: a disk shaped, electroacoustic ceramic transducer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and a first electrode and a second electrode affixed to the first and the second opposite faces thereof, respectively; a housing formed of a block of material of low acoustic attenuation and distortion and having a cavity therein to receive the transducer; a nonconductive liquid free of dissolved and entrained air forming a thin film interface between the first electrode and the housing; holding means for holding the transducer in position such that the first electrode is in intimate contact with the housing; electrical contacting means connected to the second electrode; and restraining means for holding the electrical contacting means to prevent excessive motion thereof; the housing having threads thereon; the housing being threaded to the pipe at the end adjacent the flow chamber such that the face of the housing is in contact with the contents of the flow chamber; a nipple having threads thereon and being mounted in threaded relationship with the pipe at the other end thereof and being affixed to the mounting; the electrical contacting means running through the pipe and the nipple to the exterior of the mounting.