Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A device sensitive to pressure waves comprising first and second planar sheets of polyvinylidene flouride supported in spaced apart relationship, each sheet being poled along a direction normal to the major faces of the sheets so as to be more sensitive to pressure waves incident thereon along said normal direction than to pressure waves incident thereon along other directions; electrical connections being made to the respective faces of the sheets and associated electrical circuitry being provided to cancel substantially differences of voltage developed across the said major faces as a result of flexure of the sheets and to allow differences of voltages, otherwise developed across said major faces, as a result of pressure waves incident on the sheets along said normal direction, to be detected.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
125 words
A device sensitive to pressure waves comprising first and second planar sheets of polyvinylidene flouride supported in spaced apart relationship, each sheet being poled along a direction normal to the major faces of the sheets so as to be more sensitive to pressure waves incident thereon along said normal direction than to pressure waves incident thereon along other directions; electrical connections being made to the respective faces of the sheets and associated electrical circuitry being provided to cancel substantially differences of voltage developed across the said major faces as a result of flexure of the sheets and to allow differences of voltages, otherwise developed across said major faces, as a result of pressure waves incident on the sheets along said normal direction, to be detected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein the faces of each said sheet are provided with respective inner and outer electrically conductive sheets in electrically conductive contact with the faces, and the said first and second sheets are poled, in said normal direction, in the same sense relative to the said inner electrically conductive sheets which are electrically connected.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device according to claim 2 wherein a sheet of an electrically insulating material (e.g. PTFE) sandwiched between, and bonded to, said electrically conductive inner sheets.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
28 words
A device according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the said sheets of polyvinylidene fluoride have a thickness lying in the range 100 μm to 2000 μm.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
35 words
A device according to any one of claims 3 wherein the said electrically conductive sheets are of copper and wherein the said major faces of the first and second sheets have coatings of electroless copper.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A device according to claim 3 wherein said electrically conductive inner sheets have different thicknesses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device according to claim 2 or claim 3 including voltage sensing means for sensing differences of voltage developed across the faces of each sheet when pressure waves are incident thereon.