Weatherproofed ultrasonic transducer assembly and systems incorporating same
First Claim
1. A weatherproofed ultrasonic transducer assembly for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy in the air comprising,housing means having a seal surface thereon,a planar electrostatic transducer element for generating a narrow beam of ultrasonic energy and propogating same in a predetermined direction,means for mounting said transducer element in said housing,a beam transformer for spreading said narrow beam from said electrostatic transducer in a single unidirectional direction, said beam transformer being comprised of a portion of the surface of a cone located within the near field of said electrostatic transducer,the edge of said surface of a cone remote from said electrostatic transducer having seal means formed thereon for sealing engagement with said housing seal surface, andtranslating means for translationally moving said beam transformer surface from where said housing seal surface in said housing means is in sealing relationship with said seal means to a position whereby it is exposed to the elements for reflectively expanding and transmitting ultrasonic energy from said electrostatic transducer element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic transducer assembly incorporating an ultrasonic transducer and conically surfaced beam transformer wherein the conical surface of the beam transformer is mounted on the interior of closure means or end cap that seals the transducer (and any associated mechanisms) from the environment during non-operating periods and is moved into the prescribed position via rotational motion or a linear piston-like motion prior to operating periods. Suitable O-ring or gasket sealing means preserve the water tight integrity during non-operating periods and assures a seal during translational movements of the transducer assembly from operating to non-operating positions. On school buses, the beam transformer is translated to an operative position below the bus where, in conjunction with a microprocessor, it takes an accurate acoustic image before the bus door is opened and again before the bus resumes forward motion so as to detect whether students have crawled under the bus while it was stopped. On cars and other vehicles, the ultrasonic transducer is used in back-up or parking systems to detect objects to the rear or front of the vehicle.
24 Citations
7 Claims
-
1. A weatherproofed ultrasonic transducer assembly for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy in the air comprising,
housing means having a seal surface thereon, a planar electrostatic transducer element for generating a narrow beam of ultrasonic energy and propogating same in a predetermined direction, means for mounting said transducer element in said housing, a beam transformer for spreading said narrow beam from said electrostatic transducer in a single unidirectional direction, said beam transformer being comprised of a portion of the surface of a cone located within the near field of said electrostatic transducer, the edge of said surface of a cone remote from said electrostatic transducer having seal means formed thereon for sealing engagement with said housing seal surface, and translating means for translationally moving said beam transformer surface from where said housing seal surface in said housing means is in sealing relationship with said seal means to a position whereby it is exposed to the elements for reflectively expanding and transmitting ultrasonic energy from said electrostatic transducer element.
Specification