Pressure gradient microphone

• US 4,887,300 A
• Filed: 03/07/1988
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aktieselskabet Bruel & Kjaer
• Original Assignee: Aktieselskabet Bruel & Kjaer
• Inventors: Erling, Frederiksen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byre, Danita R.
• Application Number:
  US07/165,273
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 381/168, 381/169, 381/173, 381/174, 381/191, 381/92, 381/113, 381/155
• US Class Current: 381/357
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/38 in which sound waves act upon both sides of a diaphragm and incorporating acoustic phase-shifting means, e.g. pressure-gradient microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/016 for microphones

Abstract

Pressure gradient microphone comprising a membrane (2) and a back electrode (4), the latter being provided with a film (6) of an electret material divided into semicircular sections, one of them being provided with a permanent electrostatic charge. The back electrode is supplied with an inverse potential by means of an external, adjustable voltage source. As a result the pressure gradient microphone is able to subtract two almost equal values from each other so as to indicate the pressure difference and consequently the pressure gradient with greater accuracy than previously known.

Claims

1. Pressure gradient microphone comprising a membrane and a back electrode, the surface of either the membrane or the back electrode being a film of an electrostatically charged material divided into n sections, characterised by one or several of the sections being permanently charged, the back electrode being electrically charged by means of an adjustable external voltage source.

2. Pressure gradient microphone according to claim 1, characterised by the adjustment being performed by subjecting all the membrane to an equal sound pressure and subsequently adjusting to minimum output signal.

3. Pressure gradient microphone according to claim 1, characterised by the chamber of the microphone being so small that the deflection of the membrane is considerably reduced under equal pressure on the two halves.

4. Pressure gradient microphone according to claim 1, characterised by the permanent electrostatic charges being only supplied to one half of the sections.

5. Pressure gradient microphone according to claim 1, characterised by four electrode parts covered by an electret material and interconnected two by two for indicating the pressure gradient in one plane.

6. Pressure gradient microphone according to any one of the claims 1-4 or 5 characterised by opposing a pressure microphone, a relatively thin gap existing between the microphones.