Acoustic transducer

• US 5,357,486 A
• Filed: 12/02/1992
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Transducers, Inc. (Compagnie Générale de Géophysique SA)
• Original Assignee: Innovative Transducers, Inc. (Compagnie Générale de Géophysique SA)
• Inventors: Pearce, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eldred, J. Woodrow
• Application Number:
  US07/989,372
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 367/159, 367/157, 367/163, 367/166, 367/912, 367/169, 181/105, 181/106, 181/110, 310/337, 310/334, 310/800
• US Class Current: 367/159
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0688 with foil-type piezoelectric elements, e.g. PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 310/80 Piezoelectric polymers, e.g. PVDF

Abstract

A piezoelectric film strip is wrapped a plurality of times around a flexible inert mandrel that has standoff collars on each end. The film-wrapped mandrel is hermetically sealed inside a hollow rigid inert cylinder. Electrodes provide electrical communication with the film strip which forms the active element of the transducer. Variations in hydrodynamic pressure flex the film strip in tension to generate a voltage.

Claims

1. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a rigid inert cylindrical member having inner and outer wall surfaces;

a flexible inert mandrel having opposite upset end portions;

an active transducer element formed from a piezoelectric film strip wrapped a plurality of times around said inert mandrel; and

means for sealingly securing said opposite upset end portions of said flexible inert mandrel to the inner surface of said rigid inert cylindrical member.

2. The transducer as defined by claim 1, wherein:

the opposite upset end portions are dimensioned to provide a void between the outermost wrap of the piezoelectric film and the inner surface of the cylindrical member.

3. The transducer as defined by claim 2, comprising:

a volume of a desired gas filling said void.

4. The transducer as defined by claim 3, wherein:

said volume of gas is under a preselected initial pressure.

5. The transducer as defined by claim 1, comprising:

means for establishing electrical communication with said active transducer element.

6. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a rigid inert hollow cylinder;

a flexible inert mandrel having a raised boss at each end thereof;

a plurality of turns of a piezoelectric film strip wrapped around said flexible mandrel between said raised bosses; and

means for hermetically sealing the respective raised bosses to the interior of said hollow cylinder.

7. The acoustic transducer as defined by claim 6, comprising:

a conductive coating applied to the opposite sides of said piezoelectric film strip; and

an insulating coating covering said conductive coating.

8. The transducer as defined by claim 6, wherein:

the bosses are dimensioned to provide a sealed compartment between the outermost turn of the piezoelectric film strip and the hollow cylinder.

9. The transducer as defined by claim 8, comprising:

a volume of a preselected gas filling said sealed compartment under a predetermined initial static pressure.

10. The transducer as defined by claim 7, comprising:

externally accessible electrode means bonded to the conductive coatings on the opposite sides of the piezoelectric film strip.