High power ultrasonic transducer
First Claim
1. A method for improving the output of an ultrasonic transducer, the transducer being of the type employing at least two piezoelectric elements wherein the piezoelectric elements are stacked serially and an alternating voltage is applied to the opposing surfaces of the elements for that purpose of causing them to change their dimensions in response thereto, and the transducer further being of the type with the piezoelectric elements encased in a fluidum-tight casing and still further the transducer through its casing is provided with at least one inlet conduit for supplying a gas and at least one outlet conduit for discharging the gas,the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a gas conducting means between at least one pair of adjacent piezoelectric elements for cooling the piezoelectric elements, said gas conducting means provided with at least one channel providing a gas flow path through the gas conducting means, and said conducting means being so arranged that the inlet conduit is in flow communication with the inlet of said channel and the outlet of said channel is in flow communications with the outlet conduit;
selecting and providing a cooling gas;
forcing said cooling gas into the inlet conduit, thereby urging it to flow through said gas conducting means for cooling of the adjacent piezoelectric elements whereby the temperature of said cooling gas is raised, and discharging said cooling gas of elevated temperature through the outlet conduit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method to improve the high output characteristics of a ultrasonic transducer 1 by urging a cooling gas 13 to flow through the transducer, thereby passing a cooling member 18 between at least one pair of adjacent piezoelectric elements 6, 7. In a preferred embodiment sulfurhexafluoride (SF6) is used as cooling gas.
38 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method for improving the output of an ultrasonic transducer, the transducer being of the type employing at least two piezoelectric elements wherein the piezoelectric elements are stacked serially and an alternating voltage is applied to the opposing surfaces of the elements for that purpose of causing them to change their dimensions in response thereto, and the transducer further being of the type with the piezoelectric elements encased in a fluidum-tight casing and still further the transducer through its casing is provided with at least one inlet conduit for supplying a gas and at least one outlet conduit for discharging the gas,
the method comprising the steps of: -
providing a gas conducting means between at least one pair of adjacent piezoelectric elements for cooling the piezoelectric elements, said gas conducting means provided with at least one channel providing a gas flow path through the gas conducting means, and said conducting means being so arranged that the inlet conduit is in flow communication with the inlet of said channel and the outlet of said channel is in flow communications with the outlet conduit; selecting and providing a cooling gas; forcing said cooling gas into the inlet conduit, thereby urging it to flow through said gas conducting means for cooling of the adjacent piezoelectric elements whereby the temperature of said cooling gas is raised, and discharging said cooling gas of elevated temperature through the outlet conduit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An ultrasonic transducer device employing at least two piezoelectric elements, wherein the piezoelectric elements are stacked serially and are provided with means for electrically connecting them to an alternating voltage source applied to the opposing surfaces of the elements for the purpose of causing them to change their dimensions in response thereto, and the piezoelectric elements are encased in a gas-tight casing, and at least one inlet conduit for supplying a gas and at least one outlet conduit for discharging the gas are provided through the casing, the ultrasonic transducer device comprising:
a gas conducting means disposed between at least one pair of adjacent piezoelectric elements for cooling the piezoelectric elements with a cooling gas, wherein said gas conducting means has least one central hole in flow communication with the outlet conduit, and an outer rim surface in flow communication with the outlet conduit, said gas conducting means further provided with at least one channel providing a gas flow path through the gas conducting means, between the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
Specification