Sound generating apparatus, a sound detection apparatus, an acoustic sensor, and an acoustic living body measuring apparatus

• US 6,275,447 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukukita, Hiroshi, Hagiwara, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US09/247,561
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 367/137, 367/135, 367/140, 367/7, 367/11, 600/454
• US Class Current: 367/137
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/06 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

A sound generating apparatus or a sound detecting apparatus includes: a flexible substrate; and a plurality of bimorphs arranged on a surface of the flexible substrate in a direction at a predetermined interval, each of the bimorphs having input/output terminals. Each of the bimorphs has a rectangular shape and its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the direction. The flexible substrate has a slit between successive two of the bimorphs. A width of the slit outside the bimorphs is wide. A buffering material covering surfaces of the flexible substrate with the bimorphs exposed or a cover covering the bimorphs with a space may be provided. The cover and the buffering material may have slit. A sound generating apparatus including a plurality of flexible substrates respectively supporting bimorphs may be provided. The flexible substrate may have a comb shape. An acoustic sensor includes the sound generating apparatus, the sound detection apparatus connected therebetween by a flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate may include a cable and a connector. A living body measuring apparatus includes the acoustic sensor, wherein phase shift between the sound signal induced by the bimorph and a reference drive signal is detected and a blood pressure is operated by the phase shift amount.

Claims

1. A sound generating apparatus comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged on a surface of said flexible substrate at a predetermined interval along a predetermined direction, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals, wherein said bimorph cells are fixed to said surface of said flexible substrate and thereby, flexibility of said sound generating apparatus at intermediate portions between said bimorph cells is higher than flexibility of said sound generating apparatus at portions of said bimorph cells to bend said flexible substrate in said direction.

2. The sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said bimorph cells has a substantially rectangular shape and a longitudinal direction of each of bimorph cells is perpendicular to said direction.

16. The sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said flexible substrate has a slit between successive two of said bimorph cells in said longitudinal direction.

17. A sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said slit extends in both directions of said longitudinal direction, a width of the extended slit over said bimorph cells is larger than a width of said slit between said successive two of said bimorph cells.

18. The sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a buffering material covering surfaces of said flexible substrate with said bimorph cells exposed.

19. The sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cover including a rim connected to said flexible substrate for covering said bimorph cells with a space.

3. A sound generating apparatus comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged along a direction on a surface of said flexible substrate at a predetermined interval, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals, wherein each of said bimorph cells has a substantially rectangular shape and a longitudinal direction of each of bimorph cells is perpendicular to said direction and said flexible substrate having a slit between successive two of said bimorph cells in said longitudinal direction.

4. The sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said slit extends in both directions of said longitudinal direction, a width of the extended slit over said bimorph cells is larger than a width of said slit between said successive two of said bimorph cells.

5. A sound generating apparatus comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged along a direction on a surface of said flexible substrate at a predetermined interval, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals; and

a buffering material covering surfaces of said flexible substrate with said bimorph cells exposed.

6. A sound generating apparatus comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged along a direction on a surface of said flexible substrate at a predetermined interval, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals; and

a cover including a rim connected to said flexible substrate for covering said bimorph cells with a space.

7. The sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said bimorph cells has a substantially rectangular shape, a longitudinal direction of each of bimorph cells is perpendicular to said direction and said cover includes slits in said cover extending in said longitudinal direction of each of bimorph cells.

8. A sound generating apparatus comprising:

a plurality of flexible substrates, each having a rectangular shape, arranged in a direction at a predetermined interval;

first and second bars along said direction, said first bar connecting one side of tips of said flexible substrates, said second bar connecting the other side of tips of said flexible substrates; and

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged on said flexible substrates respectively, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals.

9. A sound generating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said first and second bars comprises a buffering material supporting said flexible substrates with said one and the other sides of tips of said flexible substrates covered with said buffering material and said sound generating apparatus further comprises a buffering cover extending from buffering material for covering the surface of said flexible substrates opposite to said bimorph cells.

10. A sound generating apparatus comprising:

a flexible substrate having a comb shape;

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged on teeth of said flexible substrates respectively, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals; and

a flexible bar substrate connecting tips of said teeth each other.

11. A sound detecting apparatus comprising a flexible substrate;

and a plurality of bimorph cells arranged along a direction on a surface of said flexible substrate, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals, wherein said bimorph cells are fixed to said surface of said flexible substrate and thereby, flexibility of said sound generating apparatus at intermediate portions between said bimorph cells is higher than flexibility of said sound generating apparatus at portions of said bimorph cells to bend said flexible substrate in said direction.

12. The sound detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said bimorph cells has a substantially rectangular shape and said direction is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of each of bimorph cells.

13. An acoustic sensor comprising:

first and second portions arranged in a first direction, each including;

a flexible substrate; and

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged on a surface of said flexible substrate in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals; and

connecting substrate extending in said first direction for connecting said first substrate to said second substrate to maintain a distance between said first and second portions.

14. The acoustic sensor as claimed in claim 13, wherein said connecting substrate comprises a flexible cable including a connector and wires for connecting said connecter to each of bimorph cells of said first and second portions.

15. An acoustic sensor comprising:

sound generation and sound detection portions arranged in a first direction, said sound generation portion including;

a flexible substrate; and

a plurality of bimorph cells arranged on a surface of said flexible substrate in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, each of said bimorph cells having input/output terminals, said sound detection portion including;

a flexible piezoelectric plastic substrate including an island portion and a bar portion extending from said island portion in said second direction, a tip of said bar portion opposite to said island portion being connected to said flexible substrate; and

electrodes on said island portion for detecting the sound from said sound generation portion via a living body and outputting a sound detection signal, a distance between said sound generation portion and said sound detection portion maintained by said bar portion.