Acoustic driver assembly with restricted contact area
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A cavitation system, comprising:
- a spherical cavitation chamber, comprising;
a spherical external surface; and
a spherical internal surface, wherein said spherical external surface and said spherical internal surface define a cavitation chamber wall;
an acoustic driver assembly coupled to said spherical cavitation chamber, comprising;
at least one piezo-electric transducer;
a tail mass adjacent to a first side of said at least one piezo-electric transducer;
a head mass with a first end surface and a second end surface, wherein said first end surface of said head mass is adjacent to a second side of said at least one piezo-electric transducer and said second end surface of said head mass is in contact with a portion of said spherical external surface, wherein a head mass side surface couples said first end surface to said second end surface, wherein said head mass side surface is tapered, wherein said head mass side surface is curved, wherein a diameter corresponding to said first end surface of said head mass is larger than a diameter corresponding to said second end surface of said head mass, and wherein said second end surface defines a centrally located contact region between said head mass and said spherical external surface;
means for assembling said acoustic driver assembly; and
means for attaching said acoustic driver assembly to said spherical external surface.
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Abstract
An acoustic driver assembly for use with any of a variety of cavitation chamber configurations, including spherical and cylindrical chambers as well as chambers that include at least one flat coupling surface. The acoustic driver assembly includes at least one transducer, a head mass and a tail mass. The end surface of the head mass is shaped to limit the contact area between the head mass of the driver assembly and the cavitation chamber to which the driver is attached, the contact area being limited to a centrally located contact region. The area of contact is controlled by limiting its size and/or shaping its surface.
25 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A cavitation system, comprising:
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a spherical cavitation chamber, comprising; a spherical external surface; and a spherical internal surface, wherein said spherical external surface and said spherical internal surface define a cavitation chamber wall; an acoustic driver assembly coupled to said spherical cavitation chamber, comprising; at least one piezo-electric transducer; a tail mass adjacent to a first side of said at least one piezo-electric transducer; a head mass with a first end surface and a second end surface, wherein said first end surface of said head mass is adjacent to a second side of said at least one piezo-electric transducer and said second end surface of said head mass is in contact with a portion of said spherical external surface, wherein a head mass side surface couples said first end surface to said second end surface, wherein said head mass side surface is tapered, wherein said head mass side surface is curved, wherein a diameter corresponding to said first end surface of said head mass is larger than a diameter corresponding to said second end surface of said head mass, and wherein said second end surface defines a centrally located contact region between said head mass and said spherical external surface; means for assembling said acoustic driver assembly; and means for attaching said acoustic driver assembly to said spherical external surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification