Transducer arrangement
First Claim
1. A transducer apparatus for acoustic communications through a substrate at a predetermined centre frequency, the apparatus comprising:
- a piezoelectric element for generating an acoustic signal;
a carrier plate, having a first surface for accommodating the piezoelectric element, and having a first array of protrusions on a second surface opposite the first surface; and
a second array of protrusions at a surface of the substrate,wherein the piezoelectric element is mounted onto the carrier plate, and the carrier plate is secured in position relative to the substrate such that the first array of protrusions opposes and is separated from the second array of protrusions by an inter-arrays medium that is different than the substrate such that the acoustic signal may propagate from the piezoelectric element, through the carrier plate, through the first array of protrusions, through the inter-arrays medium, and through the second array of protrusions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a transducer apparatus for acoustic communications through a substrate at a predetermined center frequency, the apparatus comprising:—an active piezoelectric element for generating an acoustic signal; an intermediate layer, having a surface for accommodating the piezoelectric element, and having a first array of protrusions on a surface opposite the surface for accommodating the piezoelectric element; and a second array of protrusions at the substrate, wherein the active piezoelectric element is mounted onto the intermediate layer, and the intermediate layer is secured in position relative to the substrate such that the first array of protrusions faces the second array of protrusions such that the acoustic signal may propagate through the first and second arrays. There are further disclosed a method of mounting such an apparatus and a plate suitable for use in the transducer apparatus.
15 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A transducer apparatus for acoustic communications through a substrate at a predetermined centre frequency, the apparatus comprising:
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a piezoelectric element for generating an acoustic signal; a carrier plate, having a first surface for accommodating the piezoelectric element, and having a first array of protrusions on a second surface opposite the first surface; and a second array of protrusions at a surface of the substrate, wherein the piezoelectric element is mounted onto the carrier plate, and the carrier plate is secured in position relative to the substrate such that the first array of protrusions opposes and is separated from the second array of protrusions by an inter-arrays medium that is different than the substrate such that the acoustic signal may propagate from the piezoelectric element, through the carrier plate, through the first array of protrusions, through the inter-arrays medium, and through the second array of protrusions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of arranging a transducer unit at a substrate, for acoustic communications through the substrate, comprising:
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forming a first array of protrusions at a surface of the substrate; providing a transducer unit for generating or receiving an acoustic signal at a predetermined centre frequency; providing a carrier plate, having a first surface for accommodating the transducer unit; forming a second array of protrusions upon a second surface of the carrier plate opposite the first surface; and fixing the transducer unit onto the first surface of the carrier plate, the carrier plate being secured in position relative to the substrate such that the first array of protrusions opposes and is separated from the second array of protrusions by an inter-arrays medium that is different than the substrate such that the transducer unit is arranged to receive/transmit acoustic signals via the carrier plate, the second array of protrusions, the inter-arrays medium, and the first array of protrusions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A carrier plate for attachment to an active piezoelectric element, the carrier plate comprising:
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an array of reflection-loss mitigating protrusions for mitigating acoustic impedance loss in a transducer apparatus operating at a predetermined centre-frequency, and in an environment comprising a predetermined medium, wherein the array of reflection-loss mitigating protrusions are dimensioned and arranged such that the distance between the median point on a first protrusion and the median point on an adjacent protrusion is less than the wavelength of an acoustic wave in the plate at the predetermined centre-frequency, and is less than the wavelength of an acoustic wave in the predetermined medium at the predetermined centre-frequency, wherein the protrusions are pyramid-shaped and arranged to tessellate at their bases, and wherein each pyramid has a height equal to or greater than 0.8 times the wavelength of the acoustic wave in the predetermined medium at the predetermined centre-frequency. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification