Ultrasonic transducer

• US 9,489,936 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: van Klooster, Jeroen Martin, Huijzer, Arie
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/165,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 310311-371
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/18 Supports or connecting means for meters
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/002 Devices for damping, suppressing, obstructing or conducting sound in acoustic devices G10K1/06 - G10K1/10 take precedence; for electro-mechanical transducers for communication H04R3/002
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer as an important part of an ultrasonic flow meter is described, with a transducer housing and with a transducer element, the transducer housing having an ultrasound window and a housing tube, the transducer element being made for sending or receiving ultrasonic waves and being either near the ultrasound window of the transducer housing or away from the ultrasound window of the transducer housing, there being a relatively soft mechanical coupling system and the mechanical coupling system having preferably at least one weakly coupled mechanical resonator. The ultrasonic transducer is improved with respect to the prevention of the transmission of housing waves by there being a second soft mechanical coupling system.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer for use in an ultrasonic flow meter, comprising:

a transducer housing having an ultrasound window and a housing tube,

a transducer element for sending or receiving ultrasonic waves located in the transducer housing,

a first relatively weak mechanical coupling system having at least one weakly coupled mechanical resonator or two weakly coupled mechanical resonators, and

a second weak mechanical coupling system.

2. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first relatively weak mechanical coupling system and said second weak mechanically coupling system are essentially the same.

3. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 2, wherein the two coupling systems are active in parallel.

4. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 3, wherein the transducer housing has a housing tube and a housing flange, wherein a first of the two coupling systems located on a side of the housing flange facing the ultrasound window and a second of the two coupling systems is located on a side of the housing flange facing away from the ultrasound window.

5. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first coupling system is connected to the housing tube on an end facing toward the ultrasound window and is connected to the housing flange on an end that faces away from the ultrasound window, and wherein the second coupling system is connected to the housing tube on an end facing away from the ultrasound window and to the housing flange on an end facing toward the ultrasound window.

6. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the end of the first coupling system which is near the ultrasound window and the end of the second coupling system which is away from the ultrasound window are welded to the housing tube.

7. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 5, wherein the end of the first coupling system which faces away from the ultrasound window and the end of the second coupling system is faces toward the ultrasound window are integral with the housing flange.

8. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one coupling systems is provided with a circumferentially running groove that forms an elastic hinge between the first and second weakly coupled mechanical resonators.

9. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 8, wherein the groove has one of an arc-shaped groove base and arc-shaped transitions from the groove base to flanks of the groove.

10. Ultrasonic transducer for use in an ultrasonic flow meter, comprising:

a transducer housing having an ultrasound window in a first region,

a transducer element for sending or receiving ultrasonic waves and located close to the ultrasound window of the transducer housing or far from the ultrasound window of the transducer housing,

wherein ultrasonic waves are transmitted as housing waves between the first region of the transducer housing via a relaying second region of the transducer housing into a third region of the transducer housing which is opposite the first region of the transducer housing,

a relatively weak mechanical coupling system provided in the second region of the transducer housing and having at least two weakly coupled mechanical resonators,

wherein a damping material is provided with the transducer housing.

11. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 10, wherein the transducer housing has an insulating disc on an end near the ultrasound window, the insulating disc preventing penetration of the damping material into the ultrasound window.

12. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 10, wherein the transducer element is on the end of the transducer housing away from the ultrasound window, wherein an ultrasound waveguide is provided between the transducer element and the ultrasound window, and wherein a protective tube is provided surrounding the ultrasound waveguide.

13. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 10, wherein a pressure generating apparatus which acts on the damping material is provided on the end of the transducer housing away from the ultrasound window.

14. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the pressure generating apparatus is supported on one side on the transducer housing and has a spring which acts on the damping material provided on another side of the transducer housing.

15. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 14, wherein said spring is a cup spring assembly.

16. The ultrasonic transducer in accordance with claim 10, wherein the damping material is bronze granulate or bronze powder.