Support for a waveguide for conducting mechanical waves and method for producing a support for a waveguide

• US 6,185,155 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASM Automation Sensorik Messtechnik GmbH
• Original Assignee: ASM Automation Sensorik Messtechnik GmbH
• Inventors: Steinich, Klaus-Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US09/204,574
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 367/140, 324/207.13, 333/148
• US Class Current: 367/140
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 17/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations

Abstract

A support for a waveguide for conducting mechanical waves has a high proportion of gas and a low proportion of solid material. The support may include a plurality of annular flanges spaced along the waveguide for supporting the waveguide at small contact surface areas. The support may include open-cell or closed cell material.

Claims

1. In combination with a waveguide for conducting mechanical wave, a support for the waveguide, comprising:

a support body having a cell-form structure;

said support body at least partially sheathing the waveguide and mechanically supporting the waveguide; and

said cell-form structure having a high proportion of gas and a low proportion of solid material for minimizing an attenuation of the mechanical waves conducted on the waveguide.

2. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has a plurality of web portions disposed at spacings along the waveguide for supporting the waveguide.

3. The support according to claim 2, wherein said web portions have a given contact area with the waveguide and are disposed at given mutual spacings for supporting the waveguide.

4. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has a given density.

6. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body is self-supporting.

7. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body is made from a plastic material.

8. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has an open-pore cell-form structure.

9. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has a closed-pore cell-form structure.

10. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body encloses the waveguide at least over a part of a periphery of the waveguide.

11. The support according to claim 1, including an electrical return conductor for a position sensor operating on the basis of the principle of transit time of the mechanical waves, said electrical return conductor disposed coaxially around the waveguide and said support body disposed between the waveguide and said electrical return conductor.

12. The support according to claim 11, wherein said support body is disposed between the waveguide and said return conductor along the entire length of the waveguide.

13. The support according to claim 1, including a wire-shaped electrical return conductor of a position sensor, said wire-shaped return conductor embedded into said support body.

14. The support according to claim 1, including a form-stabilizer for reinforcing said support body.

15. The support according to claim 14, wherein said form-stabilizer for reinforcing said support body includes fibers.

16. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has an end region at a free end of the waveguide and has a central region, said end region having a higher damping effect on the mechanical waves propagated along the waveguide than said central region for damping an undesired reflection of the mechanical waves at the free end of the waveguide.

18. The support according to claim 1, including a protection device for protecting a free end of the waveguide from environmental influences.

19. The support according to claim 1, including an electrical return conductor of a position sensor operating on the basis of the principle of a transit time of the mechanical waves, said return conductor disposed coaxially around the waveguide, said support body disposed between the waveguide and said electrical return conductor, said electrical return conductor and the waveguide connected at respective end regions thereof and protected form environmental influences.

20. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has a plurality of web portions spaced along the waveguide for supporting the waveguide within said support body, said plurality of web portions formed of a non-cell-form structure.

21. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support body has a proportion of at least 50% by volume of gas and at most 50% by volume of solid material.

5. A waveguide configuration, comprising:

an elongate waveguide for conducting mechanical waves;

a support body having a cell-form structure;

said support body mechanically supporting said elongate waveguide by at least partially encircling said elongate waveguide over at least a part of a length thereof;

said support body having a cell-form structure with a proportion of gas and a proportion of solid material, the proportion of gas being greater than the proportion of solid material for minimizing an attenuation of the mechanical waves conducted on the waveguide.

17. The support according to claim 5, wherein said support body has an end region at a free end of a waveguide and has a central region, said end region having a denser cell-form structure than said central region for damping an undesired reflection of the mechanical waves at the free end of the waveguide.

22. A method for producing a waveguide configuration having a waveguide surrounded by a support body, which comprises:

providing an auxiliary core;

producing a support body on the auxiliary core;

connecting the auxiliary core to a waveguide; and

drawing the waveguide into the support body by withdrawing the auxiliary core from the support body in an axial direction thereof.

23. A method for supporting a waveguide, which comprises:

providing a coaxial cable having a conductor, a dielectric, a shielding, and a sheath;

replacing the conductor with a waveguide by withdrawing the conductor from the coaxial cable and drawing the waveguide into the coaxial cable in an axial direction thereof.