Underwater broadband acoustic transducer

• US 6,617,765 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Underwater Systems SAS (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Underwater Systems SAS (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Lagier, Yves, Suppa, Vito, Lubrano, Gilles, Roux, Gérard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US10/110,130
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 310/324, 310/326, 310/327, 310/330, 310/337, 310/322, 310/344
• US Class Current: 310/330
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 13/00 Cones, diaphragms, or the like, for emitting or receiving sound in general for electromechanical transducers H04R7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/122 using piezoelectric driving means G10K9/121 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/20 Sounding members

Abstract

An underwater acoustic transducer configured to emit a low-frequency broadband acoustic signal. The underwater acoustic transducer includes a cap in the form of a cylinder closed on one side and open on the other side. A piezoelectric plate operating in flexion is fixed on the base of the cylinder outside the cylinder. The inside cavity defined by the cylinder is open freely toward the outside medium in which the acoustic waves are to be emitted. For identical dimensions, the underwater acoustic transducer makes it possible to decrease a central frequency of emission and to increase bandwidth.

Claims

1. Broadband underwater acoustic transducer, comprising:

at least one piezoelectric plate operating in flexion;

a baseboard having a first predetermined mode of resonance, said baseboard having a variable thickness; and

a cylindrical cap closed at a first end by the baseboard and open at a second end to form a first cavity, said cap having a second predetermined mode of resonance different than said first predetermined mode of resonance,

wherein the at least one piezoelectric plate is fixed on an outside face of the baseboard and the first cavity is open freely toward an outside medium in which the cap is immersed.

2. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the cap is circular.

3. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the cap is elliptical and said cap has a third predetermined mode of resonance.

4. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cavity is filled at least partially with a matching material having acoustic characteristics different from those of the outside medium in which the transducer is immersed.

5. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a body including a second inside cavity closed by the cap to be insulated from the outside medium with the at least one piezoelectric plate enclosed in the second inside cavity and the first cavity pointing outward.

6. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two cap/piezoelectric plate assemblies fixed together head-to-tail.

7. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap forms a front face of a tonpilz transducer.

8. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said baseboard has a central thickness greater than a peripheral thickness.