Hydrophone

Claim 2

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, and having an outer cylindrical surface for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, and housing means for supporting and containing said tube so that said acoustical signals are received at least by said outer cylindrical surface of said first tube.

Claim 3

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, and housing means for supporting and containing said member, and for acoustically isolating at least one of the ends of said first tube.

Claim 4

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, and housing means for supporting and containing said member, and for acoustically isolating at least one of the ends of said first tube.

Claim 5

A hydrophone as in claim 1 including a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube, for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, said housing means supporting said second tube along roughly the same cylindrical axis as said first tube.

Claim 6

A hydrophone as in claim 3 wherein said first tube is attached by a first sound insulating ring to an upper supporting means for supporting said first tube and said second tube is attached by a second sound insulating ring to a lower supporting means for supporting said second tube.

Claim 7

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, housing means for supporting and containing said member, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube in a direction opposite to the direction of polarization of said first tube, for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, said housing means supporting said second tube along roughly the same cylindrical axis as said first tube, means for electrically connecting at least one end of said first and second tubes and for connecting said first and second tubes in parallel.

Claim 8

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, housing means for supporting and containing said member, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube in a direction opposite to the direction of polarization of said first tube, for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, said housing means supporting said second tube along roughly the same cylindrical axis as said first tube, means for electrically connecting at least one end of said first and second tubes and for connecting said first and second tubes in parallel.

Claim 9

A hydrophone as in claim 5 wherein said first and second tubes are hollow and further including amplifier circuit means mounted within the interior of said first and second tubes and electrically connected to said tubes for receiving and amplifying said electrical signals.

Claim 10

A hydrophone as in claim 5 including electrical contact rings connected to each end of said first and second tubes and wherein two of said rings are electrically connected together to join said rings and two of said rings are grounded.

Claim 11

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, housing means for supporting and containing said member, and a cylindrical metallic tube surrounding said first tube for providing a stress member and being substantially transparent to said acoustical waves.

Claim 12

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of the tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, housing means for supporting and containing said member, and a cylindrical metallic tube surrounding said first tube for providing a stress member and being substantially transparent to said acoustical waves.

Claim 13

A hydrophone as in claim 1 wherein said piezo-ceramic material is lead titanate lead zirconate.

Claim 14

A hydrophone as in claim 3 wherein said first and second tubes are approximately 1 inch in outside diameter, 1 inch in length and one-eighth inch in wall thickness.

Claim 15

A hydrophone as in claim 1 further including a stress member mounted in the space interior to said tube.

Claim 16

A hydrophone as in claim 11 wherein said stress member has a hollow region in the area below said tube and including preamplifier means mounted in said hollow region for receiving said electrical signals.

Claim 17

A hydrophone as in claim 8 including a potting material between said metallic tube and said first and second tubes for coupling said first and second tubes to said metallic tube.

Claim 18

A hydrophone as in claim 13 further including a butyl boot exterior to said metallic tube.

Claim 19

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said first tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, means for mounting said first and second tubes so that an end of each is joined together, so that said first and second tubes are disposed wiTh roughly the same cylindrical axis so that said acoustical signals are received at least by said outer cylindrical surfaces of said first and second cylindrical tubes and so that said first and second tubes are connected electrically in parallel with each other, a third cylindrical tube surrounding said first and second tubes and substantially acoustically transparent to said acoustical waves, and means coupling said third tube to said first and second tubes.

Claim 20

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said first tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, means for mounting said first and second tubes so that an end of each is joined together, so that said first and second tubes are disposed wiTh roughly the same cylindrical axis so that said acoustical signals are received at least by said outer cylindrical surfaces of said first and second cylindrical tubes and so that said first and second tubes are connected electrically in parallel with each other, a third cylindrical tube surrounding said first and second tubes and substantially acoustically transparent to said acoustical waves, and means coupling said third tube to said first and second tubes.

Claim 21

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said first tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube, for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, means for mounting said first and second tubes so that an end of each is joined together, so that said first and second tubes are disposed with roughly the same cylindrical axis and so that said first and second tubes are connected electrically in parallel with each other, a third cylindrical tube surrounding said first and second tubes and substantially acoustically transparent to said acoustical waves, means coupling said third tube to said first and second tubes and means for acoustically isolating the ends of said first and second tubes not joined together from the sound field.

Claim 22

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said first tube, for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube, for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, means for mounting said first and second tubes so that an end of each is joined together, so that said first and second tubes are disposed with roughly the same cylindrical axis and so that said first and second tubes are connected electrically in parallel with each other, a third cylindrical tube surrounding said first and second tubes and substantially acoustically transparent to said acoustical waves, means coupling said third tube to said first and second tubes and means for acoustically isolating the ends of said first and second tubes not joined together from the sound field.

Claim 23

A hydrophone as in claim 15 wherein said first and second tubes are hollow and including preamplifier means disposed within said first and second tubes for receiving and amplifying said electrical signals.

Claim 24

A hydrophone as in claim 15 including flexible covering means for covering said third tube.

Claim 25

A hydrophone as in claim 15 wherein said coupling means is a potting material.

Claim 26

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said first tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, means for connecting said first and second tubes electrically in parallel with each other, means for mounting said first and second tubes so that their axes are substantially in alignment and so that acoustical signals are received at least by said outer cylindrical surfaces of said first and second cylindrical tubes, preamplifier circuit means mounted within said first and second tubes, and means for connecting said first and second tubes to said preamplifier means so that said electrical signals are passed to said preamplifier means.

Claim 27

A hydrophone comprising: a first cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said first tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for receiving acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, a second cylindrical tube of piezo-ceramic material, polarized along the axis of said second tube and having an outer cylindrical surface for also receiving said acoustical signals and producing electrical signals containing information related to said acoustical signals, means for connecting said first and second tubes electrically in parallel with each other, means for mounting said first and second tubes so that their axes are substantially in alignment and so that acoustical signals are received at least by said outer cylindrical surfaces of said first and second cylindrical tubes, preamplifier circuit means mounted within said first and second tubes, and means for connecting said first and second tubes to said preamplifier means so that said electrical signals are passed to said preamplifier means.