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US3868624A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for mapping acoustic fields

Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
•
Filing: 1972-12-29
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Granted: 1975-02-25
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Expires: 1992-12-29
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Abstract

Abstract Apparatus useful for mapping fields in the range of infrasonic to ultrasonic, comprising a distributed electrostatic transducer, functioning as a strip transmission line, which includes a flat, substantially rectangular, metal plate, one surface of which is rough, the plate having a length generally in the range of 10 to 100 wavelengths of the frequency at which the mapping is to be done. A rectangular strip of dielectric foil is disposed under tension on the rough surface of the metal plate so that the foil touches only the most protruding parts of the surface. A long, narrow, rectangular, metallic strip is disposed on and attached to the dielectric foil, the strip being exposed to, and therefore defining, an acoustic pressure field. A duplexer is electrically connected to the metallic strip and to the flat plate, and is connectable to a source of input signals, and has output terminals at which the output signal may be measured. The result being that, when an electromagnetic delta function is applied at the input to the duplexer, electromagnetic waves travel along the strip transmission line, the duplexer having the function of separating the returning signal reaching the output terminals of the duplexer from the outgoing signal which is interrogating the line. The returning signal contains two groups of frequencies: (1) low-frequency components identical to those present in the acoustic pressure field, and (2) highfrequency components containing wave vectors, also present in the acoustic pressure field, the two components being readily separable, and hence the pressure field may be reconstructed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Harper John Whitehouse
  • 👤 Tibor G Horwath

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 05:26
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B11/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 297 words
Apparatus useful for mapping acoustic pressure fields in the range of 10 Hz to 2 MHz, comprising: a distributed electrostatic transducer, functioning as a strip transmission line, which includes: a flat, substantially rectangular, metal plate, one surface of which is rough, the plate having a length generally in the range of 10 to 100 wavelengths of the acoustic frequency at which the mapping is to be done, and a width and thickness in the range of 0.01 lambda to 0.05 lambda ; a rectangular strip of dielectric foil disposed under surface tension on the rough surface of substantially the entire metal plate so that the foil touches only the most protruding parts of the surface; and a long, narrow, rectangular, metallic strip disposed on and attached to the dielectric foil, the strip being exposed to, and therefore defining, an acoustic pressure field; and a duplexer, electrically connected to the metallic strip and to the flat plate, connectable to a source of electrical input signals, and having output terminals at which an output electrical signal may be measured; with the result that, when an electromagnetic delta function delta (to) is applied at the input to the duplexer, electromagnetic waves travel in both directions along the strip transmission line, the duplexer having the function of separating the signal reaching the output terminals of the duplexer from the applied signal (E(t-to)) delta (to) which is interrogating the line, the returning signal containing two groups of frequencies: 1. low frequency components wn identical to those present in the acoustic pressure field, and 2. high-frequency components containing wave vectors kn, also present in the acoustic pressure field, the two components being readily separable, because of the great differences in their frequencies, and hence any specific pressure field P(k, w) may be reconstructed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 297 words
Apparatus useful for mapping acoustic pressure fields in the range of 10 Hz to 2 MHz, comprising: a distributed electrostatic transducer, functioning as a strip transmission line, which includes: a flat, substantially rectangular, metal plate, one surface of which is rough, the plate having a length generally in the range of 10 to 100 wavelengths of the acoustic frequency at which the mapping is to be done, and a width and thickness in the range of 0.01 lambda to 0.05 lambda ; a rectangular strip of dielectric foil disposed under surface tension on the rough surface of substantially the entire metal plate so that the foil touches only the most protruding parts of the surface; and a long, narrow, rectangular, metallic strip disposed on and attached to the dielectric foil, the strip being exposed to, and therefore defining, an acoustic pressure field; and a duplexer, electrically connected to the metallic strip and to the flat plate, connectable to a source of electrical input signals, and having output terminals at which an output electrical signal may be measured; with the result that, when an electromagnetic delta function delta (to) is applied at the input to the duplexer, electromagnetic waves travel in both directions along the strip transmission line, the duplexer having the function of separating the signal reaching the output terminals of the duplexer from the applied signal (E(t-to)) delta (to) which is interrogating the line, the returning signal containing two groups of frequencies: 1. low frequency components wn identical to those present in the acoustic pressure field, and 2. high-frequency components containing wave vectors kn, also present in the acoustic pressure field, the two components being readily separable, because of the great differences in their frequencies, and hence any specific pressure field P(k, w) may be reconstructed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 38 words
high-frequency components containing wave vectors kn, also present in the acoustic pressure field, the two components being readily separable, because of the great differences in their frequencies, and hence any specific pressure field P(k, w) may be reconstructed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
high-frequency components containing wave vectors kn, also present in the acoustic pressure field, the two components being readily separable, because of the great differences in their frequencies, and hence any specific pressure field P(k, w) may be reconstructed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 86 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distributed electrostatic transducer includes the following properties: the metal plate is of porous stainless steel; the roughness of the plate is in the range of 10 microns; the dielectric foil is made of polyethylene terephthalate, having a thickness in the range of 1 mil; the metallic strip is of aluminum, of approximately the same length as, but shorter than, the plate, of one-third the width of the plate, and having a thickness in the range of 1 micron.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1759811A Cited
US1826952A Cited
US2567889A Cited
US3060423A Cited
US3000461A Cited
US3118979A Cited
US3373251A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-02-24 1978-08-26 1979-02-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-02-24 1982-08-26 1983-02-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-02-24 1986-08-26 1987-02-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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