US4286687A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air gun firing sensor apparatus and system
Assignee: Teledyne Bolt Inc
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Filing: 1979-10-24
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Granted: 1981-09-01
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Expires: 1999-10-24
Abstract
Abstract An air gun firing sensor apparatus and system are provided for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by sensing pressure changes within the air gun when it is being fired. A pressure-change-sensitive transducer assembly is inserted into a socket in the housing of a solenoid-controlled valve of an air gun with a passage from the air gun communicating with the transducer for transmitting to the transducer a pressure surge occurring within the air gun whenever it is fired. The transducer assembly has a cylindrical casing with a head mounted at one end. The head includes a plurality of spaced recesses which are adapted to communicate with the passage leading from the air gun. A pressure-sensitive transducer is mounted in the head wall between and adjacent to these recesses, in effect being sandwiched in the head wall between these recesses with the transducer extending parallel to the recesses, whereby a pressure surge occurring simultaneously in the recesses is transmitted through the head wall to the transducers, being transmitted in a direction transverse to the axes of the respective recesses. Accordingly, a pressure pulse produced by the firing of the air gun squeezes the portions of the head wall between these recesses inwardly applying pressure to the transducer which generates a voltage indicative of the instant of firing of the air gun being monitored.
Inventors
- 👤 Augustus H. Fiske, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 17:51
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L23/00; G01L23/08; G01L23/10; G01L5/00; G01L5/14; G01V; G01V1/00; G01V1/02; G01V1/133; G01V1/24; G01V1/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by sensing pressure changes occurring in the air gun when it is fired comprising: a casing, a head wall included in one end of said casing, recess means positioned in said head wall adapted to communicate with a passage leading into said air gun, a pressure-sensitive transducer mounted in said head wall adjacent to said recess means, said pressure-sensitive transducer having its neutral axis extending parallel to said recess means, whereby pressure variations in said recess means are transmitted through said head wall traverse to the neutral axis of said pressure-sensitive transducer for producing an electrical signal indicative of the instant of firing of the air gun.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by sensing pressure changes occurring in the air gun when it is fired comprising: a casing, a head wall included in one end of said casing, recess means positioned in said head wall adapted to communicate with a passage leading into said air gun, a pressure-sensitive transducer mounted in said head wall adjacent to said recess means, said pressure-sensitive transducer having its neutral axis extending parallel to said recess means, whereby pressure variations in said recess means are transmitted through said head wall traverse to the neutral axis of said pressure-sensitive transducer for producing an electrical signal indicative of the instant of firing of the air gun.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which: said recess means includes at least one axially extending recess in said head wall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which: said recess means comprises a pair of spaced parallel axially extending recesses which flank both sides of said pressure-sensitive transducer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 2 in which: said pressure-sensitive transducer is mounted in an axially extending recess in said head wall, said latter recess extending into the head wall from the opposite side of said head wall than said recess means which communicates with said passage leading into the air gun.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 4 in which: said transducer comprises a wafer of piezoelectric material having electrodes mounted on opposite sides of said wafer, said electrodes being electrically insulated from the sides of said latter recess by dielectric layers, and said electrodes being in direct mechanical communication with the sides of said latter recess through said dielectric layers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 5 in which: one of said dielectric layers is a tongue extension on a circuit mounting board on which electrical signal response circuitry for said transducer is mounted.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 5 or 6 in which: said material is lead zirconate titanate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as set forth in claim 6 in which: said response circuitry mounted on said dielectric board includes a capacitor and a trimmer capacitor coupled across said wafer of dielectric material for tuning the response of said transducer, semiconductor means connected to receive the output of said wafer and adapted to couple said output to a utilization circuit, and resistor means mounted on said board and coupled to said semiconductor means for providing a bias therefor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
171 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by responding to a sudden change in pressure occurring in the air gun at firing comprising: a sleeve casing, a cylindrical head wall mounted at one end of said casing, said head wall having a central downwardly extending recess therein, said head wall also having a pair of spaced parallel upwardly extending recesses flanking opposite sides of said central recess, said upwardly extending recesses being closely spaced to opposite sides of said central recess with a thin portion of said head wall being located between each respective recess of said pair and said central recess, said pair of recesses each being adapted to communicate with a passage leading to said air gun, thereby applying pressure changes occurring in said air gun to said upwardly extending recesses, and a pressure-sensitive transducer mounted in said central recess and being subjected to mechanical forces arising between said pair of spaced parallel recesses when a sudden change in pressure occurs therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
171 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by responding to a sudden change in pressure occurring in the air gun at firing comprising: a sleeve casing, a cylindrical head wall mounted at one end of said casing, said head wall having a central downwardly extending recess therein, said head wall also having a pair of spaced parallel upwardly extending recesses flanking opposite sides of said central recess, said upwardly extending recesses being closely spaced to opposite sides of said central recess with a thin portion of said head wall being located between each respective recess of said pair and said central recess, said pair of recesses each being adapted to communicate with a passage leading to said air gun, thereby applying pressure changes occurring in said air gun to said upwardly extending recesses, and a pressure-sensitive transducer mounted in said central recess and being subjected to mechanical forces arising between said pair of spaced parallel recesses when a sudden change in pressure occurs therein.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly as claimed in claim 9 in which: said pressure-sensitive transducer is subjected to mechanical squeezing action between said thin portions of said head wall arising when a sudden increase in pressure occurs simultaneously in said pair of recesses.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
122 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer as claimed in claim 9 or 10 in which: a dielectric connector board has a tongue extending therefrom, a pressure sensitive transducer comprises a wafer of piezoelectric material having a pair of electrodes mounted on opposite sides thereof, one of said electrodes being mounted on said tongue of said dielectric connector board, the other electrode having a dielectric layer secured thereto, said tongue and transducer being positioned in said central downwardly extending recess of said head wall with the neutral axis of said wafer of said transducer being parallel with said pair of upwardly-extending recesses, whereby pressure changes applied to said upwardly extending recesses squeeze said wafer which generates an electric signal indicating the firing of the air gun.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
68 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer as set forth in claim 9 or 10 in which: said central recess and said pair of parallel recesses flanking said central recess all are oval-shaped as seen in cross section, and said three oval-shaped recesses have their broad width dimensions oriented parallel with each other for defining a pair of thin parallel wall portions between which is sandwiched the transducer in said central recess.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
70 words
The pressure-sensitive transducer as claimed in claim 9 or 10 in which: said head wall is made of metal, and both sides of said transducer are electrically isolated from the respective sides of said central recess in which said transducer is mounted, thereby avoiding undesirable direct current paths from the transducer to "ground", whereby spurious electrical signals in the environment do not interfere with the desired signals from the transducer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
193 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by responding to a sudden change in pressure occurring in the air gun at firing comprising: a head wall, said head wall having a central downwardly extending recess therein, said head wall also having a pair of spaced parallel upwardly extending recesses flanking opposite sides of said central recess, said upwardly extending recesses being closely spaced to opposite sides of said central recess with a thin portion of said head wall being located between each respective recess of said pair and said central recess, said pair of recesses each being adapted to communicate with a passage leading to said air gun, thereby applying pressure changes occurring in said air gun to said upwardly extending recesses, a pressure-sensitive transducer mounted in said central recess and being subjected to squeezing mechanical forces transmitted through said thin wall portions when a sudden change in pressure occurs in said pair of parallel recesses, and said transducer having its neutral axis oriented parallel to said pair of recesses, thereby avoiding response to mechanical accelerations occurring in the direction parallel to said pair of recesses.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
193 words
A pressure-sensitive transducer assembly for determining the instant of firing of an air gun by responding to a sudden change in pressure occurring in the air gun at firing comprising: a head wall, said head wall having a central downwardly extending recess therein, said head wall also having a pair of spaced parallel upwardly extending recesses flanking opposite sides of said central recess, said upwardly extending recesses being closely spaced to opposite sides of said central recess with a thin portion of said head wall being located between each respective recess of said pair and said central recess, said pair of recesses each being adapted to communicate with a passage leading to said air gun, thereby applying pressure changes occurring in said air gun to said upwardly extending recesses, a pressure-sensitive transducer mounted in said central recess and being subjected to squeezing mechanical forces transmitted through said thin wall portions when a sudden change in pressure occurs in said pair of parallel recesses, and said transducer having its neutral axis oriented parallel to said pair of recesses, thereby avoiding response to mechanical accelerations occurring in the direction parallel to said pair of recesses.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
A pressure sensitive transducer assembly as claimed in claim 14, in which: said head wall has a cylindrical casing connected thereto extending rearwardly from said head, and said head wall is adapted to be mounted in a passageway with its front surface facing toward the fluid in said passageway wherein the surge in pressure will occur.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-08-31 | 1985-03-02 | 1985-09-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-08-31 | 1989-03-02 | 1989-09-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-08-31 | 1993-03-02 | 1993-09-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |