US4755708A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hydrophone
Assignee: Siemens AG
•
Filing: 1985-05-23
•
Granted: 1988-07-05
•
Expires: 2005-05-23
Abstract
Abstract A miniature hydrophone is disclosed which contains a piezoelectric foil as a base element (2) with a linear arrangement of multiplicity of detector elements (10). In accordance with the invention, the electrodes (5) are arranged on a top surface (15) of one of the flat sides of a support (16) and are capacitively coupled by a bonding layer (6) to the base element (2). The detector elements (10) are associated with an amplifier (32) which, with equal length connecting leads (11, 26 and/or 12, 27), is fastened to a side face of the support (16). The electrical interconnection between the detector element (10) and the associated amplifier (32) employs a groove (24) through the corners of support 16. Additional such modules can form an assembly unit in a row arrangement of a size equal to that of the detector elements (10). Since all the connections (11, 26, 12, 27) to the amplifiers (32, 36) are very short and of equal length, the sensitivity of a system arrangement of such detector elements (10) and amplifiers (32 and/or 36) is homogeneous and very high.
Inventors
- 👤 Bernd Granz
- 👤 Bertram Sachs
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 04:34
CPC Classifications
B; B06; B06B; B06B1/00; B06B1/02; B06B1/06; B06B1/0607; B06B1/0622; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S310/00; Y10S310/80
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
268 words
A hydrophone with a flat piezoelectric base element having a predetermined thickness, the hydrophone comprising a linear arrangement of detector elements with piezoelectric active areas with which are associated on both flat sides respectively a pattern of metallic electrodes, the electrodes having electrical connecting leads, the hydrophone characterized by: the electrodes of one flat side of the base element located on a flat top surface of a mechanical support, the electrode, by means of a common electrically non-conducting coupling medium that serves as a bonding layer, being capacitively coupled to the associated active areas of the base element; the detector elements being respectively associated with at least one amplifier, the amplifer being fastened with similar length lead wires to at least one flat surface of the support, the upper surface areas near the corners between the top flat surface and the side flat surfaces of the support being provided with a groove through the corners; at least the top surface inside the groove being provided with a metalized coating, the groove for facilitating the electrical connection of the electrode of the associated detector element with the associated amplifier said detector elements being physically separated from said respectively associated at least one amplifier at a separation distance therebetween large compared with said predetermined thickness of said flat piezoelectric base element; a chamber for containing the hydrophone, said chamber containing a power source as well as at least one multiplexer; and the front face of the chamber being closed with a covering foil the thickness of which is substantially less than the wavelength of the ultrasonic field to be measured.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
268 words
A hydrophone with a flat piezoelectric base element having a predetermined thickness, the hydrophone comprising a linear arrangement of detector elements with piezoelectric active areas with which are associated on both flat sides respectively a pattern of metallic electrodes, the electrodes having electrical connecting leads, the hydrophone characterized by: the electrodes of one flat side of the base element located on a flat top surface of a mechanical support, the electrode, by means of a common electrically non-conducting coupling medium that serves as a bonding layer, being capacitively coupled to the associated active areas of the base element; the detector elements being respectively associated with at least one amplifier, the amplifer being fastened with similar length lead wires to at least one flat surface of the support, the upper surface areas near the corners between the top flat surface and the side flat surfaces of the support being provided with a groove through the corners; at least the top surface inside the groove being provided with a metalized coating, the groove for facilitating the electrical connection of the electrode of the associated detector element with the associated amplifier said detector elements being physically separated from said respectively associated at least one amplifier at a separation distance therebetween large compared with said predetermined thickness of said flat piezoelectric base element; a chamber for containing the hydrophone, said chamber containing a power source as well as at least one multiplexer; and the front face of the chamber being closed with a covering foil the thickness of which is substantially less than the wavelength of the ultrasonic field to be measured.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A hydrophone in accordance with claim 1 further characterized in that an ultrasonic coupling medium is employed between the covering foil and the detector elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A hydrophone according to claim 1 further characterized in that the covering foil is provided with a shielding layer of electrically conducting material on the side away from the detecting elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A hydrophone according to claim 1 further characterized in that the base element of the detector elements is employed as the covering foil.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A hydropohone according to claim 4 further characterized in that the base element is provided with a metallic layer on the side facing away from the support which forms an electrode and is employed as a common ground electrode for the detector elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
233 words
A hydrophone with a flat piezoelectric base element, the hydrophone comprising a linear arrangement of detector elements with piezoelectric active areas with which are associated on both flat sides respectively a pattern of metallic electrodes, the electrodes having electrical connecting leads, the hydrophone characterized by: the electrodes of one flat side of the base element located on a flat top surface of a mechanical support, the electrode, by means of a common electrically non-conducting coupling medium that serves as a bonding layer, being capacitively coupled to the associated active areas of the base element, the detector elements being respectively associated with at least one amplifier, the amplifier being fastened with similar length lead wires to at least one flat surface of the support, the upper surface areas near the corners between the top flat surface and the side flat surfaces of the support being provided with a groove through the corners; at least the top surface inside the groove being provided with a metalized coating, the groove for facilitating the electrical connection of the electrode of the associated detector element with the associated amplifier; a chamber for containing the hydrophone, the chamber containing a power source as well as at least one multiplexer; and the front face of the chamber is closed with a covering foil the thickness of which is substantially less than the wavelength of the ultrasonic field to be measured.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
233 words
A hydrophone with a flat piezoelectric base element, the hydrophone comprising a linear arrangement of detector elements with piezoelectric active areas with which are associated on both flat sides respectively a pattern of metallic electrodes, the electrodes having electrical connecting leads, the hydrophone characterized by: the electrodes of one flat side of the base element located on a flat top surface of a mechanical support, the electrode, by means of a common electrically non-conducting coupling medium that serves as a bonding layer, being capacitively coupled to the associated active areas of the base element, the detector elements being respectively associated with at least one amplifier, the amplifier being fastened with similar length lead wires to at least one flat surface of the support, the upper surface areas near the corners between the top flat surface and the side flat surfaces of the support being provided with a groove through the corners; at least the top surface inside the groove being provided with a metalized coating, the groove for facilitating the electrical connection of the electrode of the associated detector element with the associated amplifier; a chamber for containing the hydrophone, the chamber containing a power source as well as at least one multiplexer; and the front face of the chamber is closed with a covering foil the thickness of which is substantially less than the wavelength of the ultrasonic field to be measured.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A hydrophone in accordance with claim 6 further characterized in that an ultrasonic coupling medium is employed between the covering foil and the detector elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A hydrophone according to claim 6 further characterized in that the covering foil is provided with a shielding layer of electrically conducting material on the side away from the detecting elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A hydrophone according to claim 6 further characterized in that the base element of the detector elements is employed as the covering foil.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A hydrophone according to claim 9 further characterized in that the base element is provided with a metallic layer on the side facing away from the support which forms an electrode and is employed as a common ground electrode for the detector elements.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4443730A
Cited
US4424465A
Cited
US4409510A
Cited
US4517665A
Cited
DE3149732A1
Cited
US4473769A
Cited
DE3246661A1
Cited
US4555953A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-07-05 | 1992-01-04 | 1992-07-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-07-05 | 1996-01-04 | 1996-07-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-07-05 | 2000-01-04 | 2000-07-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |