Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
55 words
A composite sheet electrode, comprising a conductive polymer sheet or film and a slit-and-expanded screen formed from a sheet of a selected metal, said conductive polymer in said polymer sheet being ethylene/propylene/diene elastomer (EPR) and said metal sheet being embedded into said polymer sheet and having exposed portions to which electrical leads can be soldered.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
A composite sheet electrode, comprising a conductive polymer sheet or film and a slit-and-expanded screen formed from a sheet of a selected metal, said conductive polymer in said polymer sheet being ethylene/propylene/diene elastomer (EPR) and said metal sheet being embedded into said polymer sheet and having exposed portions to which electrical leads can be soldered.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composite electrode of claim 1, wherein said metal is nickel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The electrode of claim 1, wherein said sheet or film comprises an electrically conductive but piezoelectrically inactive powder which is selected from the group consisting of carbon, nickel, and copper.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The electrode of claim 1, wherein said selected metal is nickel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The electrode of claim 1, wherein said screen has approximately 25 to 2,600 diamond-shaped openings per square inch, each said opening being bounded by four strands having a width which is from one ot six times the thickness of said metal sheet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The electrode of claim 5, wherein said screen has approximately 625 diamond-shaped openings per square inch and said sheet thickness is 0.002-0.12 inch before expansion of said sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The elctrode of claim 1, wherein said screen is mechanically anisotropic in the transverse plane thereof, whereby several resonances can be generated in said composite sheet electrode or the resonance bandwidth thereof can be broadened.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The electrode of claim 5, wherein said openings are formed by expansion of said metal sheet from slits therein, said slits being 0.5 to 15 mm in length and 0.1 to 1.5 mm apart, without extending any slit closer than 3 mm to any edge of said metal sheet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
85 words
The electrode of claim 8, wherein said composite sheet electrode has a conductance that is: A. higher than the conductance of a conventional conductive polymer electrode or a woven-wire reinforced electrode; and B. adjustable to a desired magnitude by changing: (1) the distance between said slits, (2) the number of said slits per unit area in said metal sheet, (3) said metal sheet thickness, and (4) the extent of traction applied in the longitudinal and transverse directions of said metal sheet during said expansion thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
92 words
A piezoelectric transducer, having a substantially increased hydrostatic piezoelectric voltage coefficient and lowered thermally generated electrical noise, comprising: A. A piezoelectric composite sheeet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a piezo-ceramic powder having a particle size in the 1-20 μm range; B. a conductive composite sheet electrode, containing a thermoplastic polymer and a continuous slit-and-expanded metal screen, said screen being embedded in said polymer and one of said composite sheet electrodes being bonded to each side of said piezoelectric composite sheet; and C. electrical leads attached to exposed portions of said metal screen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
92 words
A piezoelectric transducer, having a substantially increased hydrostatic piezoelectric voltage coefficient and lowered thermally generated electrical noise, comprising: A. A piezoelectric composite sheeet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a piezo-ceramic powder having a particle size in the 1-20 μm range; B. a conductive composite sheet electrode, containing a thermoplastic polymer and a continuous slit-and-expanded metal screen, said screen being embedded in said polymer and one of said composite sheet electrodes being bonded to each side of said piezoelectric composite sheet; and C. electrical leads attached to exposed portions of said metal screen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
A piezoelectric transducer, having a substantially increased hydrostatic piezoelectric voltage coefficient and lowered thermally generated electrical noise, comprising: A. a piezoelectric composite sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a piezo-ceramic powder having a particle size in the 1-20 μm range; B. a conductive composite sheet electrode, containing a thermoplastic polymer and a continuous metal screen, which is bonded to each side of said piezoelectric composite sheet; and C. electrical leads attached to exposed portions of said metal screen, wherein said polymer, in both said piezoelectric composite sheet and in said composite sheet electrode, is an ethylene/propylene/diene elastomer (EPR).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
98 words
A piezoelectric transducer, having a substantially increased hydrostatic piezoelectric voltage coefficient and lowered thermally generated electrical noise, comprising: A. a piezoelectric composite sheet comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a piezo-ceramic powder having a particle size in the 1-20 μm range; B. a conductive composite sheet electrode, containing a thermoplastic polymer and a continuous metal screen, which is bonded to each side of said piezoelectric composite sheet; and C. electrical leads attached to exposed portions of said metal screen, wherein said polymer, in both said piezoelectric composite sheet and in said composite sheet electrode, is an ethylene/propylene/diene elastomer (EPR).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transducer of claim 10, wherein said conductive composite sheet electrode comprises an electrically conductive but piezoelectrically inactive powder which is selected from the group consisting of carbon, nickel, and copper.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
10 words
The transducer of claim 12, wherein said carbon is graphite.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transducer of claim 10, wherein said piezo-ceramic powder is a solid solution of lead titanate and bismuth ferrite (PTBF).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The transducer of claim 10, wherein said continuous metal screen is a slit-and-expanded nickel screen.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
56 words
The transducer of claim 15, wherein said screen has approximately 25 to 2,600 diamond-shaped openings per square inch, each said opening being bounded by four strands having a width which is from one to six times the thickness of said metal sheet, and the overall thickness of said screen being less than twice said strand width.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The transducer of claim 16, wherein said screen has approximately 625 diamond-shaped openings per square inch and said sheet thickness is b 0.002-0.12 inch before expansion thereof.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The transducer of claim 16, wherein said screen is mechanically anisotropic in the transverse plane thereof, whereby several resonances can be generated in said composite sheet electrode or the resonance bandwidth thereof can be broadened.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
The transducer of claim 16, wherein said openings are formed by expansion of said metal sheet from slits therein, said slits being 0.5 to 15 mm in length and 0.1 to 1.5 mm apart, without extending any slit closer than 3 mm to any edge of said metal sheet.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
85 words
The transducer of claim 19, wherein said composite sheet electrode has a conductance that is: A. higher than the conductance of a conventional conductive polymer electrode or a woven-wire reinforced electrode; and B. adjustable to a deisred magnitude by changing: (1) the distance between said slits, (2) the number of said slits per unit area in said metal sheet, (3) said metal sheet thickness, and (4) the extent of traction applied in the longitudinal and transverse directions of said metal sheet during said expansion thereof.