US 2010/0060389 A1 · Acoustic Waveguide Array With Nonsolid Cores

Abstract

An acoustic (sound or ultrasound) wave transmitter having a plurality of waveguides is described, and a method of making such a transmitter is described. Each waveguide can have a cladded core. The core can be a liquid such as water, alcohol or mineral oil. Alternatively, the core can be a colloidal gel, such as gelatin dissolved in at least one of water, vinyl plastisol or silicone gel. The cladded core is capable of transmitting acoustic wave energy from a first end surface to a second end surface of the cladded core. The waveguides can be substantially fixed relative to each other by a binder. The binder can be formed by fusing the claddings together, potting a material between the waveguides and/or mechanically holding the waveguides.

Claims36

Dependent claims

An acoustic wave transmitter, comprising:

a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a core and cladding, the cladding having (a) a first end surface, (b) a second end surface, and (c) a longitudinal surface extending between the first and second end surfaces, the longitudinal surface substantially surrounding the core to form a cladded core, wherein the core is a liquid material having a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”), and the cladding is a material having a second shear-wave propagation velocity, and wherein the second SWPV is greater than the first SWPV;
a binder holding the waveguides so as to substantially fix each waveguide relative to the other waveguides.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

12/554,694Filed 4 Sep 2009

Priority

9 Jun 2006

Published

11 Mar 2010

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G10K 11/24
Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound: for conducting sound through solid bodies, e.g. wires
Y10T 156/10
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture: methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Y10T 156/1052
Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor: with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
G10K
Sound-producing devices

Family

Application60/804,412Us provisional application · filed 9 Jun 2006

Application11/761,101Continuation in part · filed 11 Jun 2007

Application12/055,174Continuation in part · filed 25 Mar 2008

Application12/554,694Continuation in part

US 2007/0297739 A1Published application

US 2008/0219098 A1Published application

US 7,745,521 B2Related patent

US 7,745,522 B2Related patent

US 2010/0060389 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Acoustic Waveguide Array With Nonsolid Cores

Life of this patent

Acoustic Waveguide Array With Nonsolid Cores

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36