Piezoelectric transducer assemblies and methods for their use

The piezoelectric transducer assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein the compressible material is selected from a group consisting essentially of:

• (i) silicone polymer,
• (ii) urethane polymer,
• (iii) epoxy polymer,
• (iv) acrylic polymer,
• (v) fluoropolymers,
• (vi) polyvinyl alcohol polymer, and
• (vii) polyvinyl acetate polymer.

A piezoelectric transducer assembly comprising:

• an insertable transducer retainer assembly comprising a housing having an outside surface, a front and a back, said back having centered therein, a hub, said centered hub having a centered opening therethrough and said centered hub being integrally connected to said retainer assembly, said outside surface having a fastening means thereon and a tapered front outside circumferential edge;
• said insertable transducer retainer assembly having a first circular opening in the front, said first circular opening having a circular piezoelectric transducer disposed therein;
• said piezoelectric transducer having a bottom surface and a top surface;
• a second opening in the front, deeper than the first circular opening, having a lesser diameter than the diameter of the first circular opening, said second opening having a bottom, the centered opening in the centered hub continuing on through the transducer retainer assembly housing and opening into the second opening to provide a continuous channel through the transducer retainer assembly that exits at the hub, said second opening having an electronic configuration disposed therein, said piezoelectric transducer having first electrical leads with distal and near ends, said first electrical leads being connected to the bottom surface of the piezoelectric transducer at the distal ends thereof, said first electrical leads being electrically connected at the near ends to the electronic configuration;
• a second set of electrical leads electrically connected to the electronic configuration and passing through said continuous channel;
• a receiving transducer retainer assembly comprising a housing, said receiving transducer retainer assembly housing having a front and a back, the back having centered therein a hub integrally mounted thereon, said receiving transducer retainer hub having a back and a front and being lesser in diameter than the diameter of the receiving transducer retainer assembly housing, the front of said receiving transducer retainer assembly having located therein an opening, said receiving transducer retainer assembly opening having an interior surface and a bottom;
• the interior surface having disposed thereon, fastening means compatible with the fastening means of the insertable transducer retainer assembly, said opening having a tapered circumferential edge at the bottom;
• a saucer-like depression below the bottom of the opening in the receiving transducer retainer assembly, said saucer-like depression having a bottom, the surface area of the top of the saucer-like depression being relative to the surface area of the top of the piezoelectric transducer, said surface area relationship having a ratio in the range of from zero to 1:1;
• a channeled opening from the bottom of the saucer-like depression through the center of the receiving transducer retainer hub, the interior of the receiving transducer retainer hub having an adapting means for adapting the receiving transducer retainer assembly to a pump, said pump being a gas pump.