Acoustic wave generating apparatus and method

A method of providing a low frequency tactile waves to be transferred into a structure and/or a person's body, said method comprising:

• a) providing a mounting section comprising at least a housing defining a chamber, said housing having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis and a vertical axis;
• b) providing an inertial section comprising at least a generally longitudinally aligned magnet section and mounting said magnet section in said chamber for movement upwardly and downwardly from a neutral location, with said magnet section having upper and lower pole portions, and with each pole portion comprising oppositely positioned, generally longitudinally aligned pole side surface portions;
• c) providing a coil section comprising two laterally spaced coils, and mounting said coils in said housing on opposite sides of said magnet section, with each coil having upper and lower generally longitudinally aligned coil portions and first and second end connecting coil portions connected between first and second end portions, respectively, of the generally longitudinally aligned coil portions, and positioning each generally longitudinally aligned coil portion so as to be located next to a related one of said pole side surface portions when the magnet section is at its neutral position;
• d) interconnecting said inertial section to said mounting section by means of an interconnecting section comprising upper and lower interconnecting subsections, operatively connecting said upper subsection, by making a first operative connection to said mounting section and a second operative connection to an upper portion of the inertial section, operatively connecting said lower subsection by making a first operative connection to said mounting section and a second operative connection to a lower portion of said inertial section, with said interconnecting section being constructed and arranged to permit vertical up and down movement of said magnet section as part of the inertial section and to restrict rotational movement of said magnet section about any of said longitudinal, transverse and vertical axes and restrict movement of said magnet section in a direction having either or both of a transverse or a longitudinal alignment component so as to restrict movement of said magnet section to vertically aligned up and down movement, said interconnecting section being resiliently connected to said inertial section to locate said magnet section in the neutral position and to resiliently urge said magnet section toward the neutral position;
• e) energizing the coils simultaneously to generate substantially uniform and equal electromagnetic forces along the length of the magnet section on opposite sides thereof to cause up and down cyclical movement of the magnet section as at least part of the inertial section, with the upper and lower interconnecting subsections applying resilient forces to move the magnet section back toward its neutral position while maintaining consistent orientation of the magnet section and minimizing any deviation from vertically aligned up and down movement.