Acoustic transmission

摘要

In apparatus for the acoustic transmission of power or data through a solid barrier such as a ships hull, assembly of an acoustic transducer to the hull is facilitated by bonding it first to an intermediate element by a thin layer of bonding adhesive and then bonding the intermediate element to the barrier using a second bonding layer. Acoustic matching of the transducer to the intermediate element is achieved by the thin layer, and the mechanically more robust base of the intermediate element can be rubbed on the barrier surface to displace or abrade away any unwanted debris or imperfections which might otherwise prevent the achievement of a thin second bonding layer. This makes the mounting and bonding process more tolerant of imperfections in the barrier surface due to either surface defects or particulate contamination. The transmit and receive transducers may be positioned relative to each other so as to suppress or attenuate multiple-transit signals. Thus the intermediate element may be wedge shaped to aid suppression of triple-transit signals. Transmit and receive transducers may have different wedge angles.

主权项

1. An apparatus for the transmission of an acoustic signal through a solid rigid substrate comprising:
a first acoustic transducer for converting electrical signals into acoustic signals, the first acoustic transducer being mounted on a first face of a solid rigid substrate to transmit the acoustic signals into the substrate; a second acoustic transducer mounted on a second face of the substrate so as to receive acoustic signals emitted by the first acoustic transducer and to convert the acoustic signals into electrical signals; and characterised in that at least one of the acoustic transducers is mounted on its respective face of the substrate via an intermediate element, the at least one of the acoustic transducers being bonded by a first bonding layer to the intermediate element, and the intermediate element being attached to the substrate, wherein the intermediate element has mounting pads on a bottom surface, separated from each other, the mounting pads configured to contact the substrate, the mounting pads defining a space between the remainder of the bottom surface of the intermediate element and the substrate.