General Electric Company

Alliedsignal Inc.

Robert T Winnicki

David J Erickson

Merrill E Fife

Louis M Izzo

Elmore Kittower

A sonar system using closely spaced or interleaved projector and receiving transducer elements with a power inductor connected in series with the projector array transmits three separate frequencies and utilizes a resonant circuit connected across the projector array, and a switch alternately connecting the array to the transmitter or the resonant circuit. The resonant circuit has two parallel branches with an inductor in one branch and an inductor, a capacitor and a resistor in the parallel branch. An alternate embodiment includes a variable capacitor in series with the parallel circuit to simplify the tuning for individual installations. Values of the components were chosen to provide impedances looking into the resonant circuit which tend to maximize the 'stiffness' of the projector elements for all the received frequencies, thus inhibiting the tendency of the projector elements to receive and reradiate echo signals during the receiving cycle of the sonar system.

Tuned circuit for sonar beam pattern optimization

A transducer includes an acoustic radiating member for generating acoustic energy in a transmitting medium and a driver member that is pivotally connected to the radiating member. The driver member is for urging movement of the radiating member, wherein such movement generates the energy. Pivoting of the driver member with respect to the radiating member relieves predetermined stress in the driver member. The radiating member may include, for example, a flat element such as a bar, plate or disk, or an I-shaped element. The driver element may include an electroactive material. The driver element may be connected to the radiating element by support apparatus that is fixedly coupled to the radiating element includes a screw having a predeterminedly contoured end that engages a complimentarily contoured recess connected to the driver element for permitting the pivoting. When the support apparatus includes a screw it may be adjusted for supplying a predetermined force on the driver element.

Growing community of inventors

Marcellus, NY, United States of America

Robert T Winnicki