The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 14, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 24, 1997
Richard L Gentilman, Acton, MA (US);
Leslie J Bowen, Concord, MA (US);
Materials Systems Inc., Littleton, MA (US);
Abstract
Methods for fabricating a conformable composite acoustic transducer panel including a conformable composite body having upper and lower planar faces and upper and lower thin, flexible electrodes bonded to the upper and lower faces, respectively. The composite body includes an array of individual piezoelectric or electrostrictive ceramic elements extending normal to the upper and lower faces and through the composite body from the upper face to the lower face to electrically contact the electrodes. Stiff integral face plates are bonded to the side surfaces of the elements at their upper and lower ends. Alternatively, a conformable, stiff, voided polymer matrix is bonded to the element sides over their entire length. Flexible circuit boards may be bonded to the electrodes to provide electrical contact thereto.