Europäisches Patentamt

(19) European Patent Office *EP001405679A1*

Office européen des brevets (11) EP 1 405 679 A1
(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.7: B06B 1/06

07.04.2004 Bulletin 2004/15

(21) Application number: 02405863.8

(22) Date of filing: 03.10.2002

(84) Designated Contracting States: • Lee, Hee-Myoung

AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR 2400 Le Locle (CH)
IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
Designated Extension States: (72) Inventors:
AL LT LV MK RO SI • Lee, Hee-Myoung, Ilsan Suntek
Kunpo-City, Kyungki-Do (KR)
(71) Applicants: • Prokic, Miodrag
• MP Interconsulting 2400 Le Locle (CH)
2400 Le Locle (CH)

(54) Linear array of sonic and ultrasonic transducers, assembled in the form of complex, integral
tube resonator

(57) This invention presents the tube-encapsulated (or integral) front-emitting mass, and each of them has
or tube-fixed linear-array of unlimited number of bolt- its own piezoceramic layer and back mass on the oppo-
clamped Langevin, sonic and ultrasonic transducers, site side, mutually fixed by central bolts. The integral,
externally or internally radiating acoustic energy into a common front mass of such transducer array is rigidly
fluid, for the purposes and applications such as: Ultra- fixed (welded, bonded, and/or glued) inside or outside
sonic Cleaning, Liquid Processing, Sonochemistry, of certain arbitrary or round shaped metal pipe, enabling
Medical Therapy and Organic and Inorganic Extrac- the pipe to radiate multimode sonic and ultrasonic en-
tions. All Langevin transducer elements fixed inside or ergy externally or internally. In some design cases metal
outside of the resonating tube have the same, common pipe or round shaped tube can be an integral part of the
common front emitting mass.
EP 1 405 679 A1

Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)

 EP 1 405 679 A1

Description

Summary of the Invention:

5 [0001] This invention presents the tube-fixed linear-array of unlimited number of bolt-clamped Langevin transducers,
where all transducer elements have the same, common (or integral) front mass, and each of them has its own pie-
zoceramic layer and back mass on the opposite side, rigidly fixed by its front mass inside or outside of any metal pipe
or round shaped tube, where the tube or pipe can also be an integral part of the front transducer mass, enabling the
pipe or tube to radiate sonic and ultrasonic energy externally or internally, where the linear array of bolt-clamped Lan-
10 gevin transducers (that have the same, common front mass) is also designed to make optimal coupling and mode
transformation between several of important vibration modes, having in the same time very large number of acoustically
coupled harmonics, enabling the tube to radiate wide band, multi frequency, sonic and ultrasonic, omni directional
waves, and to accept large frequency-sweeping driving, this way presenting an integrated sonic and ultrasonic trans-
ducer, which creates high-density complex acoustic field of non-stationary and non-standing, multifrequency, multi-
15 mode, progressive wave structure, excited by specific and complex electric signal, which drives the ultrasonic trans-
ducer.

Background of the Invention:

20 [0002] It has been quite popular to use vibrations of sonic and ultrasonic waves for liquids agitation, cleaning, mixing,
sonochemistry, medical therapy and materials processing purposes. Such ultrasonic devices are basically composed
of a fluid container, an ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic power supply. The function of an ultrasonic power supply
(ultrasonic generator) is to be an oscillating circuit that generates ultrasonic vibrations for driving ultrasonic transducer,
in order to transmit vibrations to the fluid container.
25 [0003] There are many different structures of ultrasonic wave transducers and energy transmission systems (power
supplies, or ultrasonic generators) for fluids agitation, ultrasonic cleaning and Sonochemistry applications. In most of
Prior Art cases, the physical resonator that is in contact with liquid and ultrasonic transducer are connected on the
same longitudinal axis. Then, in synchronization with the standing-waves, multiple sine-wave activation of an integer
number of λ/2 wavelength balanced vibrations, the vibrating energy generated longitudinally (or axially) by the ultrasonic
30 wave transducer will transmit, along the structure of the resonator, radiating wave energy in the fluid. Such structure
plays a quite important role with respect to the electric energy power supply (ultrasonic generator) and operating fre-
quency, since its operation requires an integer number of half-wavelength agreement with the resonator length. Such
(Prior Art) transducer design cannot achieve the generation of ultrasonic waves under multi-frequency and wide band
conditions, since in operation it requires an integer number of half wavelengths to correspond to and match the power
35 supply frequency and the length of the resonator. It is restricted by the relatively narrow operating frequency bandwidth,
and it will not achieve the generation of ultrasonic waves under multi-frequency regime.

Prior Art:

40 [0004] All double piston, single-element or multi-elements sandwich acoustic transducers, piezoelectric and mag-
netostrictive stacks, and all types of traditional Bolted Langevin Transducers, as well as Ultrasonic Cleaning and Ul-
trasonic Welding transducers operating on a constant resonant frequency (or in a relatively narrow vicinity
around certain resonant frequency, and their Ultrasonic Power Supplies (or ultrasonic Generators) tuned to operate
and track the constant resonant frequency, belong to the Prior Art in the field of acoustic, sonic and ultrasonic sources.
45 Double piston and constant resonant frequency oscillating mode (axial both side contraction-extension mode) is an
essential characteristic of all Prior Art transducers.

European patents regarding Ultrasonic Transducers:

50 [0005] Applicant and Inventor: Miodrag Prokic, 2400 Le Locle, www.mpi-ultrasonics.com

EP 1 060 798 A1, Date of filing: 18.06.1999, Date of publication: 20.12.2000
EP 1 238 715 A1, Date of publication: 11.09.2002, Bulletin 2002/37

55

2
 EP 1 405 679 A1

U.S. Patent Documents regarding Ultrasonic Transducers:

[0006]

5 4,537,511 8/1985 Frei 310/323

5,200,666 4/1993 Walter et al. 310/323; 310/325
2,990,482 6/1961 Kenny 310/323
3,546,498 12/1970 McMaster et al. 310/323
10
3,578,993 5/1971 Russell 310/323
3,777,189 12/1973 Skinner et al. 310/328
3,975,698 8/1976 Redman 310/328
4,352,039 9/1982 Hagood et al. 310/328
3,331,589 7/1967 Hammit et al. 366/118 X
15 3,381,525 5/1968 Kartluke et al. 310/323 X
3,421,939 1/1969 Jacke 134/1
3,542,345 11/1970 Kuris 366/118 X
3,628,071 12/1971 Harris et al. 310/323 X
3,672,823 6/1972 Boucher 134/1 X
20
3,680,841 8/1972 Yagi et al. 366/118
3,698,408 10/1972 Jacke 366/127 X
3,945,618 3/1976 Shoh 366/118
4,016,436 4/1977 Shoh 310/323
25
4,537,511 and 5,200,666

Brief Description of Drawings:

[0007]
30

Fig. 1 is a generic outside view of the invention presenting a complex tube resonator.
Fig. 2 is an assembly view of the main internal and external parts of the invention presented on fig. 1.
Fig.3 is a generic cross section view of the invention presented on Figs. 1 and 2.
35
Description of Preferred Embodiments:

[0008] Please refer to Fig. 1 which relates to a generic external view of the invention in its embodiment, presenting
a multi-frequency resonating mode, complex tube resonator 1, made of a tube or a hollow or solid elongated strip made
of a long bar of metal 2, consisting of internally, or externally inserted and fixed transducers array 12, of multiple
40
transducer elements 13, in other words, fixed to the internal or external tube surface, presenting electrically in-parallel-
connected Langevin transducer elements 13, watertight sealed and closed on both tube ends with metal caps 4 in
case of internal transducer array assembling, and ending with flange detail 3 and cable conduit 11, delivering strong
vibrations and multi frequency oscillations on the tube resonator external surface 1, while driven by electric signal
power supply, activating the complex resonance field of multiple frequencies of the tube resonator 1, to achieve wide-
45
band sonic and ultrasonic waves radiation on the whole external surface towards external fluid, while the same effects
can be realized when transducer array is fixed externally radiating towards internal tube space, when the same concept
is not limited to only to installing one transducer array.
[0009] After the above-described structure is assembled, it presents the complex resonator 1 module for generating
multiple and wide band frequency resonance and radiation of sonic and ultrasonic waves, with its internal elements,
50
components and parts presented on Fig. 2, and Fig 3. Meanwhile, the transducer array 12 is directly and axially fixed
to the internal surface of the tube 2 of the resonator 1, to directly produce vibrations, invoking various sonic and ultra-
sonic frequency wavelengths, exciting various vibration modes, and activating the resonator 1 in order to transmit
vibrations outward in the fluid, where the resonator 1 is immersed, and the same effects can be realized when transducer
array 12 is fixed to the external tube surface radiating a fluid in internal tube space.
55
[0010] With the described structural design of the invention (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), the operating coordination of electrical
energy converter and operating frequency and the length of the resonator will no longer be an important operating
factor. There is no need for balanced integer number of half wavelengths, corresponding to precise wavelengths,

3
 EP 1 405 679 A1

matching the length and other dimensions of the resonator 1, and the resonant frequency of the electric power supply.
[0011] The elongated unit or tube unit 2 of the above resonator 1 for multiple frequency resonance can have a form
of a regular cylindrical tube, or it can have a form/s of various polygonal hollow or solid elongated units, tubes, spherical,
elliptical, straight, rectangular, arbitrary curve-shaped or similar objects, while one or many transducer arrays can be
5 fixed to the same tube externally or internally.

Claims

10 1. An axially activated sonic and ultrasonic waves generating and radiating transducers array structure in the form
of arbitrary shaped, both ends closed tube, characterized in that: it includes a resonator in the shape of a tube
or elongated hollowed bar, that can be fully immersed into a fluid being in a container, on the tube surface of the
connecting end being directly assembled to a connecting flange and cable conduit, said connecting rack including
a central shaft hole corresponding to the electric connecting end of the resonator, on the side of the connecting
15 rack being at least a hole rack, connected to at least one ultrasonic power supply, connected to a hole rack position,
meanwhile, the cable of said ultrasonic power supply penetrating the hole rack and being directly connected to
the electrical terminals of the internally fixed transducers array, producing multimode, multifrequency and wide-
band oscillations of transducers array, activating the resonator tube to oscillate in sonic and ultrasonic domain,
while radiating on the entire external tube surface towards surrounding fluid.
20
2. The axially activated sonic and ultrasonic waves generating and radiating transducers array structure, in the form
of arbitrary shaped, both ends closed tube, as recited in Claim 1, wherein the tube mass presents an integral part
of the front emitting mass of the transducer array, made from the unique piece of metal.

25 3. The axially activated sonic and ultrasonic waves generating and radiating transducers array structure in the form
of arbitrary shaped tube, as recited in Claims 1 or 2, wherein the tube can be open on its one or both ends.

4. The axially activated sonic and ultrasonic waves generating and radiating transducers array structure in the form
of arbitrary shaped tube, as recited in Claims 1 or 2 and 3, wherein the transducer array is fixed to external tube
30 surface, or being its integral part, while radiating multimode sonic and ultrasonic energy into internal tube space
filled with fluid, creating multi frequency resonance on the entire internal tube surface.

5. The axially activated sonic and ultrasonic waves generating and radiating transducers array structure in the form
of arbitrary shaped tube, as recited in Claim 1 or 2, 3 and 4, wherein the resonating tube can be made of a regular
35 cylindrical tube, or a polygonal, hollow or solid, elongated strip or tube, or other objects similar to a tube, or other
curved and spherical hollow objects.

6. The axially activated sonic and ultrasonic waves generating and radiating transducers array structure in the form
of arbitrary shaped tube, as recited in Claims 1 or 2, 3, 4 and 5, wherein instead of one transducer array, installed
40 internally or externally, many transducer-array lines can be installed for simultaneous and parallel operation on
the same tube or other hollowed object.

45

50

55

4
EP 1 405 679 A1

5
EP 1 405 679 A1

6
EP 1 405 679 A1

7
EP 1 405 679 A1