An ultrasonic transducer

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses an ultrasonic transducer, which relates to the technical field of transducers. The technical solution includes a housing, a transducer core, and a tail pipe; one end of the housing has an opening and the other end is closed. The transducer core is arranged inside the housing, and one end of the transducer core is closely attached to the closed end of the housing and is coupled and connected through a coupling agent; the tail pipe is connected to the end of the transducer core, and the tail pipe is detachably connected to the housing. The embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a gas meter for measuring gas flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of transducers, and more particularly to an ultrasonic transducer. Background Art

[0002] With the advantages of good stability, high measurement accuracy, wide range ratio, low maintenance rate, small pressure loss, and convenient installation, ultrasonic flowmeters are gradually replacing traditional mechanical flowmeters. As the core component of an ultrasonic flowmeter, the quality and performance of an ultrasonic transducer affect the accuracy of measurement.

[0003] The existing core components of a transducer include a matching layer, piezoelectric ceramics, and a backing. As the service life increases, problems such as aging of the core components inside the transducer core, peeling of the adhesive layer, and performance degradation will occur, which requires the replacement of the transducer.

[0004] The traditional preparation process of an ultrasonic transducer is to prepare the housing and the transducer core into an integral structure by bonding. When disassembling and replacing the transducer, the whole needs to be replaced. For high-flow-rate and high-pressure pipeline environments, disassembling and replacing the transducer will consume a large amount of manpower and material resources. The steps are cumbersome, time-consuming, and have great risks, increasing the maintenance and repair costs of the gas ultrasonic flowmeter. At the same time, it will cause huge economic losses to the client. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer that is convenient to replace.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer, including a housing, a transducer core, and a tail pipe;

[0007] One end of the housing has an opening and the other end is closed. The transducer core is arranged inside the housing. One end of the transducer core is in close contact with the closed end of the housing and is coupled and connected through a coupling agent;

[0008] The tail pipe is connected to the end of the transducer core, and the tail pipe is detachably connected to the housing.

[0009] According to a specific implementation manner of an embodiment of the present application, internal threads are provided on the inner wall of the housing near the opening, external threads corresponding to the internal threads are provided on the outer wall of the tail pipe, and the housing and the tail pipe are detachably connected through the internal threads and the external threads.

[0010] According to a specific implementation manner of an embodiment of the present application, the transducer core includes a matching layer, a piezoelectric element, and an acoustic backing;

[0011] The piezoelectric element is cylindrical, the matching layer is arranged on one end surface of the piezoelectric element, and the sound absorbing backing is arranged on the other end surface of the piezoelectric element;

[0012] The tail pipe is connected to the sound absorbing backing.

[0013] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, it also includes a positive wire and a negative wire; one end of the positive wire and the negative wire are respectively connected to the piezoelectric element;

[0014] A wire passing hole is provided on the sound absorbing backing along the axial direction of the sound absorbing backing, and the other ends of the positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire pass through the wire passing hole and pass out through the central through hole of the tail pipe.

[0015] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, at least two wire passing holes are provided, and at least two of the wire passing holes are spaced apart and distributed along the radial direction of the sound absorbing backing.

[0016] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, it also includes a connection component;

[0017] The connecting assembly is arranged between the tail pipe and the sound absorbing backing; the connecting assembly comprises a rod body and an elastic member;

[0018] Wherein, the elastic member is sleeved on the rod body, a stopper is provided at one end of the rod body, one end of the elastic member abuts against the stopper, and the other end of the elastic member abuts against the end surface of the tail pipe;

[0019] The rod body and the stopper are respectively provided with central through holes, which are communicated with the central through hole of the tail pipe. The stopper on the rod body is connected to the sound absorbing backing, and one end of the rod body away from the stopper is connected to the tail pipe.

[0020] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the inner wall of the tail pipe is provided with an internal thread, the outer wall of the rod body is provided with an external thread, and the rod body is threadedly connected to the tail pipe;

[0021] The thread rotation direction between the rod body and the tail pipe is opposite to the thread rotation direction between the tail pipe and the shell.

[0022] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the connection assembly further includes a connection plate, one end of which is connected to the sound absorbing backing, and the other end of which is connected to the stopper on the rod body; a central through hole is provided on the connection plate, which is connected to the central through hole of the rod body, the central through hole of the stopper, and the central through hole of the tail pipe;

[0023] A boss is provided at the center of the connection disk, an outer wall of the boss is provided with an external thread, an inner thread is provided on the wall of the central through hole of the stopper, and the boss is threadedly connected to the stopper;

[0024] Wherein, the thread rotation direction between the boss and the stopper is the same as the thread rotation direction between the rod body and the tail pipe.

[0025] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, a wire passing groove is provided on one end surface of the connection plate close to the sound absorbing backing.

[0026] According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, at least two sealing ring grooves are provided on the outer wall of the shell.

[0027] An ultrasonic transducer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, when the ultrasonic transducer is damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced, the tail pipe is rotated to separate the tail pipe from the shell, and the transducer core is pulled outward to make the transducer core fall out of the shell. This structure can replace the transducer core without disassembling the shell, which is simple to operate, reduces the cost of replacement and maintenance, and protects the economic interests of users. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic transducer according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] It should be clear that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic transducer provided in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer provided in one embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1And Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 1, a transducer core, and a tail pipe 2;

[0034] One end of the housing 1 has an opening and the other end is closed. The transducer core is arranged inside the housing 1. One end of the transducer core is closely attached to the closed end of the housing and is coupled and connected through a coupling agent;

[0035] The tail pipe 2 is connected to the end of the transducer core, and the tail pipe 2 is detachably connected to the housing 1.

[0036] When the transducer is in normal use, the closed end of the transducer housing extends into the gas pipeline. When it is necessary to disassemble or replace the transducer core, the tail pipe 2 is detached from the housing 1, so that the tail pipe 2 is separated from the housing 1. Since the tail pipe 2 is connected to the transducer core, when the tail pipe 2 is separated from the housing 1, the transducer core can be taken out of the housing 1.

[0037] This structure can realize the replacement of the transducer core without disassembling the housing 1 together. The operation is simple, the cost of replacement and maintenance is reduced, and the economic interests of users are guaranteed at the same time. The housing 1 and the transducer core are coupled by using a coupling agent, which not only ensures the transmission of sound waves but also realizes the operation of withdrawing and replacing the transducer core from the housing 1, saving time and guaranteeing the interests of users.

[0038] In this embodiment, the housing 1 can be made of titanium alloy material, which has good anti-corrosion and pressure-resistant functions and can be preferably applied to high-pressure gas pipelines. At the same time, the outer shell is prepared into an integral titanium alloy structure by machining technology to ensure the airtightness of the transducer.

[0039] In one embodiment, internal threads are provided on the inner wall of the housing 1 near the opening end, and external threads corresponding to the internal threads are provided on the outer wall of the tail pipe 2. The housing 1 and the tail pipe 2 are detachably connected through the internal threads and the external threads. In actual production and use, the connection method between the housing 1 and the tail pipe 2 is not limited to threaded connection, and this embodiment does not make specific limitations here.

[0040] When installing the transducer core, only need to rotate the tail pipe 2 so that the external threads on the tail pipe 2 are engaged with the internal threads of the housing 1, that is, the installation of the transducer core is realized.

[0041] The tail pipe 2 and the housing 1 adopt a threaded fit method to control the pre-tightening force, ensuring that the amount of coupling agent at the front end of the transducer core (i.e., the end far from the tail pipe 2) is consistent, so as to ensure the consistency of the transducer.

[0042] When disassembling the transducer core, only need to rotate the tail pipe 2 in the reverse direction to disengage the tail pipe 2 from the housing 1, and then pull the transducer core out of the housing 1, and the operation is convenient.

[0043] The length of the tail pipe 2 can be changed according to the size of the meter body and the size of the ultrasonic transducer installation hole, so as to facilitate the extraction of the transducer core from the housing 1.

[0044] The transducer core includes a matching layer 31 , a piezoelectric element 32 and a sound absorbing backing 33 .

[0045] The matching layer 31, also called the acoustic matching layer 31, is a circular sheet of composite material made of epoxy resin and hollow glass microspheres. The matching layer 31 can better complete the acoustic matching between the piezoelectric element 32 and the gas medium, and realize high-efficiency ultrasonic transmission.

[0046] The piezoelectric element 32 is a circular cylindrical piezoelectric ceramic that can realize the mutual conversion between electrical energy and mechanical energy, and is mainly used for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

[0047] The sound-absorbing backing 33 is a sound-absorbing structure, which is used to increase the damping of the transducer vibration system, accelerate the elimination of the transducer aftershocks, and improve the sensitivity of the ultrasonic transducer. It is usually made of high-attenuation and high-sound-absorbing materials.

[0048] In this embodiment, the piezoelectric element 32 is a cylindrical piezoelectric ceramic, which uses an edge-wrapped electrode; the matching layer 31 is arranged on one end surface of the piezoelectric element 32, and the sound-absorbing backing 33 is arranged on the other end surface of the piezoelectric element 32; the tail pipe 2 is connected to the sound-absorbing backing 33.

[0049] The matching layer 31 and the sound absorbing backing 33 can be fixed on the piezoelectric element 32 by bonding, but the bonding method is not limited to this method and is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0050] Since the matching layer 31 may fall off or be damaged during use, the shell 1 is made of titanium alloy to avoid deformation and peeling of the matching layer 31 under high pressure conditions, thereby increasing the service life of the ultrasonic transducer.

[0051] In one embodiment, a positive lead 4 and a negative lead 5 may also be included; one end of the positive lead 4 and the negative lead 5 are respectively connected to the piezoelectric element 32;

[0052] On the sound absorbing backing 33 , a wire hole 331 is provided along the axial direction of the sound absorbing backing 33 , and the other ends of the positive electrode wire 4 and the negative electrode wire 5 pass through the wire hole 331 and pass out through the central through hole of the tail pipe 2 .

[0053] The positive electrode wire 4 and the negative electrode wire 5 are used for transmitting electrical signals.

[0054] In some implementations, the piezoelectric ceramic may use double-sided electrodes or edge-wrapped electrodes, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0055] When using double-sided electrodes, the positive wire 4 and the negative wire 5 are respectively led out from the two end faces of the piezoelectric ceramic; when using edge-wrapped electrodes, the positive wire 4 and the negative wire 5 can both be led out from the back of the piezoelectric ceramic (i.e., the side of the piezoelectric element 32 close to the sound-absorbing backing 33), saving the internal space of the transducer housing 1.

[0056] There are at least two wire passing holes 331 provided, and the at least two wire passing holes 331 are distributed at intervals along the radial direction of the sound-absorbing backing 33. The at least two wire passing holes 331 include a first wire passing hole 331 for the positive wire 4 to pass through and a second wire passing hole 331 for the negative wire to pass through. By providing the at least two wire passing holes 331, it is more convenient to save the internal space of the transducer and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the transducer.

[0057] In some embodiments, the wire passing holes 331 can also be provided on the side wall of the sound-absorbing backing 33, and the wire passing holes 331 penetrate through the two end faces of the sound-absorbing backing 33. In this way, the positive wire 4 and the negative wire 5 can penetrate out from the side wall of the sound-absorbing backing 33.

[0058] In one embodiment, it may further include a connection component. The connection component is made of a metal material. The connection component is provided between the tail pipe and the sound-absorbing backing. The connection component includes a rod body 61 and an elastic member 62.

[0059] Among them, the elastic member 62 is sleeved on the rod body 61. One end of the rod body 61 is provided with a stop block 611 for limiting the elastic member 62. One end of the elastic member 62 abuts against the stop block 611, and the other end abuts against the end face of the tail pipe.

[0060] The rod body 61 and the stop block 611 are respectively provided with central through holes, and are communicated with the central through hole of the tail pipe 2. The positive wire 4 and the negative wire 5 pass through the central through holes of the rod body 61 and the stop block 611 and penetrate out from the central through hole of the tail pipe 2.

[0061] The stop block 611 on the rod body 61 is connected to the sound-absorbing backing 33, and one end of the rod body 61 away from the stop block 611 is connected to the tail pipe 2.

[0062] In order to facilitate the installation and disassembly of the tail pipe 2 and the rod body 61, the inner wall of the tail pipe 2 is provided with internal threads, and the outer wall of the rod body 61 is provided with external threads. The rod body 61 is threadedly connected to the tail pipe 2.

[0063] Among them, the thread helix direction between the rod body 61 and the tail pipe 2 is opposite to the thread helix direction between the tail pipe 2 and the housing 1 to prevent the tail pipe 2 from separating from the transducer core when disassembling.

[0064] In this embodiment, the elastic member 62 can be a spring. The outer diameter of the spring is smaller than the outer diameter of the tail pipe. By providing the spring, the spring is used for controlling the fastening force during installation and can play a certain buffering role when installing the transducer core, avoiding hard contact during positioning and causing the piezoelectric ceramic to break.

[0065] In one embodiment, the connecting component further includes a connecting disc 63, and the connecting disc 63 is made of a plastic insulating material. One end of the connecting disc 63 is connected to the sound-absorbing backing 33, and the other end is connected to the stopper 611 on the rod body 61. A central through-hole is provided on the connecting disc, and the central through-hole on the connecting disc communicates with the central through-hole of the rod body, the central through-hole of the stopper, and the central through-hole of the tail pipe. The connecting disc 63 and the sound-absorbing backing 33 can be connected by an adhesive method, but not limited to the adhesive method, and this embodiment does not make a limitation here.

[0066] A convex column 631 is provided at the central position of the connecting disc 63. The outer wall of the convex column 631 is provided with an external thread, and the inner wall of the central through-hole of the stopper 611 is provided with an internal thread. The convex column 631 is threadedly connected to the stopper 611.

[0067] Wherein, the thread helix direction between the convex column 631 and the stopper 611 is the same as the thread helix direction between the rod body 61 and the tail pipe 2.

[0068] By providing the connecting disc 63, when the transducer core needs to be replaced, the rod body 61 can still be recycled after being pulled out without being damaged. Only the connecting disc 63 needs to be replaced, which saves costs and is convenient for maintenance.

[0069] In order to make the bonding surface between the connecting disc 63 and the sound-absorbing backing 33 smoother, a wire groove 632 is provided on the end surface of the connecting disc 63 close to the sound-absorbing backing 33. The wire groove 632 is used to place the positive wire 4 and the negative wire 5 passing through the sound-absorbing backing 33.

[0070] In one embodiment, at least two sealing ring grooves 11 are provided on the outer wall of the housing 1. During actual production and use, the mating parts can be flexibly designed according to the sizes of different gas meter bodies to achieve installation and use, without modifying and processing the size of the housing 1 of the transducer.

[0071] For the ultrasonic transducer provided by the embodiment of the present invention, when a failure occurs in the transducer core, it can be disassembled under pressure, and at the same time, the transducer core can be pulled out for replacement without disassembling the housing, reducing the maintenance cost and protecting the economic interests of users.

[0072] It should be noted that in this text, the focuses of the solutions described in each embodiment are different, but there is a certain interrelated relationship among the embodiments. When understanding the solutions of the present invention, the embodiments can be referred to each other; in addition, relative terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of another identical element in the process, method, article or device comprising the element.

[0073] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer, characterized in that: It includes a housing, a transducer core and a tail pipe; The shell has an opening at one end and is closed at the other end. The transducer core is arranged in the shell. One end of the transducer core is tightly attached to the closed end of the shell and is coupled and connected via a coupling agent. The tail pipe is connected to the end of the transducer core, and the tail pipe is detachably connected to the housing; The transducer core includes a matching layer, a piezoelectric element and a sound-absorbing backing, the tail pipe is connected to the sound-absorbing backing, a connecting component is arranged between the tail pipe and the sound-absorbing backing, the connecting component includes a rod body and a connecting disk, one end of the rod body is provided with a stopper, one end of the connecting disk is connected to the sound-absorbing backing, and the other end is threadedly connected to the stopper on the rod body.

2. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: An inner wall of the shell near the opening is provided with an internal thread, an outer wall of the tail pipe is provided with an external thread corresponding to the internal thread, and the shell and the tail pipe are detachably connected via the internal thread and the external thread.

3. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The piezoelectric element is in a columnar shape, the matching layer is arranged on one end surface of the piezoelectric element, and the sound absorbing backing is arranged on the other end surface of the piezoelectric element.

4. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a positive wire and a negative wire; one end of the positive wire and the negative wire are respectively connected to the piezoelectric element; A wire passing hole is provided on the sound absorbing backing along the axial direction of the sound absorbing backing, and the other ends of the positive electrode wire and the negative electrode wire pass through the wire passing hole and pass out through the central through hole of the tail pipe.

5. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least two wire-passing holes are provided, and at least two of the wire-passing holes are distributed at intervals along the radial direction of the sound-absorbing backing.

6. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting assembly also includes an elastic member; Wherein, the elastic member is sleeved on the rod body, one end of the elastic member abuts against the stopper, and the other end of the elastic member abuts against the end surface of the tail pipe; The rod body and the stopper are respectively provided with central through holes, which are communicated with the central through hole of the tail pipe. The stopper on the rod body is connected to the sound absorbing backing, and one end of the rod body away from the stopper is connected to the tail pipe.

7. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner wall of the tail pipe is provided with an internal thread, the outer wall of the rod body is provided with an external thread, and the rod body is threadedly connected to the tail pipe; The thread rotation direction between the rod body and the tail pipe is opposite to the thread rotation direction between the tail pipe and the shell.

8. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting plate is provided with a central through hole, which is connected with the central through hole of the rod body, the central through hole of the stopper and the central through hole of the tail pipe; A boss is provided at the center of the connection disk, an outer wall of the boss is provided with an external thread, an inner thread is provided on the wall of the central through hole of the stopper, and the boss is threadedly connected to the stopper; Wherein, the thread rotation direction between the boss and the stopper is the same as the thread rotation direction between the rod body and the tail pipe.

9. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 8, characterized in that: A wire passing groove is provided on one end surface of the connection plate close to the sound absorbing backing.

10. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two sealing ring grooves are arranged on the outer wall of the shell.

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