Ultrasound Sensor Vibration Decoupling Elastomer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic sensors face issues with acoustic vibrations being transmitted to the housing, leading to false echoes and structure-borne noise, which causes interference and reduces signal quality, especially in applications like the food industry where easy cleaning and disinfection are crucial.
Innovation Solution
The ultrasonic sensor design features a pot-shaped housing divided into a fastening part and a functional part joined by an elastomer part, providing a hygienic and vibration-decoupled connection, with a metallic shielding and transparent elastomer for reliable sealing and interference reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the housing is made as a single piece for easy cleaning, then hygiene is improved, but vibration isolation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two separate parts: a mounting part and a functional part. These parts are joined by an elastomeric part that provides vibration isolation while maintaining a gap-free hygienic connection. This segmentation allows the housing to be easy to clean while simultaneously isolating vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
An elastomeric part is introduced as an intermediary between the mounting part and functional part of the housing. This elastomeric component serves dual functions: it creates a gap-free hygienic connection for easy cleaning while simultaneously providing vibration isolation to prevent harmful vibration transmission.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the housing is divided into multiple parts for vibration isolation, then interference signals are reduced, but cleaning difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into mounting part and functional part connected by an elastomeric part. This segmentation achieves vibration isolation to reduce interference signals while the elastomeric connection maintains a gap-free joint that is easy to clean and disinfect.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric part acts as an intermediary that enables vibration isolation between housing parts while simultaneously ensuring a gap-free connection. This eliminates crevices where microorganisms could nest, making the sensor easy to clean despite the multi-part construction.
3Strength
If a rigid connection is used between housing parts for mechanical strength, then structural stability is improved, but vibration transmission increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric part serves as a mediator between housing parts, providing both mechanical connection and vibration isolation. It absorbs vibrations while maintaining structural integrity, preventing vibration transmission to mounting components without compromising mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric part changes the mechanical parameters of the connection by providing elasticity and damping properties. This allows the housing to maintain mechanical strength while simultaneously reducing vibration transmission through the elastomeric material's inherent damping characteristics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances mechanical strength, facilitates easy cleaning, and reduces interference signals by decoupling the functional part from vibrations, improving signal quality and hygiene in applications like the food industry.
Implementation Method 1
The mounting part is thus hygienically connected to the functional part mechanically by the elastomeric part without a gap, and is simultaneously mechanically decoupled from the vibrations in the functional part
Implementation Method 2
an electromechanical transducer, preferably a piezoelectric element, for generating and/or receiving sound or ultrasound through the base
Implementation Method 3
Between the piezoelectric element and the coupling layer, another coupling layer, a so-called matching layer, can be arranged. The matching layer performs the function of transmitting the ultrasound signal while simultaneously reducing reflection at interfaces between two materials
Implementation Method 4
Because the speed of sound differs in liquids and plastics, the ultrasonic waves are refracted when passing from one medium to the other
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a sound or ultrasound sensor for transmitting and/or receiving sound or ultrasound, comprising a housing in the form of a canister closed by a base, an electromechanical transducer, preferably a piezoelectric element, for generating and/or absorbing sound or ultrasound via the base.