Acoustic Waveguide Pin Array Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acoustic waveguides face challenges in manufacturing due to complex construction requirements and manufacturing drawbacks, such as the need for precise molding of thin plates, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An acoustic waveguide design featuring a hollow primary body with a flared conduit containing an array of spaced-apart pins that modify the acoustic paths, allowing for a simpler and more economic manufacturing process by molding two identical shell-like portions and gluing them together, transforming spherical wavefronts into planar or cylindrical wavefronts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If thin plates are molded along with the acoustic guide, then the acoustic paths can be divided into uniform portions, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic guide is divided into two separate shell-like portions that are molded independently and then joined together. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured separately with standard molding processes, avoiding the complexity of molding thin internal plates within a single complex geometry. The pins are distributed between the two portions, creating the acoustic path division without requiring thin plate structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal acoustic lens structure is extracted from the traditional thin-plate design and replaced with a distributed pin array configuration. This extraction eliminates the manufacturing difficulties associated with thin plates while maintaining the acoustic path uniformity function. The pins serve as discrete acoustic discontinuities that achieve the same wavefront transformation without the geometric constraints of thin plate molding.
2Reliability
If three distinct elements are used to form the waveguide, then the acoustic transformation can be achieved, but the construction becomes complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The two symmetrical shell-like portions are merged into a single integrated structure by joining them together. This merging reduces the number of separate components from three (two symmetrical elements plus central element) to two main portions, simplifying the overall construction. The pins are distributed between the two portions, integrating the acoustic transformation function into the shell structure itself rather than requiring a separate central element.
Solution Approach 2:
The two shell-like portions serve multiple functions simultaneously: they form the structural housing of the acoustic guide, contain the pin array, and provide the acoustic discontinuities needed for wavefront transformation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining acoustic performance.
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 provides a valid alternative to existing waveguides with a simpler manufacturing process while maintaining effective acoustic transformation, as demonstrated by experimental measures showing a maximum phase difference under 90° up to 15 kHz, suitable for use in line-array systems.
Implementation Method 1
an array of spaced-apart pins (5), which modify the acoustic paths within the conduit
Implementation Method 2
the pins define, within the acoustic conduit, a plurality of acoustic paths of substantially uniform length
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Acoustic waveguide (1) comprising: - an internally hollow primary body (2), provided with an opening (3) for an incoming acoustic radiation and an outlet opening (4) for diffusing said radiation to the outside of said guide (1), the primary body (2) defining an acoustic flared conduit (9) for propagating said acoustic radiation between the inlet opening (3) and the outlet opening (4), - a plurality of acoustic discontinuity elements (L1, ..., LN) provided inside the acoustic conduit (9) between the inlet opening (3) and the outlet opening (4), and which are such as to interfere with said acoustic radiation propagating inside the acoustic conduit (9), characterized in that: said plurality of acoustic discontinuity elements comprises an array of spaced apart pins (5) transversal to the acoustic conduit (9).