Claims
- 1. A method for producing an ultrasound transducer, the transducer having a composite body that comprises a plastic matrix with a plurality of embedded piezoelectric or electrostrictive ceramic elements extending between a top side and an underside of the composite body, and electrodes that contact the ceramic elements on the top side and the underside of the composite body, said method comprising the following method steps:
producing the ceramic elements as ceramic rods provided with a plastic jacket of a constant thickness; conveying the jacketed ceramic rods to a container that is open on one side and is subjected to vibratory movements; arranging the jacketed ceramic rods inside the container, while standing upright, by the vibratory movements of the container; filling the container containing the jacketed ceramic rods with a plastic by bottom casting; hardening the plastic to form a composite body and then removing the resulting composite body from the container; grinding down at least one of a top side and an underside of the composite body until the ceramic rods possess a length stipulated by the working frequency of the ultrasound transducer; and mounting the electrodes to the top side and the underside of the composite body such that they contact all or only groups of the ceramic rods.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resin is a resin or polyurethane.
- 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inside dimensions of the container are chosen to correspond to the desired dimensions of the composite body.
- 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inside dimensions of the container are chosen independently of the dimensions of the composite body, and the composite body is subsequently cut to the proper shape.
- 5. The method according to claims 1 further comprising prior to said step of conveying, covering the container subjected to vibratory movements with a perforated mask that defines the position of the jacketed ceramic rods in the container, with the holes possessing a slightly larger cross-section than the cross-section of the jacketed ceramic rods; and, removing the perforated mask prior to the step of filling the container with a plastic.
- 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of producing includes: moving a spun ceramic thread through a plastic immersion bath to provide the spun ceramic thread with a plastic jacket layer of a constant thickness; and then cutting the spun ceramic thread with the plastic jacketed layer into the jacketed ceramic rods of the required length, plus some excess.
- 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing includes: cutting a spun ceramic thread into thread segments of the required length, plus some excess, placing the thread segments in an immersion bath of plastic for applying the plastic jacket to produce the jacketed ceramic rods.
- 8. The method according to claim 1, further including; selecting the cross-section of the ceramic rods relative to the clear cross-section of the container such that a ratio of ceramic material to plastic material is attained in the composite body that is optimal for the working-frequency range of the ultrasound transducer to be produced.
- 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the cross-section of the ceramic rods is selected with consideration of the necessary mutual spacing established by the thickness of the plastic jackets such that the fullness factor of the ceramic material in the composite body is 40 to 60%.
- 10. An ultrasound transducer having a composite body that comprises plastic and includes a plurality of ceramic elements that are embedded in plastic, that extend between a top side and a underside of the composite body and that comprise piezoelectric or electrostrictive ceramic, with the body further including electrodes that contact the ceramic elements on the top side and the underside of the composite body; and wherein the ceramic elements are ceramic rods that were provided with a plastic jacket of a constant thickness in a pre-production step, and that are arranged in matrix fashion so as to touch one another; a plastic fills the spaces between the jacketed ceramic rods, and the electrodes contact at least groups of the jacketed ceramic rods.
- 12. The ultrasound transducer according to claim 11, wherein the electrodes contact only groups for jacketed ceramic rods.
- 13. The ultrasound transducer according to claim 11, wherein the electrodes contacts all of the jacketed ceramic rods.
- 14. The ultrasound transducer according to claim 11, wherein the cross-sections of the jackets and the ceramic of the jacketed ceramic rods are matched such that the composite body has an optimum ceramic fullness factor for the working-frequency range (bandwidth) of the ultrasound transducer.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
100 52 636.5 |
Oct 2000 |
DE |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/978,786 filed Oct. 18, 2001.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09978786 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
Child |
10047111 |
Jan 2002 |
US |