Free flooded deep submergence transducer

Claim 1

A deep submergence transducer assembly comprising a cylindrical piezoelectric element, an annular chamber enclosing said cylindrical element, said chamber being filled with insulating liquid, the walls of the chamber comprising two coaxial tubes of different diameters and disposed, respectively, inside and outside said cylindrical element, rings at opposite ends of said element, said rings each being channel shaped in cross section with a lateral portion and substantially coextensive coaxial flanges, said flanges being telescoped, respectively, into and sealed to the ends of said tubes for retaining said insulating liquid within the chamber, while permitting flooding and direct coupling of acoustic energy from the interior wall of said annular chamber, as well as the exterior wall thereof, to the surrounding body of water, lead-in conductors sealed through one of said rings connected to said element, means for supporting said cylindrical piezoelectric element concentrically in said annular chamber including a plurality of pairs of metal blocks, the blocks of each pair being affixed, respectively, to said rings, yieldable insulating blocks between each metal block and the edge of said piezoelectric element, and a tautened strap of insulating material encircling the blocks of each pair of said element to yieldably join the parts of the transducer in a unitary assembly without restricting the motion of said element.