초록 ▼

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device which may be permanently attached or removably attached to a material such as a vehicular glass window or airplane wing. This device may comprise of a converter sub-unit or vibrator and a coupler. These elements may be arranged to propagate mec

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device which may be permanently attached or removably attached to a material such as a vehicular glass window or airplane wing. This device may comprise of a converter sub-unit or vibrator and a coupler. These elements may be arranged to propagate mechanical motion generated by the converter sub-unit through the coupler and optionally into the edge of the attached material. The resulting vibration motion in the material, which could take the form of a longitudinal compression/rarefaction wave, transverse wave, or a combination of the two waveforms, may be of a sufficient magnitude so as to cause the adhesive bond between the material's surface and other solid debris, such as ice, to be broken. This allows the debris to fall away while not damaging the material. The vibration motion in the material may be also of sufficient magnitude to remove a liquid such as water from the material surface. In other embodiments, the device is connected to a pulser/receiver and/or a frequency spectrum electronic unit to function as a debris detector.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of detecting debris on a material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a debris detector comprising: a piezoelectric converter unit that transforms electrical energy into mechanical motion at an output; a coupler having a first end and a second end, the first end

What is claimed is: 1. A method of detecting debris on a material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a debris detector comprising: a piezoelectric converter unit that transforms electrical energy into mechanical motion at an output; a coupler having a first end and a second end, the first end being operably associated with the converter output so as to transmit the mechanical motion produced by the converter unit, the second end being attached to the material, and, a pulser/receiver operably connected to the converter unit, the pulser/receiver being operable to actuate the piezoelectric converter and receive electronic signals generated by the piezoelectric converter; (b) sending a first electronic signal from the pulser/receiver to activate the piezoelectric converter, thereby transmitting mechanical motion through the coupler and into the material; (c) receiving reflected mechanical motion through the coupler and into the converter, thereby generating a second electronic signal by the converter that is received by the pulser/receiver; (d) comparing an actual value associated with the second electronic signal to a known value. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the actual value associated with the second electronic signal is a measured time delay between the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal; and wherein the method further comprises: comparing the measured time delay to a known time delay measured with no debris attached to the material. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein, the actual value associated with the second electronic signal is a frequency spectrum of the second electronic signal, and wherein the method further comprises: comparing the measured frequency spectrum with a known frequency spectrum measured with no debris attached to the material. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the known value is a value measured with no debris attached to the material. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the material is a wing of an airplane. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein, a cross-sectional area of the coupler at the first end is greater than a cross-sectional area of the coupler at the second end. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the converter, coupler, and material each have an impedance, and the impedance of the coupler is substantially equal to the impedance of the material. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the material, the coupler, and the converter each have at least one resonant frequency, the resonant frequency of the material being substantially equal to at least one of the resonant frequencies of the amplifying coupler and the converter. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the material has a major dimension, and a minor dimension defining an edge, and wherein the second end of the coupler is associated with the edge of the material such that the coupler conducts mechanical motion into the material at an angle substantially perpendicular to the edge of the material.