Patent ID: 11879759
Assignee: nan
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic flowmeter, comprising:
a transducer housing and having a transducer element, wherein the transducer housing has an ultrasound window and wherein the transducer element is arranged in the transducer housing and is designed for transmitting ultrasonic signals onto a signal path and for receiving ultrasonic signals from the signal path;
a control and evaluation unit for controlling the transducer element and evaluating the ultrasonic signals; and
a buffer element arranged in or on the transducer housing in the signal path, wherein the buffer element forms at least one at least partially reflective boundary layer in the signal path;
wherein, in the operating state of the ultrasonic transducer, the transducer element transmits an ultrasonic signal, wherein the ultrasonic signal is at least partially reflected at the boundary layer of the buffer element, wherein the reflected signal component is received by the transducer element;
wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured such that, in the operating state of the ultrasonic transducer, the control and evaluation unit monitors the reception of the reflected signal component and, in the absence of reception of a reflected signal component, detects an error state of the ultrasonic transducer; and
wherein either: (i) the buffer element is formed by the ultrasound window; or (ii) the buffer element is formed as a separate component arranged between the transducer element and the ultrasound window.