Patent ID: 9746008
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: F03G,F15B,G10K

Claim:
1. A pressure wave generator for generating a pressure wave in a medium, the pressure wave generator comprising: a movable piston having a first surface and a second surface and a longitudinal axis between the first surface and the second surface, the piston comprising a guide extending along the longitudinal axis of the piston from the first surface at least partially toward the second surface; a housing having an inner bore, a first end, and a second end, the piston being at least partially disposed within the inner bore of the housing, the piston movable within the inner bore of the housing from the first end toward the second end along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston; a control rod extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end, the second end of the control rod configured to be inserted in the guide and able to move within the guide without being displaced from the guide during movement of the piston within the inner bore; a transducer slidably accommodated in the second end of the housing, the transducer configured to be coupled to the medium and adapted to convert a portion of the kinetic energy of the piston into a pressure wave in the medium upon impact of the piston with the transducer; a retainer removably attached to the second end of the control rod and configured to inhibit displacement of the control rod from the guide, the retainer having a first orientation permitting the retainer to be inserted into the guide, the retainer movable to a second orientation when disposed in the guide, wherein when the retainer is in the second orientation and attached to the control rod, the retainer moves together with the control rod in a linear fashion along the guide and the retainer is inhibited from moving into the first orientation by the control rod; and a motive force generator configured to accelerate the movable piston toward the transducer, wherein on impact of the piston and the transducer, the second end of the control rod moves within the guide toward the second surface of the piston.