We claim:
1. A method of mass balancing planar acoustic transducer diaphragms to provide for modal control of the diaphragms during use, the method comprising:
providing a diaphragm material in the form of a laminate of a non-conductive membrane having a first metallic layer applied to at least one surface thereof; and
selectively treating the first metallic layer applied to the at least one surface to remove portions of the first metallic layer to form an electrical conductor circuit pattern and at least one passive metallic area which is spaced from the electrical conductor circuit pattern on the at least one surface of the membrane whereby the at least one passive metallic area provides a mass on said at least one surface of the diaphragm for balancing vibrational modes of the diaphragm during use.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrical conductor circuit pattern and said at least one passive metallic area are substantially simultaneously formed during the treating of the first metallic layer.
3. The method of claim 1 in which the laminate includes a second metallic layer applied on a second surface of the membrane and treating the second metallic layer to remove portions of the second metallic layer to form at least one passive metallic area on the second surface of the membrane.
4. The method of claim 1 in which said treating includes coating selected surface portions of the metallic layer and subsequently chemically processing the first metallic layer to thereby remove portions of the first metallic layer other than the selected surface portions.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said electrical conductor circuit pattern and said at least one passive metallic area are substantially simultaneously formed during the treating of the first metallic layer.
6. The method of claim 2 including forming the electrical conductor circuit pattern so as have a plurality of spaced branches, and forming a passive metallic area intermediate at least two of the plurality of the spaced branches.
7. The method of claim 6 including forming each of the passive metallic areas generally parallel to at least two of the plurality of the spaced branches.
8. The method of claim 7 including forming the plurality of spaced branches along a central portion of the diaphragm spaced inwardly relative to opposed side edges thereof, and forming an additional passive metallic area intermediate the plurality of spaced branches and each of the side edges of the diaphragm.
9. The method of claim 6 including forming each of the passive metallic areas asymmetrically with respect to the at least two spaced branches.
10. The method of claim 9 including forming the plurality of spaced branches along the central portion of the diaphragm spaced inward relative to opposed side edges thereof, and forming an additional passive metallic area intermediate the plurality of spaced branches and each of the side edges of the diaphragm.
11. The method of claim 10 including forming the additional passive metallic areas so as to be asymmetrical with respect to said plurality of spaced branches.
12. The method of claim 2 including forming the electrical conductor circuit patterns so as to have a plurality of spaced branches which are spaced inwardly of opposite side edges of the diaphragm, and forming a passive metallic area intermediate the spaced branches and the opposite side edges of the diaphragm.
13. The method of claim 2 including forming a plurality of spaced metallic passive areas on the at least one surface of the membrane.
14. The method of claim 13 including forming the plurality of metallic passive areas such that at least two of the metallic passive areas are of differing dimensions.
15. The method of claim 2 including removing portions of the first metallic layers to form at least two independent spaced electrical conductor circuit patterns on the at least one surface of the membrane and forming said at least one passive metallic area intermediate the at least two independent spaced electrical conductor circuits.
16. The method of claim 1 including selective treating the first metallic layer to remove portions of the first metallic layer to form at least two independent spaced electrical conductor circuit patterns on the at least one surface of the membrane and forming said at least one passive metallic area intermediate the at least two independent spaced electrical conductor circuits.
17. The method of claim 1 including selectively treating the first metallic layer to form an electrical conductor circuit pattern and at least one passive metallic area which are generally uniform in thickness relative to one another.
18. The method of claim 1 including selectively treating the first metallic layer to form an electrical conductor circuit pattern and at least one passive metallic area which are of differing thickness relative to one another.
19. The method of claim 1 including selectively treating the first metallic layer to form the at least one passive metallic area so as to have a non-uniform thickness.
20. A diaphragm for a planar magnetic transducer comprising, an electrical non-conducting membrane having opposite side edges, an electrical circuit pattern carried on a surface of said membrane, said electrical circuit pattern including a plurality of generally parallel branches, and passive areas carried on said surface of said membrane intermediate and spaced from at least two of said branches, whereby said passive metallic areas balance vibrational modes of the diaphragm during use.
21. The diaphragm of claim 20 in which said passive areas are asymmetrical relative to said branches.
22. The diaphragm of claim 21 includes additional passive areas carried on said surface of said membrane intermediate each of said opposite side edges and said electrical circuit pattern.
23. The diaphragm of claim 22 in which said additional passive areas are asymmetrical with respect to said branches.
24. The diagram of claim 22 in which said additional passive areas are of different configurations.
25. The diaphragm of claim 21 wherein said passive areas are formed of a metallic material.
26. The diaphragm of claim 20 in which said passive areas are of different configurations.
27. The diaphragm of claim 20 in which at least one of said passive areas includes undulated edge portions.
28. The diaphragm of claim 20 wherein said passive areas are formed of a metallic material.
29. The diaphragm of claim 28 in which said electrical circuit patterns and said passive areas are of uniform thickness relative to one another.
30. The diaphragm of claim 28 in which said electrical circuit pattern and said passive areas are of non-uniform thickness relative to one another.
31. The diaphragm of claim 28 wherein at least one of said passive areas is of non-uniform thickness.
32. A diaphragm for a planar magnetic transducer comprising, a laminate having an electrical non-conductive membrane layer and at least one metallic layer, said metallic layer consisting of at least one electrical circuit pattern and at least one passive metallic area, and said at least electrical circuit pattern and said at least one passive area being of non-uniform thickness relative to one another.
33. A diaphragm for a planar magnetic transducer comprising, a laminate having an electrical non-conductive membrane layer and at least one metallic layer, said metallic layer consisting of at least two independent electrical circuit patterns and a passive metallic area separating said at least two independent electrical circuit patterns from one another.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In an automatic injection apparatus having a housing, a needled syringe with a plunger, and a plurality of biasing elements for moving the needled syringe in a first direction within the housing to extend the needle of the syringe beyond the housing, to advance the plunger to force syringe contents through the needle for an injection, and to retract the needle within the housing after injection, a delay mechanism comprising:
a shuttle for the syringe, said shuttle including a first latching element;
a follower including a second latching element and a cammable surface, said second latching element for cooperating with said first latching element to limit motion of said shuttle relative to said follower in a second direction opposite the first direction;
a locking member movable within said housing from a locking position to a release position by engagement with the syringe plunger during an injection, said locking member, when in said locking position, preventing rotation of said follower relative to said shuttle, said locking member, when in said release position, allowing rotation of said follower relative to said shuttle;
a damping compound between said follower and a supporting surface to dampen rotation of said follower relative to said shuffle;
a driver rotatably fixed relative to said shuttle and including a camming surface; and
a driver biasing element for forcing said driver from a first position to a second position when said locking member moves to said release position, whereby during movement of said driver to said second position, said driver camming surface engages said follower cammable surface to force said follower to rotate relative to said shuttle from a latching position, at which said first and second latching elements cooperate, to an unlatching position, at which said second latching element is disengaged from said first latching element to allow movement of said shuttle for retracting the syringe needle into the housing after injection.
2. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said second latching element comprises a projecting tab, and wherein said first latching element comprises a portion of a tab track formed in said shuttle.
3. The delay mechanism of claim 2 wherein said tab track comprises an L-shaped slot, wherein said tab track portion forming said first latching element comprises a slot portion oriented transverse to the first direction.
4. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said driver biasing element is operatively disposed between said driver and said shuttle, whereby said driver biasing element provides the biasing force on the shuttle for carrying the syringe to retract the needle into the housing after injection.
5. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said driver and said follower comprise tubular bodies that are each concentrically arranged around said shuttle.
6. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said supporting surface comprises a radially inner surface of a collar rotatably fixed relative to the apparatus housing.
7. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said shuttle and said driver are each keyed to the apparatus housing to be axially shiftable and rotatably fixed relative to the housing.
8. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said locking member comprises at least one key that fits within at least one slot in said shuttle to rotatably secure together said locking member and said shuttle, and wherein said at least one key fits within at least one notch of said follower when in said locking position to rotatably secure together said locking member and said follower.
9. The delay mechanism of claim 8 wherein said follower and said at least one key comprises a detented releasable connection to discourage premature motion of the locking member.
10. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said camming surface and said cammable surface comprises directly engaging faces of ramp shaped projections.
11. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said shuttle comprises a support against which acts the biasing element that moves the needled syringe in the first direction and advances the plunger.
12. The delay mechanism of claim 1 wherein said locking member comprises at least one flexure integrally formed with said follower and radially movable within said housing from a locking position to a release position by engagement with the syringe plunger during an injection.
13. The delay mechanism of claim 1 further comprising means for allowing said shuttle to shift axially relative to said follower front a first latched position to a second latched position during removal of a cap from the apparatus, wherein at said first latched position said shuttle cooperates with a trigger locking assembly to prevent apparatus triggering, and wherein at said second latched position said shuttle permits movement of the trigger locking assembly which allows for apparatus triggering.
14. The delay mechanism of claim 13 wherein said means for allowing said shuttle to shift axially relative to said follower from a first latched position to a second latched position comprises a plurality of shuttle shift arms including radial protrusions that latch with jam ledges provided on said follower when said plurality of shuttle shift arms are radially backed by a syringe carrier.
15. In an automatic injection apparatus, a delay mechanism comprising:
a shuttle for a needled syringe of the apparatus;
a movable member;
means for limiting motion of said shuttle in a needle retraction direction;
means for damping rotational motion of said movable member relative to said shuttle; and
means for rotating said movable member relative to said shuttle from a first position to a second position to allow movement of said shuttle for retracting the needle of the syringe within the apparatus after injection.
16. The delay mechanism of claim 15 wherein said means for rotating said movable member comprises at least one resilient finger extending from a plunger of the needled syringe, and a straightening element on said shuttle for straightening and then releasing said at least one resilient finger to drive movable member rotation.
17. The delay mechanism of claim 15 wherein said means for rotating said movable member comprises a cammable surface on said movable member, a driver rotatably fixed relative to said shuttle and including a camming surface, and a biasing element for forcing said driver to move axially and rotate said movable member due to the direct driving engagement of said cammable surface by said camming surface.
18. The delay mechanism of claim 15 wherein said shuttle supportably holds a biasing element that advances the needled syringe for injection, whereby biasing of the shuttle for retracting the needle is not resisted by the biasing element that advances the needled syringe.