The invention relates to a toilet cleaning tool comprising: a handle; a vibration member attached at a free end of the handle, wherein said vibration member includes an emitting surface for emitting vibrational waves;
wherein the toilet cleaning tool further includes one or more spacers arranged around the vibration member to keep the vibration member free of the toilet bowl during cleaning.

An ultrasound transducer of a vehicle system, comprising a membrane configured to vibrate to generate an ultrasound when voltage is applied and further configured to vibrate in an out-of-plane movement, wherein the membrane includes a first piezoelectric film at a center of the membrane, a supporting member including a second piezoelectric film, the supporting member supporting and surrounding the membrane, wherein in response to a translation of motion or actuation from the membrane, the supporting member mode does not move when there is the out-of-plane movement from the membrane.

A vibration apparatus may include a vibration device and an adhesive member at a surface of the vibration device. A modulus of the vibration device may be equal to a modulus of the adhesive member or may be greater than the modulus of the adhesive member.

Described herein are methods and systems for testing transducers and associated integrated circuits. In some cases, a method or system described herein can comprise modulating a bias voltage using a test signal in order to produce a modulated bias voltage signal useful in testing a plurality of transducers of a transducer array in parallel.

An ultrasonic sensor includes an element substrate having a first and a second surface at an opposite side of the first surface, including an opening section piercing through the element substrate in a Z direction from the first to second surface, a vibrating plate on the first surface of the element substrate to close the opening section, a plurality of vibration regions extending along an X direction orthogonal to the Z direction on the vibration plate in positions overlapping the opening section, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements to correspond to the plurality of vibration regions of the vibration plate. The opening section includes, on the first surface, a first and second side parallel to the X direction and a third and fourth side coupling end portions in the X direction of the first and second sides at an acute or obtuse angle to the first and the second side.

The present invention is a piezoelectric actuator drive method, a piezoelectric actuator drive circuit, and a piezoelectric actuator drive system capable of causing a piezoelectric element to vibrate in a maximum amplitude state. The piezoelectric actuator drive circuit includes: an obtainment unit that obtains operation information pertaining to operation of the piezoelectric element in a period that is a part of one cycle of a drive cycle in which the piezoelectric element is driven; and a control unit that performs feedback control of a drive parameter for driving the piezoelectric element based on the operation information.

A system and method for detecting an anomaly in a structure using an adaptive filter to compensate for variations in piezoelectric transducer performance due to environmental factors such as temperature. A first voltage signal having a first amplitude is sent to a reference piezoelectric actuator. Thereafter, a first reference voltage signal is received from a reference piezoelectric receiver which is acoustically coupled to detect the guided wave generated by the reference piezoelectric actuator. A second amplitude is determined using an optimization algorithm of an adaptive filter to compensate for nonlinear behavior of the reference piezoelectric actuator and receiver based on the first reference voltage signal. Then the adaptive filter sends a second voltage signal having the second amplitude to the reference and test piezoelectric actuators. Reference and test voltage signals are received from the reference and test piezoelectric receivers in response to the second voltage signal. A difference voltage signal representing differences between the reference and test voltage signals received is then recorded.

An ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic transducer; a first voltage output circuit to output a transmission voltage signal that oscillates between a first high voltage and a first low voltage, supplied to a first terminal of the ultrasonic transducer; a reception circuit to detect a voltage signal generated at a second terminal of the ultrasonic transducer; and the second voltage output circuit to output a second high voltage smaller than the first high voltage. The first voltage output circuit includes a first switching unit to perform switching between supplying the transmission voltage signal in ultrasonic transmission; and fixing a potential of the first terminal in ultrasonic reception. The second voltage output circuit includes a second switching unit that performs switching between supplying the second high voltage to the second terminal in ultrasonic transmission; and electrically separating the second voltage output circuit from the second terminal in ultrasonic reception.

Disclosed embodiments include illustrative piezoelectric element array assemblies, methods of fabricating a piezoelectric element array assembly, and systems and methods for shearing cellular material. Given by way of non-limiting example, an illustrative piezoelectric element array assembly includes at least one piezoelectric element configured to produce ultrasound energy responsive to amplified driving pulses. A lens layer is bonded to the at least one piezoelectric element. The lens layer has a plurality of lenses formed therein that are configured to focus ultrasound energy created by single ones of the at least one piezoelectric element into a plurality of wells of a microplate disposable in ultrasonic communication with the lens layer, wherein more than one of the plurality of lenses overlie single ones of the at least one piezoelectric element.

An ultrasonic unit manufacturing system and process are based on a universal ultrasonic generator unit that operates interchangeably with either one of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive ultrasonic devices, and optionally as well as with either on-off or power level control footswitches. The ultrasonic units use a generator unit having a detector that determines whether the connected device is piezoelectric or magnetostrictive, and activates the generator for the appropriate piezoelectric or magnetostrictive operating mode. The ultrasonic units so made and methods of using them are also disclosed.