Ultrasonic transducer probe system

Claim 2

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing comprising: a linear array of ultrasonic transducer probes adapted to be coupled to the surface of a workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves into a workpiece and for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom; electrical pulse generating means for providing electrical high frequency pulses to probes coupled to said generating means; receiving means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to reflected ultrasonic waves received by said probes, and means coupling said generating means and receiving means to a central group of juxtaposed probes selected from said array and to additional groups of juxtaposed probes spaced laterally from said central group for causing the probes coupled to transmit simultaneously ultrasonic waves into the workpiece and to receive reflected ultrasonic waves therefrom arising from an acoustic discontinuity, and to provide signals responsive to the received waves to said receiving means, the width comprising a respective group of probes and the lateral spacing of each group from said central group along the axis of said array being selected to cause the respective acoustic pressures of the sound waves propagated from the individual probes to add positively in the acoustic near-field focal zone which is associated with the waves propagated from said central group and disposed in the workpiece.

Claim 3

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 1, the width of said central group of probes operated concurrently being selected in accordance with the relation: b about 2 Square Root a lambda wherein b is the width of the central group, a is the distance from the central group to the near-field focal zone, and lambda is the wavelength of sound in the workpiece; and the probes forming said additional groups being located to cause their respective distances from said focal zone to assume the values: a + 5/4 + or - 1/4 lambda ; a + 9/4 + or - 1/4 lambda ; .... a + (n + 1/4) lambda + or - 1/4 lambda ; wherein n is a positive integer.

Claim 4

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 2, said coupling means incrementally shifting said groups transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves along the axis of said array to cause said focal zone to move concomitantly.

Claim 5

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 3, said coupling means incrementally shifting said groups transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves comprising electronic switching means.

Claim 6

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 4, and further means coupled to said pulse generating means and to the probes disposed in the spaces between said groups of juxtaposed probes for energizing the probes disposed in said spaces with high frequency pulses whose phase is 180* shifted with respect to the pulses provided to said groups selected from said array.

Claim 7

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 4, and further means coupled to said receiving means and to the probes disposed in the spaces between said groups of juxtaposed probes for causing said probes disposed in said spaces to provide to said receiving means waves whose phase is 180* shifted with respect to the signals responsive to reflected waves provided by the probes forming said groups.

Claim 8

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 4, said receiving means coupled to said probes providing a display of signals responsive to reflected waves with respect to amplitude and position of an acoustic discontinuity in the workpiece.

Claim 9

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing comprising: an array of ultrasonic transmit-receive transducer probes adapted to be coupled to the surface of a workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves into a workpiece and for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom; said array comprising a first portion which includes a plurality of substantially parallel juxtaposed probes and a second portion which includes a plurality of substantially parallel band shaped juxtaposed probes disposed on either side of the probes forming said first portion and in adjacent relationship therewith, the axis along which the probes forming said first portion are aligned being substantially transverse with respect to the axis along which the probes forming said second portion are aligned; electrical pulse generating means for providing electrical high frequency pulses to probes coupled to said generating means; receiving means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to reflected ultrasonic waves received by said probes; means coupling said receiving means to a central group of juxtaposed probes selected from one of said portions and to additional groups of juxtaposed probes selected from said one portion and spaced laterally from said central group for causing the probes so selected to receive simultaneously acoustic discontinuity responsive ultrasonic waves from the workpiece, the width comprising a respective group of probes and the lateral spacing of each group from said central group along the axis of the array portion being selected to cause the acoustic pressures of sound waves propagated from the individual transmit-receive probes to add positively in the acoustic near-field focal zone which is associated with the waves propagated from said central group and disposed in the workpiece; said coupling means connecting said pulse generating means to probes forming said other portion for causing the latter probes connected to transmit ultrasonic waves into the workpiece, and display means coupled to said coupling means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to an acoustic discontinuity in the workpiece.

Claim 10

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing comprising: an array of ultrasonic transmit-receive transducer probes adapted to be coupled to the surface of a workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves into a workpiece and for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom; said array comprising a first portion which includes a plurality of substantially parallel juxtaposed probes and a second portion which includes a plurality of substantially parallel band shaped juxtaposed probes disposed on either side of the probes forming said first portion and in adjacent relationship therewith, the axis along which the probes forming said first portion are aligned being substantially transverse with respect to the axis along which the probes forming said second portion are aligned; electrical pulse generating means for providing electrical high frequency pulses to probes coupled to said generating means; receiving means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to reflected ultrasonic waves received by said probes; means coupling said receiving means to a central group of juxtaposed probes selected from one of said portions and to additional groups of juxtaposed probes selected from said one portion and spaced laterally from said central group for causing the probes so selected to receive simultaneously acoustic discontinuity responsive ultrasonic waves from the workpiece, the width comprising a respective group of probes and the lateral spacing of each group from said central group along the axis of the array portion being selected to cause the acoustic pressures of sound waves propagated from the individual transmit-receive probes to add positively in the acoustic near-field focal zone which is associated with the waves propagated from said central group and disposed in the workpiece; said coupling means connecting said pulse generating means to probes forming said other portion for causing the latter probes connected to transmit ultrasonic waves into the workpiece, and display means coupled to said coupling means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to an acoustic discontinuity in the workpiece.

Claim 11

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 8, said coupling means connecting said generating means to selected probes forming said other portion for causing the respective acoustic pressures of sound waves propagated from the selected transmit-receive probes of said other portion to add positively in said near-field focal zone.

Claim 12

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 8, and shift register means coupled to said coupling means for incrementally shifting said groups of probes receiving ultrasonic waves responsive to an acoustic discontinuity along the axis of the associated array portion.

Claim 13

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 8, said first portion and said second portion of probes being disposed substantially in the same plane.

Claim 14

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing comprising: an array of ultrasonic transducer probes adapted to be coupled to the surface of a workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves into a workpiece and for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom; said array comprising a first portion which includes a plurality of substantially parallel aligned juxtaposed band shaped probes and a second portion of substantially parallel aligned juxtaposed band shaped probes superposed on said first portion and disposed transverse with respect to the probes forming said first portion; electrical pulse generating means for providiNg electrical high frequency pulses to probes coupled to said generating means; receiving means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to reflected ultrasonic waves received by said probes; means coupling said pulse generating means to one portion and said receiving means to the other portion, and at least one of the portions being connected for providing a central group of juxtaposed probes selected from said one portion and for providing additional groups of juxtaposed probes of said one portion spaced laterally from said central group for causing the probes so selected to be simultaneously in circuit with said coupling means, the width comprising a respective group of probes and the lateral spacing of each group from said central group along the axis of the associated array being selected to cause the acoustic pressures of sound waves propagated from the individual probes to add positively in the acoustic near-field focal zone which is associated with the waves propagated from said central group and disposed in the workpiece, and display means coupled to said coupling means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to an acoustic discontinuity in the workpiece.

Claim 15

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing comprising: an array of ultrasonic transducer probes adapted to be coupled to the surface of a workpiece for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves into a workpiece and for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom; said array comprising a first portion which includes a plurality of substantially parallel aligned juxtaposed band shaped probes and a second portion of substantially parallel aligned juxtaposed band shaped probes superposed on said first portion and disposed transverse with respect to the probes forming said first portion; electrical pulse generating means for providiNg electrical high frequency pulses to probes coupled to said generating means; receiving means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to reflected ultrasonic waves received by said probes; means coupling said pulse generating means to one portion and said receiving means to the other portion, and at least one of the portions being connected for providing a central group of juxtaposed probes selected from said one portion and for providing additional groups of juxtaposed probes of said one portion spaced laterally from said central group for causing the probes so selected to be simultaneously in circuit with said coupling means, the width comprising a respective group of probes and the lateral spacing of each group from said central group along the axis of the associated array being selected to cause the acoustic pressures of sound waves propagated from the individual probes to add positively in the acoustic near-field focal zone which is associated with the waves propagated from said central group and disposed in the workpiece, and display means coupled to said coupling means for receiving and displaying signals responsive to an acoustic discontinuity in the workpiece.

Claim 16

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 12, and both of said portions being connected for providing a respective central group and respective additional groups.

Claim 17

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 12, said array portion connected for providing said central group and said additional groups being coupled to said receiving means.

Claim 18

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 12, said coupling means connecting said pulse generating means to said second portion.

Claim 19

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 12, both of said portions being connected for providing a respective central group and respective additional groups, and shift register means coupled in circuit with said coupling means for incrementally shifting said respective groups of probes transmitting and receiving respectively ultrasonic waves along the axis of their respective array portion.

Claim 20

A transducer system for ultrasonic testing as set forth in claim 16, said shift register means cyclically shifting the portion connected to said receiving means at a greater rate than the portion connected to said pulse generating means.