US4388831A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasonic probe for nondestructive inspection
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1981-02-20
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Granted: 1983-06-21
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Expires: 2001-02-20
Abstract
Abstract A probe is disclosed for the nondestructive inspection of the interior walls of cylindrical recesses, comprising an elongated shaft having an ultrasonic transducer mounted thereon a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of the shaft and oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating from the transducer outwardly in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In another embodiment, the probe comprises a shaft having a lateral extension whereon a first ultrasonic transducer is mounted at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of the shaft and is oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom parallel to a line formed by the intersection of planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the shaft and lateral extension. A second ultrasonic transducer is mounted on the longitudinal axis of the shaft and is oriented for radially outward direction of the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom. The second ultrasonic transducer is effective for centering the probe within the hole under inspection. The predetermined distance of the first ultrasonic transducer relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft determines the angle of refraction of the radiated ultrasonic energy and can be predetermined in accordance with the desired inspection mode.
Inventors
- 👤 Ira N. Sherman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:53
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/22; G01N29/24; G01N29/2487; G01N2291/00; G01N2291/02; G01N2291/028; G01N2291/02854; G01N2291/04; G01N2291/042; G01N2291/0421; G01N2291/0422
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
An ultrasonic probe for nondestructive detection of anomalies in the region of a generally cylindrical hole comprising: (a) an elongated shaft having a longitudinal axis; (b) a first ultrasonic transducer which is (i) mounted at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis on a lateral offset surface located on a lateral extension of the shaft, the lateral offset surface being (A) located at an outer end section of the lateral extension, (B) offset a distance determined by the expression ##EQU3## wherein: b=offset distance D=diameter of hole under inspection a=the predetermined distance of (b)(i), (ii) oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom opposite to the direction of offset and in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of (a), (c) a second ultrasonic transducer which (i) has a common focal length as the first ultrasonic transducer, (ii) is mounted on the longitudinal axis of (a) and in a common plane with the first ultrasonic transducer, the plane being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and (iii) is oriented for directing radiation radially outwardly of the longitudinal axis of (a).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
An ultrasonic probe for nondestructive detection of anomalies in the region of a generally cylindrical hole comprising: (a) an elongated shaft having a longitudinal axis; (b) a first ultrasonic transducer which is (i) mounted at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis on a lateral offset surface located on a lateral extension of the shaft, the lateral offset surface being (A) located at an outer end section of the lateral extension, (B) offset a distance determined by the expression ##EQU3## wherein: b=offset distance D=diameter of hole under inspection a=the predetermined distance of (b)(i), (ii) oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom opposite to the direction of offset and in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of (a), (c) a second ultrasonic transducer which (i) has a common focal length as the first ultrasonic transducer, (ii) is mounted on the longitudinal axis of (a) and in a common plane with the first ultrasonic transducer, the plane being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and (iii) is oriented for directing radiation radially outwardly of the longitudinal axis of (a).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
156 words
An ultrasonic probe for nondestructive detection of anomalies near a generally cylindrical hole in an object by subjecting said object to ultrasonic energy comprising: (a) an elongated shaft having a lateral cutout with a planar bottom parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft and an internal longitudinal passage along the length of said shaft; (b) an ultrasonic transducer mounted in said planar bottom at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of said shaft wherein said predetermined distance is determined by the expression: ##EQU4## wherein: a=predetermined distance D=diameter of hole under inspection V1=longitudinal velocity of sound in water V2=inspection mode velocity in object under inspection θ=desired ultrasonic refracted angle (c) and said transducer is oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom outwardly in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said shaft; and (d) at least one electrical lead connected to said ultrasonic transducer and positioned within said passage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
156 words
An ultrasonic probe for nondestructive detection of anomalies near a generally cylindrical hole in an object by subjecting said object to ultrasonic energy comprising: (a) an elongated shaft having a lateral cutout with a planar bottom parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft and an internal longitudinal passage along the length of said shaft; (b) an ultrasonic transducer mounted in said planar bottom at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of said shaft wherein said predetermined distance is determined by the expression: ##EQU4## wherein: a=predetermined distance D=diameter of hole under inspection V1=longitudinal velocity of sound in water V2=inspection mode velocity in object under inspection θ=desired ultrasonic refracted angle (c) and said transducer is oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom outwardly in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said shaft; and (d) at least one electrical lead connected to said ultrasonic transducer and positioned within said passage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
208 words
An ultrasonic probe for nondestructive detection of anomalies near a generally cylindrical hole in an object by subjecting said object to ultrasonic energy comprising: (a) an elongated shaft having a lateral extension and a longitudinal groove along the length of said shaft; (b) a first ultrasonic transducer mounted on said shaft on the longitudinal axis thereof and oriented for radially outward direction of the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom; (c) said lateral extension having a laterally offset outer end section with the offset distance of said outer end section being determined by the expression: ##EQU5## wherein: b=offset distance D=diameter of hole under inspection a=the distance between the first transducer and the longitudinal axis in (b) (d) a second ultrasonic transducer mounted on said lateral offset and oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom opposite to the direction of the offset and parallel to a line formed by the intersection of a pair of planes extending respectively perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft and lateral extension; and (e) wherein said first and second ultrasonic transducers are focused crystals having a common focal length and are mounted in a common plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
208 words
An ultrasonic probe for nondestructive detection of anomalies near a generally cylindrical hole in an object by subjecting said object to ultrasonic energy comprising: (a) an elongated shaft having a lateral extension and a longitudinal groove along the length of said shaft; (b) a first ultrasonic transducer mounted on said shaft on the longitudinal axis thereof and oriented for radially outward direction of the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom; (c) said lateral extension having a laterally offset outer end section with the offset distance of said outer end section being determined by the expression: ##EQU5## wherein: b=offset distance D=diameter of hole under inspection a=the distance between the first transducer and the longitudinal axis in (b) (d) a second ultrasonic transducer mounted on said lateral offset and oriented for directing the axis of radiation of ultrasonic energy emanating therefrom opposite to the direction of the offset and parallel to a line formed by the intersection of a pair of planes extending respectively perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft and lateral extension; and (e) wherein said first and second ultrasonic transducers are focused crystals having a common focal length and are mounted in a common plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of ultrasonic inspection of a generally cylindrical hole comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting ultrasonic radiation from a first focused transducer to the wall through a medium acoustically coupling the first transducer with the wall and along an axis which is (i) parallel to a radius of the hole and (ii) offset a predetermined distance from the radius of (a)(i), (b) transmitting ultrasonic radiation from a second focused transducer to the wall along the radius of (a)(i) and through the medium of (a), the second focused transducer (i) being laterally offset a predetermined distance from the first focused transducer and (ii) having a focal length substantially identical to the focal length of the first focused transducer.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of ultrasonic inspection of a generally cylindrical hole comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting ultrasonic radiation from a first focused transducer to the wall through a medium acoustically coupling the first transducer with the wall and along an axis which is (i) parallel to a radius of the hole and (ii) offset a predetermined distance from the radius of (a)(i), (b) transmitting ultrasonic radiation from a second focused transducer to the wall along the radius of (a)(i) and through the medium of (a), the second focused transducer (i) being laterally offset a predetermined distance from the first focused transducer and (ii) having a focal length substantially identical to the focal length of the first focused transducer.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-06-20 | 1986-12-20 | 1987-06-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-06-20 | 1990-12-20 | 1991-06-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-06-20 | 1994-12-20 | 1995-06-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |