Inspection robot with offset sled mounts for inspecting thick assets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569979-B2
Application number	US-202519195955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2025
Priority date	Nov 1, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A sled assembly for an inspection robot includes a first portion having a first sensor mount at a first horizontal position, and a second offset portion having a second sensor mount at a second horizontal position. The first horizontal position and the second horizontal position are horizontally displaced by a selected horizontal distance. The first portion includes a first plurality of sensor mounts, and the first plurality of sensor mounts include the first sensor mount. Also, the first plurality of sensor mounts include a first horizontal distribution profile providing a horizontal displacement between adjacent ones of the first plurality of sensor mounts that is not greater than a selected inspection resolution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sled assembly for an inspection robot, the sled assembly comprising:
a first portion having a first sensor mount, at a first horizontal position, the first sensor mount structured to accommodate a first inspection sensor and thereby interrogate an inspection surface; a second offset portion having a second sensor mount, at a second horizontal position, the second sensor mount structured to accommodate a second inspection sensor and thereby interrogate the inspection surface; wherein the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position are horizontally displaced by a selected horizontal distance; and wherein the first portion comprises a first plurality of sensor mounts at an intra-housing spacing within a same housing of the sled assembly, the first plurality of sensor mounts including the first sensor mount, and wherein the intra-housing spacing of the first plurality of sensor mounts comprises a first horizontal distribution profile providing a horizontal displacement between adjacent ones of the first plurality of sensor mounts that is not greater than a selected inspection resolution.

2 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first horizontal distribution profile provides for equal spacing between each adjacent one of the first plurality of sensor mounts.

3 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second offset portion comprises a second plurality of sensor mounts, the second plurality of sensor mounts including the second sensor mount, and wherein the second plurality of sensor mounts comprises a second horizonal distribution profile providing a horizontal displacement between adjacent ones of the second plurality of sensor mounts that is not greater than the selected inspection resolution.

4 . The sled assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second horizontal distribution profile provides for equal spacing between each adjacent one of the second plurality of sensor mounts.

5 . The sled assembly of claim 3 , wherein the selected horizontal distance, the first horizontal distribution profile, and the second horizontal distribution profile are selected such that a distance between a last one of the first plurality of sensor mounts and a first one of the second plurality of sensor mounts is not greater than the selected inspection resolution.

6 . The sled assembly of claim 5 , wherein the selected horizontal distance, the first horizontal distribution profile, and the second horizontal distribution profile are selected to provide equal spacing between each adjacent one of the first plurality of sensor mounts and each adjacent one of the second plurality of sensor mounts.

7 . The sled assembly of claim 6 , wherein the horizontal distance, the first horizontal distribution profile, and the second horizontal distribution profile are further selected to provide the equal spacing between the last one of the first plurality of sensor mounts and the first one of the second plurality of sensor mounts.

8 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises:
an ultrasonic (UT) sensor housing that includes the first sensor mount and comprises an opening for couplant to flow through; and a film disposed over the opening and structured to regulate the flow of the couplant through the opening.

9 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a first ultrasonic (UT) sensor housing that includes the first sensor mount, wherein the first UT sensor housing includes a delay line for the first inspection sensor coupled to the first sensor mount having a length between 5 mm to 50 mm inclusive.

10 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a first ultrasonic (UT) sensor housing that includes the first sensor mount, wherein the first UT sensor housing includes a delay line for a UT sensor coupled to the first sensor mount having a length between 0.20″ to 1.97″ inclusive.

11 . The sled assembly of claim 10 , wherein the delay line has the length of about 1.25″.

12 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a first ultrasonic (UT) sensor housing that includes the first sensor mount, wherein the first UT sensor housing includes a delay line for a UT sensor coupled to the first sensor mount structured to provide for two backwall echoes from the inspection surface.

13 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third portion connecting the first portion to the second offset portion and having a shape structured to provide the selected horizontal distance.

14 . The sled assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor housing that includes the first sensor mount, the first sensor housing defining a first horizontal extent; a second sensor housing that includes the second sensor mount, the second sensor housing defining a second horizontal extent; and wherein the first horizontal extent and the second horizontal extent comprise an overlap region.

15 . A sled assembly for an inspection robot, the sled assembly comprising:
a first portion having a first sensor mount at a first horizontal position, the first sensor mount structured to accommodate a first inspection sensor and thereby interrogate an inspection surface; a second offset portion having a second sensor mount at a second horizontal position, the second sensor mount structured to accommodate a second inspection sensor and thereby interrogate the inspection surface; wherein the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position are horizontally displaced by a selected horizontal distance; and wherein the first portion comprises a first ultrasonic (UT) sensor housing that includes a first plurality of sensor mounts at an intra-housing spacing within the same first UT sensor housing, the first plurality of sensor mounts including the first sensor mount, the intra-housing spacing of the first plurality of sensor mounts comprising a first horizontal distribution profile, wherein the first UT sensor housing includes a delay line for a UT sensor coupled to the first sensor mount structured to provide for two backwall echoes from the inspection surface.

16 . The sled assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first UT sensor housing comprises an opening for couplant to flow through, and the first portion further comprises a film disposed over the opening and structured to regulate the flow of the couplant through the opening.

17 . The sled assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first UT sensor housing includes the delay line having a length between 5 mm to 50 mm inclusive.

18 . The sled assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first UT sensor housing includes the delay line having a length between 0.20″ to 1.97″ inclusive.

19 . The sled assembly of claim 18 , wherein the delay line has the length of about 1.25″.

20 . The sled assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
a third portion connecting the first portion to the second offset portion and having a shape structured to provide the selected horizontal distance.

21 . The sled assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
the first UT sensor housing defining a first horizontal extent; a second sensor housing that includes the second sensor mount, the second sensor housing defining a second horizontal extent; and wherein the first horizontal extent and the second horizontal extent comprise an overlap region.

22 . A sled assembly for an inspection robot, the sled assembly comprising:
a first portion having a fi

Assignees

• Gecko Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Low Kevin Y
• Bryner Edward A
• David Chase
• Binger Michael A
• St Jean Matthew
• Cordova Ignacio J

Classifications

• B25J19/027

  Electromagnetic sensing devices · CPC title

• B25J9/1692

  Calibration of manipulator · CPC title

• G01N2291/106

  one or more transducer arrays · CPC title

• G01N29/30

  Arrangements for calibrating or comparing, e.g. with standard objects · CPC title

• G01N2291/0289

  Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture · CPC title