Ultrasonic wheel scanner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9335304-B2
Application number	US-201214007943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2012
Priority date	Mar 28, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A scanner comprises a scanning array mounted within a rotatable assembly having a first wheel on a first side, a second wheel on a second side and a membrane forming a drum around the array wherein a load path is provided between the wheels to divert load from the membrane such that it can be made thinner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasound scanner comprising:
an ultrasound array defining a scanning vector,
a coupling assembly having:
a first member mounted at a first end of the array for rotation about a first axis,
a second member mounted at a second, opposite end of the array for rotation about the first axis, and,
a flexible coupling component extending between the first and second members to form a closed volume around the array, the coupling component having a workpiece contact surface intersected by the scanning vector,

wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive shaft rotatable about a second axis parallel to and offset from the first axis about which the first member and the second member are connected for synchronous rotation by a drive mechanism independent of the flexible coupling component.

2. An ultrasound scanner according to claim 1 in which the drive shaft is journalled in a bearing sleeve mounted fixed relative to the scanner.

3. An ultrasound scanner according to claim 2 in which the drive shaft comprises a first gear formation engaged with a corresponding gear formation on the first member.

4. An ultrasound scanner according to claim 3 in which the drive shaft comprises a second gear formation engaged with a corresponding gear formation on the second member.

5. An ultrasound scanner according to claim 4 in which the member gear formations are ring gears defining radially inwardly facing gear teeth.

6. An ultrasound scanner according to claim 1 in which the closed volume contains a pressurised fluid.

7. An ultrasound scanner according to claim 6 in which the pressurised fluid is a liquid.

Assignees

• Bond-Thorley Andrew
• Freemantle Richard
• O'Mahony Arthur
• Rivera Luis
• Williams Alun
• Philpot Andrew
• Hankinson Neil
• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Bond-Thorley Andrew
• Freemantle Richard
• O'Mahony Arthur
• Rivera Luis
• Williams Alun
• Philpot Andrew
• Hankinson Neil

Classifications

• G01N2291/106

  one or more transducer arrays · CPC title

• G01N29/2493

  Wheel shaped probes · CPC title

• G01N29/28

  providing acoustic coupling {, e.g. water (impedance matching G10K11/02)} · CPC title

• G01N29/265 Primary

  by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material · CPC title

• G01N29/225

  Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation · CPC title