Ultrasonic inspection tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9372174-B2
Application number	US-201113881382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2011
Priority date	Oct 29, 2010
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

An ultrasonic inspection probe comprising: a flexible ultrasonic array, a flexible coupling component arranged to ultrasonically couple the flexible ultrasonic array to a workpiece at a coupling boundary surface, a loading component arranged to apply a pressure to the coupling component to a surface opposite the coupling boundary surface to maintain contact between the coupling boundary surface and a workpiece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic inspection probe for scanning a radiused workpiece comprising:
a flexible ultrasonic array probe having:
a probe body; and,
a flexible ultrasonic transducer array extending from the probe body, the flexible ultrasonic transducer array comprising a series of ultrasonic elements extending towards a free end of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array;

a flexible coupling component arranged to ultrasonically couple the flexible ultrasonic transducer array to the workpiece, the flexible coupling component having:
a first leg, a second leg, and a radiused section therebetween; and
a cavity defined therein
a workpiece coupling surface; and,
a loading surface opposite thereto, and,

a loading component arranged to apply a pressure to the loading surface to maintain contact between the workpiece coupling surface and the workpiece in use;
wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer array is positioned at least partially within the cavity defined within the flexible coupling components such that the ultrasonic elements extend around the radiused section of the flexible coupling component to scan the radiused portion of the workpiece.

2. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 in which the flexible coupling component and the ultrasonic array are mechanically coupled.

3. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 in which the cavity comprise a slot.

4. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 comprising a valve in fluid communication with the cavity, and arranged to permit introduction and/or removal of air from the cavity.

5. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 in which the loading component is a hand-held block.

6. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 in which the loading component defines a loading surface which is substantially the same shape as the loading surface.

7. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 in which the flexible coupling component is a solid block of material.

8. The ultrasonic inspection probe according to claim 1 in which the flexible coupling component is constructed as a fluid filled membrane.

9. A method of ultrasonically inspecting a workpiece comprising the steps of:
providing a radiused workpiece,
providing a flexible ultrasonic array probe having:
a probe body; and,

a flexible ultrasonic transducer array extending from the probe body, the flexible ultrasonic transducer array comprising a series of ultrasonic elements extending towards a free end,
providing a flexible coupling component having:
a first leg, a second leg, and a radiused section therebetween; and,
a cavity defined therein,

positioning the ultrasonic array at least partially within the cavity of the flexible coupling component such that the ultrasonic elements extend around the radiused section of the flexible coupling component;
applying a pressure to the array and/or the flexible coupling component to ensure contact between the flexible coupling component and the workpiece,
ultrasonically scanning the workpiece using the flexible ultrasonic array.

10. The method of ultrasonically inspecting a workpiece according to claim 9 comprising the step of:
altering the air pressure within the cavity to ensure coupling between the array and the coupling component.

11. The method of ultrasonically inspecting a workpiece according to claim 9 in which the step of altering the air pressure comprises the step of lowering the pressure in the cavity.

12. The method of ultrasonically inspecting a workpiece according to claim 9 comprising the steps of:
providing a loading component,
placing the array and the coupling component between the workpiece and the loading component,
applying manual pressure to the loading component to compress the coupling component into the workpiece to increase contact therebetween.

13. The method of ultrasonically inspecting a workpiece according to claim 9 comprising the step of sliding the coupling component and array along the workpiece to progressively scan the workpiece.

14. The method of ultrasonically inspecting an aircraft component comprising the method of claim 9 .

Assignees

• Bond-Thorley Andrew
• Freemantle Richard
• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Bond-Thorley Andrew
• Freemantle Richard

Classifications

• G01N2291/2638

  Complex surfaces · CPC title

• G01N29/043

  in the interior, e.g. by shear waves · CPC title

• G01N2291/2694

  Wings or other aircraft parts · CPC title

• G01N29/225 Primary

  Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation · CPC title

• G01N2291/106

  one or more transducer arrays · CPC title