Ultrasonic transducer assembly installation device and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9374024-B2
Application number	US-201314040451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

Transducer assemblies and associated methods are provided for facilitating alignment of ultrasonic transducers with respect to pipes onto which the transducers are installed. The transducer assembly can include a transducer housing having a track on along which the transducers can be slidingly engaged. The transducer assembly can include attachment structures having alignment features used to align the transducers parallel to the axial centerline of the pipe while ensuring that the reception/emission sides of the transducers are oriented normal to the outer surface of the pipe. In some embodiments a transducer assembly alignment system can be used to align two transducer assemblies on circumferentially opposite sides of a pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic transducer assembly comprising:
a transducer;
a transducer housing having:
a first end and a second end,
a top wall,
a first side wall connected to the top wall,
a second side wall connected to the top wall, and
a track in or on the top wall, the track extending along a portion of a length of the transducer housing between the first and the second end; and

a positioning device capable of slidable engagement with the track, the positioning device having:
a positioning body;
a channel portion extending from the positioning body and capable of receiving at least a portion of the top wall adjacent the track;
a track-clamping device capable of releasably fixing the positioning device to the top wall at a position along the length of the transducer housing, the track-clamping device having a user input portion; and
a transducer-engaging device capable of adjustably connecting the positioning body to the transducer, the transducer-engaging device capable of adjusting a distance between the transducer and the track;

wherein rotation of the track-clamping device in a first direction releasably fixes the positioning device to the top wall, wherein rotation of the track-clamping device in a second direction releasably unfixes the positioning device from the top wall, and wherein the transducer-engaging device is not supported by the track-clamping device.

2. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducer-engaging device includes a user interface.

3. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducer-engaging device is capable of rotating independent of the track-clamping device to adjust a distance between the transducer and the track.

4. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducer-engaging device comprises a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending through the positioning body and into a cavity in the transducer, wherein the shaft portion engages with a nut within the cavity, the nut retained within the cavity and capable of rotation within the cavity.

5. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track comprises an entry portion sized and shaped to permit passage of the positioning body through the entry portion in a direction perpendicular to the top wall.

6. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second transducer.

7. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a second positioning device connected to the second transducer, the second positioning device capable of slidable engagement with the track.

8. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducer-engaging device comprises a threaded bolt having an axis of rotation.

9. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track-clamping device comprises a threaded bolt having an axis of rotation.

10. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 9 , wherein the axis of rotation of the track-clamping device is separate from an axis of rotation of the transducer-engaging device.

11. The ultrasonic transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track-clamping device releasably fixes and unfixes the positioning device to the top wall independent of the distance between the transducer and the track.

12. An ultrasonic transducer alignment assembly comprising:
a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly, each of the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly including:
a transducer;
a housing and alignment assembly comprising
a transducer housing having:
a first end and a second end,
a top wall, and
a track in or on the top wall, the track extending along a portion of a length of the transducer housing between the first and the second end; and

an alignment portion at a first position along a length of the transducer housing and configured to align the length of the transducer housing generally parallel to an axial centerline of a pipe when the alignment portion is positioned on the pipe; and

a positioning device engaged with the transducer and configured to slidably engage with the track;

a first alignment rod having a length and a first alignment station and configured to releasably connect to the attachment structure of the first transducer assembly in an orientation generally parallel to the top wall of the first transducer assembly and generally perpendicular to the length of the transducer housing of the first transducer assembly, the first alignment rod extending away from transducer housing of the first transducer assembly in a first direction a distance greater than a radius of the pipe;
a second alignment rod having a length and a second alignment station and configured to releasably connect to the attachment structure of the second transducer assembly in an orientation generally parallel to the orientation of the first alignment rod when the second transducer assembly is positioned on a side of the pipe opposite the first transducer assembly, the second alignment rod extending away from transducer housing of the second transducer assembly in the first direction a distance greater than a radius of the pipe; and
an orientation rod configured to mate with the first alignment station in the first alignment rod and with the second alignment station in the second alignment rod, the orientation rod configured to align perpendicular to the top walls of the first and second transducer assemblies when the second transducer assembly is positioned on a side of the pipe opposite the first transducer assembly and when the top wall of the first transducer assembly is positioned parallel to the top wall of the second transducer assembly.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the alignment portion comprises a pair of flanges that extend away from the body portion.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the flanges comprise a plurality of bends.

15. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first and second alignment stations comprise alignment apertures.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the orientation rod comprises an increased diameter portion capable of inhibiting the orientation rod from passing entirely through the first alignment aperture and through the second alignment aperture.

17. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second transducer assemblies comprise a second attachment structure having a body portion and an alignment portion at a second position along a length of the transducer assembly and configured to align the length of the transducer housing generally parallel to an axial centerline of a pipe when the alignment portion is positioned on the pipe.

18. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the attachment structures comprises an alignment channel capable of receiving a portion of one of the first alignment rod and the second alignment rod.

19. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein receipt of the portion of the first alignment rod or second alignment rod in the alignment channel aligns the first alignment rod or second alignment rod perpendicular to the length of the transducer housing.

20. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein receipt of the portion of the first alignment rod or second alignment rod in the alignment channel aligns the first alignment rod or second alignment rod parallel to the top wall of the transducer housing.

21. An ultrasonic transducer alignment assembly comprising:
a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly, each o

Assignees

• Blue White Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nguyen John T
• Woolard Jason A
• Mcdowell William M
• Gledhill Iii Robert E

Classifications

• B06B3/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency · CPC title

• G10K11/004

  Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device (mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00) · CPC title

• G01F1/662

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H02N11/006 Primary

  Motors · CPC title

• G01F23/2968

  Transducers specially adapted for acoustic level indicators · CPC title