# US 10,119,943 B2 · Couplant and arrangement of couplant, transducer, and construction component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,943 B2 - Document ID: US10119943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/651,454 - Filed: 2012-12-12 - Published: 2016-05-19 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-12 - Assignees: Aktiebolaget Skf - Applicants: Aktiebolaget Skf - Inventors: Joseph Erskine; Keith Hamilton; Gerard McGoogan; Tim Smith; Allan Thomson; Mairi Joan Torrie; Sebastian Ziegler; Andreas Clemens Van Der Ham - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119943B2 ## CPC - G01N 29/28: providing acoustic coupling {, e.g. water (impedance matching G10K11/02)} - G01M 13/04: Bearings - G01M 13/045: Acoustic or vibration analysis - G01N 29/14: using acoustic emission techniques {(echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00)} - G01N 2291/101: one transducer - G01N 2291/2696: Wheels, Gears, Bearings - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A couplant and an arrangement of a couplant include a transducer and a construction component. The couplant is adapted to couple the transducer to a surface of the construction component. The couplant comprises basically 15% to 75% mass portion of hard metal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A couplant for coupling a transducer to a surface of a construction component, the couplant comprising thirty percent (30%) to thirty-five percent (35%) mass portion of hard metal, the couplant further comprising a curing material containing an adhesive such that the couplant is configured to directly glue the transducer to the surface of the construction equipment, the couplant further comprising a grease such that the couplant can encapsulate the transducer onto the surface to protect the transducer from water such that the transducer can be used in an underwater application. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, wherein the hard metal of the mass portion comprises cobalt (Co). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, the hard metal of the mass portion comprises at least one of or a combination of the group of tungsten (W), tungsten carbide (W2C, WC), titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium carbide-nitride (Ti(C)N), titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), tantalum carbide (TaC), cobalt (Co), and molybdenum (Mo). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, further comprising a water-based gel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, wherein the curing material comprises at least one of or a combination of resin, epoxy, glue, polyurethane (PUR), silicone, adhesive, and sealing compound. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, wherein the curing material when cured has a hardness between 75 to 95 Shore D. ### Claim 7 An arrangement of a transducer, a construction component and a couplant, comprising: the couplant comprising thirty percent (30%) to thirty-five percent (35%) mass portion of hard metal, the couplant further comprising a curing material containing an adhesive such that the coupulant is configured to directly glue the transducer to the surface of the construction equipment, the transducer being glued to the construction component by the couplant with the couplant between a surface of the construction component and the transducer and the couplant placed over the transducer so as to encapsulate the transducer, the couplant further comprising a grease such that the couplant protects the transducer from water during use in an underwater application. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, further comprising a spring exerting a force on the transducer in the direction of the construction equipment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein wherein the hard metal of the mass portion comprises cobalt (Co). ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the transducer has one of a flat transducer face or a rounded transducer face pointed towards the construction component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the transducer is adapted to measure oscillations in a range of 1 kHZ to 1 MHz. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the construction component corresponds to one of a bearing, a roller bearing, or a bearing housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the construction component is a casted construction component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the couplant is adapted to couple the transducer with a roller bearing such that oscillations of the roller bearing are detectable from an output signal of the transducer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, wherein the mass portion is 32%-34% mass portion of hard metal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, wherein the curing material when cured has a hardness between 80 to 90 Shore D. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The couplant of claim 1, wherein the curing material when cured has a hardness between 84 to 86 Shore D. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the transducer is adapted to measure oscillations in a range of 10 kHz to 750 kHz. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the transducer is adapted to measure oscillations in a range of 100 kHz to 500 kHz.