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US 10,241,083 B2Granted
Ultrasonic inspection probe assembly
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMatthias Christoph Schulz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasonic inspection probe assembly includes a flexible ultrasonic transducer array located between a backing block and a face layer. The flexible ultrasonic transducer array can be located in the opening of a flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame.
Claims18
An ultrasonic inspection probe assembly comprising:
- a backing block;
- a face layer;
- a flexible ultrasonic transducer array located between the backing block and the face layer, the flexible ultrasonic transducer array having a top surface and a bottom surface joined by at least one side surface;
- and
- a flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame located between the backing block and the face layer, the flexible transducer array frame comprising a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an opening extending entirely through a thickness of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame from the first surface to the second surface,
- wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer array is positioned within the opening such that the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame encircles only the at least one side surface of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array, the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame surrounds each side surface of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array, and the flexible ultrasonic transducer array is coplanar with the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame.
3 more elements
An ultrasonic inspection probe assembly comprising:
- a backing block;
- a face layer;
- a flexible ultrasonic transducer array formed from a piezo-ceramic material and located between the backing block and the face layer, the flexible ultrasonic transducer array having a top surface and a bottom surface joined by at least one side surface;
- and
- a flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame located between the backing block and the face layer, the flexible transducer array frame comprising a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an opening extending entirely through a thickness of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame from the first surface to the second surface,
- wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer array is positioned within the opening such that the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame surrounds encircles only the at least one side surface of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array, the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame surrounds each side surface of the flexible ultrasonic transducer array, and the flexible ultrasonic transducer array and the flexible ultrasonic transducer array frame are bonded to the backing block and the face layer with an epoxy to form an acoustic stack.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.