# US 12,222,324 B2 · Ultrasonic inspection system and ultrasonic inspection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,324 B2 - Document ID: US12222324B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/636,631 - Filed: 2020-08-01 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-28 - Assignees: Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Mutsumi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222324B2 ## CPC - G01N 29/11: by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves - G01N 29/043: {in the interior, e.g. by shear waves} - G01N 29/221: {Arrangements for directing or focusing the acoustical waves (electronic orientation or focusing G01N29/262; sound directing or focusing G10K11/26; mechanical steering of sound transducers or their beams G10K11/35)} - G01N 29/265: by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material - G01N 29/4427: {with stored values, e.g. threshold values} - G01N 29/4454: {Signal recognition, e.g. specific values or portions, signal events, signatures} - G01N 29/46: by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis {or wavelet analysis (spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14)} - G01N 2291/015: Attenuation, scattering - G01N 2291/045: External reflections, e.g. on reflectors - G01N 2291/102: one emitter, one receiver - G01N 2291/103: one emitter, two or more receivers - 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) ## Abstract To improve defect detection accuracy, an ultrasonic inspection device causing an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object includes: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and an eccentric distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis which is the central axis of the propagation path of the ultrasound beam transmitted from the transmission probe and a reception sound axis which is the central axis of the propagation path of an ultrasound beam assumed to be emitted from the reception probe to a distance greater than zero. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasonic inspection system that causes an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object, the device comprising: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and a distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and a reception sound axis of the reception probe to a distance greater than zero, wherein the transmission probe and the reception probe perform scanning while keeping the eccentric distance in an x-axis direction or a y-axis direction on condition that an x-y plane is approximately parallel to a bottom of the object, and the transmission probe is mounted such that the transmission sound axis is perpendicular to the x-y plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the distance adjuster sets the eccentric distance so that the strength of a received signal detected by the reception probe for a defect be greater than that for normal part of the object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the distance adjuster sets the eccentric distance so that any significant received signal be not detected for normal part of the object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the reception probe has a focal range greater than the transmission probe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the reception probe has a beam incident area greater than the transmission probe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting angle adjuster that adjusts and sets at least one of the transmission probe and reception probe such that the angle between the transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and the reception sound axis of the reception probe be greater than zero and smaller than 90°. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the reception probe includes a plurality of the reception probes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 7, further comprising: a defect information determiner that receives outputs from the plurality of reception probes through a signal processor and determines which reception probe among the plurality of reception probes has detected a scattered wave from a defect. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of reception probes are radially arranged around the transmission sound axis of the transmission probe. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of reception probes are arranged on both sides of the transmission sound axis of the transmission probe. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 1, wherein an oscillator of the reception probe has a shape in which a characteristic length in the direction of the eccentric distance is greater than that in the direction orthogonal thereto. ### Claim 12 An ultrasonic inspection method, in an ultrasonic inspection system that includes an ultrasonic inspector and a controller controlling the ultrasonic inspector and causes an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object, the ultrasonic inspector including: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and a distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and a reception sound axis of the reception probe to a distance greater than zero, wherein the transmission probe and the reception probe perform scanning while keeping the eccentric distance in an x-axis direction or a y-axis direction on condition that an x-y plane is approximately parallel to a bottom of the object, and the transmission probe is mounted such that the transmission sound axis is perpendicular to the x-y plane, the controller executing: an ultrasound beam emission step of emitting an ultrasound beam from the transmission probe; a scattered wave reception step of in the reception probe, receiving a scattered wave which is scattered due to a defect of the object; and a waveform analysis step of generating signal strength data based on a signal of the received scattered wave. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 12, executing: a defect determination step of determining the presence of the defect by determining whether the signal strength data generated in the waveform analysis step is less than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 14 An ultrasonic inspection system that causes an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object, the device comprising: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and a distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and a reception sound axis of the reception probe to a distance greater than zero, wherein the reception probe has a focal range greater than the transmission probe. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 14, wherein the distance adjuster sets the eccentric distance so that the strength of a received signal detected by the reception probe for a defect be greater than that for normal part of the object. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 14, wherein the distance adjuster sets the eccentric distance so that any significant received signal be not detected for normal part of the object. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 14, wherein the reception probe is a non-beam-focusing type probe. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 14, further comprising: a mounting angle adjuster that adjusts and sets at least one of the transmission probe and reception probe such that the angle between the transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and the reception sound axis of the reception probe be greater than zero and smaller than 90°. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The ultrasonic inspection system according to claim 14, wherein the reception probe includes a plurality of the reception probes. ### Claim 20 An ultrasonic inspection system that causes an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object, the device comprising: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and a distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and a reception sound axis of the reception probe to a distance greater than zero, wherein the reception probe has a beam incident area greater than the transmission probe. ### Claim 21 An ultrasonic inspection system that causes an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object, the device comprising: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and a distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and a reception sound axis of the reception probe to a distance greater than zero, wherein the reception probe includes a plurality of the reception probes, and further comprising a defect information determiner that receives outputs from the plurality of reception probes through a signal processor and determines which reception probe among the plurality of reception probes has detected a scattered wave from a defect. ### Claim 22 An ultrasonic inspection system that causes an ultrasound beam to enter an object through a gas for inspection of the object, the device comprising: a transmission probe emitting the ultrasound beam; a reception probe mounted on an opposite side of the object from the transmission probe; and a distance adjuster that adjusts an eccentric distance between a transmission sound axis of the transmission probe and a reception sound axis of the reception probe to a distance greater than zero, wherein the reception probe includes a plurality of the reception probes, and wherein the plurality of reception probes are radially arranged around the transmission sound axis of the transmission probe.