# US 2018/0321193 A1 · 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 2018/0321193 A1 - Document ID: US20180321193A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/016,846 - Filed: 2018-06-25 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-05 - Assignees: Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Akihiro NARA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321193A1 ## CPC - G01N 29/043: {in the interior, e.g. by shear waves} - G01N 29/11: by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves - G01N 29/265: by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material - G01N 29/32: Arrangements for suppressing undesired influences, e.g. temperature or pressure variations {, compensating for signal noise} - G01N 29/343: {pulse waves, e.g. particular sequence of pulses, bursts} - G01N 29/38: by time filtering, e.g. using time gates - G01N 29/4427: {with stored values, e.g. threshold values} - G01N 29/48: by amplitude comparison - G01N 2291/015: Attenuation, scattering - G01N 2291/042: Wave modes - G01N 2291/0425: Parallel to the surface, e.g. creep waves - G01N 2291/2634: cylindrical from outside - 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 An ultrasonic inspection method that includes arranging an ultrasonic transmission element and an ultrasonic reception element symmetrically in relation to a straight line in a diameter direction orthogonal to the cylinder axis of a cylindrical inspection object, the inspection object being interposed between the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element; transmitting ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transmission element at a plurality of positions in the diameter direction; receiving by the ultrasonic reception element the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transmission element and transmitted through the inspection object by propagating through the inside of the inspection object; and inspecting the inspection object on the basis of a reception signal of the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic reception element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasonic inspection method comprising: arranging an ultrasonic transmission element and an ultrasonic reception element symmetrically in relation to a straight line in a diameter direction orthogonal to the cylinder axis of a cylindrical inspection object, the inspection object being interposed between the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element; transmitting ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transmission element at a plurality of positions in the diameter direction; receiving by the ultrasonic reception element the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transmission element and transmitted through the inspection object by propagating through the inside of the inspection object; and inspecting the inspection object on the basis of a reception signal of the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic reception element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising: moving the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element parallel to the diameter direction in a state of the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element being held symmetrically with respect to a straight line in the diameter direction; and performing the step of transmitting ultrasonic waves while moving the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising: arranging a plurality of sets of the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element parallel to the diameter direction; and performing the step of transmitting ultrasonic waves by successively transmitting the ultrasonic waves from the plurality of ultrasonic transmission elements to the inspection object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising: arranging a plurality of the ultrasonic reception elements side by side parallel to the diameter direction, and moving the ultrasonic transmission element along the diameter direction; and performing the step of transmitting ultrasonic waves while moving the ultrasonic transmission element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising: analyzing, as a first ultrasonic signal, a reception signal of ultrasonic waves that falls in the range of a time window provided before the arrival time of the ultrasonic waves to the ultrasonic reception element when there is no inspection object between the ultrasonic reception element and the ultrasonic transmission element, and inspecting the inspection object on the basis of the analysis result of the first ultrasonic signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether, prior to receiving by the ultrasonic reception element ultrasonic waves that propagated via the space outside the inspection object, a first ultrasonic signal that reached the ultrasonic reception element was detected, and inspecting the inspection object on the basis of the detection result of the first ultrasonic signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a shield between the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element so as to block ultrasonic waves from reaching the ultrasonic reception element from the ultrasonic transmission element through the space outside the inspection object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising: respectively arranging an additional ultrasonic transmission element and an additional ultrasonic reception element at positions at which the ultrasonic transmission element and the ultrasonic reception element are rotated by a predetermined angle in relation to the cylinder axis of the inspection object; transmitting ultrasonic waves from the additional ultrasonic transmission element at a plurality of positions in the diameter direction of the inspection object; receiving by the additional ultrasonic reception element the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the additional ultrasonic transmission element and transmitted through the inspection object by propagating through the inside of the inspection object; and inspecting the inspection object on the basis of a reception signal of the ultrasonic waves received by the additional ultrasonic reception element.