Bolt for ultrasonic axial tension measurement

• US 6,186,010 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Eguchi, Takashi, Aoki, Tatsuyuki, Sakai, Tomoji
• Primary Examiner(s): NOORI, MAX H
• Application Number:
  US09/210,589
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 737/61, 735/97, 735/99, 411/504, 411/533
• US Class Current: 73/761
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/246 using acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force

Abstract

Both end surfaces of a head portion and an axial portion of a bolt are formed into a curved surface having a predetermined curvature in order to provide a bolt which allows accurate axial tension measurement without changing various settings of an axial tension detection device. Upon ultrasonic radiation applied from a piezoelectric element into a top surface of a head portion of the bolt, the top surface thereof serves as an ultrasonic lens to allow ultrasonic propagation in convergence within the bolt. If the bottom end surface of the axial portion of the bolt is formed into a curved surface, the bottom end surface thereof will also serve as the ultrasonic lens to allow propagation of the reflection to return to the piezoelectric element in convergence. The ultrasonic propagation path within the bolt is not diffused, which allows the ultrasonic radiation to be reflected from the bottom surface of the axial portion of the bolt so as to be detected by the piezoelectric element. The axial tension, thus, can be measured with great accuracy.

Claims

1. A bolt comprising:

a head portion having a first spherical end surface with a first radius of curvature;

an axial portion having a second spherical end surface opposite from said first spherical end surface, said second spherical end surface having a second radius of curvature;

wherein a sum of the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature is equal to a distance between the first spherical end surface and the second spherical end surface, and

wherein the second radius of curvature is equal to a half-length of a virtual diagonal line drawn in a longitudinal sectional area of the axial portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bolt.

2. A bolt according to claim 1, in combination with an ultrasonic device for applying ultrasonic radiation to said bolt.

3. A bolt according to claim 2, wherein said ultrasonic device is mounted to said first spherical end surface of said head portion.

4. A bolt according to claim 3, wherein said ultrasonic device includes a spherical surface having a radius of curvature substantially equal to said first radius of curvature of said first spherical end surface of said head portion.

5. A bolt according to claim 2, wherein said ultrasonic device has a size equal to or less than a diameter of said second spherical end surface of said axial portion of said bolt.

6. A bolt according to claim 2, further comprising an ultrasonic processing device for causing said ultrasonic device to generate ultrasonic radiation such that a signal processing is executed through detection of reflection.

7. A bolt according to claim 2, wherein said ultrasonic device is also for detecting ultrasonic radiation reflected from said bolt.