Portable ultrasonic detector

• US 6,397,681 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Shigenori, Miwa, Shigeru, Akutsu, Yoshio, Mizunoya, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US09/321,120
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 736/20, 736/29, 736/33
• US Class Current: 73/620
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02854 Length, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0289 Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0645 Display representation or displayed parameters, e.g. A-, B- or C-Scan

Abstract

This portable ultrasonic detector has a moved distance instrument comprised of an encoder for detecting a moved amount and a counter for counting the moved amount signal outputted from the encoder, as a means for obtaining position information of an ultrasonic probe. When moving the ultrasonic probe on the surface of the object on the occasion of the inspection, the moved distance instrument measures the moved amount of the ultrasonic probe. The measured moved amount of the ultrasonic probe is sent to an arithmetic processing section of the device body. Also, the ultrasonic detector detects A-scope data when scanning the inspected object with the ultrasonic probe, and executes the predetermined processing by using the data. The ultrasonic detector combines the A-scope data and the moved distance data of the ultrasonic probe to make an inner scope image (B-scope image, etc). When repeatedly scanning the same spot of the object with the ultrasonic probe in order to make the B-scope image, etc. and display them on a display section, peaks of defect echo waves are memorized in piles, and further two defect images or more are displayed on the B-scope image. This ultrasonic detector is configured to draw a storage-type B-scope images. Thereby, defect images can be evaluated in detail and a defect position can be detected accurately.

Claims

1. A portable ultrasonic detector comprising:

a moved distance instrument comprised of an encoder for detecting a moved amount and a counting section for counting the moved amount based on a detection signal outputted from said encoder;

a movable wire incorporated within said encoder, wherein the detection signal outputted from said encoder is determined by a moved amount of said movable wire;

an ultrasonic probe connected to a tip of said movable wire;

an ultrasonic wave inspecting section for producing A-scope data when scanning an inspected object with said ultrasonic probe; and

an arithmetic processing section that receives moved distance data of said ultrasonic probe that is measured by said moved distance instrument, said processing section including means for generating images by combining the A-scope data with the moved distance data;

wherein, while repeatedly scanning the same spot of said object with said ultrasonic probe, peaks of defect echo waves generated in every scan are stored in groups in a memory and at least two peaks of defects are indicated as the generated image.

2. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 1, further comprising display means, wherein in a picture displayed on said display means one axis indicates the moved distance of said ultrasonic probe and another axis indicates function of time.

3. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 1, wherein the A-scope data stored in said memory is based on reflected echo signals detected within a predetermined gate signal.

4. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 3, wherein the number of the gate signal is one.

5. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 3, wherein the number of the gate signal is two.

6. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 3, wherein said object has a standard surface and the gate signal is set to have a width capable of including the reflected echo signals due to the standard surface.

7. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic probe is manually moved for a scanning action.

8. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 7, wherein said object has a standard part and an image of said standard part is included in the generated image.

9. A portable ultrasonic detector comprising:

an ultrasonic probe used for ultrasonic scanning by an angle beam method, which is moved manually;

display means for displaying an object to be inspected by use of ultrasonic signals obtained from said ultrasonic probe when manually scanning the object with said ultrasonic probe;

only one encoder for detecting a moved amount of said ultrasonic probe, which encoder is used to detect movement in a scanning direction perpendicular to an ultrasonic wave emission direction;

a moved distance instrument including the encoder that detects an amount of movement of the ultrasonic probe and which comprises a counting section for counting the moved amount based on a detection signal outputted from said encoder; and

an arithmetic processing section for generating images of the object on the basis of A-scope data obtained when manually scanning the object plural times at different positions with respect to a defect with said ultrasonic probe and a signal indicating the moved amount of said ultrasonic probe outputted from said moved distance instrument during each scanning at said different positions;

wherein said arithmetic processing section stores a plurality of A-scope data in groups in a memory, which are obtained during scanning with said ultrasonic probe at a direction substantially perpendicular to another direction along which said ultrasonic probe is moved to detect its position by said encoder, and said display means displays images showing the scanned object on the basis of the data stored in said memory.

10. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 9, wherein in a picture displayed on said display means one axis indicates the moved distance of said ultrasonic probe and another axis indicates function of time.

11. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 9, wherein the A-scope data stored in said memory is based on reflected echo signals detected within a predetermined gate signal.

12. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 11, wherein the number of the gate signal is one.

13. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 11, wherein the number of the gate signal is two.

14. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 11, wherein said object has a standard surface and the gate signal has a width that includes the reflected echo signals due to a standard surface in the object.

15. The portable ultrasonic detector according to claim 9, wherein said object has a standard part, and said scanned object image that is displayed includes an image of said standard part.