Hand-held sound source for sonic infrared imaging of defects in materials
First Claim
1. A thermal imaging system for detecting defects in a structure, said system comprising:
- a hand-held sound source, said sound source including a housing, a handle assembly coupled to the housing, a sound transducer coupled to the housing and three stabilizing members extending from the housing, said sound source further including a spring mounted within the housing, wherein the spring pushes the transducer out of the housing, and wherein the transducer is positioned against the structure against the bias of the spring so that the three stabilizing members are positioned against the structure and the transducer provides a predetermined force against the structure;
a thermal imaging camera directed towards the structure and generating thermal images of the defects in the structure; and
a control unit electrically coupled to the sound source and the camera, said control unit causing the sound source to emit pulses of a sound signal at a predetermined frequency and for a predetermined duration, and causing the camera to generate sequential images of the structure, wherein the signal from the sound source causes the defects in the structure to heat up and be visible in the images generated by the camera.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held sound source for use in an infrared or thermal imaging system that detects sub-surface defects in a structure. The sound source includes a transducer that is positioned against the structure to emit a sound signal into the structure. The sound source further includes an adjustable spring that pushes the transducer against the structure with a predetermined amount of force so that the sound energy is effectively coupled into the structure. The sound source also includes three stabilizing legs that stabilize the transducer on the structure. The length of each leg can be adjustable relative to the length of the other legs so that the sound source can be used against irregular surfaces.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A thermal imaging system for detecting defects in a structure, said system comprising:
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a hand-held sound source, said sound source including a housing, a handle assembly coupled to the housing, a sound transducer coupled to the housing and three stabilizing members extending from the housing, said sound source further including a spring mounted within the housing, wherein the spring pushes the transducer out of the housing, and wherein the transducer is positioned against the structure against the bias of the spring so that the three stabilizing members are positioned against the structure and the transducer provides a predetermined force against the structure; a thermal imaging camera directed towards the structure and generating thermal images of the defects in the structure; and a control unit electrically coupled to the sound source and the camera, said control unit causing the sound source to emit pulses of a sound signal at a predetermined frequency and for a predetermined duration, and causing the camera to generate sequential images of the structure, wherein the signal from the sound source causes the defects in the structure to heat up and be visible in the images generated by the camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A hand-held sound source for delivering sound energy to a structure, said sound source comprising:
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a body portion defining a chamber therein; a transducer extending from the body portion; a plurality of stabilizing members extending from the body portion; a handle assembly mounted to the body portion; a positioning device secured to the body portion and being selectively movable relative thereto; and a spring positioned within the body portion against the positioning device, wherein the transducer is positioned against the structure against the bias of the spring so that the plurality of stabilizing members are positioned against the structure and the transducer provides a predetermined force against the structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of detecting defects in a structure, said method comprising:
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providing a sound source including a body portion, a handle assembly coupled to the body portion, a sound transducer coupled to the body portion and three stabilizing members extending from the housing, said sound source further including a spring mounted within the body portion, wherein the spring pushes the transducer out of the body portion, and wherein the transducer is positioned against the structure against the bias of the spring so that the three stabilizing members are positioned against the structure and the transducer provides a predetermined force against the structure; emitting at least one pulse of a sound signal from the sound source into the structure to heat the defects; and generating a sequence of thermal images of the structure prior to, during and after the emission of the sound signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification