Non-destructive inspection system having self-aligning probe assembly

• US 8,020,308 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wu, Yanyan, Lee, Byungwoo, Kray, Nicholas Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; R. A.
• Application Number:
  US12/475,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 335/03, 335/56, 335/57, 335/58, 335/72, 335/010.4
• US Class Current: 33/503
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/20 for measuring contours or curvatures, e.g. determining profile
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9515 Objects of complex shape, e.g. examined with use of a surface follower device measuring contours and curvatures G01B11/24

Abstract

An inspection system comprises a sensor configured to acquire inspection data of the object, a motion control device, a joint assembly coupled to the motion control device, and a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold the sensor. The inspection system further comprises a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly and the motion control device to position the sensor relative to the object. A self-aligning probe assembly is also presented.

Claims

1. An inspection system for performing non-destructive inspection of an object, the inspection system comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire inspection data for the object;

a motion control device;

a joint assembly coupled to the motion control device;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold the sensor;

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly and the motion control device to position the sensor relative to the object; and

wherein the sensor is moveable relative to the compliant element.

2. The inspection system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned to contact and to have an angle in a range of 90+/−

5 degrees with an inspected surface of the object.

3. The inspection system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of an ultrasound sensor, an eddy current sensor, an optical sensor, and combinations thereof.

4. The inspection system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to communicate with the sensor to process the inspection data for the object, and wherein the motion control device comprises a coordinate measurement machine.

5. The inspection system of claim 1, wherein the joint assembly comprise a first joint assembly and a second joint assembly coupled to the first joint assembly, and wherein one of the first and second joint assemblies is coupled to the motion control device and the other is coupled to the probe housing.

6. An inspection system for performing non-destructive inspection of an object, the inspection system comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire inspection data for the object;

a motion control device;

a joint assembly coupled to the motion control device;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold the sensor; and

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly and the motion control device to position the sensor relative to the object, wherein the joint assembly comprise a first joint assembly and a second joint assembly coupled to the first joint assembly, and wherein the first joint assembly is coupled to the motion control device and the second joint assembly is coupled to the probe housing.

7. An inspection system for performing non-destructive inspection of an object, the inspection system comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire inspection data for the object;

a motion control device;

a joint assembly coupled to the motion control device;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold the sensor; and

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly and the motion control device to position the sensor relative to the object, wherein the joint assembly comprise a first joint assembly and a second joint assembly coupled to the first joint assembly, wherein the first joint assembly comprises a first joint and one of a trigger and a transducer, and wherein the trigger and the transducer are configured to control and inspect movement of the motion control device and the first joint, respectively.

8. The inspection system of claim 7, wherein the first joint comprises a translational joint having one-degree of freedom and the transducer comprises a translational transducer.

9. The inspection system of claim 8, wherein the first joint comprises a linear guide equipped with a spring.

10. An inspection system, for performing non-destructive inspection of an object, the inspection system comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire inspection data for the object;

a motion control device;

a joint assembly coupled to the motion control device;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold the sensor; and

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly and the motion control device to position the sensor relative to the object, wherein the joint assembly comprise a first joint assembly and a second joint assembly coupled to the first joint assembly, and wherein one of the first and second joint assemblies is coupled to the motion control device and the other is coupled to the probe housing, wherein the second joint assembly comprises a second joint and one or more transducers, and wherein the one or more transducers are configured to inspect movement of the second joint.

11. The inspection system of claim 10, wherein the second joint comprises a rotational joint having two degrees of freedom or a combination of two rotational joints with one degree of freedom, and the one or more transducers comprise one or more rotational transducers.

12. The inspection system of claim 11, wherein the second joint comprises a joystick equipped with a spring.

13. An inspection system for performing non-destructive inspection of an object, the inspection system comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire inspection data for the object;

a motion control device;

a joint assembly coupled to the motion control device;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold the sensor; and

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly and the motion control device to position the sensor relative to the object, wherein the compliant element is further configured to deform under pressure exerted by the object and to restore itself in the absence of the pressure.

14. The inspection system of claim 13, wherein the pressure is an off-centered pressure, and wherein the compliant element is further configured to transfer the off-centered pressure to and rotate the joint assembly to achieve stable contact with the object to facilitate positioning the sensor relative to the object.

15. The inspection system of claim 13, wherein the compliant element has one degree of freedom and comprises:

a linear guide equipped with a spring, or

a deformable single piece.

16. A self-aligning probe assembly comprising:

a joint assembly;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold a sensor;

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly to facilitate aligning the sensor to contact an inspected surface of an object, and

wherein the compliant element is further configured to deform under pressure exerted by the object and to restore itself in the absence of the pressure.

17. A self-aligning probe assembly comprising:

a joint assembly;

a probe housing coupled to the joint assembly and configured to hold a sensor;

a compliant element coupled to the probe housing and configured to cooperate with the joint assembly to facilitate aligning the sensor to contact and to have angle in a range of 90+/−

15 degrees with an inspected surface of an object, wherein the joint assembly comprises a first joint assembly and a second joint assembly coupled to the first joint assembly,

wherein the first joint assembly comprises a translational joint with one degree of freedom and one of a trigger and a rotational transducer, and

wherein the second joint assembly comprises one or more rotational transducers and either a rotational joint with two degrees of freedom or a combination of two rotational joints with one degree of freedom.

18. The self-aligning probe assembly of claim 17, wherein the first joint comprises a linear guide equipped with a spring, and the second joint comprises a joystick with a spring.

19. The self-aligning probe assembly of claim 17, wherein the compliant element is further configured to deform under pressure exerted by the object and to restore itself in the absence of the pressure, wherein the pressure is an off-centered pressure, and wherein the compliant element transfers the off-centered pressure to and rotates the second joint to achieve stable contact with the object to facilitate aligning the sensor to contact and be normal to the surface of the object.

20. The self-aligning probe assembly of claim 19, wherein the compliant element has one degree of freedom and comprises:

a linear guide equipped with a spring, or

a deformable single piece.