JPH0260266B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in semi-automatic ultrasound scanning devices.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

In ultrasonic flaw detection tests, when the flaw detection surface is a curved surface, the scanning of the probe is unstable, it is difficult to obtain reproducible test results, and a jig is required. Furthermore, when using a jig to semi-automatically capture probe position data, conventional jigs cause positional errors and lack flexibility in posture, making them unsuitable for on-site flaw detection.

The conventional device will be explained below with reference to FIG. That is, in this device, an upper arm 4 and a lower arm 5 are provided on a rotary arm 2 that is rotatably erected on a support 1, sandwiching a joint 3, and a rotary arm is provided at the tip of the lower arm 5. A probe 7 is attached via 6. 8 is an object to be inspected.

Therefore, the above-described scanning device has the following problems.

Measurement errors at the ultrasonic incident point occur depending on the shape of the flaw detection surface. In other words, since the conventional scanning device assumes that the flaw detection surface is flat, the inspection object 8
If the object is like a cylinder, an error will occur in position measurement of the ultrasonic incident point.

It can only be applied to downward flaw detection.

Since the counterweight 9 for the arm's own weight is attached for downward flaw detection, the flaw detection direction cannot be freely selected. For example, when used in an upright position, the counterweight 9 is in the same direction as the arm's own weight, which has the opposite effect.

Scanning range is limited.

With conventional devices, the scanning range is limited to the range that can be reached with the arm extended, making it unsuitable for flaw detection on continuous weld lines.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made with attention to the above points, and is a semi-automatic ultrasonic wave that allows stable scanning of the probe even if the flaw detection surface is a curved surface, and that does not cause errors in position measurement of the ultrasonic incident point. An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning device.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention is installed so that it can run along the inspection direction existing in the longitudinal direction of the object to be inspected, for example, and
Upper and lower arms are provided via joints, and the counterweight and rotation angle of these upper and lower arms are detected by rotary encoders, and the probes attached to the lower arms are manually operated to move them forward and backward and left and right. This is a semi-automatic ultrasonic scanning device that rotates in angle.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a front view of the entire device, Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the joint part seen from the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, and Fig.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the probe head portion shown in a partial cross section as viewed from the direction of arrow B in the figure. In these figures, reference numeral 10 denotes a magnet base, on which a rail 11 is laid along the depth direction of the plane of the paper (for example, the inspection direction existing in the longitudinal direction of the object to be inspected). Rollers 13, 13, which are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other at both ends of the lower part of the base plate 12, are slidably engaged with the rail 11. The rotation angle of the roller 13, that is, the travel distance of the base plate 12 is detected by a rotary encoder 14. An upper arm 16 is provided on the base plate 12 on the left end side in the drawing via a first joint portion 15 that rotates in a direction perpendicular to the rail 11, that is, in the left-right direction in FIG. A lower arm 18 is provided on the distal end side of the upper arm 16 via a second joint portion 17 that rotates in a direction perpendicular to the rail 11, that is, in the left-right direction in FIG. Furthermore, brake mechanisms 19 and 20 are provided at both joints 15 and 18. These brake mechanisms 19, 20
As shown in FIG. 2, the brake shoes 19c and 20c are held in such a manner that the pressing force of the brake shoes 19c and 20c can be varied by pressure springs 19a and 20a and adjustment nuts 19b and 20b, respectively. The force required to rotate the joints 15 and 17 can be adjusted. Further, a counterweight 23 is directly connected to the first joint portion 15 and the upper arm 16
The rotation of the lower arm 18 is balanced and transmitted to the other second joint 17 via a pulley 24, a round belt 25, and a pulley 26 to a counterweight 27. The movement angle has been balanced.

30 is a probe head provided at the tip of the lower arm 18, and as shown in FIG. a first arcuate rail 32 which is arranged in an arcuate shape in the depth direction of the paper in FIG.
a second arcuate rail 33 that is slidably provided astride the arcuate rails 32, 32 and has an arc formed in a direction orthogonal to the arcuate direction of the first arcuate rail 32; The probe 35 is configured to be movable on an arcuate rail 33 via rollers 34, 34.

Next, the operation of the device configured as above will be explained. First, the base plate 12 is caused to travel in the direction in which the rails 11 are laid by applying a drive control signal from the outside, and the travel position at that time is detected by the rotary encoder 14 through the rotation of the rollers 13, etc., and the travel control and the object to be inspected are performed. The inspection position in the inspection direction is determined, and when the predetermined position is reached, the movement of the base plate 12 is stopped. The base plate 12 may be moved by artificially moving it.

Next, the probe head 30 is manually held and the probe 35 is brought close to the inspection location of the object to be inspected. At this time, the rotations of the first and second joints 15 and 17 are detected by rotary encoders 21 and 22,
The rotation angles of the upper and lower arms 16 and 18 can be determined by the detection pulses from both encoders 21 and 22. Note that the rotation of each arm 16, 18 is balanced by supporting the weight of each arm with counterweights 23, 27.

Furthermore, the probe 3
5 is slid against the first and second arcuate arms 32 and 33 to define a predetermined probe entrance point 36.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, since the probe head 30 can rotate the probe 35 in each direction around the probe incidence point 36, the flaw detection surface of the object to be inspected is flat. Even if the surface is curved, no error will occur in the indicated position of the incident point obtained by the rotation angles of the first and second joints 15 and 17 and the arm length. Also, due to the functions of the counterweights 23 and 27 and the brake mechanisms 19 and 20, the probe 35
can be semi-fixed at any position within the scanning range, and the direction of flaw detection is not limited. Also, rail 11 and arm 1
The lengths of 6 and 18 are variable, and the scanning range can be set according to the object to be inspected.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the probe is rotated by a predetermined angle in each direction, the probe can be appropriately set even if the flaw detection surface is curved, and the flaw detection surface Due to the shape of the ultrasonic wave, no measurement error occurs at the ultrasonic incident point. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a semi-automatic ultrasonic scanning device that can travel in a predetermined direction and is therefore convenient for flaw detection and inspection of weld lines, for example.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are shown to explain one embodiment of the semi-automatic ultrasonic scanning device according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a front view of the entire device, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the entire device.
A configuration diagram showing a partial cross section of the first and second joint parts as seen from the direction of the arrow A in the figure.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the probe head viewed from the direction of arrow B in the figure, and FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the conventional device. 11...Rail, 12...Base plate, 1
3... Roller, 14, 21, 22... Rotary encoder, 15, 17... Joint part, 16... Upper arm, 17... Lower arm, 23, 27... Counterweight, 30... Probe head ,32,3
3... Arc-shaped arm, 35... Probe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A base provided so as to be movable in a predetermined direction;
A first joint, an upper arm, a second joint, and a lower arm are provided in this order on this base, and each upper and lower arm is perpendicular to the running direction via the first and second joints. A rotating arm mechanism is attached to the tip of the lower arm, and is manually operated to rotate in the same direction and orthogonal to the rotating direction of the upper and lower arms. A semi-automatic ultrasonic scanning device characterized by comprising a probe head that rotates in angle. 2. The base traveling means is one in which a rail is laid on a magnetic base, and a roller attached to the lower part of the base is slidably engaged with the rail. The semi-automatic ultrasound scanning device described. 3. The semi-automatic ultrasonic scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating arm mechanism has a counterweight for each of the upper and lower arms. 4. The probe head includes a first arcuate rail, a second arcuate rail provided in a direction perpendicular to the first arcuate rail, and a second arcuate rail provided along the second arcuate rail. 2. The semi-automatic ultrasonic scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising a probe provided so as to be slidable.