Eddy-current probe

a technology of eddy current and probe, which is applied in the direction of magnetic property measurement, material magnetic variables, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of affecting the accuracy of the test results, the substrate is likely to be damaged by application, and the sticktion occurs more frequently, so as to reduce the probability of sticktion, the durability and lifetime performance is high, and the test results are high

US20060158181A1Inactive Publication Date: 2006-07-20TDK CORPARATION
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2006-07-20
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

An eddy-current probe according to the present invention comprises: a substrate having a first surface facing to a subject to be tested and a second surface opposite to said first surface; an exciting coil formed on the second surface, having a pair of current lines in parallel with each other through which exciting currents flow in opposite directions to each other during testing, for generating an alternate magnetic field applied to the subject by the exciting currents; and at least one eddy-current sensor positioned on a central axis between the pair of current lines on the second surface of the substrate, for detecting a magnetic field generated newly from the subject by an eddy-current induced by the alternate magnetic field. The substrate has a non-planar form having at least one convex-surface portion on the first surface, and the at least one eddy-current sensor is formed on at least one concave-surface portion formed on the second surface, which is corresponding to the at least one convex-surface portion.
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Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 11 / 203,252, filed Aug. 15, 2005, which is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 10 / 938,541, filed Sep. 13, 2004.

[0002] This application claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 2003-326174, filed on Sep. 18, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to an eddy-current probe that is able to detect object's shapes, defects and so on nondestructively.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0006] Eddy-current testing (ECT) technique is frequently utilized for nondestructive testing of distorted surfaces of important metal machine parts used in a nuclear power plant, an airplane and so on, such as turbine blades, various pipes and airplane wings. Generally, such an ECT probe using the eddy-current includes mainly an exciting coil and a detector coil for detecting a magn...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0066]FIG. 1 shows a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an testing system using the eddy-current according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of the ECT probe according to the embodiment in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along with line III-III in FIG. 2.

[0067] In these figures, reference numeral 10 indicates an ECT probe, 11 indicates its flexible substrate formed of an insulative material such as polyimide, 12 indicates a meander-type exciting coil including coil conductors formed as a planar pattern turned back on the opposite surface 11b to the measurement surface 11a of the substrate 11, 13 and 14 indicate a pair of electrode terminals formed on the substrate 11, which is connected electrically to both ends of the exciting coil 12, 15 to 19 indicate thin-film chips bonded on the exciting coil 12, each of which is mounted with a GMR element (eddy...