Wide focal length ultrasonic probe

Abstract

This invention provides a wide focal length ultrasonic probe, comprising a housing with an internal cavity, at least one end of which is open; a first wedge and a second wedge, mirror-symmetrically arranged within the cavity, each wedge having a top surface with two or more inclined angles; a piezoelectric ceramic corresponding to each inclined surface, with the piezoelectric ceramics on the same wedge operating in parallel; and a sound-insulating block disposed between the first and second wedges. By processing the top surface of a single-sided wedge into an inclined surface with two or more inclined angles, and by arranging a piezoelectric ceramic on each inclined surface and connecting the piezoelectric ceramics on the same wedge in parallel, this invention expands the focal length span of the probe compared to ultrasonic probes with only one pair of piezoelectric ceramics, thereby expanding the optimal area for beam focusing and achieving full coverage of medium-thick plates, improving defect detection rate and accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ultrasonic probe technology, specifically to a wide focal length ultrasonic probe. Background Technology

[0002] The ultrasonic dual-crystal probe is an important component of a flaw detector, used to accurately detect internal defects in materials. It utilizes the principle of ultrasonic wave reflection and typically contains a pair of piezoelectric ceramic crystals. One crystal is responsible for transmitting ultrasonic waves, while the other is responsible for receiving them. The transmitting crystal generates ultrasonic pulses, which are reflected by the back wall of the material being tested and the defects to the receiving crystal. The instrument calculates the material thickness or the location of the defects by calculating the time difference between transmission and reception and the velocity of sound.

[0003] Traditional ultrasonic dual-crystal probes (e.g., Chinese patent CN221926245U) include a housing, and inside the housing, a wedge, a pair of piezoelectric ceramics, and a sound-insulating block. The sound-insulating block is located between the left and right wedge portions, with the top surfaces of both portions inclined at a single angle, sloped downwards from one end near the sound-insulating block to the other. Two piezoelectric ceramics are attached to the top surfaces of the left and right wedge portions, respectively. The focal length of this type of ultrasonic probe is fixed. In ultrasonic testing, the focal length determines the optimal area for beam focusing; only within this area can the probe provide high resolution and sensitivity. However, in the detection of medium-thick plates, due to the large thickness of the plate, defects may appear at different depths from the surface to the interior. A fixed-focal-length probe can only perform optimally within a specific depth range. For areas far from the focal point, sensitivity may decrease and the signal-to-noise ratio may deteriorate, thus affecting the defect detection rate and accuracy.

[0004] Therefore, the applicant has improved the existing ultrasonic dual-crystal probe to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a wide focal length ultrasonic probe, which can solve the problems of the existing ultrasonic dual crystal probes not being able to cover the entire thickness of the plate when detecting defects in medium and thick plates, resulting in low defect detection rate and low judgment accuracy.

[0006] To achieve the above and other objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution: As a first aspect, this utility model proposes a wide focal length ultrasonic probe, including a shell, an internal cavity, and at least one open end; a first wedge and a second wedge, symmetrically arranged in the cavity, the top surfaces of the first wedge and the second wedge each having two or more inclined surfaces with tilt angles; a piezoelectric ceramic is correspondingly arranged on each inclined surface, and the piezoelectric ceramics on the same wedge operate in parallel; a sound insulation block is disposed between the first wedge and the second wedge.

[0007] In one embodiment, the top surfaces of the first wedge and the second wedge each include at least a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are continuously inclined downward from one end near the sound insulation block to the other end, and the inclination angles of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are different; a piece of the piezoelectric ceramic is glued to the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface respectively.

[0008] In one embodiment, the tilt angle of the first tilted surface is greater than the tilt angle of the second tilted surface.

[0009] In one embodiment, the bottom surfaces of the first and second wedges are on the same horizontal plane as the outer surface of the open end of the housing.

[0010] In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the sound insulation block is on the same horizontal plane as the bottom surfaces of the first wedge and the second wedge.

[0011] In one embodiment, the top surface of the sound insulation block is higher than the highest point of the top surfaces of the first wedge and the second wedge.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first wedge, the second wedge, the sound insulation block, and the piezoelectric ceramic prefabricated probe semi-finished product are installed into the cavity.

[0013] In one embodiment, a sound-absorbing material is filled between the probe semi-finished product and the housing.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: By processing the top surface of the single-sided wedge into an inclined surface with two or more tilt angles, and setting a piezoelectric ceramic on each inclined surface, and connecting piezoelectric ceramics with the same function in parallel, compared with an ultrasonic probe with only a pair of piezoelectric ceramics, the focal length span of the probe can be expanded, the optimal area range of the probe's sound beam focusing can be expanded, and full coverage of the detection of medium and thick plates can be achieved, thereby improving the detection rate and judgment accuracy of defects in medium and thick plates. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional structural schematic of a wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of a wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to this invention.

[0017] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the probe semi-finished product of this utility model.

[0018] In the figure: 10, outer shell; 20, wedge; 21, first wedge; 22, second wedge; 211, first inclined surface; 212, second inclined surface; 30, sound insulation block; 40, piezoelectric ceramic. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Please see Figures 1-3 The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0020] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings of this specification are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which this utility model can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportional relationships, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and purposes that this utility model can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms “a,” “an,” or “the,” as used herein, do not indicate a limitation of quantity, but merely indicate the presence of at least one. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The numbering of components in this specification, such as “first,” “second,” etc., is solely for distinguishing the described objects and has no sequential or technical meaning. The term “connection,” unless otherwise specified, includes both direct and indirect connections.

[0022] To avoid confusion with this utility model, some technical features known in the art have not been described.

[0023] See Figures 1-3This embodiment provides a wide focal length ultrasonic probe, including a housing 10, a wedge 20, a sound-insulating block 30, and a piezoelectric ceramic 40; the housing 10 forms a cavity inside, and at least one end is an open end; the wedge 20, the sound-insulating block 30, and the piezoelectric ceramic 40 are prefabricated into a probe semi-finished product and installed into the cavity of the housing 10, and the bottom surface of the wedge 20 is on the same horizontal plane as the outer surface of the open end of the housing 10.

[0024] The wedge 20 includes a first wedge 21 and a second wedge 22. The first wedge 21 serves as a transmission delay block, and the second wedge 22 serves as a reception delay block. The first wedge 21 and the second wedge 22 are arranged in a mirror image symmetrically. Taking the first wedge 21 as an example, its top surface is a variable-angle inclined surface, which includes at least a first inclined surface 211 and a second inclined surface 212. The first inclined surface 211 and the second inclined surface 212 slope continuously downward from one end near the sound insulation block 30 to the other end, and the inclination angles of the first inclined surface 211 and the second inclined surface 212 are different, for example, the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 211 is greater than the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 212. A piezoelectric ceramic 40 is glued to the first inclined surface 211 and the second inclined surface 212, respectively. The two piezoelectric ceramics 40 on the first inclined surface 211 and the second inclined surface 212 of the first wedge 21 are both transmitting chips and are connected in parallel. The two piezoelectric ceramics 40 on the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface of the second wedge 22 are both receiving chips and are connected in parallel.

[0025] The sound insulation block 30 is disposed between the first wedge 21 and the second wedge 22. The bottom surface of the sound insulation block 30 is on the same horizontal plane as the bottom surfaces of the first wedge 21 and the second wedge 22, and the top surface of the sound insulation block 30 is higher than the highest point of the top surfaces of the first wedge 21 and the second wedge 22.

[0026] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the top surfaces of the first wedge 21 and the second wedge 22 are two inclined surfaces with different inclination angles. However, in other embodiments, the top surfaces of the first wedge 21 and the second wedge 22 can be extended to more than two inclined surfaces, and it is only necessary to ensure that the angles of two adjacent inclined surfaces are different. A piezoelectric ceramic 40 is provided on each inclined surface, and the piezoelectric ceramics 40 on the same wedge have the same function and work in parallel.

[0027] In this embodiment, during assembly, multiple pairs of piezoelectric ceramics 40 are first glued to the multiple inclined surfaces of two wedges to form semi-finished products; then, a sound-insulating block 30 is inserted between the two semi-finished products to form a probe semi-finished product; finally, the probe semi-finished product is installed into the cavity of the outer shell 10. The left and right end faces of the wedges 20 can directly contact the inner wall of the outer shell 10, or sound-absorbing material can be filled between the probe semi-finished product and the outer shell 10.

[0028] This invention processes the top surface of a single-sided wedge into an inclined surface with two or more tilt angles, and sets a piezoelectric ceramic on each inclined surface. Piezoelectric ceramics with the same function are connected in parallel. Compared with an ultrasonic probe with only a pair of piezoelectric ceramics, this invention can expand the focal length span of the probe and expand the optimal area range of the probe's sound beam focusing, thereby achieving full coverage of detection of medium and thick plates.

[0029] Therefore, this utility model effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of the prior art and has high industrial application value. The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wide focal length ultrasonic probe, characterized in that, include The outer shell has an internal cavity, and at least one end is an open end; The first wedge and the second wedge are arranged symmetrically in the cavity, and the top surface of the first wedge and the second wedge each has two or more inclined surfaces with different inclination angles; a piezoelectric ceramic is arranged on each inclined surface, and the piezoelectric ceramics on the same wedge work in parallel. A sound-insulating block is disposed between the first wedge and the second wedge.

2. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top surfaces of the first wedge and the second wedge each include at least a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are continuously inclined downward from one end near the sound insulation block to the other end, and the inclination angles of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are different. A piece of the piezoelectric ceramic is glued to the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface respectively.

3. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tilt angle of the first inclined surface is greater than the tilt angle of the second inclined surface.

4. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surfaces of the first and second wedges are on the same horizontal plane as the outer surface of the open end of the outer shell.

5. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the sound insulation block is on the same horizontal plane as the bottom surfaces of the first wedge and the second wedge.

6. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top surface of the sound insulation block is higher than the highest point of the top surfaces of the first and second wedges.

7. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first wedge, the second wedge, the sound insulation block, and the piezoelectric ceramic prefabricated probe semi-finished product are installed into the cavity.

8. The wide focal length ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, characterized in that, The space between the probe semi-finished product and the outer shell is filled with sound-absorbing material.

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