Ultrasonic inspection equipment

Abstract

To apply an ultrasonic inspection device also to an inspection object having a curved shape.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic inspection device 10 includes a transmitting probe 11 and a receiving probe 12. The transmitting probe 11 has a first contact portion 13 with a first convex cylindrical surface 14 that makes line-contact with the curved surface and a transmitting element 16 that emits ultrasonic waves toward the first convex cylindrical surface 14. The receiving probe 12 has a second contact portion 23 with a second convex cylindrical surface 24 that makes line-contact with the curved surface and a receiving element 26 that receives ultrasonic waves emitted from the second convex cylindrical surface 24. The transmitting element 16 is provided along a first mounting surface 15, perpendicular to a first transmission-side virtual line L11, which passes through a first contact position P1 and tilts to an opposite side of the receiving probe 12 with a first reference virtual line L10 as a reference. The receiving element 26 is provided along a second mounting surface 25 perpendicular to a second reception-side virtual line L21, which passes through a second contact position P2 and tilts to an opposite side of the transmitting probe 11 with a second reference virtual line L20 as a reference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic inspection device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, ultrasonic methods (surface SH wave method) and X-ray diffraction methods are known as methods for inspecting the fatigue level of metal parts. X-ray diffraction has restrictions on the operator qualifications and the measurement environment, so ultrasonic methods are more convenient.

[0003] In the ultrasonic method, a test product is subjected to a durability test under load and a parameter (velocity of propagation) is measured repeatedly using ultrasonic waves, and the relationship between the parameter and the fatigue level is calculated each time, and a database (calibration curve) that compiles these data is created. In actual operation, the parameters of a recovered actual product (recovered product from the market) are measured, and the fatigue level of the actual product is confirmed by referring to the database.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic inspection device. This ultrasonic inspection device includes a transmitting probe and a receiving probe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-206782 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Generally, in an ultrasonic inspection device, a transmitting probe and a receiving probe are each brought into contact with a flat surface of an object under inspection. As shown in Fig. 6, a transmitting probe 91 and a receiving probe 92 each have a contact portion 93 that is brought into contact with an object under inspection 100, and the contact portion 93 has a block shape with a rectangular contact surface 94 with the object under inspection 100. Therefore, if the object under inspection 100 has a concave curved surface 99, when the contact portion 93 is brought into contact with the object under inspection 100, a corner strike occurs, creating a gap between the contact surface 94 and the concave curved surface 99, making measurement impossible.

[0007] For example, the outer ring of a cylindrical roller bearing has a raceway that is concavely curved on its inner periphery. It is not possible to inspect the fatigue of the outer ring by bringing the transmitting and receiving probes into contact with such a raceway using the ultrasonic inspection device shown in Figure 6.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an ultrasonic inspection device that can be applied to inspection objects having curved surfaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The ultrasonic inspection device of the present disclosure is a device that includes a transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and is used to perform ultrasonic inspection by bringing the transmitting probe and the receiving probe into contact with a concave or convex curved surface of an object to be inspected, The transmitting probe is a first contact portion having a first convex cylindrical surface that makes line contact with the curved surface; a transmitting element provided in a part of the first contact portion and configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave toward the first convex cylindrical surface, The receiving probe is a second contact portion having a second convex cylindrical surface that is in line contact with the curved surface; a receiving element that is provided in a part of the second contact portion and receives ultrasonic waves incident from the second convex cylindrical surface, The transmitting element is provided along a first mounting surface that passes through a first contact position defined below, is tilted toward the opposite side to the receiving probe with respect to a first reference virtual line defined below, and is perpendicular to a first transmitting side virtual line, The receiving element is arranged along a second mounting surface that passes through a second contact position defined below, is tilted toward the opposite side of the transmitting probe with respect to a second reference virtual line defined below, and is perpendicular to a second receiving side virtual line. First contact position: the position where the first convex cylindrical surface and the curved surface come into line contact Second contact position: a position where the second convex cylindrical surface and the curved surface make line contact First reference virtual line: a virtual line passing through the center of the curved surface and the first contact position Second reference virtual line: a virtual line passing through the center of the curved surface and the second contact position

[0010] The incident angle of the ultrasonic waves from the transmitting probe to the object to be inspected is set to a predetermined angle, and the ultrasonic waves propagate through the surface of the object to be inspected. The predetermined angle is determined by the material of the object to be inspected and the material of the part of the transmitting probe that comes into contact with the object to be inspected (first contact part).

[0011] Therefore, according to the ultrasonic inspection device of the present disclosure, the first convex cylindrical surface of the transmitting probe is in line contact with the curved surface of the inspection object, and ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transmitting element are incident on the curved surface from the first contact position. By providing the transmitting element as described above, the angle (incident angle) formed by the incident direction of the ultrasonic waves at the first contact position and the normal to the curved surface at the first contact position can be set to the predetermined angle, and the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transmitting probe propagate through the surface of the inspection object. The second convex cylindrical surface of the receiving probe makes line contact with the curved surface, and the ultrasonic waves propagating through the surface layer are incident on the second contact portion from the second contact position. By providing the receiving element as described above, the receiving element can be positioned at the end of a line along the angle of incidence, and the receiving element can detect the ultrasonic waves. As a result, it is possible to inspect even an object having a curved surface.

[0012] (2) Preferably, the first contact position is a central position of the first convex cylindrical surface along the circumferential direction of the first convex cylindrical surface, and the second contact position is a central position of the second convex cylindrical surface along the circumferential direction of the second convex cylindrical surface. With this configuration, the contact positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion with respect to the curved surface of the inspection object can be easily identified, improving the workability of the inspection.

[0013] (3) Preferably, the ultrasonic inspection device includes a connecting portion connecting the transmitting probe and the receiving probe, and the connecting portion attaches the transmitting probe and the receiving probe so that the distance between the transmitting probe and the receiving probe is adjustable. With this configuration, it is possible to bring the first contact portion and the second contact portion into line contact with the curved surface of the object to be inspected in an appropriate position in accordance with the shape of the curved surface.

[0014] (4) In the case of (3), preferably, the connecting portion can hold the transmitting probe and the receiving probe with a constant distance between them. With this configuration, if the curved surfaces of multiple test objects have the same shape, repeated tests are easy to perform, improving workability. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the ultrasonic inspection device of the present disclosure, it is possible to inspect even an object to be inspected that has a curved surface shape. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic inspection device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the transmitting probe as seen along the axial direction of the outer ring, which is the object to be inspected. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the receiving probe. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the ultrasonic inspection device of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic inspection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic inspection device of the present invention. The ultrasonic inspection device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for non-destructively inspecting the internal state, such as the degree of fatigue, of a metallic inspection object 7. The ultrasonic inspection device 10 is an inspection device based on a surface SH wave method that inspects the state of the inspection object 7 based on the speed (time) of ultrasonic waves propagating through the surface layer of the inspection object 7. The surface layer refers to a region near the surface of the inspection object 7, for example, a region shallower than 2 to 3 millimeters from the surface.

[0018] In this embodiment, the inspection object 7 is a raceway ring of a rolling bearing. The raceway ring is made of metal and is a ring-shaped member. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inspection object 7 is an outer ring 8 of a roller bearing. A raceway surface 8a is provided on the inner periphery of the outer ring 8. Cylindrical rollers, which are rolling elements, make rolling contact with the raceway surface 8a. A transmitting probe 11 and a receiving probe 12, which will be described later, are brought into contact with the raceway surface 8a. The raceway surface 8a of the outer ring 8 is a cylindrical surface and has a concave curved surface, as shown in FIG. 1. The rolling bearing may be a tapered roller bearing. In this case, the raceway surface 8a of the outer ring 8, which is the inspection object 7, is a surface that follows a conical surface and has a concave curved surface.

[0019] The ultrasonic inspection device 10 includes a transmitting probe 11 and a receiving probe 12. The ultrasonic inspection device 10 of this embodiment includes a connecting unit 30 connecting the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12. The ultrasonic inspection device 10 also includes a pulse generator 51, an amplifier 52, and a computing unit 53. The pulse generator 51 provides an electrical signal to the transmitting elements 16 of the transmitting probe 11 to cause the transmitting elements 16 to generate ultrasonic waves. The amplifier 52 includes an electrical circuit and acquires and amplifies received signals, which are signals of ultrasonic waves received by the receiving elements 26 of the receiving probe 12. The computing unit 53 includes a CPU and acquires the velocity (time) of the ultrasonic waves by calculation as a parameter of magnitude corresponding to the amplified received signals. In this way, the ultrasonic inspection device 10 is a device for performing ultrasonic inspection by bringing the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 into contact with the concave curved surface (raceway surface 8a) of the outer ring 8, which is the object 7 to be inspected.

[0020] [Regarding transmitting probe 11] The transmitting probe 11 has a first body portion 17, a first contact portion 13, and a transmitting element 16. The first body portion 17 is formed of, for example, a metal housing. A first arm 31 of a connecting portion 30 (described later) is attached to the first body portion 17. A first contact portion 13 is fixed to the first body portion 17. The first contact portion 13 has a first convex cylindrical surface 14 that is in line contact with the raceway surface 8a. The transmitting element 16 is provided on a part of the first contact portion 13 and transmits ultrasonic waves toward the first convex cylindrical surface 14. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the transmitting probe 11. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the transmitting probe 11 as seen along the axial direction of the outer ring 8, which is the inspection target 7. FIG. 3 is a view taken along arrow III in FIG. 2.

[0021] The first contact portion 13 may be any ultrasonic wave propagation medium, and in this embodiment, the first contact portion 13 is made of resin. The first contact portion 13 has a semi-cylindrical shape, and the first convex cylindrical surface 14 has a semi-cylindrical surface shape. Note that the first contact portion 13 does not have to be a strictly semi-cylindrical shape with an angle of 180 degrees. In other words, the first convex cylindrical surface 14 does not have to be a strictly semi-cylindrical shape with an angle of 180 degrees. For example, the first convex cylindrical surface 14 may have a shape that follows a cylinder with an angle of 160 degrees. The first contact portion 13 is a solid member, and the transmitting element 16 is attached to a surface different from (the opposite surface of) the first convex cylindrical surface 14.

[0022] The first body portion 17 is a hollow member, and molten resin is filled into the first body portion 17 with the first contact portion 13, to which the transmitting element 16 is attached, being integrated with the first body portion 17, and the molten resin is then hardened. Note that the lead wire connected to the transmitting element 16 is pulled out to the outside of the first body portion 17.

[0023] The transmitting element 16 is an element used in general ultrasonic inspection devices, and is, for example, an ultrasonic probe composed of a flat piezoelectric element. The transmitting element 16 is capable of outputting ultrasonic transverse waves. When a pulse voltage of a predetermined voltage is applied from the pulse generator 51 to the transmitting element 16, ultrasonic waves of a predetermined frequency are output from the flat surface 16a of the transmitting element 16. The output ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the outside from the first contact portion 13.

[0024] The transmitting element 16 is flat. The output direction of the ultrasonic waves from the transmitting element 16 is perpendicular to the flat surface 16a of the transmitting element 16. The transmitting element 16 is attached to the first contact portion 13 so that the output direction of the ultrasonic waves passes through a point on the first convex cylindrical surface 14. This point is the first contact position P1 where the first convex cylindrical surface 14 and the raceway surface 8a come into contact. Since the first convex cylindrical surface 14 and the raceway surface 8a are in line contact, the first contact position P1 is included in the range of line contact (the range along the line). In this embodiment, the first contact position P1 is the central position of the first convex cylindrical surface 14 along the circumferential direction of the first convex cylindrical surface 14.

[0025] The ultrasonic waves output from the transmitting element 16 include a vibration component (SH wave) that vibrates parallel to the plane 16a, which is the output surface of the transmitting element 16, and is incident on the first contact position P1, and a vibration component (SV wave) that vibrates perpendicular to the vibration direction and is incident on the first contact position P1.

[0026] The output direction of the ultrasonic waves from the transmitting element 16 is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the first tangent Q1 of the first convex cylindrical surface 14 (raceway surface 8a) at the first contact position P1, but is inclined to the first tangent Q1. In other words, at the first contact position P1, the ultrasonic waves from the transmitting element 16 are incident on the raceway surface 8a from an oblique direction that is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the first tangent Q1. The ultrasonic waves output from the transmitting element 16 are transmitted to the outside from the first contact position P1.

[0027] Here, the angle of incidence of ultrasonic waves from the transmitting probe 11 (transmitting element 16) to the inspection object 7 (outer ring 8) is set to a predetermined angle, so that the ultrasonic waves propagate through the surface layer of the inspection object 7 (outer ring 8). Note that the predetermined angle is determined by the material of the inspection object 7 (outer ring 8) and the material of the portion of the transmitting probe 11 that comes into contact with the inspection object 7 (first contact portion 13).

[0028] In order to propagate ultrasonic waves through the surface layer of the outer ring 8 as described above, the transmitting elements 16 are provided in the first contact portion 13 in the following arrangement. That is, the transmitting elements 16 are provided along a first mounting surface 15 that is perpendicular to a first transmitting-side virtual line L11. The first transmitting-side virtual line L11 is a virtual line that passes through a first contact position P1 and is inclined toward the opposite side (left side in FIGS. 1 and 2) from the receiving probe 12 (see FIG. 1) with respect to a first reference virtual line L10 defined below.

[0029] First reference virtual line L10: A virtual line that passes through the center C of the raceway surface 8a and the first contact position P1.

[0030] As described above, the first contact position P1 is a position where the first convex cylindrical surface 14 and the raceway surface 8a come into line contact. The first attachment surface 15 is a flat surface and is provided on a part of the first contact portion 13. A flat surface 16a of the transmitting element 16 is attached to the first attachment surface 15 in close contact therewith.

[0031] By providing the transmitting element 16 in this manner, the angle (incident angle) formed between the incident direction of the ultrasonic wave at the first contact position P1 and the first normal Q11 to the raceway surface 8a at the first contact position P1 can be set to the predetermined angle. As a result, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmitting probe 11 propagates through the surface layer of the outer ring 8.

[0032] [Regarding receiving probe 12] As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving probe 12 has a second main body portion 27, a second contact portion 23, and a receiving element 26. The second main body portion 27 is formed of, for example, a metal housing. A second arm 32 of a connecting portion 30 (described later) is attached to the second main body portion 27. A second contact portion 23 is fixed to the second main body portion 27. The second contact portion 23 has a second convex cylindrical surface 24 that is in line contact with the raceway surface 8a. The second contact portion 23 is in contact with the raceway surface 8a at a position separated from the first contact portion 13. The receiving element 26 is provided on a part of the second contact portion 23 and receives ultrasonic waves incident from the second convex cylindrical surface 24. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the receiving probe 12.

[0033] The second contact portion 23 may be any ultrasonic wave propagation medium, and in this embodiment, the second contact portion 23 is made of resin. The second contact portion 23 has a semi-cylindrical shape, and the second convex cylindrical surface 24 has a semi-cylindrical surface shape. Note that the second contact portion 23 does not have to be a strictly semi-cylindrical shape with an angle of 180 degrees. In other words, the second convex cylindrical surface 24 does not have to be a strictly semi-cylindrical shape with an angle of 180 degrees. For example, the second convex cylindrical surface 24 may have a shape that follows a cylinder with an angle of 160 degrees. The second contact portion 23 is a solid member, and the receiving element 26 is attached to a surface different from the second convex cylindrical surface 24 (the opposite surface).

[0034] The second main body 27 is a hollow member, and molten resin is filled into the second main body 27 and hardened in a state where the second contact portion 23, to which the receiving element 26 is attached, is integrated with the second main body 27. The lead wire connected to the receiving element 26 is pulled out to the outside of the second main body 27.

[0035] The receiving element 26 is an element used in a general ultrasonic inspection device, and is, for example, an ultrasonic probe composed of a flat-plate piezoelectric element. The receiving element 26 generates a predetermined voltage by receiving ultrasonic waves incident on the second contact portion 23. The receiving element 26 is flat-plate shaped. The receiving element 26 has a configuration similar to that of the transmitting element 16, but is configured to include at least a piezoelectric element for detecting shear waves that receives SH waves. The receiving element 26 receives ultrasonic waves, generates a voltage corresponding to their intensity, and outputs the voltage to the amplifier 52 (see FIG. 1) as a received signal.

[0036] The receiving direction of the ultrasonic waves at the receiving element 26 is perpendicular to the flat surface 26a of the receiving element 26. The receiving element 26 is attached to the second contact portion 23 so that the receiving direction of the ultrasonic waves is a direction from a point on the second convex cylindrical surface 24 toward the receiving element 26. The point is the second contact position P2 where the second convex cylindrical surface 24 and the raceway surface 8a come into contact. Since the second convex cylindrical surface 24 and the raceway surface 8a are in line contact, the second contact position P2 is included in the range of line contact (the range along the line). In this embodiment, the second contact position P2 is the central position of the second convex cylindrical surface 24 along the circumferential direction of the second convex cylindrical surface 24.

[0037] The receiving direction of the ultrasonic waves at the receiving element 26 is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the second tangent Q2 to the second convex cylindrical surface 24 (raceway surface 8a) at the second contact position P2, but is inclined to the second tangent Q2. The ultrasonic waves output from the transmitting element 16 and propagated through the surface of the outer ring 8 are incident on the second contact portion 23 from the second contact position P2. By bringing the second contact portion 23 into contact with the raceway surface 8a at the second contact position P2, the ultrasonic waves incident on the second contact portion 23 at the second contact position P2 are propagated in an oblique direction that is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the second tangent Q1.

[0038] The angle of incidence of the ultrasonic waves from the raceway surface 8a to the second contact portion 23 is determined by the material of the object to be inspected 7 (outer ring 8) and the material of the portion of the transmitting probe 11 that comes into contact with the object to be inspected 7 (second contact portion 23).

[0039] In order for the receiving element 26 to receive the ultrasonic waves incident on the second contact portion 23 from the outer ring 8 as described above, that is, to align the incident direction on the second contact portion 23 at the second contact position P2 with the receiving direction of the receiving element 26, the receiving element 26 is arranged on the second contact portion 23 in the following manner. That is, the receiving element 26 is provided along a second mounting surface 25 that is perpendicular to a second receiving-side virtual line L21. The second receiving-side virtual line L21 is a virtual line that passes through the second contact position P2 and is inclined toward the opposite side (right side in FIGS. 1 and 4) from the transmitting probe 11 (see FIG. 1) with respect to a second reference virtual line L20 defined below.

[0040] Second reference virtual line L20: A virtual line passing through the center C of the raceway surface 8a and the second contact position P2.

[0041] As described above, the second contact position P2 is a position where the second convex cylindrical surface 24 and the raceway surface 8a come into line contact. The second attachment surface 25 is a flat surface, and is provided on a part of the second contact portion 23. A flat surface 26a of the receiving element 26 is attached to the second attachment surface 25 in close contact therewith.

[0042] In this way, the second convex cylindrical surface 24 of the receiving probe 12 is in line contact with the raceway surface 8a, and the ultrasonic waves that have propagated through the surface of the outer ring 8 are incident on the second contact portion 23 from the second contact position P2. By providing the receiving element 26 as described above, the receiving element 26 can be positioned at the end of a line that follows the angle of incidence, and the receiving element 26 can detect the ultrasonic waves.

[0043] As described above, the ultrasonic inspection device 10 of this embodiment can inspect even an outer ring 8 having a curved surface shape.

[0044] [Regarding the connecting portion 30] As described above (see FIG. 1 ), the ultrasonic inspection device 10 includes a connecting unit 30 that connects the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12. The connecting unit 30 has a base body 33, a first arm 31, and a second arm 32. The transmitting probe 11 is attached to one end of the first arm 31, and the other end of the first arm 31 is supported by the base body 33. The receiving probe 12 is attached to one end of the second arm 32, and the other end of the second arm 32 is supported by the base body 33.

[0045] The base body 33 supports the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 so that they can swing. The swing direction is the direction in which the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 move toward and away from each other. In other words, the connecting portion 30 attaches the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 such that the distance between them is adjustable. This configuration makes it possible to bring the first contact portion 13 and the second contact portion 23 into line contact with the raceway surface 8a in an appropriate position in accordance with the shape of the raceway surface 8a. In particular, it becomes easy to bring the first convex cylindrical surface 14 and the second convex cylindrical surface 24 into contact with the raceway surface 8a at the first contact position P1 and the second contact position P2.

[0046] The base body 33 supports the first arm 31 so that it can swing, and can restrain the first arm 31 so that it cannot swing at a predetermined position. For example, although not shown, tightening a lock bolt prevents the first arm 31 from swinging relative to the base body 33, and loosening the lock bolt allows the first arm 31 to swing. Similarly, for the second arm 32, the base body 33 supports the second arm 32 so that it can swing, and can restrain the second arm 32 so that it cannot swing at a predetermined position. As described above, the connecting portion 30 can hold the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 while maintaining a constant distance between them. With this configuration, if there are multiple outer rings 8 to be inspected and the shapes of the raceway surfaces 8a of these outer rings 8 are the same, repeated inspections are possible, improving workability.

[0047] [When the inspection object 7 is an inner ring 9] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the ultrasonic inspection device of the present invention. The ultrasonic inspection device 10 shown in FIG. 5 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the object to be inspected 7 is a raceway ring of a rolling bearing. However, unlike the outer ring 8 shown in FIG. 1, the object to be inspected 7 is an inner ring 9 of a roller bearing. A raceway surface 9a is provided on the outer periphery of the inner ring 9. Cylindrical rollers, which are rolling elements, make rolling contact with the raceway surface 9a. A transmitting probe 11 and a receiving probe 12 are brought into contact with the raceway surface 9a. The raceway surface 9a of the inner ring 9 is a cylindrical surface and has a convex curved surface, as shown in FIG. 5. The roller bearing may be a tapered roller bearing. In this case, the raceway surface 9a of the inner ring 9, which is the object to be inspected 7, is a conical surface and has a convex curved surface.

[0048] The ultrasonic inspection device 10 shown in FIG. 5 includes a transmitting probe 11 and a receiving probe 12, and performs ultrasonic inspection by bringing the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 into contact with a convex curved surface (orbital surface 9a) of the inspection object 7.

[0049] The transmitting probe 11 has a first contact portion 13 and a transmitting element 16. The first contact portion 13 has a first convex cylindrical surface 14 that is in line contact with the track surface 9a. The transmitting element 16 is provided in a part of the first contact portion 13 and transmits ultrasonic waves toward the first convex cylindrical surface 14. The receiving probe 12 has a second contact portion 23 and a receiving element 26. The second contact portion 23 has a second convex cylindrical surface 24 that is in line contact with the track surface 9a. The receiving element 26 is provided on a part of the second contact portion 23 and receives ultrasonic waves incident from the second convex cylindrical surface 24.

[0050] The transmitting elements 16 are provided along a first mounting surface 15 that is perpendicular to a first transmitting-side virtual line L11. The first transmitting-side virtual line L11 is a virtual line that passes through the first contact position P1 and is inclined toward the opposite side to the receiving probe 12 (left side in FIG. 5 ) with respect to a first reference virtual line L10 defined below.

[0051] First reference virtual line L10: A virtual line that passes through the center C of the raceway surface 9a and the first contact position P1. The first contact position P1 is a position where the first convex cylindrical surface 14 and the raceway surface 9a make line contact.

[0052] The receiving element 26 is provided along a second mounting surface 25 that is perpendicular to a second receiving-side virtual line L21. The second receiving-side virtual line L21 is a virtual line that passes through the second contact position P2 and is inclined toward the opposite side to the transmitting probe 11 (to the right in FIG. 5) with respect to a second reference virtual line L20 defined below.

[0053] Second reference virtual line L20: A virtual line passing through the center C of the raceway surface 9a and the second contact position P2. The second contact position P2 is a position where the second convex cylindrical surface 24 and the raceway surface 8a make line contact.

[0054] 5, the first contact position P1 is the central position of the first convex cylindrical surface 14 along the circumferential direction of the first convex cylindrical surface 14. The second contact position P2 is the central position of the second convex cylindrical surface 24 along the circumferential direction of the second convex cylindrical surface 14.

[0055] 5, the ultrasonic inspection device 10 also includes a connecting unit 30. The connecting unit 30 attaches the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 so that the distance between the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 is adjustable. Furthermore, the connecting unit 30 can hold the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 while keeping the distance between the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 constant. The specific configuration of the connecting unit 30 for achieving this function is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and includes a common base body (not shown), a first arm 31, and a second arm 32.

[0056] The configurations described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 can be applied as appropriate to the ultrasonic inspection device 10 shown in Figure 5. In the ultrasonic inspection device 10 shown in Figure 5, the same components as those in the ultrasonic inspection device 10 shown in Figures 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of those components will be omitted here.

[0057] 〔others〕 In each of the above embodiments, the object to be inspected 7 is a raceway (outer ring 8 and inner ring 9) of a rolling bearing, but the object to be inspected 7 may be any component having a concave or convex curved surface, and may be something other than a raceway. The configuration of the connecting portion 30 may be other than that shown in the figure, and in addition to having a mechanism for supporting the transmitting probe 11 and the receiving probe 12 so that they can swing, it may also have a mechanism for supporting them so that they can move in parallel.

[0058] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes all modifications within the scope of equivalents to the configurations described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 7. Inspection object 8 outer ring 8a Raceway surface (curved surface) 9. Inner Circle 9a Raceway surface (curved surface) 10 Ultrasonic inspection equipment 11 Transmitting probe 12 Receiving probe 13 First contact part 14 First convex cylindrical surface 15 First mounting surface 16 transmitting element 23 Second contact part 24 Second convex cylindrical surface 25 Second mounting surface 26 receiving element 30 Connecting part C center L10 First reference virtual line L11 First sending virtual line L20 Second reference virtual line L21 Second receiving virtual line

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing an ultrasonic inspection, comprising a transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and bringing the transmitting probe and the receiving probe into contact with a concave or convex curved surface of an object to be inspected, The transmitting probe is a first contact portion having a first convex cylindrical surface that makes line contact with the curved surface; a transmitting element provided in a part of the first contact portion and configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave toward the first convex cylindrical surface, The receiving probe is a second contact portion having a second convex cylindrical surface that is in line contact with the curved surface; a receiving element that is provided in a part of the second contact portion and receives ultrasonic waves incident from the second convex cylindrical surface, The transmitting element is provided along a first mounting surface that passes through a first contact position defined below, is tilted toward the opposite side to the receiving probe with respect to a first reference virtual line defined below, and is perpendicular to a first transmitting side virtual line, The receiving element is provided along a second mounting surface that passes through a second contact position defined below, is tilted toward the opposite side to the transmitting probe with respect to a second reference virtual line defined below, and is perpendicular to a second receiving side virtual line. Ultrasound testing equipment. First contact position: a position where the first convex cylindrical surface and the curved surface come into line contact Second contact position: a position where the second convex cylindrical surface and the curved surface come into line contact First reference virtual line: a virtual line passing through the center of the curved surface and the first contact position Second reference virtual line: a virtual line passing through the center of the curved surface and the second contact position

2. a central position of the first convex cylindrical surface along a circumferential direction of the first convex cylindrical surface is the first contact position, The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the second contact position is a central position of the second convex cylindrical surface along a circumferential direction of the second convex cylindrical surface.

3. a connecting portion connecting the transmitting probe and the receiving probe, 3. The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is configured to attach the transmitting probe and the receiving probe such that a distance between the transmitting probe and the receiving probe is adjustable.

4. The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting portion is capable of holding the transmitting probe and the receiving probe with a constant interval between the transmitting probe and the receiving probe.

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