JP5725901B2 - Ultrasonic probe jig, ultrasonic probe device, and method for manufacturing ultrasonic probe jig - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe jig, an ultrasonic probe device, and a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe jig.

  As is well known, for example, ultrasonic inspection is widely used to detect internal defects in piping of nuclear power plants and welds of pipe connections.

  In this ultrasonic inspection, an ultrasonic probe having a flat transmission / reception surface for transmitting / receiving ultrasonic waves is generally used. However, the transmission / reception surface of the ultrasonic probe is not spaced from the welded portion or the elbow portion of the piping. It is difficult to get along.

  Therefore, in order to connect the transmitting / receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe and the test object in an acoustically reliable manner, it is usual to interpose a liquid medium between the transmitting / receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe and the test object. As such a technique, there is a total immersion method in which the entire test object is submerged and ultrasonic inspection is performed, and a local immersion method in which the inspection site of the test object is submerged locally and ultrasonic inspection is performed ( For example, see Patent Document 1.)

JP 2008-215877 A

  However, since the total immersion method submerges the ultrasonic probe and the entire test object, the submersion device is large and not easy to implement locally.On the other hand, the local immersion method determines the inspection site to be inspected. Implementation is not easy because it is necessary to make a liquid-tight seal between the water tank to be submerged locally and the test object.

As a test method that is easier to implement than these test methods, there is a method that uses a local immersion type ultrasonic probe apparatus. This type of ultrasonic probe apparatus is formed with a through hole from one side to the other side in one direction of the jig body, and the ultrasonic probe is inserted into the opening on one side of the through hole and the opening on the other side. Is covered with a thin film rubber, and a liquid medium (water or castor oil) is stored between the thin film rubber and the ultrasonic probe. In other words, in this inspection method using the ultrasonic probe apparatus, the ultrasonic probe and the inspection site of the test object are acoustically connected by interposing a liquid medium stored between the ultrasonic probe and the thin film rubber. Connected.
However, in the case of the above apparatus configuration, there is a problem that when the thin film is torn, the liquid medium flows out and inspection is impossible.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to improve the reliability of an ultrasonic probe device and to perform ultrasonic inspection stably for a long time.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the ultrasonic probe jig according to the present invention is an ultrasonic probe jig attached to the ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus, and has a through hole penetrating from one side to the other side in one direction. A jig body formed and inserted into the opening on the one side of the through-hole, and the ultrasonic probe inserted into the through-hole is filled into the through-hole and is inserted into the through-hole. A filling portion and an elasticity provided outside the through-hole , continuous to the filling portion and projecting from the jig body toward the other side, and capable of being in close contact with the ultrasonic irradiation target in an elastically deformed state A medium body that has a protrusion and transmits ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic irradiation target, and the medium body is formed of a non-flowable material, and the elastic protrusion Is formed of gel material and before Filling portion is harder than the gel material, the transfer speed of sound, characterized in that it is formed by easy processing materials which approximates to the gel material.
In this way, the medium body that transmits ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic irradiation target is formed of a non-flowable material, so that the medium body does not flow out. Thereby, the reliability of an ultrasonic probe apparatus can be improved and an ultrasonic test | inspection can be performed stably for a long time.

The elastic protrusion is formed of a gel material.
In this way, since the elastic protrusion is formed of the gel material, it is possible to satisfactorily adhere to the ultrasonic irradiation target and to transmit the ultrasonic wave well.
In this specification, the gel material refers to a member made of a substance that has an intermediate form between a liquid and a solid and has a property having both flexibility and elasticity, and is a hydrous gel (hydrogel containing a large amount of water). It is a concept including a gel (for example, a segmented polyurethane gel) composed of a component not containing moisture or other dispersion medium.

Further, the filling portion is formed of an easily workable material whose sound transmission speed approximates that of the gel material.
In this way, since the filling portion is formed of a workability material whose sound transmission speed approximates that of the gel material, the difference in acoustic impedance between the filling portion and the elastic protrusion can be reduced, and the pseudo Echo can be reduced.

The filling portion is characterized in that a central side of one end face on the one side is formed so as to rise to the one side.
In this way, when the ultrasonic probe is inserted into the opening of the through hole, the rise of the one end surface is crushed and the one end surface is in close contact with the ultrasonic probe. Thereby, an ultrasonic wave can be favorably transmitted from an ultrasonic probe to a filling part.

Moreover, the thin film body provided on the surface of the said elastic protrusion part is provided, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
In this way, since the thin film body is provided on the surface of the elastic protrusion, wear of the elastic protrusion can be prevented.

In addition, a sound absorbing body provided between the filling portion and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole is provided, so that the sound absorbing body is provided between the filling portion and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. Since it is possible to prevent the ultrasonic waves from wrapping around and scattering in the through hole of the jig body, it is possible to reduce similar echoes detected by the ultrasonic inspection apparatus.

The ultrasonic probe may further include a rotation support unit that supports the ultrasonic probe so as to be swingable with respect to the jig body in the insertion hole.
In this way, since the support mechanism capable of swinging the ultrasonic probe is provided, the ultrasonic irradiation direction can be changed, and inspection at various refraction angles becomes possible.

The ultrasonic probe device according to the present invention includes any one of the above-described ultrasonic probe jigs, and an ultrasonic probe inserted into one opening of the through hole of the jig main body, It is characterized by comprising.
In this way, since any one of the above-described ultrasonic probe jigs is provided, the reliability of the apparatus can be improved and the ultrasonic inspection can be performed stably for a long time.

The method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe jig according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe jig to be attached to an ultrasonic probe of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, wherein An insertion step of inserting a closing body into the opening on the one side of the through hole penetrating from the side to the other side, and a non-fluidity that transmits ultrasonic waves so as to be in close contact with the closing body inserted into the through hole A filling step of filling the filling portion on the other side in the through-hole , and a gel material arrangement step of placing a gel material for transmitting ultrasonic waves on the other side of the through-hole and outside the through-hole , By pressing the gel material toward the jig body with a thin film body and fixing the thin film body, an elastic protrusion that is continuous with the filling portion and protrudes from the jig body to the other side is formed. An elastic protrusion forming step, And, wherein the filling part is harder than the gel material, the transfer speed of sound, characterized in that it is formed by easy processing materials which approximates to the gel material.
If it does in this way, the elastic protrusion part of a complicated shape can be easily formed by pressing a lump-like gel material with a thin film body.

Moreover, the said obstruction | occlusion body is a 2nd type | mold body imitating the shape of the said ultrasonic probe, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
In this way, since the second mold is used as the closing body, the ultrasonic probe jig can be manufactured without using the ultrasonic probe.

Further, the closure body is the ultrasonic probe.
In this way, since the ultrasonic probe is used for the closed body, the adhesion between the medium body and the ultrasonic probe can be improved.

According to the ultrasonic probe jig of the present invention, the reliability of the ultrasonic probe apparatus can be improved, and ultrasonic inspection can be performed stably for a long time.
According to the ultrasonic probe apparatus according to the present invention, the reliability of the apparatus can be improved and the ultrasonic inspection can be performed stably for a long time.
According to the ultrasonic probe jig manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to easily form an elastic protrusion having a complicated shape.

It is a longitudinal section of ultrasonic probe device P1 concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is components drawing of the shoe 20 which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is the II sectional view taken on the line (a), (c) is a bottom view. It is. In 1st embodiment of this invention, it is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the use condition of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 in an ultrasonic test | inspection. It is process drawing which shows the outline of each process of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification 1 of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification 2 of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal section showing an example of improvement of ultrasonic probe device P1 of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is process drawing which shows the outline of each process of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P3 which concerns on the 1st modification of each embodiment of this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed 1 process of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P3 which concerns on the 1st modification of each embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P4 which concerns on the 2nd modification of each embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P5 which concerns on the 3rd modification of each embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged plan view of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P5 which concerns on the 3rd modification of each embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P6 which concerns on the 4th modification of each embodiment of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
"First embodiment"
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an ultrasonic probe jig J1.

  The ultrasonic probe 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is connected to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus (not shown) via a signal line 11. The ultrasonic probe 10 emits ultrasonic waves from a circular transmission / reception surface 10a based on a pulse signal supplied from an ultrasonic inspection apparatus (not shown), and receives the reflected waves at the transmission / reception surface 10a to generate ultrasonic waves. The data is output to an inspection device (not shown).

  The ultrasonic probe jig J1 transmits ultrasonic waves between the shoe (jig main body) 20 on which the ultrasonic probe 10 is mounted, and the ultrasonic probe 10 and the pipe B (see FIG. 3, ultrasonic irradiation target). And a medium 30 to be transmitted.

2A and 2B are component diagrams of the shoe 20, wherein FIG. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 2A, and FIG.
The shoe 20 is formed in a disk shape, and has a flange portion 21 formed on one side in the thickness direction of the shoe 20 and a facing portion 22 formed on the other side in the thickness direction.
A tapered portion 21 b is formed on one end surface 21 a of the flange portion 21 on one side of the virtual center line Q orthogonal to the thickness direction of the shoe 20. This taper part 21b is the other in the thickness direction from the start end 21c extending along the virtual center line Q toward the outer periphery 21d of the flange part 21 in the first orthogonal direction orthogonal to the virtual center line Q and the thickness direction. It inclines linearly toward the side.

  The facing portion 22 is formed in a square shape when viewed from the lower surface side. More specifically, four notches 22b formed so as to cut out the outer periphery of the facing portion 22 into a bow shape are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and two adjacent notches 22b A pair of corner portions formed between them are formed in each of the extending direction of the virtual center line Q and the first orthogonal direction.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the shoe 20 is formed with a through hole 23 penetrating from one side in the thickness direction to the other side. The through hole 23 penetrates between the one end surface 21 a of the flange portion 21 and the other end surface 22 a of the facing portion 22. The through hole 23 is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the shoe 20 so that the hole axis thereof is directed in the normal direction of the tapered portion 21b. As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the through-hole 23 has an opening on one side (opening) 23a extending between the one end surface 21a of the flange portion 21 and the tapered portion 21b. The small-diameter portion 23b formed slightly smaller in diameter than the one-side opening 23a is open to the other end surface 22a of the facing portion 22.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted and fitted into the one side opening 23a.
Such a shoe 20 is formed of acrylic resin in the present embodiment, but may be formed of metal, FRP, silicon, or the like.
The ultrasonic probe 10 can employ any method for restraining the shoe 20. For example, the ultrasonic probe 10 is pressed against the shoe 20 by a pressing member (not shown) bolted to the shoe 20. Thus, a method of restraining displacement with respect to the shoe 20 can be employed.

  The medium body 30 is formed by integrally forming a filling portion 31 and an elastic protrusion portion 32. The medium body 30 is a flexible material formed of a non-flowable gel material. As this gel material, in this embodiment, a medical ultrasonic gel with a small attenuation of ultrasonic waves is used, and “Sonagel” manufactured by Takiron Co., Ltd. is used as a specific product name. “Asker C” manufactured by Exeal Corporation can be used, and “gelatin” or “agar” can also be used.

  The filling portion 31 is filled in the small diameter portion 23b of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20, and as shown in FIG. 1, the surface where the transmitting / receiving surface 10a of the ultrasonic probe 10 is exposed to the small diameter portion 23b side in the through hole 23. It adheres to the entire surface. The filling portion 31 is in close contact with the inner wall surface 23 c of the through hole 23 and the transmission / reception surface 10 a of the ultrasonic probe 10 without any gap.

The elastic protrusion 32 is continuous with the filling part 31 and protrudes from the shoe 20 toward the other side in the thickness direction of the shoe 20. More specifically, it protrudes (swells) in a hemispherical shape from the other end surface 22 a of the facing portion 22 toward the other side in the thickness direction of the shoe 20.
The displacement of the medium body 30 is constrained by friction with respect to the shoe 20, but an adhesive is infiltrated between the shoe 20 and the medium body 30 or other fixing means is used for the shoe. 20 may be fixed.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a use state of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 in the ultrasonic inspection.
As shown in FIG. 3, the elastic protrusion 32 is in close contact with the pipe B in a state of being elastically deformed. That is, since the elastic protrusion 32 has flexibility, the elastic protrusion 32 is elastically deformed and closely adheres to the shape of the pipe B (welded uneven part or elbow part of the pipe). In this state, when an ultrasonic wave is irradiated from the transmission / reception surface 10 a of the ultrasonic probe 10, the ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the pipe B through the medium body 30 and the elastic protrusion 32. Then, the reflected wave reflected from the pipe B is transmitted to the transmission / reception surface 10 a via the medium body 30 and the elastic protrusion 32.

As described above, in the ultrasonic probe device P1, since the medium body 30 is made of a non-flowable gel material, the medium is not used as in the case where a liquid medium (for example, water or castor oil) is used. The inspection will not be interrupted. Thereby, the reliability of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 can be improved, and ultrasonic inspection can be performed stably for a long time.
In addition, if the medium body 30 is worn due to long-term use, the ultrasonic probe apparatus simply replaces the new medium body 30 with the shoe 20 or replaces the medium body 30 together with the shoe 20. Since P1 can be reconfigured, the replacement time can be shortened and the labor required for replacement can be reduced as compared with the case where the liquid medium is replaced.

“Production Method of First Embodiment”
FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing an outline of each process of the method of manufacturing the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the manufacturing method is performed using a shoe 20, a first mold body 40, and a second mold body (occlusion body) 50.

The first mold body 40 has a fitting hole 41 formed so that the facing portion 22 of the shoe 20 can be fitted.
In the insertion hole 41, a recess 41b is formed on the center side of the bottom surface 41a that is in close contact with the other end surface 22a in a state where the insertion hole 41 is fitted into the facing portion 22 of the shoe 20.
The recess 41b has a shape imitating (simulating) the elastic protrusion 32, and is recessed in a hemispherical shape from the bottom surface 41a.

As shown in FIG. 4D, the second mold body 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape imitating the transmission / reception surface 10 a side of the ultrasonic probe 10 inserted into the one side opening 23 a of the through hole 23. It has a mold part 51 and a flange part 52 extending from the base end part of the mold part 51 to the radially outer peripheral side.
The mold part 51 can be fitted into the one side opening part 23a of the through hole 23, and the step surface 51a formed between the one side opening part 23a and the small diameter part 23b is formed in a circular tip end surface 51a. It can contact the surface 23d.
The flange portion 52 is formed so as to come into contact with the tapered portion 21b when the mold portion 51 is fitted into the one side opening portion 23a of the through hole 23.
The first mold body 40 and the second mold body 50 are formed of Teflon (registered trademark) in the present embodiment, but may be formed of metal, FRP, silicon, or the like.

  Then, the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 is demonstrated using the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.

First, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5, the first mold body 40 is mounted on the shoe 20 (mold mounting step S11). Specifically, the facing portion 22 of the shoe 20 is fitted into the fitting hole 41.
In this state, the other end surface 22 a of the facing portion 22 of the shoe 20 and the bottom surface 41 a of the fitting hole portion 41 of the first mold body 40 are brought into close contact with each other, and the first mold body 40 is in contact with the through hole 23 of the shoe 20. The recessed part 41b is made to oppose.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5, a medium material liquid L having fluidity in the recess 41 b of the first mold body 40 and the through hole 23 of the shoe 20 (for example, “Takiron Co., Ltd.” Sonagel ") is filled (filling step S12).
As a specific example of the medium material liquid L, for example, a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component are mixed so that OH / NCO has a predetermined value (preferably 1 or more and 3.5 or less), and if necessary, An appropriate amount of catalyst (for example, tertiary amine such as dibutyltin dilaurate, trialkylamine, or triethylenediamine) is prepared by mixing (for details, see JP-A-2007-143946).
In this step, it is desirable to fill the small diameter portion 23b with the medium material liquid L without gaps with respect to the through hole 23 of the shoe 20, and the shoe 20 is tilted so that the hole axis of the through hole 23 faces in the vertical direction. Is desirable.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 4C and 5, the second mold body 50 is inserted into the one side opening 23 a of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20 to close the through hole 23 (blocking step S <b> 13). More specifically, the mold part 51 of the second mold body 50 is fitted into the one side opening 23 a of the through hole 23.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, with the second mold body 50 inserted into the one side opening 23a of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20, the medium material liquid L is solidified until it has non-fluidity, The medium body 30 is obtained (solidification process S14).
That is, in the above specific example, a segmented polyurethane gel is produced by injecting a material solution into a mold and reacting at room temperature or under heating. In addition, it is desirable that the segmented polyurethane gel contains and permeates the liquid organic gel expansion medium.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 4D and 5, the first mold body 40 and the second mold body 50 are removed from the shoe 20 to complete the production of the ultrasonic probe jig J1 (mold removal). Step S15).

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into (inserted into) one opening 23a of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20 to complete the production of the ultrasonic probe device P1 (probe mounting). Oral S16).

As described above, in the method of manufacturing the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1, the medium body 30 can be satisfactorily formed even when the medium body 30 is made of a gel material. In particular, in the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1, the shape of the elastic protrusion 32 is hemispherical and is difficult to form from, for example, a ready-made block gel material, but can be easily obtained by the above manufacturing method. it can.
Moreover, since the elastic protrusion part 32 is formed with the gel material (for example, sonagel), it can adhere | attach with the piping B favorably, and can transmit an ultrasonic wave favorably.
Further, since the filling portion 31 is made of the same material as that of the elastic protruding portion 32, the sound transmission speeds v of the filling portion 31 and the elastic protruding portion 32 can be made the same. Thereby, the acoustic impedance of the filling part 31 and the elastic protrusion part 32 becomes the same, and it can prevent that a pseudo echo arises.

  In the above-described production method, the medium material liquid L that is mixed with two liquids and solidified at room temperature or under heating is used (“Sonagel” manufactured by Takiron Co., Ltd.). Even when “Asker C” is used, it can be solidified by the same procedure. Alternatively, a medium material (for example, “gelatin”) that dissolves powder in water and solidifies, or a medium material (for example, “agar”) that solidifies after heating a solid substance may be used.

In the manufacturing method described above, the second mold body 50 is used as the closing body for closing the through hole 23 in the closing step S13. However, as shown in FIG. 10 may close the through hole 23 (blocking step S13A). According to this method, the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into the one side opening 23a of the through hole 23, and the medium material liquid L is solidified in a state where the transmission / reception surface 10a and the medium material liquid L are in contact with each other. Since it is formed, when the ultrasonic probe 10 is fitted into the one side opening 23a, the transmission / reception surface 10a is in a positional relationship in contact with the medium body 30, so that the adhesion can be improved. Thereby, the operation | work which apply | coats a contact medium (for example, glycerin) between the transmission / reception surface 10a of the ultrasonic probe 10 and the medium body 30 and the operation | work which prepares the 2nd type | mold body 50 are omissible.
In addition, since the adhesion between the transmission / reception surface 10a of the ultrasonic probe 10 and the medium body 30 can be improved, the ultrasonic probe jig J1 excellent in workability and maintainability can be obtained.

  In the manufacturing method described above, the filling step S12 is followed by the closing step S13. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the filling hole for communicating the inside and the outside of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20 is provided. The medium material liquid L may be filled from the filling hole 43 after the through-hole 23 is closed with the second mold body 50A in which 53 and the air escape hole 54 are formed (closing step) (filling step S13B). Similarly, a filling hole or an air escape hole may be formed in the shoe 20 and the filling process may be performed after the closing process.

In the ultrasonic probe device P1 described above, the elastic protrusion 32 is directly in contact with the pipe B. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the outer surface of the elastic protrusion 32 is a protective thin film (thin film). It may be configured to be covered with 33 and to be in contact with the pipe B through the protective thin film body 33.
According to this configuration, for example, the protective thin film body 33 is made of a material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to the pipe B (for example, a PET film), so that the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 can be easily slipped with respect to the pipe B. It is possible to prevent the elastic protrusion 32 from being worn.

"Second embodiment"
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description and the drawings used for this description, the same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ultrasonic probe device P2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 9, the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an ultrasonic probe jig J2.

  The ultrasonic probe jig J2 includes a shoe 20, a medium body 60 that transmits ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic probe 10 and the pipe B, and a pressing thin film body (thin film body) 63.

  The medium body 60 includes a filling portion 61 formed separately from each other, and an elastic protrusion 62 formed of the same material (gel material) as the medium body 30 described above.

The filling portion 61 is formed of a non-flowable dryer plant (for example, an AEC material or a workability material manufactured by Olympus Co., Ltd.) that is harder than the elastic protrusion 62 and easy to process and fill. The small diameter portion 23 b of the through hole 23 is filled. In order to reduce the difference in acoustic impedance and reduce the pseudo echo, the dryer plant forming the filling portion 61 uses a material whose sound transmission speed v approximates that of the gel material forming the elastic protrusion 62. Yes.
In this embodiment, the sound transmission speed v of the gel material (for example, sonagel) is about 1550 m / s, whereas the sound transmission speed v of the dryer plant (for example, AEC material) is about 1590 m / s. It has become.
In the present embodiment, a dryer plant is used as the material of the filling portion 61. However, other processability materials include natural rubber (v≈1500 m / s) and styrene-butadiene-rubber (v≈1760 m). / S), hard agar (v≈1500 m / s) may be used.

  The elastic protrusion 62 is formed of a block-like (lumb-like) gel material 65 (see FIG. 10) using the same material as in the first embodiment, and the pressing thin film 63 is formed on the shoe 20 (the other end surface 22a). By pressing toward, it becomes hemispherical as shown in FIG.

The pressing thin film 63 is made of a rubber film in the present embodiment, and forms a hemispherical elastic protrusion 62 by pressing the block-shaped gel material 65 against the shoe 20. The pressing thin film 63 has a peripheral edge 63a bonded to the other end surface 22a.
The pressing thin film body 63 may be fixed to the shoe 20 by a locking mechanism or the like in addition to bonding.

"Manufacturing method of the second embodiment"
Then, the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 is demonstrated using FIG.10 and FIG.11. FIG. 10 is a process diagram showing an outline of each process of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2.

  First, as shown in FIG. 10A and FIG. 11, the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into the one side opening 23a of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20 (insertion step S21).

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 11, the filling portion 61 is placed in the small diameter portion in the through hole 23 so as to be in close contact with the transmission / reception surface 10 a of the ultrasonic probe 10 inserted into the through hole 23 of the shoe 20. 23b is filled (filling step S22).

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 10B and 11, the block-shaped gel material 65 is positioned at the opening of the small diameter portion 23 b in the other end surface 22 a of the shoe 20 (gel material arrangement step S <b> 23).

Next, as shown in FIGS. 10C and 11, the block-shaped gel material 65 is pressed toward the shoe 20 by pulling the pressing thin film body 63 toward the other end surface 22 a of the shoe 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 (d), the holding thin film body 63 is fixed to the shoe 20, thereby forming a hemispherical elastic protrusion 62 (elastic protrusion forming step S24). Specifically, the peripheral edge portion 63 a of the pressing thin film body 63 is bonded to the other end surface 22 a of the facing portion 22 of the shoe 20. In this state, the elastic protruding portion 62 is urged toward the filling portion 61 by the tension of the pressing thin film body 63 so that both are brought into close contact with each other, and the filling portion 61 is urged toward the ultrasonic probe 10. The transmission / reception surface 10a and the filling portion 61 are in close contact with each other. And if adhesion | attachment of the pressing thin film body 63 is completed, the close_contact | adherence between the said structural members will be hold | maintained.
In this way, the ultrasonic probe device P2 is obtained. In the case of the present embodiment, the ultrasonic probe jig J2 is obtained simultaneously with the ultrasonic probe device P2.

As described above, according to the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2, the same effects as those of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 described above can be obtained.
Further, according to the method of manufacturing the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2, even if the block-shaped gel material 65 is used, the block-shaped gel material 65 is pressed by the pressing thin film body 63, so that the hemispherical elastic protrusion 62 can be easily obtained.
Further, the elastic projecting portion 62 and the filling portion 61 are brought into close contact with each other by the reaction force of the pressing thin film body 63, and the transmitting / receiving surface 10a of the ultrasonic probe 10 and the filling portion 61 are brought into close contact with each other. Ultrasonic waves can be satisfactorily transmitted between the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 and the pipe B.
Thus, a non-flowable gel material (65) having a simple shape can be used to form the elastic protrusion 62.

  Similarly to the above-described protective thin film body 33 (see FIG. 8), the holding thin film body 63 is made ultrasonic with respect to the pipe B by making the protective thin film body 33 have a smaller friction coefficient with respect to the pipe B. Sliding of the probe device P1 can be improved, and wear of the elastic protrusion 32 can be prevented.

  In the manufacturing method described above, the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into the one side opening 23a of the shoe 20 in the insertion step S21. However, instead of the ultrasonic probe 10, the second mold 50 is inserted. Also good.

“First Modification of Ultrasonic Probe Devices P1 and P2”
FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of an ultrasonic probe device P3 that is a first modification of the ultrasonic probe device P1 described above.
The ultrasonic probe device P3 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an ultrasonic probe jig J3. The ultrasonic probe jig J3 is the same as the ultrasonic probe jig J2 in that it has a shoe 20, but differs from the ultrasonic probe jig J2 in that it has a medium body 30A instead of the medium body 30. To do.

The medium body 30A has a filling portion 31A and an elastic protrusion 32.
The filling portion 31 </ b> A is formed so that the central side of the one end surface 31 a facing the transmission / reception surface 10 a of the ultrasonic probe 10 is raised (as going from the outer peripheral side toward the central side). According to this configuration, since the one end surface 31a of the filling portion 31A is formed so as to rise, when the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into the one-side opening 25b, the rise of the one end surface 31a is crushed, and one end surface 31 a is in close contact with the transmitting / receiving surface 10 a of the ultrasonic probe 10. Therefore, it is possible to satisfactorily transmit ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe 10 to the filling portion 31A.
Further, since the ultrasonic wave can be satisfactorily transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 to the filling portion 31, a contact medium (glycerin or the like) applied to the one end surface 31a of the filling portion 31A and the transmission / reception surface 10a of the ultrasonic probe 10 can be used. ) Can be omitted, and multiple echoes can be effectively prevented.

The raised one end surface 31a can be easily formed by making the tip surface 50a of the second mold body 50 concave as shown in FIG. 13, for example.
Also in the ultrasonic probe device P2, the one end surface can be easily raised by machining the one end surface of the filling portion 61 or the like.

“Second Modification of Ultrasonic Probe Devices P1 and P2”
FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of an ultrasonic probe device P4 which is a second modification of the ultrasonic probe device P1 described above.
As shown in FIG. 14, the ultrasonic probe device P4 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an ultrasonic probe jig J4. The ultrasonic probe jig J4 is the same as the ultrasonic probe jig J2 in that it includes the shoe 20 and the medium body 30, but between the filling portion 31 and the inner wall surface 23c of the through hole 23, the sound absorption is performed. It is different from the ultrasonic probe jig J2 in that the body 70 is provided.

  The sound absorber 70 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is affixed to the entire inner wall surface 23 c of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20. In the present embodiment, the sound absorber 70 is formed of Teflon (registered trademark), but may be formed of other materials (for example, cork or the like).

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent ultrasonic waves from wrapping around and scattering within the through-hole 23 of the shoe 20, so that similar echoes detected by an ultrasonic inspection apparatus (not shown) can be reduced.

The sound absorber 70 can be easily incorporated into the ultrasonic probe jig J4 by filling the through hole 23 with the medium material liquid L after adhering to the inner wall surface 23c of the through hole 23 of the shoe 20. It is.
Also, the ultrasonic probe device P2 can be easily incorporated by winding the sound absorber 70 around the outer periphery of the filling portion 61 and then filling the small diameter portion 23b.

“Third Modification of Ultrasonic Probe Devices P1 and P2”
FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of an ultrasonic probe apparatus P5 that is a third modification of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 described above, and FIG. 16 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P5.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the ultrasonic probe apparatus P5 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an ultrasonic probe jig J5. The ultrasonic probe jig J5 supports the ultrasonic probe 10 in a swingable manner with a point having a shoe jig main body 20A instead of the shoe 20, a point having a medium body 30B instead of the medium body 30, and the like. It differs from the ultrasonic probe jig J2 in that the support mechanism 80 is provided.

The shoe 20 </ b> A has a through hole 25 instead of the through hole 23 formed in the shoe 20.
The through-hole 25 has a one-side opening (opening) 25a whose diameter gradually decreases monotonously from one side in the thickness direction of the shoe 20A to the other side, and from one side in the thickness direction of the shoe 20A to the other side. It has a diameter-expanding portion 25b that gradually increases in diameter as it goes.
The one side opening 25a is formed such that the minimum diameter (on the side of the enlarged diameter portion 25b) is larger than that of the ultrasonic probe 10. The ultrasonic probe 10 supported by the support mechanism 80 is accommodated in the one side opening 25a with play.

The medium body 30B includes a filling portion 31B and an elastic protrusion 32.
The filling portion 31B is made of the same material (gel material) as the elastic projection portion 32, is filled in the enlarged diameter portion 25b of the shoe 20A, and slightly protrudes into the one side opening portion 25a. The probe 10 is in close contact with the transmitting / receiving surface 10a.

The support mechanism 80 includes a pair of pins 81 </ b> A and 81 </ b> B and a pair of free holes 82 </ b> A and 82 </ b> B that accommodate the pair of pins 81.
The pair of pins 81 </ b> A and 81 </ b> B are joined to the outer periphery of the ultrasonic probe 10 and extend in directions away from each other in the extending direction of the virtual center line Q (see FIG. 2).
The pair of free holes 82A and 82B are respectively provided on the inner wall surface 25c of the one side opening 25a of the shoe 20 at the positions facing each other in the extending direction of the virtual center line Q, and the outer diameters of the pins 81 (81A and 81B). Is formed with a larger inner diameter.
In the support mechanism 80, the pair of pins 81A and 81B can be displaced in the pair of free holes 82A and 82B, and the inner wall surface 25c of the one side opening 25a does not interfere with the displacement of the ultrasonic probe 10. Is set. Therefore, the support mechanism 80 supports the ultrasonic probe 10 so as to be able to swing.

  According to this configuration, since the support mechanism 80 capable of swinging the ultrasonic probe 10 is provided, the ultrasonic irradiation direction can be changed, and inspection at various refraction angles can be performed.

“Fourth Modification of Ultrasonic Probe Devices P1 and P2”
FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of an ultrasonic probe apparatus P6 that is a fourth modification of the ultrasonic probe apparatus P1 described above. In FIG. 17, the ultrasonic probe 10 is not shown.

As shown in FIG. 17, the ultrasonic probe apparatus P6 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an ultrasonic probe jig J6. The ultrasonic probe jig J6 is different from the ultrasonic probe jig J2 in that the ultrasonic probe jig J6 includes a left-right split type shoe (jig body) 20B instead of the shoe 20.
The shoe 20 </ b> B has an acoustic absorption wall 90 disposed in the extending direction of the hole axis of the through hole 23.
The acoustic absorption wall 90 is made of cork or Teflon (registered trademark), bisects the filling portion 31 in the through hole 23, and bisects the shoe 20 side of the elastic protrusion 32.
Also with this configuration, the same effect as that of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

Note that the acoustic absorption wall 90 can be easily incorporated into the ultrasonic probe jig J6 by filling the through hole 23 with the medium material liquid L after being disposed inside the through hole 23.
Further, the ultrasonic probe apparatus P2 can be easily assembled by dividing the filling portion 61 and the block-shaped gel material 65 and positioning the acoustic absorption wall 90 between the divided pieces.

Note that the operation procedure shown in the above-described embodiment, various shapes and combinations of the constituent members, and the like are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the ultrasonic inspection is performed on the pipe B, but the present invention may be applied to other inspection objects.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a phased array type ultrasonic probe apparatus. In this case, since the directivity of the beam from each element is wide, it is preferable that the medium body serving as the beam path is slightly enlarged in size.

10 ... Ultrasonic probe 20, 20A, 20B ... Shoe (jig body)
23, 25 ... through holes 23a, 25a ... one side opening (opening)
23c, 25c ... inner wall surfaces 30, 30A, 30B, 60 ... medium bodies 31, 31A, 31B, 61 ... filling part 31a ... one end face 32, 62 ... elastic protrusion 33 ... protective thin film body (thin film body)
40 ... 1st mold body 41b ... Recess 50, 50A ... 2nd mold body 63 ... Holding thin film body (thin film body)
70 ... Sound absorber 80 ... Support mechanism J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, J6 ... Ultrasonic probe jigs P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 ... Ultrasonic probe device B ... Pipe (subject to ultrasonic irradiation) )

Claims (9)

An ultrasonic probe jig to be attached to an ultrasonic probe of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus,
A jig body in which a through hole penetrating from one side to the other side in one direction is formed, and the ultrasonic probe is inserted into the opening on the one side of the through hole;
A filling portion filled in the through-hole and in close contact with the ultrasonic probe inserted into the through-hole , and provided outside the through-hole , continuous to the filling portion and from the jig body to the other A medium body that protrudes toward the side, has an elastic protrusion that can be in close contact with the ultrasonic irradiation target in an elastically deformed state, and transmits ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic irradiation target And comprising
The medium body is formed of a non-flowable material ,
The elastic protrusion is formed of a gel material,
The ultrasonic probe jig , wherein the filling portion is harder than the gel material and is formed of an easily workable material whose sound transmission speed approximates the gel material . The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 , wherein the filling portion is formed such that a center side of one end surface on the one side is raised to the one side. Ultrasonic fixture probe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a thin film member provided on a surface of the elastic protrusions. The ultrasonic probe jig according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a sound absorbing body provided between the filling portion and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. The ultrasonic wave according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a rotation support portion that supports the ultrasonic probe so as to be swingable with respect to the jig main body in the insertion hole. Probe jig. The ultrasonic probe jig according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
An ultrasonic probe device comprising: an ultrasonic probe inserted into an opening on one side of the through hole of the jig body. A method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe jig to be attached to an ultrasonic probe of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus,
An insertion step of inserting a closing body into the opening on the one side of the through hole penetrating from one side of the jig body to the other side in one direction;
A filling step of filling the other side of the through hole with a non-fluid filling portion that transmits ultrasonic waves so as to be in close contact with the obstruction inserted into the through hole;
A gel material disposing step of placing a gel material for transmitting ultrasonic waves on the other side of the through hole and outside the through hole ;
By pressing the gel material toward the jig body with a thin film body and fixing the thin film body, an elastic protrusion that is continuous with the filling portion and protrudes from the jig body to the other side is formed. an elastic protrusion forming step of, was closed,
The method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe jig , wherein the filling portion is harder than the gel material, and is formed of a workability material having a sound transmission speed similar to that of the gel material . The method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe jig according to claim 7 , wherein the closing body is a second mold body simulating the shape of the ultrasonic probe. The method for manufacturing a jig for an ultrasonic probe according to claim 7 , wherein the closing body is the ultrasonic probe.

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