JPH0933499A - Probe for ultrasonic inspection unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize automatic feeding of a contact medium by disposing a magnet around the transmitter/receiver of a probe body and attracting the part of a cap touching the transmitter/receiver to the magnet through a sponge impregnated with a contact medium. SOLUTION: A columnar magnet 5 is carried on a horizontal shaft 4 at the upper end of a yoke type holder 3 of a probe body 1. A transmitter/receiver 6 is supported on the upper surface of the magnet 5 in the center thereof. Sponges 15, 16 are set in a storing part 9 surrounded by the inner and outer tubular parts 11, 13 of a cap 2 and impregnated with a contact medium. An iron ring plate 17 is provided on the upper surface of a bottom plate 12 so that it is attracted to the magnet 5. When the cap 2 is applied, the transmitter/ receiver 6 enters slightly upward into a central hole 14 to touch the sponge 16 and the impregnated contact medium adheres to the transmitter/receiver 6. Consequently, the labor for applying the contact medium to the transmitter/ receiver 6 prior to test can be eliminated and the object can be protected against being applied with a large quantity of contact medium.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe of an ultrasonic inspection device and an ultrasonic flaw detector for inspecting rainwater intrusion into a pole switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a pole switch installed outdoors is deteriorated and its waterproof function is deteriorated, rainwater may infiltrate and collect inside, and if left unattended, a short circuit accident may occur. Therefore, in order to prevent accidents, we regularly inspect whether rainwater is accumulated inside the switch. As a method of this inspection, there is a risk of electric shock because it is at a high place. By pressing it, the depth of rainwater accumulated inside was measured. In this way, it is relatively safe without looking inside the switch,
It is possible to inspect the presence and amount of rainwater.

[0003]

However, when the probe of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus is pressed against the object to be inspected, it is necessary to eliminate the gap between the pressing surfaces to improve the transmission of ultrasonic waves. Therefore, a fluid having a relatively high viscosity, for example, oils such as glycerin and grease is usually applied to the contact surface of the probe as a contact medium. Workers who perform these operations must remove fluid from a container such as a tube and apply it to the probe at a high place near the switch and wearing high-pressure protective clothing, and workability is good. There wasn't. In addition, the probe may be accidentally dropped during these operations.

Therefore, in order to solve these problems, a device for automatically supplying a contact medium to the probe has been proposed under the trade name "Sony Court Auto Feeder System" (Nisgo Acetylene Co., Ltd.). However, in this device, since the couplant is continuously supplied to the probe during measurement, there is a problem that a large amount of the couplant remains on the inspection object after the inspection is completed, and the application is limited. Will be done. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to detect an ultrasonic inspection apparatus that can automatically supply an appropriate amount of couplant to a probe during inspection and is easy to handle. To provide a child.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention makes contact with a contact portion between a probe body having a magnet arranged around a transducer and an inner transducer. It is characterized in that it is constituted by a cap that holds a sponge impregnated with a medium and that is detachably attracted to a probe body by a magnet. When the present invention is used, when the cap is brought close to the probe main body, it is attracted and held by the magnet. Further, when the cap is attached to the main body, the sponge inside the cap comes into contact with the transducer, so that the contact medium impregnated in the sponge is attached to the transducer.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The illustrated example shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a probe of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus used for detecting rainwater in a pole switch, and FIG. 1 is a view showing a state in which a cap is removed from a main body. 2 is a plan view of the cap, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cap, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main body, and FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the cap is attached to the main body. In the figure, 1
Is a probe main body, and 2 is a cap. In the probe main body 1, a cylindrical magnet portion 5 is pivotally supported by a horizontal shaft 4 on the upper end of a holder portion 3 formed in a yoke shape.
The wave transmitter / receiver 6 is supported at the center of the upper surface of the magnet unit 5.

Since the upper portion of the magnet portion 5 is pivotally supported above the center of gravity, the magnet portion 5 is held in the vertical direction, and the transducer 6 is always kept in the upward posture. A rod or the like (not shown) is fitted to the lower portion of the holder portion 3. Reference numeral 7 in the figure denotes a signal cable connected to the wave transmitter / receiver 6. The cap 2 includes a fitting portion 8 that covers the side surface of the magnet portion 5 from the front and the back, and a storage portion 9 for the couplant. The storage part 9 is formed integrally with the fitting part 8 and has an inner cylinder part 11 having a bottom plate 12 and an outer cylinder part 13 having a top plate.
Are fitted by the screw portion 10.

At the center of the bottom plate 12 of the inner cylindrical portion 11, a hole 14 which is slightly larger than the transducer 6 is formed, and the transducer 6
It is possible to pass above. The storage portion 9 formed by the space surrounded by the inner tubular portion 11 and the outer tubular portion 13 is
Circularly cut sponges 15 and 16 are housed, and the sponge 15 and 16 are impregnated with the contact medium. A ring-shaped iron plate 17 is placed on the outer side of the upper surface of the bottom plate 12. This is because the inner tubular portion 11 and the outer tubular portion 13 forming the cap 2 are made of polyacetal, which is a non-magnetic material, for weight reduction.
The iron plate 17 attracts the magnet portion 5. In addition, 18 in the figure is a packing for sealing the upper end of the inner tubular portion 11 and the top plate of the outer tubular portion 13.

The probe main body 1 and the cap 2 formed in this way are, as shown in FIG.
By covering the probe body 1 with the, the transducer 6 can be protected from damage and dirt. At this time, the cap 2 is attracted to and held by the magnet portion 5 of the probe main body 1, so that the cap 2 can be easily attached and detached. Further, when the cap 2 is covered, the wave transmitter / receiver 6 slightly goes up from the hole 14 at the center of the bottom plate 12 and comes into contact with the sponge 16. As a result, the contact medium impregnated in the sponge 16 is attached to the surface of the transducer 6. The replenishment of the contact medium is performed by removing the outer cylinder portion 13 fitted with the screw portion 10 from the inner cylinder portion 11 and injecting the contact medium into the sponges 15 and 16.

Next, when inspecting rainwater intrusion into the pole switch using this probe, the cap 2 is removed from the probe body 1. At this time, since the contact medium adheres to the surface of the wave transmitter / receiver 6, the contact surface of the wave transmitter / receiver 6 and the switch to be inspected are pressed by directly pressing the contact medium onto the bottom surface of the switch to be inspected. The bottom is in close contact. Thereby,
The ultrasonic waves are efficiently transmitted to the bottom surface of the switch, and the reflected waves from the inside also efficiently return to the transducer 6.

As described above, in the probe of the embodiment, an appropriate amount of the contact medium is attached to the transducer 6 every time the cap 2 is attached or detached, and therefore, the operation of manually applying the contact medium every inspection is performed. Is released from. Further, since the amount of the contact medium adhered is small, a large amount of the contact medium does not remain adhered to the inspection object after the inspection as in the conventional automatic coating device. The present invention can be applied to a probe that requires a contact medium such as a probe of an ultrasonic flaw detector, in addition to the rainwater detection inside the pole switch.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the cap is attracted to the probe main body by the magnet,
Easy to put on and take off the cap. Further, by impregnating the sponge in the cap with the contact medium, the contact medium is attached to the surface of the transducer while the cap is covered. As a result, it is possible to save the trouble of applying the couplant to the surface of the transducer before the inspection, and to eliminate a large amount of the couplant adhered to and left on the inspection target.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a cap is removed from a main body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a plan view of the cap of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cap of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main body of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a cap is attached to the main body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Probe Main Body 2 Cap 3 Holder Part 4 Horizontal Axis 5 Magnet Part 6 Transducer 7 Cable 8 Fitting Part 9 Storage Part 11 Inner Tube Part 12 Bottom Plate 13 Outer Tube Part 14 Holes 15, 16 Sponge 17 Iron Plate 18 Packing

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A probe main body in which a magnet is arranged around the transducer, and a sponge impregnated with a contact medium is held at an abutting part of the inside of the transducer and the probe main body. A probe of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising a cap that is detachably attached by a magnet, and a cap.