The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 28, 2019
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2016
General Electric Technology Gmbh, Baden, CH;
Jacques Brignac, Simsbury, CT (US);
Robert Lucas, Southbury, CT (US);
Gerald Hendrix, Simsbury, CT (US);
Reginald Harrison, Springfield, MA (US);
GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH, Baden, CH;
Abstract
An apparatus for determining the integrity of a tube is provided. The apparatus includes: a body having an extension mechanism and configured to be inserted into the tube; and a flexible eddy current sensor including a flexible housing coupled to the body via the extension mechanism, and one or more coils disposed in the flexible housing. The flexible housing is selectively extendable via the extension mechanism between a first position and a second position. The one or more coils are farther away from the body when the flexible housing is in the second position than when the flexible housing is in the first position. The one or more coils electrically couple with an interior surface of the tube when the flexible housing is in the second position, and the flexible eddy current sensor is operative to selectively induce electrical currents within the tube via the one or more coils.