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:
Oct. 23, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 17, 2012
Robert Hickling, Huntington Woods, MI (US);
Robert Hickling, Huntington Woods, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
Method and apparatus for vibrometry, gauging, condition monitoring and feedback control of robots, using one or more ultrasonic probes () that are non-contact and form a focused beam. The ultrasonic probe is driven by a pulser-receiver () controlled by a computer. The probe has a substantially spherical transducer surface () that forms the focused beam within a gas or a liquid. The curvature of the transducer surface determines the focal length () and the extent of the focal region () of the beam. For greatest lateral accuracy, measurements are made within the focal length, where beam is narrowest. Diameter () of the probe determines the size of the beam, which can be chosen to satisfy a particular application. The focused beam has acoustic depth of field (), which is the furthest distance from the probe to a surface () that can return a measurable echo to a pulse emitted by the probe.