Deborah E Hopkins

US Patent:

20080271537, Nov 6, 2008

Filed:

May 1, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/742852

Inventors:

James Panyard - Livonia MI, US
Timothy Potter - Dearborn MI, US
William Charron - Rochester Hills MI, US
Deborah Lynne Hopkins - Berkeley CA, US
Frederic Reverdy - Paris, FR

Assignee:

FORD MOTOR COMPANY - Dearborn MI
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - Oakland CA

International Classification:

G01N 29/04

US Classification:

73629

Abstract:

A system for ultrasonic profiling of a weld sample includes a carriage movable in opposite first and second directions. An ultrasonic sensor is coupled to the carriage to move over the sample as the carriage moves. An encoder determines the position of the carriage to determine the position of the sensor. A spring is connected at one end of the carriage. Upon the carriage being moved in the first direction toward the spring such that the carriage and the sensor are at a beginning position and the spring is compressed the spring decompresses to push the carriage back along the second direction to move the carriage and the sensor from the beginning position to an ending position. The encoder triggers the sensor to take the ultrasonic measurements of the sample when the sensor is at predetermined positions while the sensor moves over the sample between the beginning and positions.