Ultrasonic method and apparatus for detecting leaks

Claim 1

An apparatus for inspecting an automotive vehicle body for leaks comprising; a first transducer comprising an ultrasonic emitter, means for driving the emitter to sweep the emitted energy through a frequency range having a center frequency above about 65 kHz, a second transducer comprising an ultrasonic receiver responsive to the emitted energy, robot means for scanning one of the transducers along a predetermined path outside the body to define a moving inspection zone, the other transducer inside the body so that the ultrasonic energy is received by the receiver at a low level if no leak is present in the inspection zone and if the inspection zone is moved to a leak location an increase in received energy is detected, and a computer coupled to the robot and to the receiver programmed to respond to the detection of a leak and identify the location of the leak.

Claim 2

An apparatus for inspecting an automotive vehicle body for leaks comprising; a first transducer comprising an ultrasonic emitter, means for driving the emitter to sweep the emitted energy through a frequency range having a center frequency above about 65 kHz, a second transducer comprising an ultrasonic receiver responsive to the emitted energy, robot means for scanning one of the transducers along a predetermined path outside the body to define a moving inspection zone, the other transducer inside the body so that the ultrasonic energy is received by the receiver at a low level if no leak is present in the inspection zone and if the inspection zone is moved to a leak location an increase in received energy is detected, and a computer coupled to the robot and to the receiver programmed to respond to the detection of a leak and identify the location of the leak.

Claim 3

An apparatus for inspecting an automotive vehicle body for leaks comprising; a first transducer comprising an ultrasonic emitter, means for driving the emitter to repeatedly sweep the emitted energy through a frequency range of about 6 kHz and having a center frequency between about 65 and 80 kHz, a second transducer comprising an ultrasonic receiver responsive to the emitted energy, robot means for scanning one of the transducers along a predetermined path outside the body at a scan rate of less than 18 inches per second to define a moving inspection zone, the other transducer inside the body so that the ultrasonic energy is received by the receiver at a low level if no leak is present in the inspection zone but if the inspection zone is moved to a leak location an increase in received energy is detected, and a computer coupled to the robot and to the receiver programmed to respond to the detection of a leak and identify the location of the leak.

Claim 4

An apparatus for inspecting an automotive vehicle body for leaks comprising; a first transducer comprising an ultrasonic emitter, means for driving the emitter to repeatedly sweep the emitted energy through a frequency range of about 6 kHz and having a center frequency between about 65 and 80 kHz, a second transducer comprising an ultrasonic receiver responsive to the emitted energy, robot means for scanning one of the transducers along a predetermined path outside the body at a scan rate of less than 18 inches per second to define a moving inspection zone, the other transducer inside the body so that the ultrasonic energy is received by the receiver at a low level if no leak is present in the inspection zone but if the inspection zone is moved to a leak location an increase in received energy is detected, and a computer coupled to the robot and to the receiver programmed to respond to the detection of a leak and identify the location of the leak.

Claim 6

An apparatus for inspecting an automotive vehicle body for leaks comprising; a set of ultrasonic emitters outside the body, means for driving the emitters to sweep the emitted energy through a frequency range having a center frequency above about 65 kHz, each emitter being operated in a different frequency band, a plurality of robots each for scanning one of the emitters along a predetermined path outside the body to define moving inspection zones, a plurality of ultrasonic receivers each responsive to one of the emitter frequency bands and located inside the body so that the ultrasonic energy is received by a receiver at a low level if no leak is encompassed by any inspection zone but if an inspection zone is moved to a leak location an increase in received energy occurs, and a computer coupled to the robots and to the receivers programmed to respond to the detection of a leak, to identify the receiver of the increased energy, and to identify the location of the leak.

Claim 7

An apparatus for inspecting an automotive vehicle body for leaks comprising; a set of ultrasonic emitters outside the body, means for driving the emitters to sweep the emitted energy through a frequency range having a center frequency above about 65 kHz, each emitter being operated in a different frequency band, a plurality of robots each for scanning one of the emitters along a predetermined path outside the body to define moving inspection zones, a plurality of ultrasonic receivers each responsive to one of the emitter frequency bands and located inside the body so that the ultrasonic energy is received by a receiver at a low level if no leak is encompassed by any inspection zone but if an inspection zone is moved to a leak location an increase in received energy occurs, and a computer coupled to the robots and to the receivers programmed to respond to the detection of a leak, to identify the receiver of the increased energy, and to identify the location of the leak.

Claim 8

The method of detecting leaks in a vehicle body having seals for closing air paths between the inside and outside of the body, comprising the steps of; irradiating the seals on either side of the body with ultrasonic energy having a frequency above about 65 kHz, repetitively sweeping the ultrasonic energy through a frequency range, sensing the energy passed through the body whereby the sensed energy is low in the absence of a leak and measurably higher in the presence of a leak, determining the location of a leak as well as the presence of a leak by limiting one of the irradiating action and the sensing action to a local region, moving the local region along the seal, and correlating the time of sensing high energy to a leak location.

Claim 9

The method of detecting leaks in a vehicle body having seals for closing air paths between the inside and outside of the body, comprising the steps of; irradiating the seals on either side of the body with ultrasonic energy having a frequency above about 65 kHz, repetitively sweeping the ultrasonic energy through a frequency range, sensing the energy passed through the body whereby the sensed energy is low in the absence of a leak and measurably higher in the presence of a leak, determining the location of a leak as well as the presence of a leak by limiting one of the irradiating action and the sensing action to a local region, moving the local region along the seal, and correlating the time of sensing high energy to a leak location.

Claim 10

The method of detecting leaks in a vehicle body having seals in potential leakage paths between the inside and outside of the body, comprising the steps of; irradiating seals inside the body with ultrasonic energy having a frequency above about 65 kHz, repetitively sweeping the ultrasonic energy through a frequency range on the order of 6 kHz bandwidth, sensing the energy passed through the body in a localized inspection zone whereby the sensed energy is low in the absence of a leak and measurably higher in the presence of a leak, and determining the location of a leak as well as the presence of a leak by moving the inspection zone along the seal, and correlating the detection of high energy to a leak location.

Claim 11

The method of detecting leaks in a vehicle body having seals in potential leakage paths between the inside and outside of the body, comprising the steps of; irradiating seals inside the body with ultrasonic energy having a frequency above about 65 kHz, repetitively sweeping the ultrasonic energy through a frequency range on the order of 6 kHz bandwidth, sensing the energy passed through the body in a localized inspection zone whereby the sensed energy is low in the absence of a leak and measurably higher in the presence of a leak, and determining the location of a leak as well as the presence of a leak by moving the inspection zone along the seal, and correlating the detection of high energy to a leak location.