High temperature ultrasonic transducer device

Claim 1

A hard faced contact ultrasound transducer device for transmitting ultrasound pulses into a workstructure at temperatures substantially above room temperature comprising: a ceramic protection block having inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface being configured to contact the workstructure, a piezoelectric element having a front side and a back side, the front side being bonded to the inner surface of the protecting block, a damping substrate having front and back sides, the front side being adjacent the back side of the piezoelectric element, a ceramic clamping block having a contact face for being positioned facing the back side of the damping substrate and standoff portions that limit the approach of the clamping block toward the ceramic protecting block, fastener means to draw the clamping block toward the protecting block forcing the damping substrate against the piezoelectric element and the protecting block, whereby the piezoelectric element is mechanically held against the protecting block.