Patent ID: 8273027

Claim:
An ultrasonic probe, comprising: a container main body member having a front surface and back surface; a probe main body extending from the front surface of the container main body, the probe main body including a flat shaped piezoelectric element group having a plurality of strip shaped piezoelectric elements arranged along a major axis direction formed and housed within the container main body, wherein said probe main body is configured and adapted to be mechanically scanned in a minor axis direction substantially orthogonal to said major axis direction; a first endless belt having a toothed section on one surface thereof configured and adapted to linearly reciprocate and mechanically scan said probe main body along said minor axis direction; a drive source configured and adapted to drive said first endless belt, said drive source including: an electric motor capable of forward and reverse rotation; a driving pulley engaged with an output shaft of said electric motor; a second endless belt connected to said driving pulley; a driven pulley coupled to said second endless belt such that rotational movement of said driving pulley causes rotational movement of said driven pulley via said second endless belt; and a timing pulley connected to said driven pulley; and a pair of linear guides provided in a row arrangement with a predetermined space therebetween along said major axis direction on said front side surface of said container main body whereby said probe main body is guided by said linear guides while reciprocating along said minor axis direction wherein said toothed section of said first endless belt is meshed with a corresponding toothed section of said timing pulley whereby said timing pulley is connected to said drive source for reciprocating said first endless belt and said probe main body along the minor axis direction; wherein the drive source is positioned on the back surface of the container main body, and the first and second endless belts are positioned in parallel along the front and back surfaces of the container main body, respectively.