Patent ID: 8270254

Claim:
A phased array ultrasonic contact transducer, said transducer comprising: a set of elements that are rigidly integral with each other, at least part of the elements serving as ultrasound transmitters, and a wedge having a front face, designed to be in contact with the surface of an object to be monitored, and a rear face that is opposite the front face and with which the set of elements is made integral, this transducer being characterized in that at least the front face of the wedge is flexible to be able to be applied against the surface of the object, and in that the transducer also comprises a profilometer to measure variations of the object's surface and supply signals representative of those variations, in order to allow the ultrasound transmitters to create a focused ultrasonic beam, the characteristics of which are controlled relative to the object, the transducer further comprises a rigid portion with which the profilometer is made rigidly integral, wherein the profilometer includes: mechanical elements, each mechanical element comprising a portion that is mobile in relation to the rigid portion of the transducer and comprises first and second ends, the first end of the mobile portion being capable of pressing the front face of the wedge against the surface of the object, and measuring means to measure the distance of the second end of each of the mobile portions in relation to the rigid portion of the transducer, these measuring means being capable of providing signals representative of the distances thus measured.