Patent ID: 7197933

Claim:
A sensor carrier for an elongated welding electrode ( 31 ) having at least one oscillating element ( 32 ) that introduces ultrasonic waves into an area to be examined, or both introduces ultrasonic waves into the area to be examined and receives ultrasonic waves coming from the area to be examined via the welding electrode, whereby the oscillating element ( 32 ) is located at or in a hollow oscillator carrier ( 33 ) outside of the welding electrode ( 31 ), wherein the oscillator carrier ( 33 ) has connecting means ( 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ) for connection with the welding electrode ( 31 ), wherein the oscillator carrier ( 33 ) is configured as a carrier which is elongated in a longitudinal direction corresponding to an elongation of the welding electrode ( 31 ), and is annular and has a cylindrical portion which carries the oscillating element ( 32 ) and a conical portion which extends from the cylinder portion and has an outer diameter reducing in the longitudinal direction, such that an inner diameter of the oscillator carrier approximately corresponds to an outer diameter of the welding electrode ( 31 ) thereby enabling the oscillator carrier ( 33 ) to be slid, onto the shaft of the welding electrode ( 31 ) and to be removed readily from the shaft of the welding electrode and wherein the cylindrical portion of the oscillator carrier ( 33 ) has an axial top end face facing away from the conical portion, and wherein the oscillating element ( 32 ) is arranged on the axial top end face of the cylindrical portion of the oscillator carrier( 33 ).