Patent ID: 7798003

Claim:
A probe arrangement ( 14 , 16 ) for coupling ultrasonic signals to a component ( 12 ) to be inspected by the water open jet technique, with a probe ( 24 , 124 ) located in a flow space ( 36 , 136 ) of a jet nozzle ( 26 , 126 ), having a multiplicity of ultrasonic transmitting and/or receiving elements ( 25 , 125 ) and at least one liquid inlet ( 28 , 128 ) as well as at least one liquid outlet ( 30 , 130 ), where at least two preliminary or filter chambers (FK 1 , FK 2 , FK 3 ) are situated upstream of the flow space ( 36 , 136 ), where each preliminary or filter chamber (FK 1 , FK 2 , FK 3 ) has a downstream dividing wall (TW 1 , TW 2 , TW 3 ) having flow channels (SK 1 , SK 2 , SK 3 ), said dividing wall (TW 1 , TW 2 , TW 3 ) running perpendicular to the direction of flow, where at least two of the transmitting and/or receiving elements ( 25 , 125 ) are assigned to a single liquid jet ( 32 ) and where the at least two ultrasonic signals can be coupled to the component ( 12 ) by the single liquid jet ( 32 ), characterized in that for the formation of a laminar liquid flow within the flow space ( 36 , 136 ), the number of flow channels (SK 1 , SK 2 , SK 3 ) in the dividing walls (TW 1 , TW 2 , TW 3 ) increases in the direction of flow and in that the diameter of the flow channels (SK 1 , SK 2 , SK 3 ) in the dividing walls (TW 1 , TW 2 , TW 3 ) decreases in the direction of flow, in that the at least two ultrasonic signals already within the flow space ( 36 , 136 ) can be directly coupled into a single laminar liquid flow and in that the ultrasonic transmitting and/or receiving elements ( 25 , 125 ) are adjustable in their phase relationships by a control unit for varying an acoustic radiation direction and/or focusing zone (phased array).