Eddy current probe and method of manufacture thereof

1. An eddy current probe comprising:

a plurality of deformable substrates each having a pair of coils wound thereabout in spaced relation; and

a housing supporting said plurality of substrates adjacent to each other with each substrate compressed in a direction laterally to the axis of the pair of coils wound thereabout.

2. The probe of claim 1 , wherein at least one of each substrate and the housing is non-magnetic and non-conductive.

3. The probe of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing is cylindrically shaped; and

the plurality of substrates is supported by the cylindrically shaped housing on or adjacent a circumference thereof.

4. The probe of claim 3 , wherein:

the cylindrically shaped housing includes a ring shaped slot adjacent an end thereof; and

each substrate is positioned in the ring shaped slot.

5. The probe of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of substrates lie on and to one side of an imaginary plane that intersects the cylindrically shaped housing laterally to an axis thereof.

6. The probe of claim 1 , further including a non-magnetic cover surrounding the housing and the plurality of compressed substrates supported thereby.

7. The probe of claim 1 , wherein each coil is wound around its substrate a plurality of times.

8. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the pair of coils is received in a pair of spaced slots in the substrate.

9. A method of assembling an eddy current probe comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of ring shaped flexible substrates, with each of the substrates having on or adjacent a circumference thereof a pair of wires wound there around in spaced relation;

(b) providing a housing;

(c) compressing each ring shaped flexible substrate transverse to an axis thereof; and

(d) installing each compressed ring shaped flexible substrate on the housing such that the compressed flexible substrate remains in a compressed state on the housing.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the housing is configured to retain each ring shaped flexible substrate in its compressed state.

11. The method of claim 9 , further including inserting the housing having the compressed flexible substrates installed thereon in an enclosure.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of:

the housing is formed from a first material that is non-magnetic and non-conductive;

each substrate is formed from a second material that is non-magnetic and non-conductive; and

the enclosure is formed from a third material that is non-magnetic.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein each wire is wound a plurality of times around its substrate.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein each wire is received in a slot formed in the substrate.

15. An eddy current probe comprising:

a cylindrical housing defining a longitudinal axis; and

plural pairs of spaced coaxial coils supported by the housing with the axis of each pair of coils positioned spaced from the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing and parallel to a tangent to the cylindrical housing, wherein; each pair of coils is supported by the housing via a non-circular substrate; and each substrate is formed of an elastic material that is deformed to the non-circular shape for supporting the pair of coils on the housing.

16. The probe of claim 15 , wherein the axis of each pair of coils is positioned either parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing.

17. The probe of claim 15 , wherein each pair of coils is non-circular around its axis.

18. The probe of claim 15 , further comprising an enclosure in which the housing, the plural pairs of coils and their substrates are received.