SCARA structured coordinate measuring machine with belt drive guided probe head

• US 10,175,035 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Jordil, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, R. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Courson, Tania
• Application Number:
  US15/227,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 33502-503, 33550-551, 33553-554, 33556-557, 33560
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0019 End effectors other than grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1035 Pinion and fixed rack drivers, e.g. for rotating an upper arm support on the robot base
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/104 with cables, chains or ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/126 Rotary actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1615 characterised by special kind of manipulator, e.g. planar, scara, gantry, cantilever, space, closed chain, passive/active joints and tendon driven manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/21 Flaccid drive element

Abstract

The invention relates to a coordinate-measuring machine for determining at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point on a measuring object, comprising a base, a carrier comprising at least one carrier segment, a proximal end of the carrier being mounted pivotably about a base axis in the base, a measuring probe being arranged on a distal end of the carrier, and an angle measuring system for determining pivot angles of the at least one carrier segment, and/or rotation angles of the measuring probe, wherein at least one belt drive comprising a base pulley being arranged in the base, at least one follower pulley being arranged on at least one carrier segment, and at least one belt binding the rotatory behavior of said pulleys.

Claims

1. A coordinate-measuring machine having a Selective Compliance Robot Arm (SCARA)-structure, configured for determining at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point on a measuring object, coordinate-measuring machine comprising:

a base;

a carrier comprising more than one carrier segment, which are horizontally pivotable relative to each other about vertical segment axes, a proximal end of the carrier being mounted pivotably about a vertical base axis in the base;

a measuring probe being arranged on a distal end of the carrier;

an angle measuring system for determining;

pivot angles of the carrier segments,

at least one belt drive comprising;

a base pulley being arranged in the base, wherein the axis of the base pulley coincides with the base axis,

at least one follower pulley being arranged on at least one of the carrier segments, wherein one follower pulley is fixedly connected to one of the carrier segments,

at least one belt binding the rotatory behaviour of the base pulley and the at least one follower pulley,

at least one motor arranged in the base and driving the base pulley for a controlled positioning of the measuring probe or one of the carrier segments, and

a control unit for controlling the motor.

2. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the measuring probe being fixedly connected with a follower pulley arranged on the distal end of the carrier, wherein the measuring probe is rotatably mounted in the distal end of the carrier.

3. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the at least one follower pulley is rotatably mounted in the distal end of the carrier.

4. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the base pulley being a fixed base pulley which is fixed and prevented from rotating, and

the at least one follower pulley being a rotatable follower pulley which is rotatable relative to the carrier segment it is arranged on.

5. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the base pulley being a driven base pulley which is driven by one of the at least one motor.

6. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one follower pulley being a rotatable follower pulley which is rotatable relative to the carrier segment it is arranged on.

7. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one follower pulley being a fixed follower pulley which is fixedly attached to the carrier segment it is arranged on.

8. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the at least one belt being wrapped around one of the at least one base pulley and at least one follower pulley and thereby binding the rotatory behaviour of the base pulley and the at least one follower pulley.

9. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the at least one belt being wrapped around at least two follower pulleys and thereby binding the rotatory behaviour of the at least two follower pulleys.

10. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the carrier is vertically adjustable by a lift positioned in the base.

11. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the at least one follower pulley is mounted on one of the carrier segments such that the axis of the follower pulley coincides with a segment axis.

12. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the at least one follower pulley having an axis angled by 90 degrees relative to the axis of a pulley it is bound to via one of the at least one belt.

13. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the measuring probe is vertically adjustable by one of the at least one belt drive, wherein the axis of a distal follower pulley is angled relative to the base pulley, and wherein the distal follower pulley has a pinion driving a gear rack, to which the measuring probe is attached.

14. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the measuring probe is vertically adjustable by one of the at least one belt drive, wherein the axis of a distal follower pulley is angled 90 degrees relative to the base pulley, and wherein the distal follower pulley has a pinion driving a gear rack, to which the measuring probe is attached.

15. The coordinate-measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the measuring probe is vertically adjustable by one of the at least one belt drive comprising at least two follower pulleys, that are entangled by a distal belt and the axes of which are angled relative to the base pulley, wherein the measuring probe is linked to the distal belt, which therewith provides and up and down movement.

16. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the measuring probe is vertically adjustable by one of the at least one belt drive comprising at least two follower pulleys, that are entangled by a distal belt and the axes of which are angled by 90 degrees relative to the base pulley, wherein the measuring probe is linked to the distal belt, which therewith provides and up and down movement.

17. The coordinate measuring machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the measuring probe being mounted on a holder such that it is pivotable about a horizontal axis by a belt drive comprising at least two follower pulleys, the axes of which are angled

relative to each other, and

relative to the base pulley.