Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine
First Claim
1. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) comprising:
- a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, the first end including a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end including a base;
wherein at least one of the rotary joints includes;
first and second bearings;
a shaft including a middle portion made of a material having a strength to weight ratio higher than steel and first and second discrete end portions fastened to be fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion, the first and second end portions being concentric to within one tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0001″
), the first end portion engages an inner diameter of the first bearing and the second end portion engages an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing;
a housing including a middle portion made of a material having a strength to weight ratio higher than steel and first and second discrete housing ends fastened to be fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion, the first housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the first bearing and the second housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the second bearing, the first and second housing ends being concentric to within five tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0005″
),wherein the first and second bearings are preloaded to remove play; and
at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including arm segments and rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes a shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of at least one of the rotary joints. The shaft includes a middle portion and first and second end portions fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion. At least one of the rotary joints includes first and second housing ends, the first housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the first bearing and the second housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the second bearing. The first and second bearings are preloaded to remove play.
59 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) comprising:
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a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, the first end including a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end including a base; wherein at least one of the rotary joints includes; first and second bearings; a shaft including a middle portion made of a material having a strength to weight ratio higher than steel and first and second discrete end portions fastened to be fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion, the first and second end portions being concentric to within one tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0001″
), the first end portion engages an inner diameter of the first bearing and the second end portion engages an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing;a housing including a middle portion made of a material having a strength to weight ratio higher than steel and first and second discrete housing ends fastened to be fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion, the first housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the first bearing and the second housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the second bearing, the first and second housing ends being concentric to within five tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0005″
),wherein the first and second bearings are preloaded to remove play; and at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) comprising:
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a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, the first end including a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end including a base; wherein at least one of the rotary joints includes; first and second bearings; a shaft including a middle portion made of a material having a strength to weight ratio higher than steel and first and second discrete end portions bonded to be fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion, the first and second end portions being concentric to within one tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0001″
), the first end portion engages an inner diameter of the first bearing and the second end portion engages an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing;a housing having at least one port that engages at least one of an outer diameter of the first bearing and an outer diameter of the second bearing, wherein the first and second bearings are preloaded to remove play; at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) comprising:
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a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, the first end including a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end including a base; wherein at least one of the rotary joints includes; first and second bearings; a shaft including a middle portion made of a material having a strength to weight ratio higher than steel and first and second discrete end portions fastened to be fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion, the shaft engages an inner diameter of the first bearing and an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing; first and second housing ends, the first housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the first bearing and the second housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the second bearing, the first and second housing ends being concentric to within five tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0005″
),wherein the first and second bearings are preloaded to remove play; and at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification