Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine with enhanced precision joints
First Claim
1. A 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 that 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;
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; 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, whereinthe at least one port of the housing has no portion whose diameter is narrower than the outer diameter of the first bearing or the outer diameter of the second bearing,the port has a first end that has an inner diameter that engages the outer diameter of the first bearing and a second end that has an inner diameter that engages the outer diameter of the second bearing, the inner diameters of the first end and the second end are concentric to within five tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0005″
).
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes bearings; a shaft that engages an inner diameter of the bearings, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the bearings; a housing having at least one port that engages an outer diameter of at least one of the bearings; 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. The shaft has two ends, the two ends may be concentric to within one tenth of thousands of an inch (0.0001″), or the at least one port of the housing may have no portion whose diameter is narrower than the outer diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing.
49 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A 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 that 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; 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; 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, wherein the at least one port of the housing has no portion whose diameter is narrower than the outer diameter of the first bearing or the outer diameter of the second bearing, the port has a first end that has an inner diameter that engages the outer diameter of the first bearing and a second end that has an inner diameter that engages the outer diameter of the second bearing, the inner diameters of the first end and the second end are concentric to within five tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0005″
). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A 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 that 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; a housing that engages at least one of an outer diameter of the first bearing and an outer diameter of the second bearing; 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, wherein the housing has a first housing end that has an inner diameter that engages the outer diameter of the first bearing and a second housing end that has an inner diameter that engages the outer diameter of the second bearing, the inner diameters of the first housing end and the second housing end are concentric to within five tenth of one thousands of an inch (0.0005″
). - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A 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 that 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; 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; 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, wherein the shaft has two ends, the two ends including a first end that engages the inner diameter of the first bearing and a second end that engages the inner diameter of the second bearing, the two ends are concentric to within one tenth of thousands of an inch (0.0001″
). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification