Surface texture measuring instrument

• US 20070295100A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Igasaki, Shiro, Yamagata, Masaoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/818
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/008 Arrangements for controlling the measuring force
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/28 for measuring contours or curvatures

Abstract

A surface texture measuring instrument includes a force sensor (1), an actuator (11) and a detector (12). The surface texture measuring instrument further includes: a scanning controller (54) that collects a detection signal from the force sensor (1) and drives the actuator such that the detecting signal coincides with a target measurement value; a touch signal generator (51) that generates a touch signal when the detection signal from the force sensor (1) coincides with the target measurement value; and a measurement value collecting unit (55) that collects a measurement value from a counter (26) at a predetermined time interval in a state where a fluctuation range of the detection signal from the force sensor (1) is within a preset range when a scanning controller is in operation, the latch counter (52) collecting a measurement value from a latch counter (52) each time the touch signal is generated in a state where the detection signal from the force sensor (1) oscillates and an amplitude exceeds the preset range.

Claims

1. A surface texture measuring instrument, comprising:

a measuring portion including a stylus having a contact portion that contacts a surface of a workpiece and a measuring force detecting unit that detects a measuring force when the contact portion contacts the surface of the workpiece;

a relative movement unit that relatively moves the measuring portion and the workpiece;

a position detecting unit that outputs as measuring point information a measuring point on which the workpiece is measured by the measuring portion, the measuring point information from the position detecting unit being collected while the relative movement unit is driven with the contact portion of the stylus contacting the surface of the workpiece, a surface texture of the workpiece being measured from the measuring point information,

a scanning controller that collects a detection measuring force from the measuring portion and drives the relative movement unit such that the detection measuring force substantially coincides with a target measuring force;

a touch signal generating unit that collects the detection measuring force from the measuring portion and generates a touch signal when the detection measuring force coincides with a contact measuring force; and

a measurement value collecting unit that collects the measuring point information from the position detecting unit based on a predetermined condition when a fluctuation range of the detection measuring force from the measuring potion is within a preset certain range, the measurement value collecting unit collecting the measuring point information from the position detecting unit each time the touch signal is generated from the touch signal generating unit when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion oscillates and an oscillation range exceeds a preset certain range, when the scanning controller is in operation.

6. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein

the scanning controller includes a processing unit that computes a deviation between the detection measuring force from the measuring portion and the target measuring force and outputs the deviation;

and a gain adjusting unit that amplifies an output signal from the processing unit and gives the output signal to the relative movement unit, and

the setting gain of the gain adjusting unit is adjustable such that the detection measuring force from the measuring portion oscillates.

8. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein

the relative moving unit includes:

a fine feeding mechanism which finely moves the measuring section; and

a coarse feed mechanism which moves the fine feeding mechanism and the measuring section more coarsely than the fine feeding mechanism,

the scanning controller includes the processing unit that computes the deviation between the detection measuring force from the measuring portion and the target measuring force and outputs the deviation; and

the gain adjusting unit that amplifies an output signal from the processing unit and gives the output signal to the fine feeding mechanism, and

the setting gain of the gain adjusting unit is adjustable such that the detection measuring force from the measuring portion oscillates.

13. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein

the touch signal generating unit generates a touch signal when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion passes the contact measuring force from a value higher than the contact measuring force and when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion passes the contact measuring force from a value lower than the contact measuring force.

16. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring portion includes:

an oscillation element that oscillates the stylus; and

a detection element that detects an oscillation of the stylus and outputs a detection signal.

2. A surface texture measuring instrument, comprising:

a measuring portion including a stylus having a contact portion that contacts a surface of a workpiece and a measuring force detecting unit that detects a measuring force when the contact portion contacts the surface of the workpiece;

a relative movement unit that relatively moves the measuring portion and the workpiece;

a position detecting unit that outputs as measuring point information a measuring point on which the workpiece is measured by the measuring portion, the measuring point information from the position detecting unit being collected while the relative movement unit is driven with the contact portion of the stylus contacting the surface of the workpiece, a surface texture of the workpiece being measured from the measuring point information,

a scanning controller that collects a detection measuring force from the measuring portion and drives the relative movement unit such that the detection measuring force substantially coincides with a target measuring force;

a touch signal generating unit that collects the detection measuring force from the measuring portion and generates a touch signal when the detection measuring force coincides with a contact measuring force;

a switch unit that switches a scanning measurement mode and a touch measurement mode; and

a measurement value collecting unit that collects the measuring point information from the position detecting unit based on a predetermined condition when the switch unit is switched to the scanning measurement mode, the measurement value collecting unit collecting the measuring point information from the position detecting unit each time the touch signal is generated from the touch signal generating unit in a state where the switch unit is in the touch measurement mode, when the scanning controller is in operation.

3. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the switch unit includes a switch portion that switches between the scanning measurement mode and the touch measurement mode in accordance with a surface profile of the workpiece based on a selection made by a user.

4. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the switch unit includes a switch portion that switches between the scanning measurement mode and the touch measurement mode and a switching controller that controls the switch portion, and

the switching controller switches the switch portion based on change in the detection measuring force detected by the measuring force detecting unit.

5. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the switch unit includes a switch portion that switches between the scanning measurement mode and the touch measurement mode and a switching controller that controls the switch portion, and

the switching controller switches the switch portion based on the surface profile of the workpiece.

7. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the scanning controller includes a processing unit that computes a deviation between the detection measuring force from the measuring portion and the target measuring force and outputs the deviation;

and a gain adjusting unit that amplifies an output signal from the processing unit and gives the output signal to the relative movement unit, and

the setting gain of the gain adjusting unit is adjustable such that the detection measuring force from the measuring portion oscillates.

9. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the relative moving unit includes:

a fine feeding mechanism which finely moves the measuring section; and

a coarse feed mechanism which moves the fine feeding mechanism and the measuring section more coarsely than the fine feeding mechanism,

the scanning controller includes the processing unit that computes the deviation between the detection measuring force from the measuring portion and the target measuring force and outputs the deviation; and

the gain adjusting unit that amplifies an output signal from the processing unit and gives the output signal to the fine feeding mechanism, and

the setting gain of the gain adjusting unit is adjustable such that the detection measuring force from the measuring portion oscillates.

14. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the touch signal generating unit generates a touch signal when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion passes the contact measuring force from a value higher than the contact measuring force and when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion passes the contact measuring force from a value lower than the contact measuring force.

17. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the measuring portion includes:

an oscillation element that oscillates the stylus; and

a detection element that detects an oscillation of the stylus and outputs a detection signal.

10. A surface texture measuring instrument, comprising:

a measuring portion including a stylus having a contact portion that contacts a surface of a workpiece and a measuring force detecting unit that detects a measuring force when the contact portion contacts the surface of the workpiece;

a relative movement unit that relatively moves the measuring portion and the workpiece;

a position detecting unit that outputs as measuring point information a measuring point on which the workpiece is measured by the measuring portion,

a force control loop that collects a measuring force detected by the measuring portion and drives the relative movement unit such that the detection measuring force substantially coincides with a target measuring force;

a touch signal generating unit that collects the detection measuring force detected by the measuring portion and generates a touch signal when the detection measuring force coincides with a contact measuring force; and

a measurement value collecting unit that collects the measuring point information from the position detecting unit each time the touch signal is generated from the touch signal generating unit, wherein

the force control loop is adjustable such that the detection measuring force detected by the measuring force detecting unit oscillates.

11. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 10, wherein

the force control loop includes a processing unit that computes a deviation between the detection measuring force detected by the measuring force detecting unit and the target measuring force and outputs the deviation;

and a gain adjusting unit that amplifies an output from the processing unit by a setting gain and gives the output to the relative movement unit, and

the setting gain of the gain adjusting unit of the force control loop is adjustable such that the detection measuring force detected by the measuring portion oscillates.

12. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 10, wherein

the relative moving unit includes:

a fine feeding mechanism which finely moves the measuring section; and

a coarse feed mechanism which moves the fine feeding mechanism and the measuring section more coarsely than the fine feeding mechanism,

the force control loop includes a processing unit that computes a deviation between the detection measuring force detected by the measuring force detecting unit and the target measuring force and outputs the deviation; and

a gain adjusting unit that amplifies an output from the processing unit by a setting gain and gives the output to the fine feeding mechanism, and

the setting gain of the gain adjusting unit of the force control loop is adjustable such that the detection measuring force detected by the measuring portion oscillates.

15. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 10, wherein

the touch signal generating unit generates a touch signal when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion passes the contact measuring force from a value higher than the contact measuring force and when the detection measuring force from the measuring portion passes the contact measuring force from a value lower than the contact measuring force.

18. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 10, wherein

the measuring portion includes:

an oscillation element that oscillates the stylus; and

a detection element that detects an oscillation of the stylus and outputs a detection signal.