SURFACE PROPERTY MEASURING METHOD AND SURFACE PROPERTY MEASURING DEVICE

• US 20200132429A1
• Filed: 10/17/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: NAKAYAMA, Tatsuki
• Granted Patent: US 11,193,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/20 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/28 for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces

Abstract

The present disclosure uses a surface property measuring device that includes an arm swingably supported so as to displace a stylus vertically, and an arm lifter that holds the stylus at a predetermined height by rotating the arm. After arranging the arm lifter in a state where the arm can be held at a lower limit height that is only a predetermined drop amount below a predetermined measurement height, the arm is arranged at the measurement height and the stylus contacts a measured object, and in this state surface properties of the measured object are measured.

Claims

1. A surface property measuring method that uses a surface property measuring device that includes an arm swingably supported so as to displace a stylus vertically, and arm lifter that holds the stylus at a predetermined height by rotating the arm, the method comprising:

positioning, via the surface property measuring device, the arm lifter such that the arm is positioned at a lower limit height, which is a predetermined drop amount below a predetermined measurement height;

thereafter positioning, via the surface property measuring device, the arm at the predetermined measurement height such that the stylus contacts a measurable object; and

thereafter measuring, via the surface property measuring device, surface properties of the measurable object.

2. The surface property measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the surface property measuring device includes a measuring instrument main body in which the arm and the arm lifter are installed, and a displacement mechanism capable of displacing the measuring instrument main body relative to the measurable object, wherein:

the positioning of the arm lifter further comprises positioning the arm lifter in the measuring instrument main body in a state where the arm is positioned at the lower limit height,

the thereafter positioning of the arm further comprises displacing, via the displacement mechanism, the measuring instrument main body such that the stylus contacts the measurable object and the arm is positioned at the measurement height.

3. The surface property measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the lower limit height and the measurement height are defined before the positioning of the arm lifter, based on design information of the measurable object.

4. The surface property measuring method according to claim 2, wherein the lower limit height and the measurement height are defined before the positioning of the arm lifter, based on design information of the measurable object.

5. The surface property measuring method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining a height position of the arm from one of a scale that detects an oscillation position of the arm and an encoder that detects a rotation angle position of a rotation cam of the arm lifter.

6. The surface property measuring method according to claim 2, further comprising obtaining a height position of the arm from one of a scale that detects an oscillation position of the arm and an encoder that detects a rotation angle position of a rotation cam of the arm lifter.

7. The surface property measuring method according to claim 3, further comprising obtaining a height position of the arm from one of a scale that detects an oscillation position of the arm and an encoder that detects a rotation angle position of a rotation cam of the arm lifter.

8. The surface property measuring method according to claim 4, further comprising obtaining a height position of the arm from one of a scale that detects an oscillation position of the arm and an encoder that detects a rotation angle position of a rotation cam of the arm lifter.

9. The surface property measuring method according to claim 5, wherein the positioning of the arm lifter further comprises:

referencing the obtained height position of the arm while operating the arm lifter; and

thereafter positioning the arm lifter at the lower limit height when the arm is separated from the arm lifter.

10. The surface property measuring method according to claim 6, wherein the positioning of the arm lifter further comprises:

referencing the obtained height position of the arm while operating the arm lifter; and

thereafter positioning the arm lifter at the lower limit height when the arm is separated from the arm lifter.

11. The surface property measuring method according to claim 7, wherein the positioning of the arm lifter further comprises:

referencing the obtained height position of the arm while operating the arm lifter; and

thereafter positioning the arm lifter at the lower height when the arm is separated from the arm lifter.

12. The surface property measuring method according to claim 8, wherein the positioning of the arm lifter further comprises:

referencing the obtained height position of the arm while operating the arm lifter; and

thereafter positioning the arm lifter at the lower limit height when the arm is separated from the arm lifter.

13. A surface property measuring device comprising:

an arm swingably supported so as to vertically displace a stylus;

an arm lifter that holds the stylus at a predetermined height by rotating the arm;

a measuring instrument main body in which the arm and the arm lifter are installed;

a displacement motor that displaces the measuring instrument main body relative to a measurable object; and

a controller that controls the arm, the arm lifter, and the displacement motor, the controller comprising processor and a memory that stores a set of executable instructions, wherein upon execution of the executable instructions by the processor, the controller performs operations comprising;

positioning the arm lifter such that the arm is positioned at a lower limit height, which is a predetermined drop amount below a predetermined measurement height;

thereafter displacing the measuring instrument main body with the displacement motor such that the stylus contacts the measurable object and the arm is positioned at the measurement height; and

thereafter measuring surface properties of the measurable object.