Measuring system employing a measuring method based on the triangulation principle for the non-contact measurement of a distance from the surface of a contoured object to a reference level. _
First Claim
1. A measuring system for determining the distance between a reference level and a spot on the surface area of an object when said spot is within a measuring range extending from said reference level, by utilizing principle of triangulation, said system comprising:
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
optical collecting means optically coupled to said light source means for producing a beam of measuring radiation extending through said measuring range and towards an object spot under examination, reflected light image receiving means for receiving light radiation reflected from an object surface spot irradiated by said beam, and including receiving lens means for collecting radiation reflected from said object surface spot, and a radiation-sensitive detector optically coupled to said receiving lens means for receiving light radiation collected thereby and for converting the light radiation thus received into a corresponding signal;
said detector having a substantially linear radiation-sensitive area;
said receiving lens means being dimensioned and disposed relative to said beam and said detector as to image only those object surface spots irradiated by said beam within said measuring range, onto said linear radiation-sensitive area of said detector as focussed spots;
said optical collecting means optically coupled to said light source means including further lens means adapted to cause the cross-sectional area of said beam to gradually increase from said reference level and with increasing distance therefrom, thereby causing said focussed spots on said detector to be of substantially one and same size.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for dimensional inspection of an object. The apparatus is adapted to produce a slender beam of measuring radiation for irradiating an object under examination. Reflected light image receiving means are provided including a receiving lens for collecting radiation reflected from an object surface spot irradiated by the measuring beam, and a linear photo-sensitive detector. The receiving lens is dimensioned and disposed relative to the measuring beam and the linear detector as to exclusively project those object surface spots irradiated by a longitudinal section defining a measuring range, of the measuring beam, as focussed dots on the linear photo-sensitive detector area. For improving the resolution of the focussed dots produced on the detector, a beam forming lens is provided for causing the cross-sectional area of the measuring beam to gradually increase over the measuring range. The apparatus is further adapted to image one and same object surface spot irradiated by the measuring means as two separate dots on the detector wherein these dots are uniquely related to each other only, in case a true reflection has been received. Thereby a discrimination can be made between true and false reflections from the object under examination.
216 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A measuring system for determining the distance between a reference level and a spot on the surface area of an object when said spot is within a measuring range extending from said reference level, by utilizing principle of triangulation, said system comprising:
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
optical collecting means optically coupled to said light source means for producing a beam of measuring radiation extending through said measuring range and towards an object spot under examination, reflected light image receiving means for receiving light radiation reflected from an object surface spot irradiated by said beam, and including receiving lens means for collecting radiation reflected from said object surface spot, and a radiation-sensitive detector optically coupled to said receiving lens means for receiving light radiation collected thereby and for converting the light radiation thus received into a corresponding signal;
said detector having a substantially linear radiation-sensitive area;
said receiving lens means being dimensioned and disposed relative to said beam and said detector as to image only those object surface spots irradiated by said beam within said measuring range, onto said linear radiation-sensitive area of said detector as focussed spots;
said optical collecting means optically coupled to said light source means including further lens means adapted to cause the cross-sectional area of said beam to gradually increase from said reference level and with increasing distance therefrom, thereby causing said focussed spots on said detector to be of substantially one and same size. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
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4. A measuring system for determining the distance between a reference level and a spot on the surface area of an object when said spot is within a measuring range extending from said reference level, by utilizing principle of triangulation, said system comprising:
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
optical collecting means optically coupled to said light source means for producing a beam of measuring radiation extending through said measuring range and towards an object spot under examination;
first reflected light image receiving means for receiving light radiation reflected from an object surface spot irradiated by said beam, and including first receiving lens means for collecting radiation reflected from said object surface spot;
second reflected light image receiving means for receiving light radiation reflected from said object surface spot irradiated by said beam and including second receiving lens means for collecting radiation reflected from said object surface spot;
a common radiation-sensitive detector optically coupled to said first and second receiving lens means for receiving light radiation collected whereby and for converting the light radiation thus received into corresponding signals, said detector having a substantially linear radiation-sensitive area;
said first receiving lens means and said second receiving lens means being dimensioned and disposed relative to said beam and to said common detector as to image only any object surface spot irradiated by said beam within said measuring range, onto said linear radiation-sensitive area of said common detector as two focussed dots spaced a fixed distance from each other; and
signal processing means coupled to said common detector for performing an auto-correlation function in respect of the detector output signal containing two discrete signal components spaced apart an interval corresponding to said fixed distance.
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
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5. A measuring system for determining the distance between a reference level and a spot on the surface area of an object when said spot is within a measuring range extending from said reference level, by utilizing principle of triangulation, said system comprising:
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
optical collecting means optically coupled to said light source means for producing a beam of measuring radiation extending through said measuring range and towards an object spot under examination;
first reflected light image receiving means for receiving light radiation reflected from an object surface spot irradiated by said beam, and including first receiving lens means for collecting radiation reflected from said object surface spot;
second reflected light image receiving means for receiving light radiation reflected from said object surface spot irradiated by said beam, and including second receiving lens means for collecting radiation reflected from said object surface spot;
two prisms seucred to each other to have one prism surface in common, said two prisms having one surface optically coupled to said first receiving lens means and having another surface optically coupled to said second receiving lens means thereby causing radiation received from said first receiving lens means to pass through said common prism surface in partially undiffracted fashion and radiation received from said second receiving lens means to be partially reflected by said prism surface in common;
a common radiation-sensitive detector optically coupled to said prism surface in common for receiving said light radiatioan passed therethrough and light radiation partially reflected thereby, and for converting the light radiation thus received into corresponding signals, said detector having a substantially linear radiation-sensitive area;
said first receiving lens means and said second receiving lens means being dimensioned and disposed relative to said beam and said detector as to image only any object surface spot irradiated by said beam within said measuring range, onto said linear radiation-sensitive area of said common detector as two focussed dots spaced a fixed distance from each other; and
signal processing means coupled to said common detector to perform an auto-correlation function in respect of the detector output signal containing two discrete signal components spaced apart an interval corresopnding to said fixed distance. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
- light source means for producing measuring radiation;
Specification