Mount table, surface texture measuring machine and surface texture measuring method

• US 7,194,818 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Otsubo, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US11/099,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20050223579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 335/02, 335/03, 335/04, 335/05, 335/49, 335/50, 335/51, 335/52, 335/53, 335/54, 335/55, 335/68, 335/73, 33D/IG.2, 269/20, 414/676, 73/17.9, 73/18.1
• US Class Current: 33/502
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/047 Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes

Abstract

A mount table having a mount surface on which a workpiece as an object to be measured or worked includes a support unit for supporting the mount table so as to be floated from a surface plate so that the mount table can freely move or rotate on the surface plate finished to be plane or fixing and supporting the mount table on the surface plate and a plurality of artifact for measuring a plurality of attitudes on the mount table to detect the positions and rotations of the mount table in respective attitudes.

Claims

1. A mount table comprising:

a table main body having a mount surface on which a workpiece to be measured or worked is mounted,

a support unit disposed beneath the table main body that supports the table main body so as to permit the table main body to float above a surface plate and freely move in X and Y planes and rotate about a Z axis on the surface plate during positioning of the workpiece into a prescribed attitude and wherein, when the workpiece is at the prescribed attitude, the support unit causes the table main body to suck onto the surface plate and thereby prevent movement in the X and Y planes and prevent rotation about the Z axis so as to permit measurement or working of the workpiece at the prescribed attitude, and

a plurality of artifacts for measuring a plurality of attitudes of the mount table, wherein the plurality of the artifacts are directly provided on the table main body and extend outwardly therefrom.

2. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the artifacts include at least one of reference balls and reference plates.

3. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a relative position and a relative angle is already known for each of the plurality of the artifacts.

4. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the artifacts extend from the mount table and are provided at prescribed intervals about a periphery of the mount table main body.

5. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is a static pressure fluid bearing having a pad to jet or suck at least fluid relative to the surface plate from the pad.

6. The mount table according to claim 5, wherein the pad includes a porous material.

7. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein a sucking unit including a suction pad for sucking the workpiece is further provided on the mount surface.

8. The mount table according to claim 7, wherein the suction pad includes a porous material.

9. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein the mount table further comprises an installing part on which the plurality of the artifacts are installed, said mount surface being provided by the installing part, wherein the mount surface and the installing part can be at least, inclined, moved, rotated or lifted and lowered integrally relative to the table main body.

10. The mount table according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of artifacts extend laterally from the table main body.

11. The mount table according to claim 10, wherein the mount table has a plurality of sides, and wherein each of said plurality of sides has some of said plurality of artifacts extending therefrom.

12. A surface texture measuring machine comprising:

a base having a flat upper surface defining a surface plate;

a detector having a measuring member for measuring a workpiece;

a detector support mechanism for supporting the detector for movement relative to the base;

a measuring device for measuring at least a position or an angle of the detector; and

a mount table that is mounted on the base, said mount table comprising;

a table main body having a mount surface on which the workpiece to be measured or worked is mounted,

a support unit disposed between the table main body and the surface plate that supports the table main body so as to permit the table main body to float above the surface plate and freely move in X and Y planes and rotate about a Z axis on the surface plate during positioning of the workpiece into a prescribed attitude and wherein, when the workpiece is at the prescribed attitude, the support unit causes the table main body to suck onto the surface plate and thereby prevent movement in the X and Y planes and prevent rotation about the Z axis so as to permit measurement or working of the workpiece at the prescribed attitude, and

a plurality of artifacts for measuring a plurality of attitudes of the mount table, wherein the plurality of the artifacts are directly provided on the mount table main body and extend outwardly therefrom.

13. The surface texture measuring machine according to claim 12, wherein in each of the plurality of attitudes of the mount table, the detector measures the artifacts, measures the workpiece as required and collects measured results.

14. The surface texture measuring machine according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data processor for respectively calculating the attitudes of the mount table relative to the base on the basis of the measured results of the artifacts, and connecting the measured results of the workpiece collected respectively in the attitudes on the basis of the calculated results of the attitudes of the mount table to form an integrated measured result.

15. A surface texture measuring method using a surface texture measuring machine, said surface measuring machine comprising:

a base having a flat upper surface serving as a surface plate;

a detector having a measuring member for measuring a workpiece;

a detector support mechanism for supporting the detector for movement relative to the base;

a measuring device for measuring at least a position or an angle of the detector; and

a mount table that is mounted to the base, said mount table comprising;

a table main body having a mount surface on which a workpiece to be measured or worked is mounted,

a support unit disposed between the table main body and the surface plate that supports the table main body to permit the table main body to float above the surface plate and freely move in X and Y planes and rotate about a Z axis on the surface plate during positioning of the workpiece into a prescribed attitude and wherein, when the workpiece is at the prescribed attitude, the support unit causes the table main body to suck onto the surface plate and thereby prevent movement in the X and Y planes and prevent rotation about the Z axis so as to permit measurement or working of the workpiece at the prescribed attitude, and

a plurality of artifacts for measuring a plurality of attitudes of the mount table, wherein the plurality of the artifacts are directly provided on the table

main body and extend outwardly therefrom said surface texture measuring method comprising the steps of;

a positioning step of moving and rotating the table main body on which the workpiece is mounted, about the base in X and Y planes and about a Z axis to position the table main body at the prescribed attitude;

a fixing step of fixing the table main body to the base at the prescribed attitude by sucking the table main body onto the base;

an artifact measuring step of measuring the plurality of artifacts that can be measured at the prescribed attitude to collect artifact measured data;

a workpiece measuring step of collecting the workpiece measured data of the workpiece at the prescribed attitude, as required;

a repeating step of repeating the positioning step, the fixing step, the artifact measuring step and the workpiece measuring step, as required;

an attitude calculating step of calculating respectively the attitudes of the table main body relative to the base on the basis of the artifact measured data; and

a workpiece measured data integrating step of connecting the workpiece measured data collected respectively in the attitudes on the basis of the calculated results of the attitudes of the mount table to form an integrated measured result.

16. The surface texture measuring method according to claim 15, wherein the positioning step includes floating the mount table relative to the base by operation of the supporting unit, moving or rotating the floating mount table so that the mount table is placed at the prescribed attitude, and, when the mount table is in the prescribed attitude, sucking the mount table on the base by operation of the supporting unit.