Probe for gauging machines

• US 7,552,543 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Scanners Ltd. (Nikon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Scanners Ltd. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomelleri, Raffaele
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US12/218,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 335/03, 335/010.8, 335/59, 335/61
• US Class Current: 33/561
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor

Abstract

A probe for gauging machines with articulated arms comprises a fixed gauging stylus (31), supporting, at its end, a gauging ball, characterized in that it also comprises a handle body (33) which can be manually operated by an operator to push the gauging ball against a surface to be gauged (13), and in that the handle body (33) is equipped with sensors sensitive to the force acting between the gauging ball and the surface to be gauged and in that the signal supplied by the sensors controls measurement acquisition.

Claims

1. A probe for gauging machines with articulated arms, comprising a fixed gauging stylus (31), supporting, at its end, a gauging surface, characterised in that it also comprises a handle body (33) which can be manually operated by an operator to push the gauging surface against a surface to be gauged (13), and in that the handle body (33) is equipped with load sensors sensitive to the force acting between the gauging surface and the surface to be gauged and in that the signal supplied by the sensors controls measurement acquisition.

2. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that the handle body (33) is preloaded by forces which hold it in a predetermined home position relative to the gauging stylus (31), also being characterised in that the handle body (33) moves relative to the home position when the lateral load or the axial load applied manually on the handle body (33) exceed predetermined values.

3. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that the handle body (33) consists of a body which can move from the home position when the lateral or axial load exceed a predetermined value.

4. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that the handle body (33) consists of two or more bodies which can move from their home position when the lateral or axial load exceed predetermined values.

5. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that the handle body (33) is constrained to the base of the stylus (31) by a preloaded traction spring (70).

6. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that it comprises one or more elastic elements (34) which act symmetrically between the handle body (33) and the gauging stylus (31), applying a resultant force parallel with the axis of the gauging stylus (31).

7. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that the handle body (33) is constrained by an elastic body (70) to the base of the stylus, and in that it deforms when the lateral or axial load exceed predetermined values.

8. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that it comprises one or more sensors which supply a gauging enabled signal when the axial or lateral movement of the handle body (33) relative to its home position is within predetermined values.

9. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 8, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that a sensor for detecting handle body (33) minimum deflection relative to the gauging stylus (31) is obtained from a ring (50) equipped with projecting contacts (51) which when they are all in contact with the handle body (33) supply the home condition signal.

10. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 8, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that a sensor for detecting handle body (33) maximum deflection relative to the gauging stylus (31) is obtained with a metal ring (52) which makes contact with the handle body (33) and when the movement from the home position exceeds a predetermined value.

11. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 8, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that the sensor for detecting handle body (33) deflection relative to the gauging stylus (31) is made using an LVDT type differential transformer (71, 72, 73) which detects the extent of the lateral and axial deflection.

12. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is floating and in that during gauging the operator has a direct view in the probe of the extent of the handle body (33) movement from its home position.

13. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that when the signal supplied by the sensors is within a predetermined range of values, measurement acquisition is enabled.

14. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle body (33) is equipped with load sensors which supply a signal which depends on the force acting between the handle body (33) and the gauging stylus (31) and in that gauging is enabled when the signal is within predetermined values.

15. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 14, characterised in that the handle body (33) is fixed to the base of the gauging stylus (31).

16. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 14, characterised in that the handle body (33) is fixed to the gauging stylus (31).

17. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 14, characterised in that when the force detected by the load sensors (38) is within a predetermined range of values, the gauging surface position measurement is acquired without pressing any push-buttons.

18. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that when the force detected is within a predetermined range of values, a set of gauging surface position measurements is acquired automatically without pressing any push-buttons.

19. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the load sensors (38) are movement sensors which detect the extent of the handle body (33) elastic yielding, such yielding depending on the forces acting on the gauging surface.

20. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 14, characterised in that the probe is equipped with one or more LVDT type movement sensors.

21. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the gauging surface consists of a gauging ball (32).

22. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 1, characterised in that the gauging surface consists of two cylindrical surfaces arranged in a V shape and fixed to the gauging stylus (31).

23. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 22, characterised in that the two cylindrical gauging surfaces consist of two small tubes free to rotate about their axis.

24. The probe for gauging machines according to claim 22, characterised in that at the end of at least one of the two cylindrical surfaces arranged in a V shape there is a spherical gauging surface.

25. A probe for gauging machines with articulated arms, comprising a fixed gauging stylus (31), supporting, at its end, a gauging surface, characterised in that it also comprises a handle body (33) which can be manually operated by an operator to push the gauging surface against a surface to be gauged (13), and in that the handle body (33) is equipped with load sensors sensitive to the force acting between the gauging surface and the surface to be gauged and in that when the signal supplied by the sensors is within a predetermined range of values, measurement acquisition is enabled.