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Contour measuring probe

  • US 7,726,036 B2
  • Filed: 12/28/2007
  • Issued: 06/01/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A contour measuring probe, comprising:

  • at least one guide, the at least one guide defining at least one chute,a movable rack having;

    a tip extension for touching a surface of an object, the tip extension being linearly movable relative to the at least one guide; and

    at least one driving member partly finning through the at least one guide and linearly slidable in the at least one guide, wherein a gravitational force acting on the movable rack pushes the tip extension to move towards the object, the at least one driving member is received in the at least one chute, two ends of the at least one driving member protrude out from two ends of the at least one chute respectively, and a gap is defined between the at least one driving member and the at least one guide so that an air bearing is formed between the at least one driving member and the at least one guide when air is pumped into the gap, at least part of the air pumped into the gap being ejected out of the at least one guide by the at least one chute;

    a counter-balancing mechanism for partially counter balancing the gravitational force acting on the movable rack;

    a linear measuring scale configured to display values of displacements of the tip extension, the linear measuring scale being fixed relative to one of the at least one guide and the tip extension; and

    a displacement sensor configured to detect and read the displacement values of the tip extension displayed by the linear measuring scale, the displacement sensor being fixed relative to the other one of the at least one guide and the tip extension.

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