Horizontal-arm coordinate measuring machine

• US 7,779,549 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Metrology S.p.A. (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Garau, Enrico
• Primary Examiner(s): GUADALUPE, YARITZA
• Application Number:
  US12/297,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 33832-833, 33783-784, 33792-793, 338/03, 338/05, 338/13, 338/31, 335/56, 335/59, 335/03, 33/1.M
• US Class Current: 33/503
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines

Abstract

A coordinate measuring machine comprising a base provided with guides parallel to a first X axis, a first carriage mobile on the guides along the X axis and provided with an upright, a second carriage carried by the upright and mobile along a second vertical Z axis, and a horizontal-arm carried by the second carriage and axially mobile along a third horizontal Y axis perpendicular to the X axis; a counterweight, fastened to the second carriage by means of a belt, is mobile along the Z axis within the upright and is provided with wheels in contact with side walls of the upright.

Claims

1. A coordinate measuring machine comprising a base provided with first guiding means along a first horizontal axis, a first carriage mobile on the base along said first axis and comprising an upright provided with second guiding means extending along a second vertical axis, a second carriage carried by the upright and sliding along said second axis, a horizontal-arm carried by the second carriage, extending along a third axis horizontal and orthogonal to the first axis and mobile along said third axis, and a counterweight accommodated within said upright mobile in direction substantially parallel to said second axis and secured to said second carriage by a flexible transmission member, wherein said counterweight is guided within said upright by a plurality of wheels carried by said counterweight.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the wheels of the counterweight roll in direct contact with side walls of the upright.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein said side walls of the upright are free from guides for the counterweight.

4. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said wheels are arranged so as to define an anchoring system which eliminates of freedom from said counterweight except for shifting along said third axis.

5. A machine according to claim 4, wherein said anchoring system is isostatic.

6. A machine according to claim 1, wherein parallelly to said first axis and to said third axis the counterweight is supported in one direction by a plurality of fixed axis first wheels and in the other another direction by a second wheel elastically supported on said counterweight.

7. A machine according to claim 6, wherein said second wheels are mounted on respective blade springs.

8. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said upright presents a rectangular section cavity accommodating said counterweight and wherein the counterweight presents an essentially parallelepiped shape.

9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the counterweight includes three first wheels not aligned to its first face (38) perpendicular to the first axis and a second wheel on its second face opposite to said first face.

10. A machine according to claim 8, characterised wherein the counterweight is provided with includes two first wheels on its third face perpendicular to the third axis and a second wheel on its fourth face opposite to said third face.

11. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said wheels comprise a portion of elastomeric material.

12. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the side walls of said upright have a rough finish.

13. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said upright presents a tubular structure defined by a C-section and by a plate fixed to the free sides of said section.