Shape measurement device probe and shape measurement device

• US 7,797,851 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshizumi, Keiichi, Funabashi, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton; Christopher W
• Application Number:
  US11/919,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 335/61
• US Class Current: 33/561
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/007 feeler heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor

Abstract

There are provided a shape measurement device capable of measuring shapes irrespective of an inclined direction of a side surface without using a complex device configuration, and a shape measurement device probe arranged in the shape measurement device. In the shape measurement device probe, a connecting mechanism for connecting an attachment member and a swinging member includes a supporting point member arranged on the swinging member and a mounting platform arranged on the attachment member, and connects the swinging member to the attachment member so as to be inclinable in any direction. The attachment member and the swinging member are configured such that a movable side member arranged on the swinging member and a fixed side member arranged on the attachment member generate magnetic attraction force in a non-contacting state with respect to each other, where the arm of the swinging member is biased so as to be directed in the vertical direction by the magnetic attraction force. According to this configuration, a side surface shape inclined in any direction of XY directions and substantially parallel to the Z-direction can be measured.

Claims

1. A shape measurement device probe comprising:

a measuring surface contacting unit including an arm and a stylus, the stylus being arranged at a distal end of the arm and contacting a surface to be measured of a measuring object;

an attachment member for attaching the measuring surface contacting unit to the shape measurement device;

a connecting mechanism including a supporting point member arranged in the measuring surface contacting unit and a mounting platform fixed to the attachment member and to be mounted with the supporting point member, for connecting the measuring surface contacting unit and the attachment member in a swinging manner with the supporting point member as a supporting point; and

a biasing mechanism including a movable side member arranged on the measuring surface contacting unit and a fixed side member arranged on the attachment member, the movable side member and the fixed side member being arranged to face each other in a vertical direction and configured to generate magnetic attraction force in a non-contacting state, the biasing mechanism biasing the measuring surface contacting unit such that the arm is directed in the vertical direction by the magnetic attraction force.

2. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, wherein one of the movable side member and the fixed side member is configured by a permanent magnet and the other is configured by a magnetic body.

3. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, wherein both the movable side member and the fixed side member are configured by permanent magnets, and are arranged such that different poles face each other.

4. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, wherein

the supporting point member is configured as a projection of a needle shape, and

the mounting platform includes a circular cone-shaped groove into which a distal end of the supporting point member is fitted, the measuring surface contacting unit and the attachment member being connected in a swinging manner with a contacting portion of a deepest portion of the circular cone-shaped groove and a pointed end of the supporting point member as a center of the swing.

5. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring surface contacting unit includes a main part provided with a through hole extending in a lateral direction at the middle, the arm being fixed to a lower wall on an outer side of the main part and the supporting point member being suspended from an upper wall on an inner side in the through hole of the main part, and

the mounting platform extends through the through hole.

6. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring surface contacting unit includes an extending part extending to a side opposite to the stylus with respect to the supporting point member, and a movable side holding part arranged at a distal end of the extending part, for holding the movable side member, and

the attachment member includes, on an internal surface of a tubular main body, a fixed side holding part arranged on the same side as the supporting point member with respect to the movable side holding part, for holding the fixed side member.

7. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 6, wherein

the movable side holding part is configured into a ring shape and holds a plurality of movable side members at intervals at a lower surface side, and

the fixed side holding part holds a plurality of fixed side members correspondence to each movable side member at a position facing each movable side member in the vertical direction.

8. The shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member includes a regulating member for regulating a swinging width of the measuring surface contacting unit by contacting the measuring surface contacting unit on an internal surface of the tubular main body.

9. A shape measurement device comprising:

the shape measurement device probe according to claim 1, including a mirror for reflecting measurement laser light at the measuring surface contacting unit of the shape measurement device probe;

a laser light generator for generating the measurement laser light irradiated to the shape measurement device probe to obtain positional information of a measurement point at a surface to be measured of a measuring object; and

a measurement point information determining unit for detecting an inclined angle of the measuring surface contacting unit of the shape measurement device probe based on reflected light reflected by the mirror arranged in the shape measurement device probe.

10. The shape measurement device according to claim 9, wherein

the measurement point information determining unit includes an inclined angle detecting part for detecting the inclined angle, a stylus position calculating part for converting an angle signal obtained from the inclined angle detecting part to a displacement amount of the stylus with respect to the attachment member arranged in the shape measurement device probe, a position coordinate measuring part for obtaining a relative position coordinate value of the measurement point with respect to the attachment member using the measurement laser light, and an adder for adding the displacement amount of the stylus relative position coordinate value and obtaining positional information of the measurement point.

11. The shape measurement device according to claim 10, wherein

the inclined angle detecting part includes a light detector for receiving the reflected light, the light detector including one light receiving surface divided into a plurality of light receiving regions for independently performing photoelectric conversion.

12. A shape measurement device comprising:

the shape measurement device probe according to claim 1,

a plurality of position detecting sensors arranged on an internal surface of the cylindrical main body of the attachment member, for detecting a distance with measuring surface contacting unit; and

a measurement point information determining unit for detecting an inclined angle of the measuring surface contacting unit of the shape measurement device probe based on an output from the plurality of position detecting sensors and obtaining positional information of the measurement point.

13. The shape measurement device according to claim 12, wherein the position detecting sensors are arranged at two locations so as to form an angle of 90°

with respect to a center position of the main body of the attachment member.