Alignment adjusting mechanism and measuring instrument

• US 7,882,644 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Kawabata, Takeshi, Yamamoto, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Guadalupe-McCall; Yaritza
• Application Number:
  US12/787,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 335/56, 335/57, 335/58, 335/59, 335/60, 335/61, 335/03, 33/1.M
• US Class Current: 33/556
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/047 Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor

Abstract

An alignment mechanism includes: an adjusting plate having first and second adjustment ends parallel to an X axis direction; a probe fixing portion provided to the adjusting plate; a probe fixed to the probe fixing portion; a reinforcing plate having first and second base ends parallel to the X axis direction, displacement of the reinforcing portion in a Y axis direction being restricted; Y-direction adjusting screws for pressing the adjusting plate in the Y axis direction; and adjustment connectors for respectively connecting the first adjustment end with the first base end and the second adjustment end with the second base end. A stylus of the probe is disposed on a line of intersection of a first inclined surface including the first adjustment end and the first base end and a second inclined surface including the second adjustment end and the second base end.

Claims

1. An alignment adjusting mechanism, comprising:

an adjusting plate having a first adjustment end and a second adjustment end which are parallel to each other in a first direction;

a probe fixing portion integrated with the adjusting plate;

a probe that is fixed to the probe fixing portion and that has a shaft and a stylus formed on a tip of the shaft;

a base that is connected with a measuring instrument body and that has a first base end and a second base end which are parallel to each other in the first direction;

an inclination adjuster that presses the adjusting plate in a direction parallel to a planar direction of the adjusting plate and substantially in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and

adjustment connectors that respectively connect the first adjustment end with the first base end and the second adjustment end with the second base end, wherein

the base is connected with the measuring instrument body while a displacement of the base in the second direction is restricted, and

the stylus is disposed on a line of intersection of;

a first inclined surface including the first adjustment end of the adjusting plate and the first base end of the base; and

a second inclined surface including the second adjustment end of the adjusting plate and the second base end of the base, when the adjusting plate is not pressed by the inclination adjuster.

2. The alignment adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

the adjustment connector is disposed along the first and second inclined surfaces.

3. The alignment adjusting mechanism according to claim 2, wherein

the adjustment connector is a plate spring and biases the adjusting plate to a position at which the adjusting plate is not pressed by the inclination adjuster.

4. The alignment adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second inclination adjuster that presses the adjusting plate in a direction parallel to the planar direction of the adjusting plate and substantially in the first direction, wherein

the base includes;

a base fixing portion that is fixed to the measuring instrument body and that has a third base end and a fourth base end parallel to the second direction;

a base swinging portion that has a fifth base end and a sixth base end parallel to the second direction as well as the first base end and the second base end; and

base connectors that respectively connect the third base end with the fifth base end and the fourth base end with the sixth base end, wherein

the stylus is disposed on a point of intersection of;

the line of intersection of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface; and

the line of intersection of a third inclined surface including the third base end and the fifth base end and a fourth inclined surface including the fourth base end and the sixth base end, when the adjusting plate is not pressed by the inclination adjuster and the second inclination adjuster.

5. A measuring instrument, comprising:

an adjusting plate having a first adjustment end and a second adjustment end which are parallel to each other in a first direction;

a probe fixing portion integrated with the adjusting plate;

a probe that is fixed to the probe fixing portion and that has a shaft and a stylus formed on a tip of the shaft;

a base that is connected with a measuring instrument body and that has a first base end and a second base end which are parallel to each other in the first direction;

an inclination adjuster that presses the adjusting plate in a direction parallel to a planar direction of the adjusting plate and substantially in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

adjustment connectors that respectively connect the first adjustment end with the first base end and the second adjustment end with the second base end; and

a measuring unit that detects a position of the stylus when the stylus is in contact with an object to be measured to measure a profile of the object, wherein

the base is connected with the measuring instrument body while a displacement of the base in the second direction is restricted, and

the stylus is disposed on a line of intersection of;

a first inclined surface including the first adjustment end of the adjusting plate and the first base end of the base; and

a second inclined surface including the second adjustment end of the adjusting plate and the second base end of the base, when the adjusting plate is not pressed by the inclination adjuster.