Surface texture measuring instrument

• US 8,701,301 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Nakayama, Tatsuki, Doi, Futoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, G. Bradley
• Application Number:
  US13/429,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20120266475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 335/33, 335/51, 335/52, 335/53, 335/54, 335/56, 335/57
• US Class Current: 33/554
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/008 Arrangements for controlling the measuring force
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0016 due to weight on machine tools B23Q11/001
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/016 Constructional details of contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/28 for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces

Abstract

In a surface texture measuring instrument, a measurement arm includes: a first measurement arm that is supported by a bracket around a support shaft movably in a circular movement in a casing; and a second measurement arm having styluses that are attachably and detachably provided to an end of the first measurement arm via an attachment-detachment mechanism, the attachment-detachment mechanism being arranged in the casing. A displacement detector includes: a scale provided to the measurement arm; and a detection head provided to the bracket to face the scale. A detecting surface of the scale is on an axis of the measurement arm and on a plane of the circular movement of the measurement arm.

Claims

1. A surface texture measuring instrument comprising:

a measurement arm that is supported by a body movably in a circular movement around a rotary shaft;

a stylus provided at an end of the measurement arm;

a displacement detector that detects a circular movement amount of the measurement arm;

a detector having a casing that houses the body;

a stage on which an object to be measured is mounted; and

a relative movement mechanism that moves the detector and the stage relatively to each other, the surface texture measuring instrument being configured to detect the circular movement amount of the measurement arm by the displacement detector while moving the detector and the stage relatively to each other by the relative movement mechanism with the stylus being in contact with a surface of the object and to measure a surface texture of the object based on the circular movement amount, wherein

the measurement arm comprises;

a first measurement arm that is supported by the body swingably around the support shaft in the casing; and

a second measurement arm that is provided with the stylus at an end thereof and is detachably provided to an end of the first measurement arm via an attachment-detachment mechanism, the attachment-detachment mechanism being arranged in the casing,

the displacement detector comprises;

a scale that is provided to one of the body and the measurement arm; and

a detection head that is provided to the other of the body and the measurement arm to face the scale, and

a detecting surface of the scale is on an axis of the measurement arm and on a plane of the circular movement of the measurement arm.

2. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein

the attachment-detachment mechanism comprises:

a first plate that is attached to the end of the first measurement arm;

a second plate that is attached to a base end of the second measurement arm;

a positioning mechanism that positions the second plate at a predetermined position relative to the first plate when placing the second plate to face the first plate;

a magnet provided on one of the first plate and the second plate; and

a magnetic material that is provided on the other of the first plate and the second plate and is attracted by the magnet,

the positioning mechanism comprises;

a first seat comprising a pair of cylindrical positioning members that are arranged in parallel to an axial direction of the measurement arm and are spaced from each other at a predetermined interval;

a second seat comprising a pair of cylindrical positioning members that are arranged in parallel to the axial direction of the measurement arm and are spaced from the first seat in the axial direction of the measurement arm;

a third seat comprising a pair of cylindrical positioning members that are perpendicular to the axial direction of the measurement arm and are spaced from each other at a predetermined interval; and

engagement balls that respectively correspond to the first seat, the second seat and the third seat to be engageable with and disengageable from the first seat, the second seat and the third seat, and

the first seat, the second seat and the third seat are provided on one of the first plate and the second plate and the engagement balls are provided on the other of the first plate and the second plate.

3. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the positioning mechanism comprises:

at least two engagement holes formed on one of the first plate and the second plate; and

at least two engagement pins provided on the other of the first plate and the second plate to be engaged with the engagement holes.

4. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 3, wherein

a projecting amount of each of the engagement pins is set such that the magnetic material is attracted by the magnet after the engagement pins start to be engaged with the engagement holes.

5. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein

the pairs of cylindrical positioning members for the first, second and third seats and the engagement balls are formed of a conductive material and provide seat sensors that are closed when the pairs of cylindrical positioning members are respectively in contact with the engagement balls engageable and disengageable thereto and are opened when the pairs of cylindrical positioning members are respectively separated from the engagement balls, and

a contact detection circuit that detects opening and closing of the seat sensors is provided.

6. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 5, further comprising:

a drive stopper that stops driving the relative movement mechanism when the contact detection circuit detects opening of any one of the seat sensors.

7. A surface texture measuring instrument comprising:

a measurement arm that is supported by a body movably in a circular movement around a rotary shaft;

a stylus provided at an end of the measurement arm;

a displacement detector that detects a circular movement amount of the measurement arm;

a detector having a measurement force applier that applies a measurement force to the stylus by biasing the measurement arm in circular movement directions;

a stage on which an object to be measured is mounted; and

a relative movement mechanism that moves the detector and the stage relatively to each other, the surface texture measuring instrument being configured to detect the circular movement amount of the measurement arm by the displacement detector while moving the detector and the stage relatively to each other by the relative movement mechanism with the stylus being in contact with a surface of the object and to measure a surface texture of the object based on the circular movement amount, wherein

the measurement arm comprises;

a first measurement arm that is supported by the body movably in the circular movement around the support shaft; and

a second measurement arm that is provided with the stylus at an end thereof and is detachably provided to an end of the first measurement arm via an attachment-detachment mechanism,

the measurement force applier comprises a voice coil that biases the measurement arm in the circular movement directions around the support shaft, and a balance adjuster that adjusts electric current passing through the voice coil to adjust balance of the measurement arm, after the second measurement arm is exchanged.

8. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 7, wherein

the balance adjuster adjusts the electric current passing through the voice coil while monitoring the circular movement amount of the measurement arm detected by the displacement detector and terminates the balance adjustment when the circular movement amount of the measurement arm reaches a predetermined value.

9. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 7, wherein

the stylus comprises a pair of styluses projecting from the end of the measurement arm in the circular movement directions, and

the voice coil configures a measurement-arm attitude switching mechanism that switches an attitude of the measurement arm between a first attitude where the measurement arm is biased in one direction of the circular movement directions and a second attitude where the measurement arm is biased in the other direction of the circular movement directions.

10. The surface texture measuring instrument according to claim 9, further comprising:

a speed control mechanism that controls a switching operation speed of the measurement arm to be a predetermined speed when the measurement-arm attitude switching mechanism switches the attitude of the measurement arm.