Locking counterbalance for a CMM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An articulated arm CMM comprising:
- an articulated arm comprising a plurality of transfer members, a plurality of articulation members connecting at least two transfer members to each other, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a lower support assembly at a proximal end; and
a releasable locking system mounted about one or more of the transfer members to affect a rotation of one or more of the transfer members, the releasable locking system comprising;
a cradle member comprising a pivot and being configured to support a rotation of at least one transfer member, the cradle member further comprising one or more indentations configured to receive one or more balls;
a detent hub rotatably mounted to the cradle member and comprising one or more indentations configured to receive one or more balls;
one or more balls disposed between the cradle member and the detent hub, wherein the balls can reversibly be disposed within the indentations of both the cradle member and the detent hub to rotationally fix the cradle member relative to the detent hub;
a resilient member biasing the cradle member toward the detent hub to bias the one or more balls into the indentations of both the cradle member and the detent hub to rotationally fix the cradle member relative to the detent hub, such that the one or more balls can also be released from the indentations and allow relative rotation between the cradle member and the detent hub when a torque sufficient to overcome the resilient member is provided;
a ratchet gear rotationally fixed to the detent hub and comprising a plurality of teeth;
a ratchet locking member configured to reversibly engage the teeth of said ratchet gear in a ratcheting relationship and biased toward engagement with said teeth; and
a lock release member movable between a first position to a second position, wherein the lock release member prevents engagement between the ratchet locking member and the ratchet gear in the first position and does not prevent said engagement in the second position, such that the ratcheting relationship affects the one or more transfer members when the lock release member is in the first position but does not when in the second position, and further such that the ratcheting relationship does not affect the one or more transfer members when a torque sufficient to overcome the resilient member is provided.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated arm CMM comprises a plurality of transfer members, a plurality of articulation members connecting at least two transfer members to each other, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a base at a proximal end. The articulated arm CMM also comprises (1) a ratchet lock for restricting the motion of at least one transfer member in at least one direction of rotation and (2) a clutch mechanism for allowing limited rotation of the at least one transfer member upon application of a high amount of force upon at least one transfer member.
151 Citations
53 Claims
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1. An articulated arm CMM comprising:
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an articulated arm comprising a plurality of transfer members, a plurality of articulation members connecting at least two transfer members to each other, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a lower support assembly at a proximal end; and a releasable locking system mounted about one or more of the transfer members to affect a rotation of one or more of the transfer members, the releasable locking system comprising; a cradle member comprising a pivot and being configured to support a rotation of at least one transfer member, the cradle member further comprising one or more indentations configured to receive one or more balls; a detent hub rotatably mounted to the cradle member and comprising one or more indentations configured to receive one or more balls; one or more balls disposed between the cradle member and the detent hub, wherein the balls can reversibly be disposed within the indentations of both the cradle member and the detent hub to rotationally fix the cradle member relative to the detent hub; a resilient member biasing the cradle member toward the detent hub to bias the one or more balls into the indentations of both the cradle member and the detent hub to rotationally fix the cradle member relative to the detent hub, such that the one or more balls can also be released from the indentations and allow relative rotation between the cradle member and the detent hub when a torque sufficient to overcome the resilient member is provided; a ratchet gear rotationally fixed to the detent hub and comprising a plurality of teeth; a ratchet locking member configured to reversibly engage the teeth of said ratchet gear in a ratcheting relationship and biased toward engagement with said teeth; and a lock release member movable between a first position to a second position, wherein the lock release member prevents engagement between the ratchet locking member and the ratchet gear in the first position and does not prevent said engagement in the second position, such that the ratcheting relationship affects the one or more transfer members when the lock release member is in the first position but does not when in the second position, and further such that the ratcheting relationship does not affect the one or more transfer members when a torque sufficient to overcome the resilient member is provided.
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2. An articulated arm CMM comprising:
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an articulated arm comprising one or more articulated arm members, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a lower support assembly at a proximal end; and an arm support member mounted about the articulated arm CMM to support one or more articulated arm members during rotation, the arm support member comprising; a gear comprising circumferential teeth, an engagement member configured to reversibly engage the circumferential teeth of said gear to prevent rotation of the gear relative to the engagement member in at least a first direction of rotation, and a release member movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the release member prevents the reversible engagement between the engagement member and the gear when in the first position and does not prevent said reversible engagement when in the second position, such that the arm support member hinders rotation of the one or more articulated arm members when the lock release member is in the second position but does not when the lock release member is in the first position. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An articulated arm CMM comprising:
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an articulated arm comprising a plurality of transfer members, a plurality of articulation members connecting at least two transfer members to each other, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a lower support assembly at a proximal end; and a releasable locking system mounted about the articulated arm CMM to support one or more of the transfer members during rotation, the releasable locking system comprising; a cradle support member comprising a pivot and being configured to support at least one transfer member during rotation, the cradle support member further comprising one or more surface engagement features, a detent hub rotatably mounted to the cradle support member and comprising one or more surface engagement features configured to reversibly engage with the one or more surface engagement features of the cradle support member, the detent hub configured to be rotationally fixed to a portion of the lower support assembly, and a resilient member biasing the cradle support member toward the detent hub such that the one or more surface engagement features of the cradle support member engage with the one or more surface engagement features of the detent hub to rotationally fix the cradle support member relative to the detent hub, such that the one or more surface engagement features of the cradle support member can also be released from the one or more surface engagement features of the detent hub and allow relative rotation between the cradle support member and the detent hub when a torque sufficient to overcome the resilient member is provided. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An articulated arm CMM comprising:
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an articulated arm comprising one or more articulated arm members, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a lower support assembly at a proximal end; and an arm support member mounted about the articulated arm CMM to support one or more articulated arm members during rotation, the arm support member comprising a ratchet mechanism and an actuator, wherein the actuator is configured to receive input to transfer said ratchet mechanism between an engaged and disengaged state, the ratchet mechanism configured to hinder the rotation of the one or more articulated arm members when said ratchet mechanism is in an engaged state. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An articulated arm CMM comprising:
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an articulated arm comprising a plurality of transfer members, a plurality of articulation members connecting at least two transfer members to each other, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a lower support assembly at a proximal end; and a releasable locking system mounted about the articulated arm CMM to support one or more of the transfer members during rotation, the releasable locking system comprising a lock device and a release device, wherein said lock device is configured to prevent relative rotation in at least one direction between said one or more transfer members and the lower support assembly and said release device is configured to release the lock device upon the application of a heavy load upon the one or more transfer members. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification