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Surface sensing device with optical monitoring system

  • US 9,316,473 B2
  • Filed: 04/27/2011
  • Issued: 04/19/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A surface sensing device comprising:

  • a basis;

    a probe head for establishing and maintaining a contacting or contactless measurement connection to a surface to be measured, the probe head being moveably linked to the basis by at least one joint, wherein the probe head comprises a stylus carrier and a hollow stylus with a stylus tip; and

    an optical monitoring system for measuring a displacement of the stylus tip with respect to the stylus carrier, the optical monitoring system including;

    light emitting means for generating a beam to be directed inside the stylus towards the stylus tip, where at least parts of the beam are reflected as a returned beam propagating along an optical return path; and

    detector means for the returned beam being capable of generating an electrical output signal indicative of the displacement of the stylus tip, wherein;

    the light emitting means are built in such a way that the beam has at least two distinguishable light characteristics with a given characteristics distribution;

    the optical monitoring system further comprises an optically encoding component positioned in the stylus carrier in the optical return path and designed to transform the information of an impinging position of the returned beam upon the optical encoding component into a change in the distribution between fractions of the distinguishable light characteristics of the characteristics distribution of the returned beam;

    the detector means is sensitive for the at least two distinguishable light characteristics and built for generating the electrical output signal dependent on the changed characteristics distribution of the returned beam; and

    the optically encoding component is designed in such a way that the characteristics distribution of the returned beam is modified, wherein the modification varies dependent on the impinging position of the returned beam upon the optical encoding component, so that the returned beam with the modified characteristics distribution propagating from the optical encoding component to the detector means is indicative of the impinging position and thereof of the displacement of the stylus tip independent from an exact propagation pathway of the returned beam within the optical return path, so as to enable for optical waveguiding of the returned beam with the modified characteristics distribution to the detector means by an optical fiber without losing optical indication of the displacement of the stylus tip carried by the returned beam.

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