Moving mechanism and form measuring apparatus

• US 9,441,715 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Onodera, Youhei, Izumi, Naoki, Shindo, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, R. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COURSON, TANIA C
• Application Number:
  US14/487,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 33550-551, 33502-503, 33553-554, 33556-557, 335/60, 74/893.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 13/10 with clutching members co-operating with the periphery of a drum, a wheel-rim, or the like F16D13/02 - F16D13/08 take precedence; similar brakes F16D49/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 19/025 comprising a friction shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/12 with reciprocation along the axis of rotation, e.g. gearings with helical grooves and automatic reversal or cams
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0002 Arrangements for supporting, fixing or guiding the measuring instrument or the object to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0004 Supports G01B5/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/20 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18696 including means to selectively transmit power [e.g., clutch, etc.]

Abstract

A traction nut has twist rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in a state of defining an inclination angle with respect to an axis of a drive shaft, the inclination angle being equivalent to a lead angle; an open/close lever provided to switch between a friction-contact state and a disengaged state of the traction nut relative to the drive shaft; and a spring generating a biasing force such that the traction nut is brought into friction-contact with the drive shaft. In response to user operation, the open/close lever puts the traction nut in the disengaged state against the biasing force of the spring. When the user releases the open/close lever, the traction nut returns to the friction-contact state due to the biasing force of the spring.

Claims

1. A moving mechanism comprising:

a drive shaft rotatable about an axis; and

a traction nut configured to hold the drive shaft therein and extending in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the drive shaft, wherein the traction nut is configured to switch between a friction-contact state of being in friction-contact with the drive shaft and a disengaged state of being disengaged from the drive shaft, the traction nut comprising;

twist rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in a state of defining an inclination angle with respect to the axis of the drive shaft, the inclination angle being equivalent to a lead angle,

an open/close lever configured to switch between the friction-contact state and the disengaged state of the traction nut, and

a biasing tool configured to generate a biasing force such that the traction nut is brought into friction-contact with the drive shaft, wherein;

when the drive shaft is rotated in a state where the traction nut is in friction-contact with the drive shaft, the traction nut precisely moves along the drive shaft depending on the lead angle,

in a state where the traction nut is disengaged from the drive shaft, the traction nut freely and roughly moves along the drive shaft, the rough movement being less precise than the precise movement,

the open/close lever is configured to place the traction nut in the disengaged state against the biasing force of the biasing tool, in response to user operation, and

the traction nut returns to the friction-contact state due to the biasing force of the biasing tool, when the user releases the open/close lever.

2. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the traction nut further comprises:

a stationary piece; and

a movable piece, wherein;

the stationary piece and movable piece are opposite each other with the drive shaft therebetween,

first ends of the stationary piece and the movable piece are connected so as to be elastically deformable,

a second end of the movable piece is biased by the biasing tool so as to approach the stationary piece,

the open/close lever is pivotally supported so as to be swingable by the stationary piece, and

the open/close lever has a push pin on a fore end thereof, the push pin configured to press the second end of the movable piece in a direction away from the stationary piece.

3. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the traction nut further comprises:

a handle extending in the direction generally orthogonal to the axis of the drive shaft and being fixed relative to the traction nut,

the open/close lever and the handle are proximate to and parallel with each other,

when the user grasps the handle, the open/close lever is concurrently grasped, and

when the user releases the handle, the open/close lever is concurrently released from a hand of the user.

4. The moving mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the handle has a groove configured to receive the open/close lever.

5. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft extends in an up/down direction and the traction nut advances and retracts in the up/down direction along the drive shaft.

6. A form measuring apparatus comprising:

a moving mechanism comprising;

a drive shaft rotatable about an axis; and

a traction nut configured to hold the drive shaft therein and extending in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the drive shaft, wherein the traction nut is configured to switch between a friction-contact state of being in friction-contact with the drive shaft and a disengaged state of being disengaged from the drive shaft, the traction nut comprising;

twist rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in a state of defining an inclination angle with respect to the axis of the drive shaft, the inclination angle being equivalent to a lead angle,

an open/close lever configured to switch between the friction-contact state and the disengaged state of the traction nut, and

a biasing tool configured to generate a biasing force such that the traction nut is brought into friction-contact with the drive shaft, wherein;

when the drive shaft is rotated in a state where the traction nut is in friction-contact with the drive shaft, the traction nut precisely moves along the drive shaft depending on the lead angle,

in a state where the traction nut is disengaged from the drive shaft, the traction nut freely and roughly moves along the drive shaft, the rough movement being less precise than the precise movement,

the open/close lever is configured to place the traction nut in the disengaged state against the biasing force of the biasing tool, in response to user operation, and

the traction nut returns to the friction-contact state due to the biasing force of the biasing tool, when the user releases the open/close lever; and

a form measurer connected to the traction nut.