Portable coordinate measurement machine

• US 7,784,194 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Steffey, Kenneth, Raab, Simon, Barber, Marc, Danielson, David, Briggs, Clark H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton; Christopher W
• Application Number:
  US11/947,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 335/03
• US Class Current: 33/503
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines

Abstract

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) is disclosed. The CMM may include a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends and a measurement probe attached to the first end articulated arm. The arm may include a plurality of jointed arm segments. Each arm segment may include at least one position transducer for producing a position signal. The CMM may also include an electronic circuit that receives the position signals from the transducers and provides a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of the probe in a selected volume. At least one of the arm segments may be non-linear along its length.

Claims

1. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) for measuring the position of an object in a selected volume, comprising:

a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of jointed arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal;

a measurement probe attached to said first end of said articulated arm;

an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from the transducers and provides a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of the probe in a selected volume;

wherein at least one of said arm segments is non-linear along its length.

2. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment is curved along its length.

3. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment is arcuate along its length.

4. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment has at least two sections along its length with an included angle between said sections of other than 180 degrees.

5. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment has reverse curves along its length.

6. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment has a non-circular cross-section.

7. The CMM of claim 6 wherein said cross-section has an aspheric shape.

8. The CMM of claim 6 wherein said cross-section comprises an I-beam.

9. The CMM of claim 6 wherein said cross-section is rectangular, square or triangular.

10. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment includes an integrated elbow segment.

11. The CMM of claim 1 wherein:

said arm segment comprises molded material.

12. The CMM of claim 11 wherein:

said arm segment is molded from a carbon composite molding material.

13. The CMM of claim 1, wherein the measurement probe comprises:

a probe body;

a probe end connected to the probe body and structured to touch the position of the object;

a computer input device integrated into the probe body, wherein the computer input device is structured to communicate with a computer.

14. The CMM of claim 13, wherein the computer input device is a rollable trackball.

15. The CMM of claim 14, wherein the measurement probe is structured so that rolling the trackball causes a cursor or mouse pointer to move on a screen of the computer.

16. The CMM of claim 14, wherein the measurement probe is structured so that the trackball can be depressed and depressing the trackball simulates clicking a mouse button on the computer.

17. The CMM of claim 14, wherein the trackball is formed of translucent material, and the trackball further comprises at least one light source.

18. The CMM of claim 13, wherein the probe body comprises a handle, and the computer input device is integrated into the handle.

19. The CMM of claim 1, wherein at least one of the arm segments is approximately oval-shaped.

20. The CMM of claim 1, wherein at least one of the arm segments comprises removable covers structured to allow access to internal components of the arm segment.