Patent ID: 11892362
Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 5:
6. A shape measuring device comprising:
a spindle having an elongate rod-like body and a tip end provided with a contact point brought into contact with an object to be measured;
a body case supporting the spindle in such a manner as to move forward and backward in an axial direction;
an adjustment unit to adjust measuring force on the spindle provided in the body case and capable of positioning by moving in a direction substantially parallel to a moving direction of the spindle and of thereafter fixed during spindle movement; and
a biasing means for biasing the spindle toward the tip end and having one end directly or indirectly engaged with the spindle and the other end directly or indirectly engaged with the adjustment unit,
wherein an outer face of the body case or an outer face of the adjustment unit has index values indicating measuring force applied to the spindle by the adjustment unit,
wherein the index values are provided in the plurality of sequences each corresponding to when a posture of the measuring device is one of a normal posture, an inverted posture, or a lateral posture,
wherein an outer face of the body case or an outer face of the adjustment unit has inter-graduation distance scale marks indicating the position of the adjustment unit, and
wherein
the body case includes a slide groove of the adjustment unit for adjusting a force level of the adjustment unit and provided in substantially parallel to the moving direction of the spindle,
the slide groove includes an engaging groove formed in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the slide groove, and
the adjustment unit is provided in such a manner as to have a portion slide in the slide groove, includes a key projection engaged with or disengaged from the engaging groove, and is positioned and fixed by engaging the key projection with the engaging groove indicating the posture of the adjustment unit.