Patent ID: 9494403
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: G01B

Claim Text:
1. An articulated measuring head for orienting a probe relatively to a measuring apparatus, including: a support element; a first mobile element rotatably connected to said support element and capable of turning around a first rotation axis relative to said support; a plurality of mobile positioning elements united with said first mobile element; a plurality of fixed positioning elements united with said support element and capable of engaging with said mobile positioning elements to define a plurality of predetermined orientations of said first mobile element relatively to said fixed element, said first fixed position element being essentially arranged in a positioning plane; an automatic actuator capable of being in a locked state and in an unlocked state, arranged to exert a unlocking force onto said first mobile element to move said first mobile element away from said support element and allow the rotation around said first axis when said actuator is in the unlocked state; and a locking force on said first mobile element to tighten said first mobile element against the support element and prevent the rotation around said first axis when said actuator is in the locked state; a first encoder arranged to determine an angular position of said first mobile element relative to said support element; and an electronic control unit for controlling said rotation actuators dependent from outputs of said first encoder including a first bearing and a second hearing for guiding said first mobile element relative to said first support, the first bearing being closer to the positioning plane than the second bearing, the second bearing having a higher play than the first bearing.