Stylus surface property measuring device with detector lifting

Abstract: A surface property measuring device comprises a detector (200) having a stylus (202) for measuring surface property and a skid (204) at a leading end thereof, and a driving mechanism (100) for causing the detector (200) to advance and retreat along a surface to be measured. The measuring device further comprises a detector-lifting plate (140) having an engaging portion (140A) engaging with a protrusion (150A) of a connector housing (150) when the detector (200) retreats to the utmost. The detecting-lifting plate (140) is fixed to a frame (102) of the driving mechanism (100), for lifting the leading end of the detector (200) to thereby separate the skid (204) and the stylus (202) from the surface to be measured when the detector retreats. This enables the surface to be measured, a nose, the stylus, and the skid which protrude from the detector, to be protected when arranging the measurement and also removing the measuring device after the measurement.

Description: The present invention relates to a surface property measuring device comprising a detector having at a leading end thereof a stylus for measuring surface property, typically, surface roughness, and a skid, and a driving mechanism for causing the detector to advance and retreat along a surface to be measured, more particularly, to a surface property measuring device which is capable of protecting a nose, the stylus, and the skid which protrude from the detector, when arranging the measurement, such as setting the measuring device to an article to be measured, and removing the measuring device after the measurement. There has been widely used a surface roughness measuring device of applying a stylus on a surface to be measured, and measuring the surface roughness by detecting a surface roughness-direction-wise displacement of the stylus while advancing and retreating a detector including the stylus along the surface to be measured, to thereby convert the detected displacement into an electrical signal and then process the electrical signal in a predetermined manner. There have been proposed various detectors for the surface roughness measuring device. For example, there is, as shown in Fig. 22, described in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 4-60523 a surface roughness measuring device comprising a sliding shaft 34 held on a bearing 33, which is disposed on a frame 32 of the driving mechanism, and sliding in an advancing and retreating direction (in the direction shown by the arrow A) of a detector 10, a driving-side connector 40 attached to the sliding shaft 34 through a moving block 36 and a leaf spring 38, a feed block 44 fixed to the sliding shaft 34 through a connecting portion 42 for causing the sliding shaft 34 to advance and retreat in the direction shown by the arrow A, a feed screw 46 engaged with the feed block 44, a reduction gear 50 connected to the feed screw 46 through a coupling 48, and a motor 52 for rotation-driving the reduction gear 50. In Fig. 22, reference numeral 14 designates a detector-side connector pin attached to a rear end (on the right-hand end of the drawing) of a case 12 of the detector 10 and engaged with the driving-side connector 40, 18 a stylus arm having a stylus 16, which moves up and down while following the surface to be measured, at a leading end thereof (on the left-hand end of the drawing) and swinging in the case 12 with a fulcrum (20) as a center, 20 a leaf spring shaped like a substantially L, constituting the fulcrum of the stylus arm 18, 22 an inductance type displacement detector disposed in the vicinity of a rear end of the stylus arm 18 for detecting an up-and-down movement of the rear end of the stylus lever 18, 24 a skid for absorbing minute irregularities in the vicinity of the stylus 16 to thereby obtain a stable measured value, and 26 a nose for protecting the stylus 16 and the stylus arm 18. Further, there is described in Japanese Provisional Utility Model Publication (Kokai) No. 5-75606, an arm-retracting mechanism in which when not measuring and when preparing the measurement, a motor 60 rotates, as shown in Fig. 23, a disk 62 having a notch 62A, thereby causing the notch 62A to lift a bar 68 which is disposed on an intermediate portion of an arm 66 having a stylus 64 at a leading end thereof, which causes the arm 66 to retract. In Fig. 23, reference numeral 70 designates a fulcrum of the arm 66, 72 a displacement detector for detecting a displacement of a rear end of the arm 66, 74 a friction-transmitting wheel for transmitting the rotation of the motor 60 in such a manner as to slip when a load exceeds a predetermined value. Besides, the applicant proposes in Japanese Provisional Utility Model Publication (Kokai) No. 58-76107 providing receiving means, comprising an instantaneous exciting latch type mechanism, for receiving, in a protecting case, a stylus protruding from a stylus protruding opening portion against the urging force of a measuring pressure applying spring. The applicant further proposes in Japanese Utility Model Publication (Kokoku) No. 63-10481 providing a stylus-protecting spring for urging a stylus arm by an urging force which overcomes an urging force of a measuring pressure applying spring in such a direction as that a stylus is received in a protecting case, and an electromagnet for absorbing the stylus-protecting spring due to the energization carried out in measurement, to thereby release the stylus arm from the urging force of the stylus-protecting spring. Also, the applicant proposes in Japanese Utility Model Publication (Kokoku) No. 63-10482 providing receiving means which jointly uses a permanent magnet and a pair of coils, when measuring, causes (permanent) magnet piece-side end faces of the coils to be instantaneously excited to one of an N-pole and an S-pole, thereby causing the magnet piece to be separated from a stylus arm, whereas, when not measuring, causes the (permanent) magnet piece-side end faces of the coils to be instantaneously excited to the other of the N-pole and the S-pole, thereby causing the magnet piece to press the stylus arm in an opposite direction to the urging direction of the measuring pressure applying spring. However, any one of the devices requires an independent power source such as a motor, and an electromagnet, and hence has problems that its mechanism is complicated, and the reliability of the operation is apt to come into question. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. It is therefore an object of the present invention to protect a surface to be measured, a nose, a stylus, and a skid which protrudes from a detector when not measuring and when preparing the measurement, by a simple construction and without requiring an independent power source. The invention claimed in claim 1 provides a surface property measuring device comprising a detector having a stylus for measuring surface property; a skid at a leading end thereof; a driving mechanism for causing said detector to advance and retract along a surface to be measured, wherein said device comprises a detector-lifting means which lifts at least said leading end of said detector to separate said skid and said stylus from said surface to be measured as said detector is fully retracted by the driving mechanism. According to the invention claimed in claim 1, the surface to be measured is not damaged by the stylus permanently contacting to the surface to be measured. Further, when arranging the setting of an article to be measured and a measuring device, or when removing the measuring device after the measurement, etc., the nose, the stylus, and the skid of the detector are prevented from carelessly colliding with the article to be measured, which prevents the damages of the nose, the stylus, and the skid, and also the article to be measured. Furthermore, even when the measuring device is dropped by mistake, the nose, the skid, and the stylus of the detector can be protected. An embodiment claimed in claim 2 provides a surface property measuring device in which the detector-lifting means comprises a detector-lifting plate which engages with a part of a member moving as the detector advances and retreats, to thereby lift the detector. An embodiment claimed in claim 3 provides a surface property measuring device in which the detector is detachable from the driving mechanism by a connector, and an angle-like protrusion engaging with the detector-lifting plate is disposed outside a driving-side housing of the connector. An embodiment claimed in claim 4 provides a surface property measuring device in which the position of the detector-lifting plate is adjustable in an advancing and retreating direction of the detector. In embodiment claimed in claim 5 provides a surface property measuring device comprising an electric equipment section for housing the driving mechanism, wherein all the detector is housed in the electrical equipment section when the detector retracts. The invention claimed in claim 6 provides a surface property measuring device in which all the detector is housed in the driving mechanism when the detector retracts. These and other novel features and advantages of the present invention are described in or will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the construction of a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view viewed from the direction shown by the arrow II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, viewed from its front, of a driving mechanism to which a detector according to the first embodiment is attached; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same viewed from above; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same viewed from the bottom; Fig. 6 is a lateral sectional view taken on the line VI-VI in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a lateral sectional view taken on the line VII-VII in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a lateral sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 4; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a detector-lifting plate used in the first embodiment, which is useful in explaining the shape of the detector-lifting plate; Fig. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the driving mechanism of the first embodiment is contained in an electrical equipment section; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 12 is a bottom view of the same; Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the construction of the electrical equipment section; Fig. 14 is a front view showing a nosepiece-attached state in the first embodiment ; Fig. 15 is a left-hand side view of a nosepiece for cylinder measurement, which is useful in explaining the front shape of the nosepiece; Fig. 16 is a left-hand side view of a nosepiece for plane measurement, which is useful in explaining the front shape of the nosepiece; Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the nosepiece for cylinder measurement; Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the nosepiece for cylinder measurement in attached state; Fig. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the nosepiece for plane measurement; Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the nosepiece for plane measurement in attached state; Fig. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view, viewed from the front side, of a driving mechanism in a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 22 is a sectional view of an arrangement of a stationary type surface roughness measuring device proposed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (Kokoku) No. 4-60523; and Fig. 23 is a perspective view of an arm-retracting mechanism proposed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (Kokoku) No. 5-75606. Embodiments of the invention applied to a stationary portable surface roughness measuring device will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. A driving mechanism 100 according to the present embodiment comprises a main shaft 104 and a sub shaft 106 which are fixed to a frame 102 of the driving mechanism 100, a slide block 108, which is shaped like a substantially O elongated in an advancing and retreating direction (in the direction shown by the arrow A) of a detector, sliding on the shafts 104, 106, the main shaft 104 being inserted through at two of a fore and a rear location thereof, an interlinking rod 110 and a feed nut 112 causing the slide block 108 to advance and retreat along the shafts 104, 106, a feed screw 114 screwed with the feed nut 112, and a gear motor 118 for rotating the feed screw 114 through a flexible coupling 116. As shown in Fig. 2 in detail, a detector mount 108A is formed on a rear end of the slide block 108, and to a lower side of the slide block 108 are fixed by bolts 122 both of a leaf spring 152 attached to a rear end of a connector housing 150 for containing a detector 200, for providing a skid pressure, and a shaft supporting plate 120 for pressing a lower surface of the sub shaft 106. Further, a leaf spring 126, on which a sliding plate 124 for pressing an upper side of the sub shaft 106, is fixed on an upper side of the detector mount 108A through bolts 128. As shown in Fig. 5, an L-like detector-lifting plate 140, shown in Fig. 9, is fixed to the frame 102 by bolts 142. The detector-lifting plate 140 is so adapted that an engaging portion 140A thereof engages with an angle-like protrusion 150A formed on an outer side face of the connector housing 150 at a retracting location of the detector 200 in the vicinity of its retreating limit position. Therefore, at the retracting location of the detector 200, the protrusion 150A of the connector housing 150 runs on to the engaging portion 140A of the detector-lifting plate 140, thereby causing the connector housing 150 to be lifted with a leaf spring 152 as a center, which causes the stylus 202 and the skid 204 disposed at a leading end of the detector 200 to be separated from the surface to be measured, and hence prevents them from protruding downward from a bottom surface of the driving mechanism 100. A bolthole 14B for fixing the detector-lifting plate 140 is, as shown in Fig. 9, elongated in an advancing and retreating direction of the detector 200. So, adjusting the fixing position of the detector-lifting plate 140 enables such a location as that a head of the detector 200 starts ascending to be adjusted, which prevents the head of the detector 200 from colliding with the driving mechanism, the electrical equipment section, and a ceiling portion of an inlet for the detector when the detector retracts for the head to thereby ascend. In Figs. 1 to 3; reference numeral 101 designates a case of a driving mechanism 130; a switch pin uprightly planted on the slide block 108; 132 and 143 a fore and a rear end switch engaging with the switch pin 130 to stop or reverse the gear motor 118; 154 a driving-side connector contained in the connector housing 150; 206 a detector-side connector pin inserted into the driving-side connector 154; 208 a connector housing of the detector, and 210 a nose of the same. The driving mechanism 100 can be contained in an electrical equipment section 300, as shown in Figs. 10 to 12 described later. On a rear end of the driving mechanism 100 is disposed an electrical equipment-side connector 136 electrically connected to the electrical equipment section 300, and a portion between the electrical equipment-side connector 136 and the driving-side connector 154 is wired by a thin flexible printed circuit substrate (FPC) 138, having a thickness of, e.g. about 0.2 mm, through the connector housing 150. The electrical equipment section 300 mainly comprises, as shown in Fig. 10 (front view), Fig. 11 (plan view), Fig. 12 (bottom view), and Fig. 13 (block diagram), a signal processing circuit 304 for processing a signal, which is obtained from the detector 200 contained in the driving mechanism 100, through a cable 302 connected with the electric equipment-side connector 136, a measuring circuit 306 for obtaining a surface roughness corresponding to various kinds of parameters based on the signal from the signal processing circuit 304, a digital display 308 for displaying the measured value obtained by the measuring circuit 306, a driving circuit 310 for driving the gear motor 118 in the driving mechanism 100 through the cable 302, a control circuit 312 for controlling the driving circuit 310, the measuring circuit 306, and the digital display 308, and an electric power circuit 314 for supplying an electric power to the above respective circuit. The solid line in the drawing shows the position of a leading end of the detector 200 exposed when measuring, and the one dot chain line shows the position of the leading end of the detector 200 exposed when it is housed in the electrical equipment section 300. In Fig. 11, reference numeral 320 designates an electric power switch, 322 a start switch, and 324 a parameter-selecting switch. As shown in Fig. 14, a nosepiece 160 for protecting the leading end of the detector 200, etc., is disposed on a front end of the driving mechanism 100. The nosepiece 160 includes a nosepiece 160A for cylinder measurement, which is concave in its front bottom shape as shown in Fig. 15, and a nosepiece 160B for plane measurement, which is convex in its front bottom shape as shown in Fig. 16. The nosepiece 160A for cylinder measurement is attached to the driving mechanism 100 by bolts 162 as shown in Fig. 17 (an exploded perspective view) and Fig. 18 (a perspective view in the nosepiece-attached state), and the nosepiece 160B for plane measurement as shown in Fig. 19 (an exploded perspective view) and Fig. 20 (a perspective view in the nosepiece-attached state). Using such a nosepiece 160 makes it difficult for the leading end of the detector 200, etc., to be affected by an external force from except the surface to be measured, when measuring, thereby results in sufficient protection of the detector 200; however, the leading end (the skid 204 and the stylus 202) of the detector 200, as shown in Fig. 14, protrudes from the surface to be measured, when transporting, thereby possibly providing damages without protection. Over against this, according to the invention, separating the leading end of the detector 200 from the surface to be measured and hence retracting it prevents the leading end of the detector 200 from protruding from the surface to be measured, thereby causing the leading end of the detector 200 to be received in the nosepiece 160, which realizes sure protection also even when transporting the detector, etc. When measuring, according to the object to be measured, it is, as shown in Figs. 10 to 12, selected whether the driving mechanism 100 is used in such a manner that it is housed in the electrical equipment section 300, or the driving mechanism 100 is independently used in such a manner that it is separated from the electrical equipment section 300. For example, when measuring an inner surface of a small hole, the measurement is made with the driving mechanism 100 removed because the electric equipment section 300 is obstructive, and with the driving mechanism 100 united to the electric equipment section 300 in the other cases. In concrete terms, the stylus 202 of the detector 200 is contacted to a surface to be measured, the electric power switch 320 is turned on, and the start switch 322 is pressed. Then, the control circuit 312 causes the gear motor 118 to rotate through the driving circuit 310. When rotation of the gear motor 118 causes the feed screw 114 to rotate, the slide block 108 is moved in an axial direction of the feed screw 114; therefore, the stylus 202 of the detector 200 is displaced up and down according to the surface roughness of an article to be measured. The displacement of the stylus 202 is converted into an electrical signal by the detector 200, then transmitted to the signal processing circuit 304 through a cable 302. Thereafter, the processed signal is transmitted to the measuring circuit 306. The measuring circuit 306 obtains the surface roughness based on the signal transmitted from the signal processing circuit 304 according to the parameters instructed from the control circuit 312, and let it displayed on the digital display 308. On the other hand, during the retraction before the measurement, or after the measurement, the connector housing 150 and the detector 200 connected thereto are retreated deep to the utmost in the driving mechanism 100 by an instruction of retraction. Then, the protrusion 150A disposed outside the connector housing 150 runs on to the engaging portion 140A of the detector-lifting plate 140, thereby causing the leading end of the detector 200 to be lifted with the leaf spring 152 as a center, which causes the stylus 202 and the skid 204 to be separated from the surface to be measured. This prevent the stylus permanently contacting to the surface to be measured, thereby preventing the surface of an article to be measured from being damaged. Furthermore, when arranging the roughness-measurement of the roughness measuring device and removing the roughness measuring device after the measurement, the nose 210, the stylus 202 and the skid 204 are prevented from carelessly colliding with the article to be measured, which prevents these components, and the article to be measured, from being damaged. According to this embodiment, the detector 200 is retreated deep to the utmost in the driving mechanism 100, and then all the detector is received in the electrical equipment section 300 when it is at a retracted position, which enables the nose, the skid, and the stylus of the detector to be protected even if the measuring device is carelessly collided with a certain object, or is dropped. This embodiment has such a receiving construction as that all the detector is received not in the driving mechanism, but in the electric equipment section 300, which prevents the driving mechanism from becoming large-sized. Next, a surface roughness measuring device according to a second embodiment of the invention in which all the detector is received in the driving mechanism will be described hereinbelow. In a surface roughness measuring device according to the second embodiment, the case 101 of the driving mechanism 100 extends forward, so that the stylus 202 and the skid 204 of the leading end of the detector 200 are completely received in the driving mechanism 100 when they are at a retracted position. According to this embodiment, the nose 210, the stylus 202, and the skid 204 of the detector 200 can be protected even if the driving mechanism 100 is independently transported and carelessly collided with a certain object, or is dropped. According to any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, lifting the detector 200 with the leaf spring 152 as a center, by a combination of the detector-lifting plate 140 and the angle-like protrusion 150A formed outside the connector housing 150, makes the construction simple. Moreover, the construction of lifting the detector when retracting the detector is not limited to the above. In any one of the embodiments, the invention is applied to the stationary portable surface roughness-measuring device, the application of the invention is not limited thereto, and hence the invention can be applied to, for example, contour measuring devices, and surface roughness proves used for three-dimensional coordinates measuring machines.

Claims: A surface property measuring device comprising a detector (200) having a stylus (202) for measuring surface property; a skid (204) at a leading end thereof; a driving mechanism (100) for causing said detector (200) to advance and retract along a surface to be measured, wherein said device comprises a detector-lifting means (140) which lifts at least said leading end of said detector (200) to separate said skid (204) and said stylus (202) from said surface to be measured as said detector (200) is fully retracted by the driving mechanism. A surface property measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detector-lifting means comprises a detector-lifting plate (140) which engages with a part of a member (150) moving as said detector (200) advances and retreats, to thereby lift said detector (200). A surface property measuring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said detector (200) is detachable from said driving mechanism (100) by connectors (154,208), and an angle-like protrusion (150A) engaging with said detector-lifting plate (140) is disposed outside a driving-side housing (150) of said connector (154). A surface property measuring device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein position of said detector-lifting plate (140) is adjustable in an advancing and retreating direction of said detector (200). A surface property measuring device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an electric equipment section (300) for housing said driving mechanism (100), wherein all said detector (200) is housed in said electrical equipment section (300) when said detector (200) retracts. A surface property measuring device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein all said detector (200) is housed in said driving mechanism (100) when said detector (200) retracts.

Inventors: FUJII NOBUYOSHI, SHIRAI TAMENORI, FUJII, NOBUYOSHI, SHIRAI, TAMENORI, Fujii, Nobuyoshi, c/o Mitutoyo Corporation, Shirai, Tamenori, c/o Mitutoyo Corporation
Applicants: MITUTOYO CORP, MITUTOYO CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G01B7
IPC codes: G01B21, G01B5, G01B7