Abstract:
A measuring apparatus is provided for measuring the coating adhesion of an edge or a corner of an object. The measuring apparatus includes a platform, a fixing assembly to fix the object, a supporting plate fastened to the platform, a loading mechanism pivotably attached to the supporting plate, a travelling limiting member fastened to the supporting plate to limit the pivoting angle of the loading mechanism, and a friction block installed to the loading mechanism and slidably abutting against and reciprocatingly rubbing the edge or corner of the object within a predetermined traveling distance. The predetermined traveling distance is limited by the traveling limiting member.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to measuring apparatuses and, more particularly, to a measuring apparatus to measure a coating adhesive strength of an object. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Surface characteristics are critical to consumer electronic products, especially for coated products, such as cell phones, moving picture experts group audio layer III (MP3) players, etc. Therefore, manufacturers of the consumer electronic products should measure good coating adhesive strength of their products, especially on the edges and the corners of the products, which are prone to be touched frequently. 
     In a conventional measuring method, a friction block with a predetermined weight is pressed onto an edge or a corner of a coated product to be measured, an operator manipulates the friction block to slide relative to the product back and forth repetitiously over a predetermined count, then to check whether the edges and corners are worn off. Thus, the coating adhesive strength of the product can be assessed. 
     One disadvantage of the conventional measuring method described above is that the operator cannot precisely control the angle and travelling distance of the friction block related to the to-be-measured product, therefore, accuracy and reliability of the measuring result is affected. Another disadvantage of the conventional method is that the measuring method is inefficient and laborious. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an adhesion measuring apparatus, the measuring apparatus includes a loading mechanism, a travelling limiting member, a first friction block, and a second friction block. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, enlarged view of the loading mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, enlarged view of the travelling limiting member of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded, enlarged view of the first friction block of  FIG. 1 , but shown from a different aspect. 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled, isometric view of the measuring apparatus of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the measuring apparatus in a measuring state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , in an exemplary embodiment, an adhesion measuring apparatus is provided to measure coating adhesive strengths of an edge  101  of a first object  100  and a corner  201  of a second object  200 . The measuring apparatus includes a platform  10 , a first fixing assembly  20 , a second fixing assembly  30 , a supporting plate  40 , two pairs of reinforcing members  50 , a loading mechanism  60 , a travelling limiting member  70 , a first friction block  80 , and a second friction block  90 . 
     The platform  10  includes a rectangular placing board  11 , and four supporting members  12  perpendicularly extending from four corners of the placing board  11 . In one embodiment, each of the support members  12  includes a screw engaged in the placing board  11 , and a nut engaging with the corresponding screw and abutting against a bottom of the placing board  11 . The placing board  11  is horizontally positioned by adjusting the screws and nuts of the supporting members  12 . 
     The first fixing assembly  20  includes a substantially square positioning plate  21 , and two clamping members  22 . Each of the clamping members  22  includes a mount  221 , and a toggle clamp  223  attached to the mount  221 . The toggle clamp  223  includes a clamping body, a handle and a linkage mechanism connected between the clamping body and the handle. 
     The second fixing assembly  30  includes a polygonal positioning plate  31 , and two clamping members  32 . The positioning plate  31  includes a rectangular portion and a trapezoidal portion extending from a side edge of the rectangular portion. Opposite lateral edges of the trapezoidal portion are orthogonal to each other. The clamping members  32  each are as same as the clamping members  22 . 
     The support plate  40  includes a trapezoidal supporting portion  41 , and a rectangular connecting portion  42  extending from a top edge of the supporting portion  41 . In one embodiment, the angle between a bottom edge  411  and each of the opposite lateral edges  413  of the supporting portion is 45°. A plurality of screw holes is defined in the bottom edge  411  and opposite lateral edges  413  of the supporting portion  41 , and a top edge and lateral edges of the connecting portion  42 . 
     In one embodiment, each of the reinforcing members  50  is an isosceles right-angle triangle and includes a hypotenuse side and two right-angle sides. 
     Referring also to  FIG. 2 , the loading mechanism  60  includes a swing pole  61 , two locking bars  62 , two raising blocks  63 , and a coupling member  64 . The swing pole  61  has a rectangular cross section, and includes opposite sidewalls  601 , a top wall  602 , a bottom wall  603 , and opposite end walls  604 . Two coupling holes  611  are defined in the swing pole  61 , through opposite sidewalls  601 , and adjacent to opposite end walls  604  of the swing pole  61 , respectively. Two screw holes  612  are defined in the swing pole  61 , through the top wall  602  and the bottom wall  603 , and adjacent to opposite end walls  604  of the swing pole  61 , respectively. A pivoting hole  613  is defined in a middle of the swing pole  61 , through the top wall  602  and the bottom wall  603 . A fixing hole  614  is defined in the top wall  602  of the swing pole  61  and located between the pivoting hole  613  and each of the screw holes  612 . Two screw holes  616  are respectively defined in the end walls  604  of the swing pole  61 . Each of the locking bars  62  is a rectangular, with a locking groove  621  defined in a top thereof. Each of the raising blocks  63  has a T-shaped configuration. An oblong hole  631  is defined in the raising block  63 , extending from a narrow portion thereof to a wide portion thereof. A pair of sliding flanges respectively extends from two opposite sides of the wide portion of the raising block  63 . The coupling member  64  is substantially cylinder-shaped, and defines a though hole  642  extending along a central axis of the coupling member  64 . The coupling member  64  forms a circumferential flange  641  at an end thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the travelling limiting member  70  includes a positioning block  71 , two screws  73 , and two nuts  75  corresponding to the screws  73 . The positioning block  71  is substantially U-shaped, and includes a mounting portion  712  and two blocking portions  714  perpendicularly extending from opposite ends of the mounting portion  712 . An engaging groove  7121  is defined in a side surface of the mounting portion  712 . A securing hole  7122  is defined in a bottom of the engaging groove  7121  of the mounting portion  712  and extends in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the mounting portion  712 . Two screw holes  7141  are respectively defined in the blocking portions  714 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the first friction block  80  includes a columnar body  81 , a columnar friction bar  82 , and two fixing members  83  for fixing the friction bar  82  to a bottom of the columnar body  81 . A mounting groove  812  with a V-shaped cross section is defined in the bottom of the columnar body  81 . Two pairs of fixing holes are defined in the bottom of the columnar body  81 , beside the mounting groove  813 . A first positioning slot  814  and a second positioning slot  816  are perpendicularly defined in the columnar body  81 , extending through a circumferential surface of the columnar body  81 . An access hole  818  along a center axis of the columnar body  81  is defined in a top of the columnar body  81  and communicates with the first positioning slot  814  and the second positioning slot  816 . Each of the fixing members  83  includes two spaced through holes defined therein. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the second friction block  90  is similar to the first friction block  80  and includes a first positioning slot  914 , a second positioning slot  916 , an access hole  918  is defined in a top of the second friction block  90  and communicates with the first positioning slot  914  and the second positioning slot  916 . 
     Referring to also  FIG. 4 , to attach the friction bar  82  to the columnar body  81 , the friction bar  82  engages in the mounting groove  812  of the columnar body  81 . The fixing members  83  abut against the friction bar  82 , and are fixed to the bottom of the columnar body  81  with a plurality of screws  801  extending the through holes of the fixing members  83  to engage in the fixing holes of the columnar body  81 , therefore, the friction bar  82  is retained to the bottom of the columnar body  81  with a portion of the friction bar  82  protruding from the bottom of the columnar body  81 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , in assembly, the supporting plate  40  is retained to the placing board  11  of the platform  10 , and extends perpendicularly from the placing board  11  with the bottom edge  411  abutting against the placing board  11 . The clamping members  22  are mounted to the positioning plate  21  of the first fixing assembly  20  along a side edge of the positioning plate  21  by screws. The clamping members  32  are mounted to the positioning plate  31  of the second fixing assembly  30  along the opposite lateral edges of the trapezoidal portion of the positioning plate  31  by screws. The positioning plate  21  of the first fixing assembly  20  and the positioning plate  31  of the second fixing assembly  30  are retained to the opposite lateral edges  413  of the supporting plate  40  by screws. The positioning plate  21  of the first fixing assembly  20  and the positioning plate  31  of the second fixing assembly  30  are perpendicular to the supporting plate  40 , and respectively forms an angle of 45° relative to the placing board  11  of the platform  10 . One pair of the reinforcing members  50  respectively abut opposite sidewalls of the supporting plate  40 , and are sandwiched between the positioning plate  21  and the placing board  11 , with the hypotenuse and one of the right-angle sides of each of the reinforcing members  50  respectively abutting against the placing board  11  and the positioning plate  21 . The other one pair of the reinforcing members  50  respectively abut opposite sidewalls of the supporting plate  40 , and sandwiched between the positioning plate  31  and the placing board  11  with the hypotenuse and one of the right-angle sides of each of the reinforcing members  50  respectively abutting against the placing board  11  and the positioning plate  31 . The coupling member  64  extends into the pivoting hole  613  of the swing pole  61  until the flange  641  abuts against the top wall  602 . A screw  605  extends through the through hole  642  of the coupling member  64  to engage in the screw hole of the top edge of the connecting portion  42  of the supporting plate  40 . Therefore, the swing pole  61  is horizontally mounted to the supporting plate  40  and capable of pivoting about the coupling member  64 . The first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  are respectively suspended on two opposite ends of the swing pole  61 . The opposite ends of the swing pole  61  are respectively passed through the first positioning slot  814  of the first friction block  80  and the first positioning slot  914  of the second friction block  90 . The second positioning slot  816  of the first friction block  80  and the second positioning slot  916  of the second friction block  90  respectively align with the coupling holes  611 . One of the locking bars  62  passes through the second positioning slot  816  of the first friction block  80  and one of the coupling holes  611  of the swing pole  61 . The other one of the locking bars  62  passes through the second positioning slot  916  of the second friction block  90  and the other one of the coupling holes  611  of the swing pole  61 . The locking grooves  621  of the locking bars  62  respectively align with the screw holes  612  of the swing pole  61 , the access hole  818  of the first friction block  80  and the access hole  918  of the second friction block  90 . Two screws  606  respectively extend through the access holes  818 ,  918  of the first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  to engage in the screw holes  612  and further extend into the locking grooves  621  of the locking bars  62 , for preventing the locking bars  62  from disengaging from the swing pole  61 . Therefore, the first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  are respectively mounted to the opposite ends of the swing pole  61 . An angle of 45° is defined between the central axis of the columnar body  81  of the first friction block  80  and the positioning plate  21 . An angle of 45° is defined between a central axis of the second friction block  90  and the positioning plate  31 . Heights of the first positioning slots  814 ,  914  and the second positioning slots  816 ,  916  of the first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  are configured to be greater than those of the swing pole  61  and the locking bars  62 . Thus, the first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  are capable of sliding vertically. The raising blocks  63  are retained to the swing pole  61 , with two screws  607  correspondingly passing through the oblong holes  631  of the raising blocks  63  to engage in the fixing holes  614  of the swing pole  61  and the sliding flanges of the raising blocks  63  abutting against the opposite sidewalls  601  of the swing pole  61 . Two screws  608  respectively extend through two nuts  609  and engage in the screw holes  616  of the swing pole  61 . The nuts  609  are tightened to the swing pole  61  to retain the screws  608  to the opposite end walls  604  of the swing pole  61 . The positioning block  71  of the travelling limiting member  70  is attached to the rectangular connecting portion  42  of the supporting plate  40 , with one of the lateral edges of the connecting portion  42  engaging in the engaging groove  7121  of the positioning block  71 . A screw (not shown) is passed through the securing hole  7122  of the positioning block  71  to engage in the corresponding screw hole defined in the lateral edges of the connecting portion  42  to retain the positioning block  71  to the supporting plate  40 . The travelling limiting member  70  bestrides a lower portion of the swing pole  61 . Two screws  73  respectively extend through two nuts  75  and the screw holes  7141  of the blocking portions  714 , with distal ends of the screws  73  respectively extending toward opposite sidewalls  601  of the swing pole  61 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , to measure the coating adhesive strengths of the edge  101  of the first object  100  and the corner  201  of the second object  200 , the first object  100  and the second object  200  are respectively fixed by the first fixing assembly  20  and the second fixing assembly  30 . The first object  100  is retained to the positioning plate  21  by the clamping members  22 . The friction bar  82  of the first friction block  80  abuts against the edge  101  of the first object  100  by an action of gravity of the first friction block  80 . The second object  200  is retained to the positioning plate  31  by the clamping members  32 . The corner  201  of the second object  200  is aligned with a top edge of the trapezoidal portion of the positioning plate  31 . A bottom of the second friction block  90  abuts against the corner  201  of the second object  200  by an action of gravity of the second friction block  90 . Each of the screws  73  is operated to adjust a distance between the distal end thereof and the swing pole  61 . Accordingly, the pivoting scope of the swing pole  61  and the traveling distance of the first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  are determined. 
     At least one screw  608  is manipulated to rotate the swing pole  61  clockwise and anticlockwise about the coupling member  64 . In this process, rotating directions of the swing pole  61  shift when the opposite sidewalls  601  of the swing pole  61  contact the distal ends of the screws  73  of the travelling limiting member  70 . Thus, the first friction block  80  and the second friction block  90  respectively scratch the edge  101  of the first object  100  and the corner  201  of the second object  200  back and forth over a predetermined count. The coating adhesive strengths of the edge  101  of the first object  100  and the corner  201  of the second object  200  are evaluated according to the surface status of the edge  101  of the first object  100  and the corner  201  of the second object  200 . 
     When only the first object  100  is to be tested, the right raising block  63  is used to raise the second friction block  90  for avoiding interference with the second fixing assembly  30 . The narrow portion of the right raising block  63  is slid into the first positioning slot  914  of the second friction block  90 , with the corresponding screw  607  located in the left of the corresponding oblong hole  631 . Similarly, when only the second object  200  is to be tested, the left raising block  63  is used to raise the first friction block  80  for avoiding interference with the first fixing assembly  20 . The narrow portion of the left raising block  63  is slid into the first positioning slot  814  of the first friction block  80 , with the corresponding screw  607  located in the right of the corresponding oblong hole  631 . 
     It is believed that the present embodiment and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the description or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the example hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiments.