EP0132200A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electro-optical gap and flushness sensor
Assignee: Diffracto Ltd Canada
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Filing: 1984-07-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-07-11
Abstract
Abstract @ This invention relates to the electro-optically based sensor units of use in measuring the "fit up" of panels as on car bodies, aircraft, etc. The disclosed invention is capable of measuring both the gap between the adjacent panels and their relative positions, or "flushness", in the direction out of plane. Embodiments include a hand-held portable unit capable of being used on finished assemblies such as car bodies, and aircraft sections, as well as on "ring" gages in which a single test panel is checked relative to a reference frame or "ring".
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy R. Pryor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 01:18
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
Apparatus for measuring the spacing or "gap" between edges of adjacent panels comprising: a housing, means for locating said housing on a first panel, means for projecting light onto a second panel, means within said housing for imaging light reflected from the edge of said second panel, means for scanning said image, means for determining the spacing of the edge image of said second panel, and means for determining from said image spacing, the spacing of said panels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus for measuring the spacing or "gap" between edges of adjacent panels comprising: a housing, means for locating said housing on a first panel, means for projecting light onto a second panel, means within said housing for imaging light reflected from the edge of said second panel, means for scanning said image, means for determining the spacing of the edge image of said second panel, and means for determining from said image spacing, the spacing of said panels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said first panel edge is also imaged and the relative spacing measured directly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein means for measuring flushness of the panels is further incorporated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein a reflective means is utilized behind the panel to reflect light projected between said panels back to said image scanning means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1 including means for projecting at least one zone of light onto the surface of at least one of said panels, and further means for imaging the zone position via triangulation onto said image scanning means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said first panel is a master gage rail and the change in dimension of said second panel is so determined from said spacing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein a reference line zone is projected on said first panel or rail and used to reference the position of said second panel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to Claim 7 wherein a continuous strip zone of points is projected on said first and second panel and said apparatus includes a two dimensional image scanning means, spaced at an angle to said light projections, for scanning the image of said strip on said panels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein two spot zones are projected on said first panel or rail and a single spot projected on said second panel and the height H between said second panel zone and a straight line through said two zones on said first panel is determined.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
70 words
A method for determining panel fits with an electro-optical sensor unit including the steps of: placing the sensor unit at a first position on a panel edge, moving the unit along the edge of the panel to a further position, reading flushness and gap data at a plurality of points in between said first and further positions, and storing the maximum, minimum or average values obtained on all scans obtained.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
70 words
A method for determining panel fits with an electro-optical sensor unit including the steps of: placing the sensor unit at a first position on a panel edge, moving the unit along the edge of the panel to a further position, reading flushness and gap data at a plurality of points in between said first and further positions, and storing the maximum, minimum or average values obtained on all scans obtained.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
97 words
ll. A method for measuring panels comprising the steps of: placing a pre-measured panel in a fixture, said fixture containing a rail substantially parallel to at least one portion of said panel, determining with an electro-optical sensor unit the gap and/or flushness of said rail to said premeasured panel at least one position, determining therefrom the location of said rail to said fixture, placing a panel in said fixture, and from said stored rail location, determining after positioning said sensor with said robot at said position, the gap and/or flushness of said test panel at said position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
97 words
ll. A method for measuring panels comprising the steps of: placing a pre-measured panel in a fixture, said fixture containing a rail substantially parallel to at least one portion of said panel, determining with an electro-optical sensor unit the gap and/or flushness of said rail to said premeasured panel at least one position, determining therefrom the location of said rail to said fixture, placing a panel in said fixture, and from said stored rail location, determining after positioning said sensor with said robot at said position, the gap and/or flushness of said test panel at said position.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
52 words
A method for determining the mechanical edge of a radiused panel comprising the steps of: forming a light section image of said panel surface in the region of the panel edge, determining from said image the shape of said surface, and calculating the tangent point of the edge predicted from said shape.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
52 words
A method for determining the mechanical edge of a radiused panel comprising the steps of: forming a light section image of said panel surface in the region of the panel edge, determining from said image the shape of said surface, and calculating the tangent point of the edge predicted from said shape.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to Claim 12 in which a curve fit is made to the observable points obtained and the best fit curve projected to the edge.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
48 words
A method of determining the gap between a panel and another panel or rail wherein light is projected through the gap from a front position and the light reflected from a reflecting member behind the panel passing back through the gap is imaged onto an image scanning means.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
48 words
A method of determining the gap between a panel and another panel or rail wherein light is projected through the gap from a front position and the light reflected from a reflecting member behind the panel passing back through the gap is imaged onto an image scanning means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE2906641A1
Cited
DE3104320A1
Cited
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