Method of measuring shape of object in non-contacting manner

Claim 1

A method of measuring the shape of an object in a non-contacting manner by using a shape-measuring apparatus including a light spot detecting sensor for measuring the distance between said object and said sensor in non-contacting manner by using the light, means for driving said light spot detecting sensor, and an arithmetic and control unit adapted to receive signals representative of the distance measured by said light spot detecting sensor and the movement of said sensor driven by said driving means, subject siad signals to computation and control the operations of said sensor and said driving means, comprising the steps of: providing at least one reference point, of which the coordinate in an object coordinate system is already known, on an object to be measured, said object coordinate system being for defining the shape of said object; driving said light spot detecting sensor so as to apply a light spot therefrom to said reference point and thereby determine the coordinate value of said reference point in a measuring coordinate system for determining the movement of said shape-measuring apparatus; determining the relative positional relation between said two coordinate systems by said arithmetic control unit by using the coordinate values thug determined and the coordinate values in said object coordinate system; measuring various points on said object by said light spot detecting sensor to determine the coordinate values corresponding to the various points measured; comparing the measured values obtained in said measuring step with reference values which are design values, corresponding to the various points on said object and modulated with the relative positional value and which have been inputted into said arithmetic control unit in advance, whereby a manufacturing error of said object is determined.

Claim 2

A method of measuring the shape of an object in a non-contacting manner by using a shape-measuring apparatus including a light spot detecting sensor for measuring the distance between said object and said sensor in non-contacting manner by using the light, means for driving said light spot detecting sensor, and an arithmetic and control unit adapted to receive signals representative of the distance measured by said light spot detecting sensor and the movement of said sensor driven by said driving means, subject siad signals to computation and control the operations of said sensor and said driving means, comprising the steps of: providing at least one reference point, of which the coordinate in an object coordinate system is already known, on an object to be measured, said object coordinate system being for defining the shape of said object; driving said light spot detecting sensor so as to apply a light spot therefrom to said reference point and thereby determine the coordinate value of said reference point in a measuring coordinate system for determining the movement of said shape-measuring apparatus; determining the relative positional relation between said two coordinate systems by said arithmetic control unit by using the coordinate values thug determined and the coordinate values in said object coordinate system; measuring various points on said object by said light spot detecting sensor to determine the coordinate values corresponding to the various points measured; comparing the measured values obtained in said measuring step with reference values which are design values, corresponding to the various points on said object and modulated with the relative positional value and which have been inputted into said arithmetic control unit in advance, whereby a manufacturing error of said object is determined.

Claim 7

A method of determining the shape of an object in a non-contacting manner by using a shape-determining apparatus including a light spot detecting sensor for measuring the distance between said object and said sensor in a non-contacting manner by using the light, a means for varying the angle of emission of the light from said light spot detecting sensor, a means, which has said angle-varying means secured thereto, and which is adapted to drive said light spot detecting sensor three-dimensionally, and an arithmetic and control unit adapted to receive signals representative of the distance determined by said light spot detecting sensor, the amount of movement of said sensor driven by said three-dimensional driving means and the angle of emission of the light from said sensor, subject said signals to computation and control the operations of said sensor and said driving means, comprising the steps of obtaining the relation between an object coordinate system for determining the shape of said object and a measuring coordinate system for determining the movement of said shape-determining apparatus, said relation obtaining step including the steps of providing one or a plurality of reference points, of which the coordinate in said object coordinate system are already known, on a object, driving said light spot detecting, sensor so as to apply a light spot therefrom to said reference points and thereby determine the coordinate values in said measuring coordinate system of said reference points, and determining the relative positional relation between said two coordinate systems by said arithmetic control unit by using the coordinate values thus determined and the coordinate values in said object coordinate system; and comparing the value representative of said positional relation with a reference value, which has been inputted into said arithmetic control unit in advance, to determine a manufacturing error of said object.

Claim 8

A method of determining the shape of an object in a non-contacting manner by using a shape-determining apparatus including a light spot detecting sensor for measuring the distance between said object and said sensor in a non-contacting manner by using the light, a means for varying the angle of emission of the light from said light spot detecting sensor, a means, which has said angle-varying means secured thereto, and which is adapted to drive said light spot detecting sensor three-dimensionally, and an arithmetic and control unit adapted to receive signals representative of the distance determined by said light spot detecting sensor, the amount of movement of said sensor driven by said three-dimensional driving means and the angle of emission of the light from said sensor, subject said signals to computation and control the operations of said sensor and said driving means, comprising the steps of obtaining the relation between an object coordinate system for determining the shape of said object and a measuring coordinate system for determining the movement of said shape-determining apparatus, said relation obtaining step including the steps of providing one or a plurality of reference points, of which the coordinate in said object coordinate system are already known, on a object, driving said light spot detecting, sensor so as to apply a light spot therefrom to said reference points and thereby determine the coordinate values in said measuring coordinate system of said reference points, and determining the relative positional relation between said two coordinate systems by said arithmetic control unit by using the coordinate values thus determined and the coordinate values in said object coordinate system; and comparing the value representative of said positional relation with a reference value, which has been inputted into said arithmetic control unit in advance, to determine a manufacturing error of said object.