Non-directional touch signal probe

Abstract

Abstract A touch signal probe for electrically detecting the contact of a touch pin with a work to be measured in all three-axes directions. The apparatus can be attached to a three-dimensional coordinate measuring system to automatically detect electrical touch signals indicative of the contact with the work. The internal structure of the probe case is constructed such that a three dimensionally movable support can be attached thereto to provide a touch pin base which is movably supported on seats fixed on the probe case which carries the touch pin by means of a Z-axis movable support mechanism. The Z-axis support mechanism consists of a pair of diaphragms fixed on the upper and lower ends of the touch pin base at their peripheries respectively and a support shaft rigidly connected with the central portions of the diaphragms and holding the touch pin at its lower end. The movable touch pin base and the Z-axis support mechanism therefore can support the touch pin with three dimensional free movement relative to the probe case when the touch pin contacts the outer surface of the work. Furthermore, the apparatus has an electrical touch signal detector including several pairs of cores of magnetic material disposed on the support shaft and several pairs of detection coils mounted on the touch pin base to correspond to and be adjacent to each one of the pairs of cores respectively. Minute movement of the touch pin at the contact with the work changes the gap between any of the cores and the detection coils to generate an electrical touch signal from the coil.

Inventors

• 👤 Minoru Fukuyoshi
• 👤 Takashi Furuto
• 👤 Tetsuo Nakamura

Bibliographic Details