Probe head rotating mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113851-B2
Application number	US-201615241627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A probe head rotation mechanism, situated between a spindle and a probe of a coordinate measurement device, includes: a main body frame supported by the spindle; a rotor supported by the main body frame so as to be capable of tilting with respect to an axial center of the spindle; the main body frame; and a motor supported by the main body frame and driving the rotor. A motor main body is arranged away from lying on the axial center of the spindle, and an axial center of the motor is oriented outward in a diameter direction of the spindle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A probe head rotation mechanism situated between a spindle and a probe of a coordinate measurement device, the probe head rotation mechanism comprising:
a main body frame supported by the spindle;
a rotor supported by the main body frame so as to be tiltable with respect to an axial center of the spindle;
a drive source supported by the main body frame and configured to drive the rotor, wherein a main body of the drive source is arranged away from lying on the axial center of the spindle, and an axial center of the drive source is oriented outward in a diameter direction of the spindle;
a drive source casing that houses the main body of the drive source; and
a heat buffer positioned between the drive source and the rotor and configured to absorb thermal conduction from the drive source to the rotor, the heat buffer including a thermal insulator positioned between the drive source casing and the main body frame and configured to support the drive source casing.

2. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the drive source casing projects further outward in the diameter direction than the spindle.

3. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the heat buffer includes a layer of air.

4. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the heat buffer further comprises a shaft coupling configured to couple a drive shaft of the drive source and a rotary shaft of the rotor.

5. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a rotary shaft of the rotor and the axial center of the spindle are further arranged orthogonally to each other.

6. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 1 further comprising a support member on the main body frame, and an air cylinder fixed to the support member and configured to position the rotor.

7. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the air cylinder is arranged opposite the rotor, on an opposite side of the axial center of the spindle from the probe.

8. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein:
the air cylinder includes a cylinder fixed to the main body frame, and a piston fitted into the cylinder and displaceable in the axis direction of the spindle via compressed air introduced into the cylinder,
the piston includes a positioning pin coupleable to the piston member and displaceable in the axis direction of the spindle, and further includes a ball provided to a forefront end of the positioning pin, and
the rotor includes a positioning block having a pair of circular columns corresponding to a predetermined tilt angle of the rotor and configured to touch the ball, the circular columns each having an axis direction configured to match an axis direction of the rotary shaft of the rotor.

9. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 8 , wherein the positioning pin is provided to the piston and is supported by the main body frame via a ball spline bearing.

10. The probe head rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein:
a rotary shaft of the rotor is fitted into a through-hole provided to the rotor and is configured to regulate displacement of the rotor relative to the axis direction of the rotary shaft using a large diameter portion provided at a position corresponding to a first hole end portion of the through-hole and a shim arranged at a position corresponding to a second hole end portion of the through-hole, and
a pair of bearings positioned on an exterior of the large diameter portion and the shim, respectively, are fixed to the main body frame by applying pressure in mutually facing directions and the rotary shaft is supported by the main body frame via the pair of bearings.

11. A probe head rotation mechanism situated between a spindle and a probe of a coordinate measurement device, the probe head rotation mechanism comprising:
a main body frame supported by the spindle;
a rotor supported by the main body frame so as to be tiltable with respect to an axial center of the spindle;
a drive source supported by the main body frame and configured to drive the rotor,
a drive source casing that houses the main body of the drive source; and
a heat buffer positioned between the drive source and the rotor and configured to absorb thermal conduction from the drive source to the rotor, the heat buffer including a thermal insulator positioned between the drive source casing and the main body frame and configured to support the drive source casing;
wherein the drive source casing projects further outward in the diameter direction than the spindle.

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Ooyama Yoshikazu
• Kusama Hayato
• Matsumiya Sadayuki
• Ohta Hitoshi

Classifications

• G01B5/0014

  due to temperature (on machine tools B23Q11/0003) · CPC title

• G01B5/012 Primary

  Contact-making feeler heads therefor · CPC title

• G01B7/001

  Constructional details of gauge heads (G01B7/012 takes precedence) · CPC title