Methods and apparatus for determining a height of an edge portion of a product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255652-B2
Application number	US-201916662451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2019
Priority date	Nov 5, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

Apparatus can comprise a probe movable in a direction along a probe axis that intersects a determination axis and a clamping pin can be movable along a clamping pin axis that intersects a product support area of a base. In some embodiments, methods of determining a height of an edge portion of a product can comprise aligning the edge portion of the product along a determination axis and clamping the product to a base at a clamping location of the product positioned over a product support area. Methods can further comprise extending a probe to contact a location of the edge portion of the product while the product is clamped to the base. Methods can further comprise determining a height of the edge portion of the product based on the position of the probe contacting the edge portion of the product.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a base comprising a support surface comprising a product support area;
a probe movable in a direction along a probe axis that intersects a determination axis; and
a clamping pin movable along a clamping pin axis that intersects the product support area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determination axis is linear.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a shoulder defines the determination axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the shoulder comprises a plurality of shoulder segments spaced apart from one another.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the probe axis extends within a space defined between a corresponding pair of segments of the plurality of shoulder segments.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the probe axis and the clamping pin axis are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the determination axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the clamping pin is supported by a support arm.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a spring biases the clamping pin to an extended position relative to the support arm.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the probe is movable through an opening defined by the support arm.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the probe comprises a probe tip comprising a substantially flat engagement surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the substantially flat engagement surface is parallel to a substantially flat portion of the support surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the probe axis is perpendicular to the determination axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the probe comprises a plurality of probes spaced apart from one another along the determination axis.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the clamping pin comprises a plurality of clamping pins, and each clamping pin of the plurality of clamping pins is aligned with a corresponding probe of the plurality of probes.

15. A method of determining a height of an edge portion of a product comprising:
placing the product on a product support area of a support surface of a base; aligning the edge portion of the product along a determination axis;
clamping the product to the base at a clamping location of the product positioned over the product support area;
extending a probe to contact a location of the edge portion of the product while the product is clamped to the base; and
determining a height of the edge portion of the product based on the position of the probe contacting the edge portion of the product.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the probe comprises a probe tip comprising a substantially flat engagement surface, wherein extending the probe to contact the edge portion of the product contacts the substantially flat engagement surface of the probe tip with the edge portion of the product.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein clamping the product to the base flattens the product against the product support area at the clamping location.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the clamping location is aligned with the location of the edge portion contacted by the probe along a direction perpendicular to an outer edge of the edge portion.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein clamping the product to the base comprises moving a clamping pin to contact the product at the clamping location to press the product against the base at the clamping location.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein extending the probe comprises moving the probe through an opening defined by a support arm that supports the clamping pin.

21. A method of determining a height profile of an edge portion of a product comprising:
placing the product on a product support area of a support surface of a base; aligning the edge portion of the product along a determination axis;
clamping the product to the base at a plurality of clamping locations of the product positioned over the product support area;
extending a plurality of probes to each contact a corresponding location of a plurality of locations of the edge portion of the product while the product is clamped to the base; and
determining a height of the edge portion of the product at each location of the plurality of locations of the edge portion based on the corresponding position of each probe of the plurality of probes.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein each probe of the plurality of probes comprises a probe tip comprising a substantially flat engagement surface, wherein extending the plurality of probes contacts the substantially flat engagement surface of each probe tip of the plurality of probes with the corresponding location of the plurality of locations of the edge portion of the product.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein clamping the product to the base flattens the product against the product support area at the plurality of clamping locations.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the clamping location of each of the plurality of clamping locations is aligned with a corresponding location of the plurality of locations of the edge portion along a direction perpendicular to an outer edge of the edge portion.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein clamping the product to the base comprises moving a plurality of clamping pins to contact the product at the plurality of clamping locations to press the product against the base at the plurality of clamping locations.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein extending the plurality of probes comprises moving each probe of the plurality of probes through an opening defined by a corresponding support arm that supports a corresponding clamping pin of the plurality of clamping pins.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Jin Xiaorui
• Ni Ping
• Tian Shixian

Classifications

• G01B5/02 Primary

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B5/004, G01B5/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01B5/0004

  Supports (G01B5/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B21/047

  Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes · CPC title

• G01B5/061 Primary

  height gauges · CPC title