Ergonomic micrometer including two modes of adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016169653-A1
Application number	US-201414568947-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A micrometer provides a quick adjustment mode and a fine adjustment mode. A spline-like rotary coupling configuration constrains the micrometer thimble and a threaded element to move together with respect to rotation, but does not constrain the position of the threaded element relative to the thimble along the measurement axis. A gear in the micrometer frame includes gear teeth that mesh with the threaded element and roll thereon along the measurement direction. A locking arrangement, when unlocked, allows the meshed gear to be rotated by a user to drive the threaded element along the measuring axis in the quick adjustment mode. When locked, the locking arrangement prevents motion of the gear to provide the fine adjustment mode, wherein the user rotates the thimble to screw the threaded element through the meshed teeth of the gear, to adjust the spindle position.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 . A micrometer comprising:
a frame including an anvil; a spindle movable relative to the frame and anvil along its axis, guided to move parallel to an X axis direction; a threaded element having an axis parallel to the X axis direction, the threaded element coupled to move with the spindle with respect to motion along the X axis direction; a thimble having a rotation axis parallel to the X axis direction; a rotary coupling configuration that couples the thimble to the threaded element with respect to rotation; and a position indicator usable to determine a position of the spindle relative to the anvil or frame; wherein: the rotary coupling configuration constrains the thimble and the threaded element to move together with respect to rotation, but does not constrain the position of the threaded element relative to the thimble with respect to motion along the X axis direction; the micrometer further comprises a toothed element arrangement comprising at least a first toothed element arranged in the frame to rotate about a gear axis that is transverse to the X axis direction and including gear teeth arranged along an arc at a distance from the gear axis, the gear teeth formed to mesh with the threads of the threaded element and roll thereon along the X axis direction; the micrometer further comprises a locking arrangement configured to be unlocked to allow the first toothed element of the toothed element arrangement to drive the threaded element by rotating about its gear axis while meshed with the threads of the threaded element, to provide a quick adjustment state of the micrometer; and configured to be locked to fix a lockable toothed element of the toothed element arrangement that has teeth that mesh with the threads of the threaded element to prevent motion of the threaded element along the X axis direction relative to the frame unless the threaded element is rotated such that its threads advance through the meshed teeth of the locked lockable toothed element in the manner of a threaded shaft through a nut, to provide a fine adjustment state of the micrometer; and the spindle may be advanced and retracted by rotating the first toothed element about the gear axis to drive the threaded element during the quick adjustment state, and the spindle may be advanced and retracted by rotating the thimble to screw the threads of the threaded element through the meshed teeth of the locked lockable toothed element during the fine adjustment state.

2 . The micrometer of claim 1 , wherein the rotary coupling configuration comprises:
a female rotary drive portion coupled to one of the thimble and the threaded element, the female rotary drive portion including a central opening comprising a hole or bore having a hole cross section including a first mating rotary constraint feature; and a male rotary drive portion coupled to the other of the thimble and the threaded element, the male rotary drive portion comprising a shaft that slides in or through the central opening of the female rotary drive portion, the shaft including a second mating rotary constraint feature that is configured to interlock with the first mating rotary constraint feature such that they must rotate together, and configured to slide along or through the first mating rotary constraint feature along the X axis direction.

3 . The micrometer of claim 2 , wherein the shaft has a dimension along the X axis direction that is at least as large as a maximum measuring range of the micrometer.

4 . The micrometer of claim 3 , wherein the male rotary drive portion is coupled to the thimble, and the threaded element has a hollow center that allows the shaft to pass into the interior of the threaded element.

5 . The micrometer of claim 4 , wherein the second mating rotary constraint feature extends along the shaft over a dimension along the X axis direction that is at least as large as the maximum measuring range of the micrometer, and the female rotary drive portion comprises a hub attached to the threaded element.

6 . The micrometer of claim 2 , wherein the male or female rotary drive portion that is coupled to the thimble is coupled through a torque limiting clutch arrangement.

7 . The micrometer of claim 2 , wherein the female rotary drive portion is formed in the threaded element by forming the first mating rotary constraint feature in a bore inside the threaded element.

8 . The micrometer of claim 1 , wherein the lockable toothed element and the first toothed element are the same element.

9 . The micrometer of claim 1 , wherein the position indicator comprises an electronic linear position sensor.

10 . The micrometer of claim 9 , wherein the electronic linear position sensor includes a portion that is fixed relative to the frame and a portion that is coupled to move with the spindle with respect to motion along the X axis direction.

11 . The micrometer of claim 1 , wherein the locking arrangement comprises one of a button, slide or lever that is operated by a user to move between an unlocked position to provide the quick adjustment state and a locked position to provide the fine adjustment state.

12 . The micrometer of claim 11 , wherein the locking arrangement includes a tapered element that is wedged against a surface that frictionally locks the lockable tooth element against rotation when the user to moves the button, slide or lever to the locked position.

13 . The micrometer of claim 1 , further comprising a quick drive element coupled to the first toothed element, wherein the quick drive element is configured to be operated by a user to rotate the first toothed element about the gear axis to drive the threaded element during the quick adjustment state.

14 . The micrometer of claim 13 , wherein the quick drive element is coupled to the first toothed element through a torque limiting clutch.

15 . The micrometer of claim 13 , wherein the first toothed element comprises a first circular gear and the quick drive element comprises a wheel accessible for rotation by a finger or thumb of the user.

16 . The micrometer of claim 15 , wherein the quick drive element is coupled to the first toothed element through a second circular gear.

17 . The micrometer of claim 15 , wherein the locking arrangement comprises an auto-lock mechanism that is coupled to the first toothed element, and configured to be actuated into the locked position when a spindle closing force is applied by a user through a quick drive element during the quick adjustment state and transmitted through the auto-lock mechanism to the first toothed element to move the spindle towards the anvil, and the spindle meets an object that provides a reaction force that is transmitted back through the first toothed element to oppose the closing force, and the auto-lock mechanism includes a compliant element that is deformed by the opposing closing and reaction forces to provide a deformed state of the auto-lock mechanism whereby it is actuated into the locked position to provide the fine adjustment state.

18 . The micrometer of claim 17 , wherein the locking arrangement further comprises a release element that is operated by a user to release the auto-lock mechanism and restore the auto-lock mechanism to the unlocked position to provide the quick adjustment state.

19 . The micrometer of claim 18 , wherein the release element includes the quick drive element, and the auto-lock mechanism is config

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Atherton Kim W

Classifications

• F16H25/08

  for interconverting rotary motion and reciprocating motion (F16H23/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B3/18 Primary

  Micrometers · CPC title

• F16H25/00

  Gearings comprising primarily only cams, cam-followers and screw-and-nut mechanisms · CPC title

• Y10T74/18664

  Shaft moves through rotary drive means · CPC title

• F16H57/08

  of gearings with members having orbital motion · CPC title