Patent · US Expired

Coordinate measuring machine with protected origin point blocks

US5187874A · kind A · utility

178Cited by
8References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 8, 1991
Grant dateFeb 23, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 8, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B21/047
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A coordinate measuring machine capable of selectively setting the origin of measurement by origin point blocks each of which are provided on the base plate of the coordinate measuring machine. In a condition where dust becomes attached to the origin point block, the origin of measurement is missed and the accuracy of the measurement is therefore unreliable. The machine in this invention is arranged to employ cover devices (40A, 40B, 80) to enclose origin point blocks (50A, 50B, 70) respectively and to occasionally expose a portion thereof by an opening and closing motion. That is, only when setting the origin of measurement is the cover opened. This prevents the origin point block from collecting dust thereon suspended in the air. In this end, the origin of measurement can be set precisely to execute an accurate measurement of the object to be measured. Such a technique may be applied to an efficient coordinate measuring machine which has a system to set the origin of measurement by the origin point block having a master ball.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.