Interferometric non-contact optical probe and measurement
US9581437B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 2015 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 1, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/007
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A non-contact optical probe utilizes an optical reference surface that projects a curved test wavefront toward the test surface and detects it by creating curved interferometric fringes localized in space in front of the reference surface. When a point to be measured on the test surface intersects the location of the fringes, the condition is detected by the probe. Because the fringes are localized at a known position in space with respect to a reference system, the precise coordinate of the surface point can be established. Such localized fringes are preferably produced by a spectrally controllable light source. The curvature of the fringes ensures a sufficiently large angle of acceptance for the probe to capture light reflected from points of high surface slope. The probe is particularly suitable for coordinate measurement machines.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.