阅读说明：本技术 超轻及超准确的便携式坐标测量机 (Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measuring machine ) 是由 艾伦·萨耶迪 于 2018-04-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种便携式坐标测量机(CMM),包括带有转动接头的铰接臂。转动接头中的至少一个包括：轴承；与轴承的内径接合的轴,所述轴配置为绕轴承的转动轴线转动；具有至少一个端口的壳体,所述端口与轴承中的至少一个的外径接合；以及至少一个转换器,所述转换器配置为输出与轴相对于壳体绕转动轴线的转动角度相对应的角度信号。所述轴没有直径大于第一轴承或第二轴承的内径的部分,或者壳体的至少一个端口没有直径窄于第一轴承或第二轴承的外径的部分。(A portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) comprises an articulated arm with a revolute joint. At least one of the rotary joints comprises: a bearing; a shaft engaged with an inner diameter of the bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about a rotational axis of the bearing; a housing having at least one port that engages an outer diameter of at least one of the bearings; and at least one converter configured to output an angle signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the shaft relative to the housing about the rotation axis. The shaft has no portion with a diameter greater than an inner diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing, or the at least one port of the housing has no portion with a diameter narrower than an outer diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing.)

1. A portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), comprising:

a manually positionable articulated arm having a first end and a second end, the articulated arm comprising a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of revolute joints, the first end comprising a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end comprising a base;

wherein at least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a first bearing and a second bearing;

a shaft engaging an inner diameter of the first bearing and an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing;

a housing having at least one port engaging at least one of an outer diameter of the first bearing and an outer diameter of the second bearing; and

at least one converter configured to output an angle signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the shaft relative to the housing about a rotation axis, wherein

The shaft has two ends that are concentric within ten-thousandth of an inch (0.0001 "),

at least one port of the housing has no portion with a diameter narrower than an outer diameter of the first bearing or an outer diameter of the second bearing.

2. The CMM as defined by claim 1 wherein at least one of the rotational joints comprises:

a rotational damper operatively coupled to the shaft and the housing and configured to provide controllable damping of rotational movement of the shaft about the axis of rotation, or

A rotational damper built into at least one of the rotational joints to provide controllable damping of rotational movement of the shaft about a rotational axis.

3. The CMM of claim 1 wherein,

at least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controllable damping of rotary motion of the shaft about a rotational axis; and

a circuit operatively connected to the at least one converter and configured to output a speed signal and a direction signal corresponding to a speed of rotational movement of the shaft about the rotational axis.

4. The CMM as defined by claim 1 wherein

At least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controllable damping of rotary motion of the shaft about a rotational axis; and

at least one strain gauge operatively coupled to at least one of the shaft and the housing and configured to sense strain induced on the at least one of the shaft and the housing as a result of rotational movement of the shaft about a rotational axis and output a strain signal.

5. The CMM as defined by claim 1 wherein

In at least one of the plurality of joints, the following components are made of steel: a) a shaft engaging an inner diameter of at least one of the first and second bearings, and b) a port of a housing engaging an outer diameter of at least one of the first and second bearings, or

A first joint of the plurality of joints is attached to a second joint of the plurality of joints by a steel structure, wherein the steel structure is in contact with an inner or outer ring of a bearing of the first joint, or with an inner or outer ring of a bearing of the second joint, or

All structural parts of at least one of the plurality of rotational joints are made of steel.

6. The CMM as defined by claim 1 wherein any structural portion of the CMM including the plurality of arm segments and the plurality of rotational joints is made from a controlled expansion alloy that is lighter in weight than steel and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel or stainless steel of 9.9 to 18 μm/m ℃ at 25 ℃.

7. The CMM of claim 1, the measurement probe comprising a handle mechanically but not electrically operatively coupled to the first end portion, the handle rotatably coupled to the first end portion for rotation about a central axis of the measurement probe, the handle comprising:

a wireless transmitter; and

at least one switch operatively connected to the wireless transmitter and configured, when activated, to cause the wireless transmitter to transmit a wireless signal that causes the CMM to make measurements.

8. The CMM of claim 1, comprising:

an electrical circuit comprising a serial communications circuit configured to receive angle signals and other signals from other transducers in a CMM without a dedicated capture line, the electrical circuit configured to output a conglomerate of the angle signals and the other signals to provide information corresponding to a position of the measurement probe relative to a base.

9. A portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), comprising:

a manually positionable articulated arm having a first end and a second end, the articulated arm comprising a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of revolute joints, the first end comprising a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end comprising a base;

wherein at least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a first bearing and a second bearing;

a shaft engaging an inner diameter of the first bearing and an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing;

a housing having at least one port engaging at least one of an outer diameter of the first bearing and an outer diameter of the second bearing; and

at least one converter configured to output an angle signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the shaft relative to the housing about a rotation axis, wherein

The shaft has two ends including a first end engaging the inner diameter of the first bearing and a second end engaging the inner diameter of the second bearing, the two ends being concentric within one ten thousandth of an inch (0.0001 ").

10. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein at least one of the rotational joints comprises:

a rotational damper operatively coupled to the shaft and the housing and configured to provide controllable damping of rotational movement of the shaft about the axis of rotation.

11. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein a rotational damper is built into at least one of the rotational joints to provide controllable damping of rotational movement of the shaft about the rotational axis.

12. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein

At least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controllable damping of rotary motion of the shaft about a rotary axis; and

a circuit operatively connected to the at least one converter and configured to output a speed signal corresponding to a speed of rotational movement of the shaft rotational movement about a rotational axis based on the angle signal and time, the circuit further configured to compare the speed signal to a predetermined speed threshold to determine if the speed of rotational movement is too fast or caused by excessive torque.

13. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein

At least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controllable damping of rotary motion of the shaft about a rotary axis; and

at least one strain gauge operably coupled to at least one of the shaft and the housing and configured to sense strain induced on the at least one of the shaft and the housing as a result of rotational movement of the shaft about a rotational axis and output a strain signal; and is

The CMM includes:

circuitry configured to calculate a position of the measurement probe based in part on the strain signal.

14. The CMM of claim 9, wherein in at least one of the plurality of joints, the following components are made of steel: a) a shaft engaged with an inner diameter of at least one of the first and second bearings, and b) a port of a housing engaged with an outer diameter of at least one of the first and second bearings.

15. The CMM of claim 9, wherein a first joint of the plurality of joints is attached to a second joint of the plurality of joints by a steel structure, wherein the steel structure is in contact with an inner or outer race of a bearing of the first joint or with an inner or outer race of a bearing of the second joint.

16. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein all structural portions of at least one of the plurality of rotational joints are made of steel.

17. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein any structural portion of the CMM including the plurality of arm segments and the plurality of rotational joints is made from a controlled expansion alloy that is lighter in weight than steel and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel or stainless steel of 9.9 to 18 μm/m ℃ at 25 ℃.

18. The CMM as defined by claim 9 wherein the measurement probe comprises a handle mechanically but not electrically operatively coupled to the first end portion, the handle rotatably coupled to the first end portion for rotation about a central axis of the measurement probe, the handle comprising:

a wireless transmitter; and

at least one switch operatively connected to the wireless transmitter and configured, when activated, to cause the wireless transmitter to transmit a wireless signal that causes the CMM to make measurements.

19. The CMM of claim 9, comprising:

an electrical circuit comprising a serial communications circuit configured to receive angle signals and other angle signals from other transducers in a CMM without a dedicated capture line, the electrical circuit configured to output a conglomerate of the angle signals and the other angle signals to provide information corresponding to a position of the measurement probe relative to a base.

20. A portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), comprising:

a manually positionable articulated arm having a first end and a second end, the articulated arm comprising a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of revolute joints, the first end comprising a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end comprising a base;

wherein at least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a first bearing and a second bearing;

a shaft engaging an inner diameter of the first bearing and an inner diameter of the second bearing, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing;

a housing having at least one port engaging at least one of an outer diameter of the first bearing and an outer diameter of the second bearing; and

at least one converter configured to output an angle signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the shaft relative to the housing about a rotation axis, wherein

At least one port of the housing has no portion with a diameter narrower than an outer diameter of the first bearing or an outer diameter of the second bearing.

21. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein at least one of the rotational joints comprises:

a rotational damper operatively coupled to the shaft and the housing and configured to provide controllable damping of rotational movement of the shaft about the axis of rotation.

22. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein a rotational damper is built into at least one of the rotational joints to provide controllable damping of rotational movement of the shaft rotational movement about a rotational axis.

23. The CMM of claim 20 wherein,

at least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controllable damping of rotary motion of the shaft about a rotary axis; and

a circuit operatively connected to the at least one converter and configured to output a speed signal corresponding to a speed of rotational movement of the shaft rotational movement about a rotational axis based on the angle signal and time, the circuit further configured to compare the speed to a predetermined speed threshold to determine if the speed of rotational movement is too fast or caused by excessive torque.

24. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein

At least one of the rotary joints comprises:

a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controllable damping of rotary motion of the shaft about a rotary axis; and

at least one strain gauge operably coupled to at least one of the shaft and the housing and configured to sense strain induced on the at least one of the shaft and the housing as a result of rotational movement of the shaft about a rotational axis and output a strain signal; and is

The CMM includes:

circuitry configured to calculate a position of the measurement probe based in part on the strain signal.

25. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein in at least one of the plurality of joints the following components are made from steel: a) a shaft engaged with an inner diameter of at least one of the first and second bearings, and b) a port of a housing engaged with an outer diameter of at least one of the first and second bearings.

26. The CMM of claim 20, wherein a first joint of the plurality of joints is attached to a second joint of the plurality of joints by a steel structure, wherein the steel structure is in contact with an inner or outer race of a bearing of the first joint or with an inner or outer race of a bearing of the second joint.

27. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein all structural portions of at least one of the plurality of rotational joints are made of steel.

28. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein any structural portion of the CMM including the plurality of arm segments and the plurality of rotational joints is made from a controlled expansion alloy that is lighter in weight than steel and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel or stainless steel of 9.9 to 18 μm/m ℃ at 25 ℃.

29. The CMM as defined by claim 20 wherein the measurement probe comprises a handle mechanically but not electrically operatively coupled to the first end portion, the handle rotatably coupled to the first end portion for rotation about a central axis of the measurement probe, the handle comprising:

a wireless transmitter; and

at least one switch operatively connected to the wireless transmitter and configured, when activated, to cause the wireless transmitter to transmit a wireless signal that causes the CMM to make measurements.

30. The CMM as defined by claim 20 comprising:

an electrical circuit comprising a serial communications circuit configured to receive angle signals and other angle signals from other transducers in a CMM without a dedicated capture line, the electrical circuit configured to output a conglomerate of the angle signals and the other angle signals to provide information corresponding to a position of the measurement probe relative to a base.