Thickness measuring device and control method thereof

Abstract

To provide a thickness measuring device that can easily adjust a direction of distance measuring instruments.SOLUTION: A thickness measuring device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a pair of distance measuring instruments that is installed to face each other with a conveyance path of an object therebetween and measure a distance from a reference position to the object; a thickness calculation unit that calculates a thickness of the object on the basis of, the distance measured by the respective pair of distance measuring instruments; inclination amount measuring instruments that are provided respectively in the pair of distance measuring instruments and measure an amount of inclination of the distance measuring instruments; and an output control unit that causes an output unit to output inclination amount information based on the amount of inclination of the distance measuring instruments measured by the inclination amount measuring instruments.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thickness measuring device and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a device that measures the thickness of an object based on a distance measured using a pair of displacement sensors arranged to sandwich the object. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a thickness inspection device that includes a pair of displacement sensors and an inspection unit. One of the pair of displacement sensors measures first displacement data from a predetermined position on one surface of the object to a preset reference point, and the other measures second displacement data from a predetermined position on the other surface of the object to a preset reference point. The inspection unit calculates the thickness of the object based on the difference between the first displacement data and the second displacement data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2014-222156 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the thickness sensor having the above-mentioned configuration, it is necessary to correctly install each of the pair of displacement sensors at a predetermined installation position. However, in order to orient a distance measuring device such as a displacement sensor provided in the thickness measuring device in the correct direction, for example, it is necessary to press the sensor against a block for installation in a facing direction, which is a heavy installation work. In addition, it is necessary to remove the sheet work once, and if there is no sheet work, it is difficult to adjust the distance between the displacement sensor and the sheet.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a thickness measuring device in which the orientation of a distance measuring device can be easily adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A thickness measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of distance measuring devices installed facing each other across a transport path for an object and measuring the distance from a reference position to the object, a thickness calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the object based on the distance measured by each of the pair of distance measuring devices, a tilt amount measuring device provided in each of the pair of distance measuring devices and measuring the amount of tilt of each distance measuring device, and an output control unit that causes an output unit to output tilt amount information based on the amount of tilt of each distance measuring device measured by the tilt amount measuring device.

[0007] According to this aspect, the tilt amount of each distance measuring device is measured by a tilt amount measuring device provided on each of the pair of distance measuring devices, and tilt amount information based on the tilt amount is output from the output unit, allowing the operator to check the tilt amount information.

[0008] In the above aspect, each of the pair of distance measuring devices may be provided with an installation reference surface that serves as a reference for installation, and the pair of distance measuring devices may further include a storage unit that stores a tilt correction value that is the tilt amount of the distance measuring device when each of the pair of distance measuring devices is correctly installed based on the installation reference surface, and a tilt correction unit that corrects the tilt amount of each distance measuring device measured by the tilt correction value. According to this aspect, for a distance measuring device provided with an installation reference surface, the tilt amount measured by the tilt measuring device is corrected to the tilt amount of the distance measuring device based on the installation reference surface. This makes it possible to correct an error between the orientation of the installation reference surface provided on the distance measuring device and the orientation of a measurement reference for the tilt amount by the tilt measuring device (for example, the mounting surface of a board on which the tilt measuring device is mounted, etc.).

[0009] In the above aspect, the tilt amount information may include information indicating the tilt amount. According to this aspect, since the information indicating the tilt amount of the range finder is output from the output unit, the operator can grasp the tilt amount of the range finder.

[0010] In the above aspect, the tilt amount information may include difference information based on a difference between the tilt amount and a predetermined value. According to this aspect, the difference information based on the difference between the tilt amount of the range finder and the predetermined value is output from the output unit, so that the operator can check the difference information.

[0011] In the above aspect, the output unit may be provided in at least one of the pair of distance measuring devices. According to this aspect, the tilt amount information is output from the output unit provided in at least one of the pair of distance measuring devices, so that the operator can check the tilt amount information. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thickness measuring device in which the orientation of a distance measuring device can be easily adjusted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a thickness measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a displacement sensor 1 according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a tilt amount correction value according to the embodiment; [Diagram 5] 10 is an example of an operational flow of a process executed when installing the displacement sensor 1 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] An example of a method for installing the displacement sensor 1 according to this embodiment will be described. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. (Note that in each drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar configurations.)

[0015] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a thickness measurement device 10 according to this embodiment. The thickness measurement device 10 is a device that measures the thickness of an object W, and includes, for example, a pair of displacement sensors 1a, 1b and a control device 2. In this disclosure, the pair of displacement sensors 1a, 1b may be collectively referred to simply as a displacement sensor 1.

[0016] In this embodiment, for example, the object W is transported by a transport device along a transport direction indicated by an arrow C in Fig. 1. The transport device may include, for example, a pair of transport rollers and a transport belt that moves the object W in association with the rotation of the transport rollers. The transport belt is configured so that the object W can be placed thereon such that one surface 10a and the other surface 10b of the object W are exposed.

[0017] The pair of displacement sensors 1a and 1b in this embodiment are installed, for example, at predetermined positions provided on a predetermined frame, wall, or the like, so as to face each other across a transport path C for an object W. The displacement sensors 1a and 1b are an example of a distance measuring device.

[0018] One of the pair of displacement sensors 1, the displacement sensor 1a, has, for example, a light-projecting unit 13a and a light-receiving unit 14a. Light emitted from the light-projecting unit 13a travels toward the object W along the light-projecting axis Pa and is reflected at a predetermined position on one surface 10a of the object W. At least a part of the reflected light travels along the light-receiving axis Ra to the light-receiving unit 14a of the displacement sensor 1a, and the light-receiving unit 14a receives the reflected light. The displacement sensor 1a measures a first displacement amount representing the distance from a predetermined position on one surface 10a of the object W to a preset measurement reference surface 1Sa.

[0019] One of the pair of displacement sensors 1, displacement sensor 1b, has, for example, a light-projecting unit 13b and a light-receiving unit 14b. Light emitted from light-projecting unit 13b travels toward object W along light-projecting axis Pb and is reflected at a predetermined position on one surface 10b of object W. At least a part of the reflected light travels along light-receiving axis Rb to light-receiving unit 14b of displacement sensor 1b, and light-receiving unit 14b receives the reflected light. Displacement sensor 1b measures a second displacement amount representing a distance from a predetermined position on one surface 10b of object W to a preset measurement reference surface 1Sb.

[0020] The control device 2 includes, for example, one or more computers, and specifically can be realized by, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The control device 2 acquires, for example, a first displacement amount and a second displacement amount from the displacement sensor 1, and calculates and outputs the thickness of the target object W based on the first displacement amount and the second displacement amount. The control device 2 also acquires, for example, an inclination amount from the displacement sensor 1, and outputs predetermined information based on the inclination amount.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the displacement sensor 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the displacement sensor 1 includes, for example, an interface unit 11, a processing unit 12, a light projecting unit 13, a light receiving unit 14, an acceleration sensor 15, a sensor output unit 16, and a storage unit 17.

[0022] The interface unit 11 is configured, for example, by an interface circuit for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the control device 2. The interface unit 11 includes, for example, an input unit 111 and an output unit 112. The input unit 111 acquires various control signals from the control device 2 and supplies them to the processing unit 12. The control signals may include, for example, an exposure control signal for exposure control and an output control signal for controlling the sensor output unit 16. The output unit 112 acquires various data from the processing unit 12 and outputs the various data to the control device 2. The output unit 112 acquires, for example, the displacement amount (first displacement amount and second displacement amount) calculated by the displacement amount calculation unit 122 of the processing unit 12 and the tilt amount calculated by the tilt amount calculation unit 123, and outputs them to the control device 2.

[0023] The processing unit 12 can be realized by, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an FPGA (Field Programmable Program Array). The processing unit 12 includes an exposure control unit 121, a displacement amount calculation unit 122, a tilt amount calculation unit 123, a sensor output control unit 124, and a tilt amount correction unit 125.

[0024] The exposure control unit 121 executes exposure control of the displacement sensor 1 based on the exposure control signal supplied from the input unit 111. Here, the exposure control specifically includes light emission control of the light emitting element 131 and shutter control of the light receiving element 141. The exposure control unit 121 supplies a light emission control signal to the light projecting circuit 132 and a shutter control signal to the light receiving element 141 based on the exposure control signal.

[0025] The light projecting unit 13 includes a light emitting element 331 and a light projecting circuit 332. Specifically, the light projecting circuit 332 causes the light emitting element 331 to emit light in response to a light emission control signal supplied from the exposure control unit 121, and emits (projects) light toward the target W.

[0026] The light receiving unit 14 includes a light receiving element 341, an amplifier 342, and an A / D converter 343. The light receiving element 341 is an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, and has a shutter function. The light receiving element 341 performs exposure for a predetermined time in response to a shutter control signal supplied from the exposure control unit 121. When the exposure is completed, the charge accumulated in the light receiving element 341 is output from the light receiving element 341 as a light receiving signal, and the light receiving signal is input to the amplifier 342. The amplifier 342 amplifies the light receiving signal output from the light receiving element 341 and outputs it to the A / D converter 343. The A / D converter 343 converts the output signal from the amplifier 342 into a digital signal to generate light receiving data, and outputs it to the processing unit 12.

[0027] The displacement amount calculation unit 122 calculates a displacement amount (measurement value) based on the light reception data input from the light receiving unit 14, and outputs it to the output unit 112. The displacement amount calculation unit 122 of the displacement sensor 1a calculates a first displacement amount, and the displacement amount calculation unit 122 of the displacement sensor 1b calculates a second displacement amount. As described above, the first displacement amount represents the distance from a predetermined position on one surface 10a of the object W to a preset measurement reference surface 1Sa. As described above, the second displacement amount represents the distance from a predetermined position on one surface 10b of the object W to a preset measurement reference surface 1Sb.

[0028] The acceleration sensor 15 is, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) formed by performing microfabrication such as etching on a substrate, and outputs acceleration data obtained by measuring the acceleration of the displacement sensor 1 to the processing unit 12. The method of measuring acceleration by the acceleration sensor 15 is not particularly limited, and may be a capacitance type having a movable electrode movable in the acceleration direction and a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode. The acceleration sensor 15 converts the variation in capacitance formed by the movable electrode and the fixed electrode according to the movement of the movable electrode into a voltage, and outputs the voltage value as acceleration data to the processing unit 12. The acceleration data may indicate, for example, acceleration in each of the three axes constituting an orthogonal coordinate system. Specifically, in the case of an orthogonal coordinate system formed by the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, the acceleration sensor 15 outputs acceleration data indicating acceleration in the X-axis direction, acceleration data indicating acceleration in the Y-axis direction, and acceleration data indicating acceleration in the Z-axis direction.

[0029] The tilt amount calculation unit 123 receives the acceleration data sent from the acceleration sensor 15 and calculates the tilt amount indicating the degree of tilt of the displacement sensor 1 from the acceleration data. The tilt amount can be expressed in any format, and may be expressed, for example, by a rotation angle around the X axis, a rotation angle around the Y axis, and a rotation angle around the Z axis. The tilt amount calculation unit 123 outputs the calculated tilt amount to the output unit 112. The tilt amount calculation unit 123 of the displacement sensor 1a calculates a first tilt amount which is the tilt amount of the displacement sensor 1a, and the tilt amount calculation unit 123 of the displacement sensor 1b calculates a second tilt amount which is the tilt amount of the displacement sensor 1b.

[0030] The sensor output control unit 124 supplies the output control signal input from the interface unit 11 to the sensor output unit 16. The sensor output unit 16 is realized by, for example, any type of device that can execute output according to the output control signal supplied from the sensor output control unit 124 of the processing unit 12. The sensor output unit 16 may be, for example, a device capable of displaying videos, images, etc., such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Alternatively, the sensor output unit 16 may be a device capable of outputting audio, such as a speaker. Alternatively, the sensor output unit 16 may be an indicator composed of a light-emitting member such as an LED. In the thickness measuring device 10 according to this embodiment, both of the pair of displacement sensors 1 may be provided with the sensor output unit 16, only one of the pair of displacement sensors 1 may be provided with the sensor output unit 16, or neither of the pair of displacement sensors 1 may be provided with the sensor output unit 16.

[0031] The tilt amount correction unit 125 corrects the tilt amount calculated by the tilt amount calculation unit 123 with a tilt amount correction value stored in the storage unit 17 in association with the displacement sensor 1. For example, the tilt amount correction unit 125 of the displacement sensor 1a calculates a first corrected tilt amount by correcting a first tilt amount with the tilt amount correction value of the displacement sensor 1a stored in the storage unit 17. Moreover, the tilt amount correction unit 125 of the displacement sensor 1b calculates a second corrected tilt amount by correcting a second tilt amount with the tilt amount correction value of the displacement sensor 1b stored in the storage unit 17.

[0032] The storage unit 17 is, for example, an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and stores various programs and the like executed by the processing unit 12. The various programs may be installed in the storage unit 17 using a known setup program or the like from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM (a medium that accumulates information on the programs and the like by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action so that a computer or other device, machine, etc. can read the information on the programs and the like). The storage unit 17 may also temporarily store temporary data related to a predetermined process.

[0033] The storage unit 17 may store, for example, a tilt correction value of the displacement sensor 1. Here, the tilt correction value will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the displacement sensor 1 has a housing 1K, and the housing 1K is provided with a reference installation surface 1L. The reference installation surface 1L is, for example, a surface that serves as a reference when the displacement sensor 1 is installed at a predetermined installation position. A substrate 1M is provided inside the housing 1K. A mounting surface 1N is provided on the substrate 1M, and the acceleration sensor 15 is mounted on the mounting surface 1N. The orientation of the reference installation surface 1L of the housing 1K and the orientation of the mounting surface 1N of the substrate 1M should have a positional relationship that is predetermined as a design value of the displacement sensor 1. However, in reality, an error may occur in the positional relationship for each individual displacement sensor 1. In this embodiment, the tilt amount of the displacement sensor 1 is measured by the acceleration sensor 15, but the tilt amount accurately reflects the orientation of the mounting surface 1N of the substrate 1M. Therefore, if there is an error in the positional relationship between the installation reference surface 1L of the housing 1K and the mounting surface 1N of the substrate 1M, the tilt amount measured by the acceleration sensor 15 may still include the error. Therefore, the thickness measuring device 10 according to this embodiment may measure the tilt amount of the displacement sensor 1 in advance when the displacement sensor 1 is correctly installed at a predetermined installation position, and store the tilt amount in the storage unit 17 as the tilt amount correction value. Then, when the displacement sensor 1 is installed at the predetermined installation position, as described later, the tilt amount correction unit 125 may generate a corrected tilt amount by correcting the tilt amount measured by the acceleration sensor 15 based on the tilt amount correction value. Then, the output control unit 244 of the control device 2 may output the corrected tilt amount to a predetermined output unit. This makes it possible to correct the error in the positional relationship between the orientation of the installation reference surface 1L of the housing 1K and the orientation of the mounting surface 1N of the substrate 1M.

[0034] The displacement sensor 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and may be, for example, a sensor that applies a TOF (Time of Flight) method that uses the length of time from light projection to light reception, a sensor that applies a phase difference ranging method that uses the phase difference between the projected light and the received reflected light, a sensor that applies a PN code ranging method that projects light that has been intensity modulated by a PN code and performs measurements using the phase calculation results between that light and the reflected light, or a proximity sensor that uses magnetism such as a reed switch or a Hall element.

[0035] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 2 according to the present embodiment. The control device 2 includes, for example, an output unit 21, an operation unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a processing unit 24.

[0036] The output unit 21 is realized by, for example, any type of device capable of outputting the processing result processed by the processing unit 24. The output unit 112 may be, for example, a device capable of displaying videos, images, etc., such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Alternatively, the output unit 21 may be a device capable of outputting audio, such as a speaker. Alternatively, the output unit 21 may be an indicator constituted by a light-emitting member such as an LED.

[0037] The operation unit 22 may be any device capable of operating the control device 2, such as a touch panel or key buttons. An operator can input letters, numbers, symbols, etc. using the operation unit 22. When the operation unit 22 is operated by the operator, it generates a signal corresponding to the operation. The generated signal is then supplied to the processing unit 24 as an instruction from the operator.

[0038] The storage unit 23 is, for example, an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and stores various programs and the like executed by the processing unit 24. The various programs may be installed in the storage unit 23 using a known setup program or the like from a computer-readable portable recording medium (a medium that stores information on the programs and the like by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action so that a computer or other device, machine, etc. can read the information on the programs and the like) such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. The storage unit 23 may also temporarily store temporary data related to a predetermined process.

[0039] The processing unit 24 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and controls each component in accordance with information processing. The processing unit 24 controls the operation of the output unit 21, etc., so that various processes of the control device 2 are executed in an appropriate order based on the programs stored in the storage unit 23 and the operation of the operation unit 22, etc. The processing unit 24 executes processing based on the programs (operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, etc.) stored in the storage unit 23. The processing unit 24 can also execute multiple programs (application programs, etc.) in parallel.

[0040] The processing unit 24 includes a displacement amount acquisition unit 241, a thickness calculation unit 242, a tilt amount acquisition unit 243, and an output control unit 244. Each of these units is a functional module realized by a program executed by a processor included in the processing unit 24. Alternatively, each of these units may be implemented in the control device 2 as an independent integrated circuit, microprocessor, or firmware.

[0041] The displacement amount acquiring unit 241 acquires, for example, a first displacement amount from the displacement sensor 1a and a second displacement amount from the displacement sensor 1b.

[0042] The thickness calculation unit 242 calculates the thickness of the object W based on, for example, the first displacement amount and the second displacement amount. For example, the first displacement amount is set to a displacement amount L1 from a reference position (for example, the position of one surface of a reference work) to one surface of the object W whose thickness is to be measured. The second displacement amount is set to a displacement amount L2 from a reference position (for example, the position of the other surface of the reference work) to the other surface of the object W whose thickness is to be measured. The thickness of the reference work is set to D. At this time, the thickness calculation unit 242 calculates the thickness L of the object W as, for example, "L=D+L1+L2".

[0043] The tilt amount acquisition unit 243 acquires the tilt amount from, for example, the displacement sensor 1. Specifically, the tilt amount acquisition unit 243 may acquire, for example, a first corrected tilt amount from the displacement sensor 1a and a second corrected tilt amount from the displacement sensor 1b. Alternatively, the tilt amount acquisition unit 243 may acquire the pre-correction tilt amount from each displacement sensor 1.

[0044] The output control unit 244 causes a predetermined output unit to output various pieces of information. The predetermined output unit may be, for example, the output unit 21 included in the control device 2, or the output unit 112 included in the displacement sensor 1. The output control unit 244 causes these output units to output various pieces of information by supplying output control signals for outputting the various pieces of information.

[0045] The various information that the output control unit 244 causes to be output to a predetermined output unit may include, for example, the thickness calculated by the thickness calculation unit 242 and the displacement amount (first displacement amount and second displacement amount) acquired by the displacement amount acquisition unit 241. Furthermore, the output control unit 244 may generate tilt amount information based on the tilt amount acquired by the tilt amount acquisition unit 243, and cause the tilt amount information to be output to a predetermined output unit. The tilt amount information is not particularly limited as long as it is information generated based on the tilt amount. The tilt amount information may be, for example, information indicating the tilt amount (including the tilt amount corrected by the tilt amount correction unit 125). Furthermore, the tilt amount information may include, for example, difference information based on the difference between the tilt amount and a predetermined value. Here, the predetermined value may be the tilt amount of the displacement sensor 1 in a correctly installed state, and may be stored in the storage unit 23, for example. The difference information may be information indicating the difference, or may be an alert or advice regarding the installation of the displacement sensor 1 generated based on the difference.

[0046] FIG. 5 is an example of an operational flow of a process executed when installing the displacement sensor 1 according to this embodiment.

[0047] (S101) First, when the installation process is started, while the operator is installing the displacement sensors 1 as described above, each displacement sensor 1 measures the tilt amount and then calculates a corrected tilt amount by correcting the tilt amount. Specifically, the acceleration sensor 15 of the displacement sensor 1 measures acceleration data, the tilt amount calculation unit 123 calculates the tilt amount based on the acceleration data, and further the tilt amount correction unit 125 calculates the corrected tilt amount using the tilt amount correction value stored in the memory unit 17.

[0048] Here, an example of a method for installing the displacement sensor 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows the displacement sensor 1 and the object W observed from a direction parallel to the conveying direction C. That is, the object W is conveyed from the front side of the paper to the back side of the paper along the conveying direction C. In Fig. 6, the X-axis is an axis parallel to the conveying direction C, the Y-axis is an axis perpendicular to the X-axis and parallel to the displacement amount, and the Z-axis is an axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis.

[0049] 6, the surface indicated by the symbol 1T is a surface parallel to the installation reference surface 1L of the displacement sensor 1. From the installation reference surface 1L, the light projection axis P and the light receiving axis R each extend toward the object W. The measurement reference surface 1S is in contact with the corner 1C of the displacement sensor 1 and forms a predetermined angle θ with the installation reference surface 1L (surface 1T). As described above, the measurement reference surface 1S is a surface that serves as a reference for measuring the amount of displacement of the displacement sensor 1. In other words, the displacement sensor 1 measures the distance d1 from the measurement reference surface 1S to a predetermined position on the surface of the object W as the amount of displacement.

[0050] For example, mounting holes H1 and H2 are provided in the displacement sensor 1. For example, an operator installs the displacement sensor 1 in a predetermined installation position by fixing a predetermined fastener to the mounting holes H1 and H2 while adjusting the orientation of the displacement sensor 1 so as to satisfy a predetermined installation condition. Here, the installation condition of the displacement sensor 1 may be defined as, for example, satisfying all of the following conditions: In the Y-axis direction, the surface of the object W and the mounting hole H1 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance d2. In the Y-axis direction, mounting holes H1 and H2 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance d3. In the Z-axis direction, the mounting holes H1 and H2 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance d4. The measurement reference plane 1S and the installation reference plane 1L (plane 1T) form a predetermined angle θ.

[0051] 4 is merely an example, and the installation reference plane may be set to any plane on which the light projecting unit 13 and / or the light receiving unit 14 are not provided. Furthermore, the displacement sensor 1 may be provided with a plurality of installation reference planes. Furthermore, the measurement reference plane is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4, and may be set arbitrarily, and in particular may be set as the same plane as the installation reference plane.

[0052] (S102) Next, the output unit 112 of the displacement sensor 1a transmits the first corrected tilt amount to the control device 2, and the output unit 112 of the displacement sensor 1b transmits the second corrected tilt amount to the control device 2. Then, the tilt amount acquisition unit 243 of the control device 2 acquires the first corrected tilt amount from the displacement sensor 1a and acquires the second corrected tilt amount from the displacement sensor 1b. Note that the output unit 112 of the displacement sensor 1 may transmit the pre-correction tilt amount calculated by the tilt amount calculation unit 123 to the control device 2. In this case, the tilt amount acquisition unit 243 of the control device 2 may acquire the pre-correction tilt amount.

[0053] (S103) Next, the output control unit 244 may generate tilt amount information based on the tilt amount acquired by the tilt amount acquisition unit 243 (the corrected tilt amount calculated by the tilt amount correction unit 125, or the uncorrected tilt amount calculated by the tilt amount calculation unit 123), and output the tilt amount information to a predetermined output unit. The predetermined output unit may be, for example, the output unit 21 included in the control device 2, or the output unit 112 included in the displacement sensor 1. For example, the output control unit 244 may output information indicating the tilt amount to the output unit 21 and / or the output unit 112. Also, for example, the output control unit 244 may output information indicating the difference between the tilt amount of the displacement sensor 1 in a correctly installed state and the current tilt amount, or an alert or advice regarding the installation of the displacement sensor 1 generated based on the difference to the output unit 21 and / or the output unit 112. The above steps S101 to S103 are repeated until a predetermined end condition is satisfied.

[0054] As described above, in the thickness measuring device 10 according to this embodiment, the tilt amount of each of the pair of displacement sensors 1 is measured by the acceleration sensor 15 provided in each of the pair of displacement sensors 1, and tilt amount information based on the tilt amount is output from the output unit 21 and / or the sensor output unit 16, allowing the operator to check the tilt amount information. This reduces the burden of installation work for the displacement sensor 1, for example.

[0055] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The elements of the embodiments, as well as their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those shown as examples and can be changed as appropriate. In addition, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1, 1a, 1b... displacement sensor, 1K... housing, 1L... installation reference surface, 1M... board, 1N... mounting surface, 11... interface section, 111... input section, 112... output section, 12... processing section, 121... exposure control section, 122... displacement amount calculation section, 123... tilt amount calculation section, 124... sensor output control section, 125... tilt amount correction section, 13, 13a, 13b... light projection section, 131... light emitting element, 132... light projection circuit, 14, 1 4a, 14b...light receiving unit, 141...light receiving element, 142...amplifier, 143...A / D converter, 15...acceleration sensor, 16...sensor output unit, 17...storage unit, Pa, Pb...light projection axis, Ra, Rb...light receiving axis, 2...control device, 21...output unit, 22...operation unit, 23...storage unit, 24...processing unit, 241...displacement amount acquisition unit, 242...thickness calculation unit, 243...tilt amount acquisition unit, 244...output control unit, W...target object

Claims

1. a pair of distance measuring devices that are disposed opposite each other across a conveyance path for the object and measure a distance from a reference position to the object; a thickness calculation unit that calculates a thickness of an object based on the distances measured by each of the pair of distance measuring devices; a tilt amount measuring device provided in each of the pair of distance measuring devices, for measuring the amount of tilt of each of the distance measuring devices; an output control unit that outputs tilt amount information based on the tilt amount of each distance measuring device measured by the tilt amount measuring device from an output unit; A thickness measuring device comprising:

2. Each of the pair of distance measuring devices is provided with an installation reference surface that serves as a reference for installation, Each of the pair of distance measuring devices further comprises: a storage unit configured to store a tilt correction value that is a tilt amount of each of the pair of distance measuring devices when the pair of distance measuring devices is correctly installed based on the installation reference plane; 2. The thickness measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising: a tilt correction unit that corrects the tilt amount of each distance measuring device measured by the tilt amount measuring device using the tilt amount correction value.

3. The thickness measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the tilt amount information includes information indicating the tilt amount.

4. The thickness measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the tilt amount information includes difference information based on a difference between the tilt amount and a predetermined value.

5. The thickness measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the output section is provided in at least one of the pair of distance measuring devices.

6. A method for controlling a thickness measurement device, comprising: acquiring an amount of tilt of each of the distance measuring devices from an inclination amount measuring device provided on each of the pair of distance measuring devices, the inclination amount measuring device measuring the inclination amount of each of the distance measuring devices; outputting information based on the tilt amount from an output unit; A method for controlling a thickness measuring device comprising:

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