Inertial sensor-equipped measuring instrument unit

Abstract

To provide a compact measurement instrument which offers further functional improvement while making use of advantages of being handy and convenient.SOLUTION: A compact measuring instrument 100 is provided with an inertial sensor 200 and is configured to derive at least either of a displacement and a change in inclination of the measuring instrument 100 on the basis of a sensor detection value of the inertial sensor 200. Measured values of the measuring instrument 100 and at least either of the displacement and change in inclination of the measuring instrument 100 are synchronously recorded while the measuring instrument 100 moves along a surface of an object under measurement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring instrument.

Background Art

[0002] As small measuring instruments used for measuring the shape of a measurement object, for example, there are dial gauges and lever-type dial gauges. These small measuring instruments can mainly be held by hand by the user or installed on a simple stand to easily measure the displacement and dimensions (height, width) of the measurement object. Furthermore, by aligning with a reference plane, it is also possible to measure the surface properties and contour shape, so they are widely used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Although the above small measuring instruments have the advantages of being handy and convenient, they only have a single-axis measurement axis perpendicular to the measurement target surface for measuring the surface of the measurement object. Therefore, for example, when the measuring instrument is moved along the measurement target surface, the movement amount and position of the measuring instrument cannot be obtained as measurement values. In an actual field, relying on the intuition, sense, and memory of the user (measurer), the lateral movement amount of the measuring instrument is manually recorded, and the surface profile such as the unevenness, undulation, and curvature of the measurement object surface is recorded as measurement record data. However, in such manual recording work, the measurement efficiency does not increase, and there is also a problem that the error due to humans is large for the lateral movement amount and position of the measuring instrument as measurement record data.

[0005] To address labor shortages and reduce costs in manufacturing, there is a need for further functional improvements in small measuring instruments, while retaining their advantages of being easy to use and convenient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The measuring instrument with an inertial sensor of the present invention is A measuring instrument having a single measuring axis with a measuring direction perpendicular to the surface of the object to be measured, An inertial sensor is mounted to move integrally with the measuring instrument, The system includes a measuring instrument fluctuation calculation unit that determines, based on the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor, at least one of the amount of movement of the measuring instrument in the direction along the surface of the object to be measured, and the amount of change in the tilt of the measuring instrument. It is characterized by the following:

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, moreover, When the measuring instrument moves along the surface of the object to be measured, the measurement recording unit synchronizes and records the measurement value obtained by the measuring instrument and at least one of the amount of movement of the measuring instrument and the amount of change in inclination calculated by the measuring instrument fluctuation calculation unit. It is preferable.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, If the measuring instrument detects an undesirable impact based on the sensor readings of the inertial sensor, In the aforementioned measurement recording unit, along with the measurement value, it is also recorded that an undesirable shock was applied to the measuring instrument. It is preferable.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, The measuring instrument fluctuation calculation unit determines the amount of tilt change of the measuring instrument based on the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor. moreover, The position of the measuring instrument for performing appropriate measurements on the surface of the object to be measured is set as the reference position, It is preferable to include a differential posture calculation unit that calculates the amount of inclination change from the reference posture as the differential posture. This is preferable.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, It is preferable that the measurement value by the measuring instrument and the differential posture are recorded together. This is preferable.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, It is preferable that the reference posture is set based on the posture of another measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor other than itself. This is preferable.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, Furthermore, it includes a mode switching control unit, A combination of the movement pattern of the measuring instrument and the mode to be switched is set in the mode switching control unit, The mode switching control unit switches the mode of the measuring instrument according to the detection of the movement pattern based on the sensor detection value by the inertial sensor. This is preferable.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of a surface shape measuring device using a measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor. [Figure 2] It is a diagram illustrating a 6-axis inertial sensor. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a control circuit that records together the measurement value of the measuring instrument and the position information of the measuring instrument. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a surface profile obtained by measurement. [Figure 5] In the third embodiment, it is a diagram showing an example of a state where the measuring instrument unit is set on a jig for surface property measurement. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of attaching an accessory jig for outer diameter measurement to the measuring instrument unit. [Figure 7] It is a diagram illustrating a simple and small-sized roughness measuring instrument. [Figure 8] In the seventh embodiment, it is a diagram for explaining the measurement posture of the cylinder gauge. [Figure 9] In the eighth embodiment, it is a diagram for explaining the procedure of setting the dial gauge on the stand so that the measurement axis is perpendicular to the measurement target surface. [Figure 10] In the ninth embodiment, it is a diagram illustrating the state of setting a plurality of measuring instruments on the stand.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated and described with reference to the reference numerals attached to each element in the drawings. (First Embodiment) The first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an example of a surface shape measuring apparatus using a measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor. The measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor is obtained by attaching an inertial sensor 200 (FIG. 2) to the measuring instrument 100. (In addition, as will be described later, in addition to the case where the inertial sensor 200 is directly attached to the measuring instrument 100, the inertial sensor 200 may be indirectly attached to the measuring instrument 100 and the inertial sensor 200 and the measuring instrument 100 may move integrally.) The present invention mainly focuses on the measuring instrument 100 to which the inertial sensor 200 is attached. Therefore, in this specification, the measuring instrument unit with the inertial sensor 200 may sometimes be simply referred to as the measuring instrument unit 100.

[0015] In this embodiment, the measuring instrument 100 to which the inertial sensor 200 is attached is primarily envisioned as a small measuring instrument that can be easily held by the user or placed on a simple stand to measure the surface properties, contour shape, and dimensions (e.g., height and width by comparative measurement) of an object. Examples of such measuring instruments include dial gauges and lever-type dial gauges. (These types of measuring instruments are also called indicators, test indicators, digital indicators, digital test indicators, linear gauges, height gauges, etc.)

[0016] These small measuring instruments 100 include a spindle 110 (measuring probe or stylus) with a contact element 120 at its tip, and a detector 130 (linear encoder or rotary encoder) that detects the linear displacement or rotational amount of the spindle 110. Based on the displacement of the contact element 120 read by the detector, the surface properties, contour shape, and dimensions of the object to be measured are measured.

[0017] In Figure 1, a lever-type dial gauge is used as the measuring instrument 100, and an inertial sensor 200 is attached to the lever-type dial gauge 100. Note that equivalent effects can be obtained by using a dial gauge (indicator) instead of the lever-type dial gauge. The inertial sensor 200 may be mounted and assembled within the housing of the lever-type dial gauge (measuring instrument) together with other electronic components. Alternatively, the inertial sensor 200 may be designed to be detachable (by being attached or inserted into a slot) later as an optional accessory for the lever-type dial gauge (measuring instrument). The inertial sensor 200 itself is a known product; for example, as illustrated in Figure 2, a 6-axis inertial sensor 200 (3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer) integrated onto a single chip is known.

[0018] In this first embodiment, it is sufficient to detect only movement along the surface of the object being measured (e.g., lateral movement). In extreme cases, a single-axis acceleration sensor is sufficient to detect the movement of the measuring instrument 100 in one direction (e.g., lateral). However, to ensure the degree of freedom of movement of the measuring instrument 100 during measurement, it is preferable to have a two-axis acceleration sensor capable of detecting acceleration in two directions within the plane containing the rotation axis of the spindle 110 (measuring probe) (i.e., the plane perpendicular to the direction of the measurement axis). Of course, a three-axis acceleration sensor can be used, or even better, a six-axis inertial sensor 200, but these depend on the cost of the components.

[0019] Figure 3 illustrates the control circuit 150 that records both the measurement value of the measuring instrument and the position information of the measuring instrument. The control circuit 150 is mounted and assembled within the measuring instrument together with other electronic components. Note that the measurement data from the instrument (measured values ​​and detection values ​​from the inertial sensor 200) may be transferred wirelessly or via wired connection to another terminal (e.g., a small personal computer or tablet), where calculations and recording processes may be performed. Therefore, a component equivalent to this control circuit 150 may be provided in the other terminal.

[0020] An example of the operation of the control circuit 150 will be explained. The displacement of the contact element 120 is detected by the measuring instrument's displacement sensor (e.g., encoder) 130 and sent to the control circuit 150 as the contact element 120's displacement data (measured value). The sensor detection value (acceleration detection value) from the inertial sensor 200 is also sent to the control circuit 150. The sensor detection value (acceleration detection value) is converted into the amount of movement of the measuring instrument 100, that is, the position information of the measuring instrument 100, by calculation (two integrals) in the calculation unit 160 (measuring instrument fluctuation amount calculation unit) in the control circuit 150. The recording unit 170 records the contact element 120's displacement data (measured value) and the measuring instrument 100's position information together. At this time, when synchronizing the contact element 120's displacement data (measured value) and the measuring instrument 100's position information, synchronization may be performed by time. For example, the contact element 120's displacement data (measured value) and the measuring instrument 100's position information may be sampled and recorded at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every second). Alternatively, the measurement values ​​may be sampled and recorded at predetermined intervals of movement of the measuring instrument (e.g., every 1 mm), based on the position information of the measuring instrument 100.

[0021] In Figure 1, the object being measured is assumed to be the surface properties of a flattened object. For example, suppose all or a sample of objects to be measured are sent one after another by a conveying means (e.g., a belt conveyor) and measured. A simple guide slider 300 is installed adjacent to the objects to be measured. The guide slider 300 has a guide rail 310 (linear guide) and a slider 320 that is slidably mounted on the guide rail 310. The slider 320 is assumed to be moved by a person by hand (manually), but it may also be automatically driven and controlled by, for example, a motor. A measuring instrument unit (lever-type dial gauge with inertial sensor) 100 is held at the tip of a connecting rod 330, and the base end of the connecting rod 330 is fixed to the slider 320. In this state, the measuring instrument unit (lever-type dial gauge with inertial sensor) 100 is guided by the guide slider 300 and moves parallel to the surface of the objects to be measured.

[0022] In this embodiment, instead of attaching the inertial sensor 200 to the measuring instrument 100, the inertial sensor 200 may be installed on the slider 320.

[0023] By recording the vertical movement of the contact element 120 when the measuring instrument unit 100 moves parallel to the surface of the object to be measured (tracing measurement), the surface shape of the object to be measured (such as waviness, unevenness, roughness, or parallelism to the guide rail) can be measured. Figure 4 shows an example of a surface profile obtained in this way. In other words, a measurement surface profile is obtained in which the measurement position and the unevenness data at that point are paired as the surface shape of the object to be measured.

[0024] To obtain a measurement surface profile that pairs the measurement position with the surface irregularities data at that point, one approach would be to attach a linear encoder to the guide slider 300 so that the position of the slider 320 on the guide rail can be detected. However, long linear encoders are expensive due to their high accuracy and resolution, and they are also bulkier and require more space compared to the inertial sensor 200 which is composed of a single IC chip.

[0025] Therefore, conventionally, when recording the surface profile measurements of an object using a lever-type dial gauge (or dial gauge) in a simple manner, methods were employed such as recording a data series of measurements that lacked information about the measurement position, or having a person move the measuring instrument by a predetermined amount, record the measurement at that location, and then move it again by another predetermined amount and record the measurement again. In this respect, according to this embodiment, a surface measurement profile of the object can be obtained that is low-cost and simple, with the measurement position and the surface irregularity data at that location paired together.

[0026] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, unidirectional tracing measurement data was obtained from the surface of the object to be measured. However, in the second embodiment, the surface of the object to be measured may be traced two-dimensionally. Structurally, a two-dimensional guide slider 300 can be constructed by combining multiple (for example, two) uniaxial guide sliders 300 to guide two-dimensional movement. Then, in the calculation unit 160 (measurement instrument fluctuation amount calculation unit), the sensor detection values ​​(acceleration detection values) in the two directions are integrated twice each to determine the position (for example, x, y) in a two-dimensional plane parallel to the surface of the object to be measured.

[0027] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment, a guide slider 300 was used as a jig to move the measuring instrument (measuring instrument unit) along the surface of the object to be measured. However, in the third embodiment, the measuring instrument (measuring instrument unit) may be held in a jig 410, as illustrated in Figure 5, and then moved along the surface of the object to be measured. The jig 410 is placed on the surface of the object to be measured by three or four legs and holds the measuring instrument (measuring instrument unit) 100 so that its spindle 110 (measuring probe) is perpendicular to the surface of the object to be measured. By recording the position information of the measuring instrument based on acceleration data and the vertical movement of the contact probe 120 of the measuring instrument while moving the measuring instrument (measuring instrument unit) held in the jig 410 along the surface of the object to be measured, it is possible to measure, for example, the roughness and waviness of the surface shape of the object to be measured. (For example, if the spacing of the legs of the jig 410 is appropriately designed, the degree of surface waviness and curvature can also be measured.)

[0028] (Fourth Embodiment) In the above embodiment, the case where the object to be measured is flat was illustrated, but in a fourth embodiment, for example, as illustrated in Figure 6, the object to be measured may be cylindrical, cylindrical, or spherical in shape. Figure 6 shows an example of attaching an accessory jig 420 for outer diameter measurement to a dial gauge (measuring instrument unit) 100. Here, the aim is to synchronize and record the orientation (angle) of the measuring instrument (measuring instrument unit) 100 with the measured value, so it is preferable that the inertial sensor 200 be a gyro sensor. In Figure 6, an accessory jig 420 for outer diameter measurement is shown as an example, which is a jig 420 with legs spread at a predetermined angle, but there are other types of accessory jigs 420 for outer diameter measurement. Furthermore, this embodiment can be applied to inner diameter measurement by using a jig for inner diameter measurement, not just outer diameter measurement.

[0029] The measuring instrument unit with the jig is slid along the outside of the object to be measured. At this time, the angular velocity obtained as the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor 200 is integrated by the calculation unit 160 (measuring instrument fluctuation amount calculation unit) to obtain the posture (tilt angle) of the measuring instrument unit 100. The recording unit 170 then records the displacement data (measured value) of the contact element 120 and the posture (angle) information of the measuring instrument together. At this time, when synchronizing the displacement data (measured value) of the contact element 120 and the posture (angle) information of the measuring instrument, synchronization may be performed by time. For example, the displacement data (measured value) of the contact element 120 and the posture (angle) information of the measuring instrument may be sampled and recorded at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every second). Alternatively, the measured value may be sampled and recorded at predetermined angular intervals of the measuring instrument (e.g., 10° or 45°) based on the posture (angle) information of the measuring instrument.

[0030] Although the measuring instrument unit with the jig is described as sliding along the surface of the object to be measured (a cylinder, cylindrical object, or sphere), a guide rail 310 may also be used as described in the first and second embodiments. A circular or curved guide rail 310 can be prepared to match the shape (curvature) of the object to be measured, and a slider 320 that slides along this guide rail 310.

[0031] Furthermore, while the fourth embodiment illustrates the use of a gyro sensor to determine the orientation (angle) of the measuring instrument, a 3-axis accelerometer may also be used. In this case, the approximate position of the measuring instrument can also be determined from the accelerometer data. If the measurement data and the position of the measuring instrument are recorded together, it is convenient because the approximate diameter of the object being measured and the location of the measurement on the object can be easily determined. Alternatively, the orientation (angle) of the measuring instrument can be determined from a 3-axis accelerometer.

[0032] (Fifth embodiment) Up to the first to fourth embodiments, we have illustrated a combination of a simple measuring instrument 100 and an inertial sensor 200 that has only a "single-axis measuring axis" perpendicular to the surface of the object to be measured, that is, a simple measuring instrument with only one measurement direction. However, there are also simple, compact measuring instruments that have, for example, two axes. For example, Figure 7 shows a simple, compact roughness measuring instrument 500. The roughness measuring instrument 500 has a stylus 520 at the tip of an arm 510 that is supported to be swingable, and further has a function 530 that moves the arm 510 back and forth in a single axis direction. This makes it possible to know the surface roughness of the object to be measured along a certain direction, but it is not possible to record the surface roughness of the object to be measured as two-dimensional data.

[0033] Therefore, an inertial sensor 200 is attached to this portable surface texture measuring instrument (roughness measuring instrument 500) to create an inertial sensor-equipped measuring instrument unit 500. This measuring instrument unit 500 is placed at a desired position on the surface of the object to be measured, and the arm 510 is moved back and forth to obtain surface roughness data along one direction on the surface of the object to be measured. Next, the measuring instrument unit is moved, for example, by hand, and the surface roughness is measured in the same way. At this time, the position (amount of movement) (and orientation) of the measuring instrument unit 500 is obtained by the inertial sensor 200, so by recording the roughness measurement data together with the position information (and scanning direction) of the measuring instrument 500, the surface roughness of the object to be measured can be obtained as two-dimensional data.

[0034] (Sixth Embodiment) In the first to fifth embodiments described above, a method for recording measurement data using the inertial sensor 200 was explained. In the sixth embodiment, an example in which the inertial sensor 200 is used to determine whether the measurement is good or bad will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the inertial sensor 200 is directly attached to the measuring instrument 100, and the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor 200 is constantly monitored to detect if an undesirable impact is applied to the measuring instrument 100 from the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor 200. Thresholds for acceleration and velocity (multiple threshold levels may be set) may be set to determine whether the force applied to the measuring instrument 100 exceeds a specified value. (Such threshold settings can be stored in the memory unit (e.g., RAM) within the control circuit 150.)

[0035] While recording the measurement data along with the position or orientation information of the measuring instrument 100, the system also records whether or not an impact exceeding a specified value has been detected. Alternatively, if the position or orientation of the measuring instrument is recorded in the measurement recording unit 170 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every second), the system can determine whether the force applied to the measuring instrument 100 exceeds a specified value by calculating the amount of change per unit time from the movement or tilt change of the measuring instrument 100 recorded in the measurement recording unit 170. This allows, for example, the quality of the measurement data to be verified at the same time when verification of the measurement data is required at a later date.

[0036] (Seventh Embodiment) In the first to fifth embodiments described above, a method for recording measurement data using the inertial sensor 200 was explained. In the seventh embodiment, an example in which the inertial sensor 200 is used to determine the measurement posture of the measuring instrument will be described. As a seventh embodiment, we will explain using the case where the measuring instrument is an internal diameter measuring instrument 600 as an example. The 600 internal diameter measuring instrument is sometimes referred to as a hole tester, borematic, or cylinder gauge. Here, we will explain using the cylinder gauge 600 shown in Figure 8 as an example. The cylinder gauge 600 has a long cylindrical section 610 with a grip section 620 in the middle, a measuring head section 630 provided at one end of the long cylindrical section 610, and a measuring instrument body section 660 held at the other end of the long cylindrical section 610. The measuring head section 630 is equipped with a spindle (measuring probe) 640 that moves back and forth toward the inner wall of the hole, and the displacement of this spindle (measuring probe) 640 is detected by the measuring instrument body section 660 as the displacement of a rod 650 in the perpendicular direction. In order to accurately obtain the shape (diameter) of the hole when using the cylinder gauge 600, it is necessary to move the long cylindrical section 610 from side to side several times to make the spindle (measuring probe) 640 conform to the inner wall of the hole, and then obtain the measurement value when the long cylindrical section 610 and the center line of the hole coincide. At this time, it is convenient to show the angle of the cylinder gauge 600 to the user as a reference guide to see whether the long cylindrical section 610 coincides with the center line of the hole.

[0037] Therefore, in the seventh embodiment, an inertial sensor 200 (having at least a gyro sensor) is attached to the measuring instrument body 660 or the elongated cylindrical part 610. Then, the reference orientation (angle) of the cylinder gauge 600 is set according to the hole to be measured. For example, suppose that the hole to be measured is known to be vertical during measurement based on the design data of the object to be measured (workpiece). In this case, the reference orientation of the cylinder gauge 600 during measurement is set to be vertical. (Such reference orientation settings can be stored in the memory unit (e.g., RAM) within the control circuit 150.)

[0038] Of course, the hole can be horizontal or at a 45° angle to the vertical. If design data is unavailable or difficult to use, the reference position (angle) can be determined by correctly inserting the cylinder gauge 600 into the hole in the masterwork. (By shaking the elongated section 610, the position at which the smallest measurement (diameter value) is obtained is the reference position.)

[0039] By integrating the angular velocity obtained as the sensor detection value from the inertial sensor 200 in the calculation unit 160 (measuring instrument fluctuation amount calculation unit), the attitude (tilt angle) of the measuring instrument unit (cylinder gauge 600) can be obtained. The difference between the attitude (tilt angle) of the measuring instrument unit (cylinder gauge 600) and the reference attitude is calculated and displayed on the display unit 670 to serve as a reference guide for the user. Providing users with such a reference guide reduces measurement errors caused by deviations in the measurement posture. Furthermore, it is expected that the efficiency of the measurement work will be significantly improved compared to the conventional method of finding the correct posture by swinging the long cylinder section 610 from side to side.

[0040] (Eighth embodiment) As an eighth embodiment, another example in which an inertial sensor 200 is used to determine the measurement posture of the measuring instrument will be described. With dial gauges and lever-type dial gauges, the measuring instrument must be positioned so that the measuring axis is perpendicular to the surface being measured. However, when the measuring instrument (e.g., a dial gauge) is mounted on the stand 700, determining whether the orientation of the measuring instrument 100 relative to the surface being measured (whether the measuring axis is perpendicular to the surface being measured) is difficult to do with reference instruments such as right-angle guides, and therefore relies on the judgment of the person performing the measurement.

[0041] Therefore, it is convenient to show the user the orientation (relative angle) of the measuring instrument (dial gauge) 100 relative to the surface to be measured, as a reference guide to determine whether the orientation of the measuring instrument 100 relative to the surface to be measured is correct. In the eighth embodiment, an inertial sensor 200 (having at least a gyro sensor) is attached to the measuring instrument (e.g., a dial gauge). Here, one of the outer surfaces of the housing of the measuring instrument (e.g., a dial gauge) is set as the reference outer surface 180. The relative angle between this reference outer surface 180 and the spindle (measuring probe) 110 is predetermined. For example, the back of the housing is designated as the reference outer surface, and it is specified that the back of the housing and the spindle 110 (measuring probe) are parallel. (Of course, they do not have to be parallel to each other. If the angle difference between them is known, it can be adjusted accordingly.)

[0042] First, as illustrated by the symbol A in Figure 9, the reference outer side (back of the housing) 180 is pressed against the surface of the masterwork to be measured. Now, the angle of the reference outer side (back of the housing) 180 of the measuring instrument unit 100 in this state is set as the angle of the surface to be measured (or it may be reset to a zero-angle surface in this state). Then, the orientation (reference orientation) of the measuring instrument unit (dial gauge) 100 for performing appropriate measurements on the surface to be measured is obtained (set) as an orientation of 90° with respect to the surface to be measured. When the user attaches the measuring instrument unit (dial gauge) 100 to the stand 700, they use, for example, the difference posture displayed on the dial gauge 100's display as a reference guide to attach the measuring instrument unit (dial gauge) 100 to the stand 700 so that it is in the appropriate reference posture. This not only improves work efficiency but also allows for accurate measurement of the object being measured in the correct posture.

[0043] Furthermore, when recording the measured values ​​in the recording unit 170, it is advisable to also record the difference in posture at the time the measured values ​​were acquired. For example, if the difference in posture value (angle deviation) at the time the measured values ​​were acquired is known, it is possible to perform correction calculations for the measured values ​​according to the angle deviation.

[0044] (Ninth Embodiment) Small comparative length measuring instruments, such as dial gauges and lever-type dial gauges, are used individually, but multiple instruments are also used simultaneously to measure the shape of a surface. In this case, it is necessary to set the orientation (angle) of the multiple measuring instruments to be the same. Typically, a jig is prepared that can hold multiple measuring instruments in the desired orientation according to the shape of the surface to be measured, and the measuring instruments are set in such a jig (e.g., WO2017 / 150222). For example, if the surface to be measured is flat, all measuring instruments are set in the same orientation, or if the surface to be measured is curved, they are set at orientations (angles) shifted by a predetermined angle to match the curve. However, manufacturing jigs to hold the measuring instruments according to the surface to be measured is costly and time-consuming, so when simple measurements are desired, the measuring instruments are set relying on the measurer's sense of judgment or estimation without jigs or guides.

[0045] Therefore, it is convenient to show the user the relative attitude differences between multiple measuring instruments as a reference guide for adjusting the attitudes of multiple measuring instruments. In the ninth embodiment, an inertial sensor 200 (having at least a gyro sensor) is attached to the measuring instrument (e.g., a dial gauge). For example, suppose we want to set up three measuring instrument units (dial gauges) 100 aligned at the same angle, as illustrated in Figure 10.

[0046] One of the three measuring instrument units (dial gauge) is designated as the posture master measuring instrument unit 100M, and the direction and amount of inclination of the posture master measuring instrument unit 100M with respect to the vertical is determined. The angle (position) of the posture master measuring instrument unit 100M is used as the reference position, and the positions of the second and third measuring instrument units 100 are adjusted to match the angle (reference position) of the master measuring instrument unit 100M. For example, the angle (position) of the posture master measuring instrument unit 100M may be transferred to the second and third measuring instrument units 100, and then the second and third measuring instrument units 100 may each display their differential positions on their respective display units. Alternatively, the angle information from the three measuring instrument units 100 may be transferred to another terminal (a small personal computer or tablet terminal), and then the differential positions of the second and third measuring instrument units 100 may be displayed to the user on the terminal. This makes it possible to perform shape measurement using multiple measuring instruments 100 in a simple and accurate manner.

[0047] Furthermore, we do not rule out the use of jigs that can hold multiple measuring instruments in the desired position according to the shape of the surface being measured. Even when setting up multiple measuring instruments using such jigs, a position reference guide makes the work easier, and it allows for numerical indication and recording of whether the positions are aligned or whether they are shifted by the desired value (angle).

[0048] (Tenth embodiment) Using the measuring instrument 100 requires setting the origin and configuring the display content (units, tolerances, etc.), and having to perform these operations using buttons is burdensome for the user. In this invention, attaching the inertial sensor 200 to the measuring instrument expands its functionality and makes it more convenient, but there are concerns that this may increase the number of buttons or the number of button operations (or operations on the touch panel) required. Therefore, it is advisable to have a setting function activated when the user moves the measuring instrument in a predetermined pattern. For example, the origin setting mode could be activated by tilting the measuring instrument slightly in one direction and then returning it, or the tolerance setting mode could be activated by tilting it slightly to the left or right and then returning it. Alternatively, the angle information of the measuring instrument could be reset (reference orientation, reference plane setting mode) when the measuring instrument is slowly and significantly tilted (or rotated 360 degrees).

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the above description of the embodiment, a contact-type measuring instrument in which the contact tip of the measuring probe is brought into contact with the surface of the object to be measured was given as an example. However, it can also be applied to non-contact measuring instruments that detect the surface of the object to be measured (for example, a uniaxial laser sensor). [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 100 measuring instruments, measuring instrument units 110 spindles 120 Contactor 200 Inertial Sensors 150 Control circuits 160 Arithmetic section 170 Records Department 300 Guide Slider 310 Guide Rail 320 Slider 330 Connecting rod 410, 420 jigs 500 Roughness Measuring Instrument 510 Arm 520 Stylus 600 Internal diameter measuring instrument (cylinder gauge) 610 Long tube part 620 Grip section 630 Measuring head section 650 Rod 660 Measuring instrument body 700 stands

Claims

1. A measuring instrument having a single measuring axis with a measurement direction perpendicular to the surface of the object to be measured, and outputting a measurement value, An inertial sensor is mounted to move integrally with the measuring instrument, The system includes a measuring instrument fluctuation calculation unit that determines at least one of the amount of movement of the measuring instrument in the direction along the surface of the object to be measured, and the angle of the measuring instrument, based on the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor. Furthermore, it is equipped with a mode switching control unit, The mode switching control unit has a set combination of the movement pattern of the measuring instrument and the mode to be switched to. In response to the detection of a motion pattern based on the sensor detection value by the inertial sensor, the mode switching control unit switches the mode of the measuring instrument. A measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor, characterized by the following features.

2. In the measuring instrument with an inertial sensor according to claim 1, moreover, When the measuring instrument moves along the surface of the object to be measured, the measurement recording unit synchronizes and records the measurement value obtained by the measuring instrument and at least one of the amount of movement and angle of the measuring instrument calculated by the measuring instrument fluctuation calculation unit. A measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor, characterized by the following features.

3. In the measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor according to claim 2, If the measuring instrument detects an undesirable impact based on the sensor readings of the inertial sensor, In the measurement recording unit, along with the recording of the measured value, it is also recorded that an undesirable shock was applied to the measuring instrument. A measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor, characterized by the following features.

4. In the measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The measuring instrument fluctuation calculation unit determines the angle of the measuring instrument based on the sensor detection value of the inertial sensor. moreover, The position of the measuring instrument for performing appropriate measurements on the surface of the object to be measured is set as the reference position, The system includes a difference posture calculation unit that calculates the tilt from the aforementioned reference posture as the difference posture. A measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor, characterized by the following features.

5. In the measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor according to claim 4, The measured value from the measuring instrument and the difference in posture are recorded together. A measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor, characterized by the following features.

6. In the measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor according to claim 4 or claim 5, The aforementioned reference orientation is set based on the orientation of another measuring instrument unit equipped with an inertial sensor, other than itself. A measuring instrument unit with an inertial sensor, characterized by the following features.

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