Reflection type measuring device

Abstract

To provide a reflection light type measurement device compact and excellent in portability.SOLUTION: A reflection light type measurement device comprises: a body 1 as a grip part; a pair of light projecting parts 2 provided on one end side of the body 1 with tip ends widened; a light receiving part 7 provided between root parts of the pair of light projecting parts 2; light sources emitting light through opposing faces of the pair of light projecting parts 2; an optical system that extracts light parallel to an optical axis of the light receiving part 7 out of reflection light beams which are emitted from the light sources of the pair of light projecting parts 2 and reflected by an inspection object; a CCD 18 to which the parallel light extracted from the optical system is input; and a calculating unit that calculates a position of an outer edge of the inspection object W on the basis of an output signal of the CCD 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reflection-type measuring device used for measuring the outer diameter dimension of an article or the like.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as described in Patent Document 1, an optical measuring device that measures the outer diameter dimension of an object, the distance between objects, the position of an object, the shape of an object, etc. by irradiating the object with light from a light source and measuring the light quantity distribution of the transmitted light or the reflected light is known.

[0003] This type of optical measuring device arranges a test object between a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, irradiates the test object with laser light, detects the shadow portion where the laser light is blocked, and measures the outer shape dimension of the test object. In this case, since a semiconductor laser (mostly red or green laser light) is used as the laser light, the device is small in size and has the characteristic that it can measure with high accuracy without affecting the object to be measured because it is non-contact.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in such a conventional technique, since the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are provided facing each other and a test object is arranged therebetween, in order to measure the outer shape of the test object, it is necessary to irradiate the entire test object with laser light. As a result, a distance dimension between the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit larger than the test object is required, and there is a drawback that the entire device becomes large.

[0006] Furthermore, this conventional technology has been difficult to miniaturize because the light emitter, light receiver, and controller are housed in separate enclosures. In particular, recently there has been a demand for a measuring device that can be easily carried and operated with one hand during measurement, for use in factories and construction sites.

[0007] The present invention was proposed to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and its objective is to provide a compact and highly portable reflected light type measuring device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The reflected light type measuring device of the present invention is characterized by having the following configuration. (1) The main body which is the gripping part. (2) A pair of light-emitting units, each with a flared tip, are provided on one end of the main body. (3) A light-receiving section located at the end of the main body on the side of the pair of light-emitting sections, between the bases of the pair of light-emitting sections. (4) A light source provided in each of the pair of light-emitting units, which emits light from the opposing surfaces of the pair of light-emitting units. (5) An optical system provided in the light-receiving unit that extracts light parallel to the optical axis of the light-receiving unit from the reflected light that is irradiated from the light sources of a pair of light-emitting units and reflected off the object to be examined. (6) A CCD into which parallel light extracted from the optical system is input. (7) A calculation unit that calculates the position of the outer edge of the object to be examined based on the output signal of the CCD.

[0009] In the present invention, the following configuration can also be adopted. (1) The optical system consists of a condensing lens that collects reflected light incident on the light-receiving section, a pinhole plate provided at the focal point of the condensing lens, and a diffusing lens that bends the light that has passed through the pinhole of the pinhole plate into light parallel to the optical axis of the light-receiving section. (2) The light-emitting unit is equipped with a slit that emits a narrow beam of light, and the light-receiving unit is equipped with a slit that receives a portion of the reflected light from the object being examined. (3) The light-emitting section is equipped with a collimator lens that equalizes the light from the light source. (4) The light receiving unit is equipped with a bandpass filter that removes light of a specific wavelength from the incident reflected light. (5) The main unit is equipped with a display unit for displaying the measurement results. (6) The main unit is equipped with connectors and / or a transmitting / receiving unit for connecting to external devices. (7) It is equipped with a shielding plate that covers the tip opening portion of a pair of light-emitting units. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, by irradiating the object to be measured from an oblique direction using light-emitting units arranged in a Y-shape, and measuring the object using a light-receiving unit positioned obliquely to the light-emitting unit, it is possible to reduce the space required for the light-emitting unit, the light-receiving unit, and the object to be measured between them. As a result, the entire device can be miniaturized, and by integrating the light-emitting unit, light-receiving unit, and measuring equipment and display device, a highly portable, handheld measuring device can be provided. Furthermore, because the entire device is integrated and handheld, measurements can be easily performed even if the object to be measured cannot be easily removed from its installation location or if there is insufficient space for installation with conventional measuring devices. Moreover, with the same measuring device, it is possible to measure not only the outer diameter and outer shape (width) of the object to be measured, but also hole diameters, etc., non-contact, making it highly versatile. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the measuring device of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the light source portion in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the measuring device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which an external device is connected to the measuring device of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing a measuring device with a shielding plate in another embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing an example of use of a measuring device according to another embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration] As shown in the external perspective view of FIG. 1, the measuring device of this embodiment includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 1 that can be used as a gripping part, and a pair of light projecting parts 2 provided to project in a Y shape at the tip thereof. On the upper surface of the main body 1, a liquid crystal display part 3 showing the measurement result of the outer diameter of the test object W is provided. The main body 1 is provided with an operation part 4 for operations such as turning on / off the power, starting / ending the measurement, etc. The operation part 4 may be a physical button such as a button, a knob, or a wheel, or may be a touch panel type using the liquid crystal display part 3. In the main body 1, a connector 5 for a wired cable and / or a transmission / reception part 6 for wireless connection are provided to connect the measuring device of this embodiment to an external monitor 21, an oscilloscope 22, a computer 23, etc. Although not shown, an arithmetic part and a storage part are provided inside the main body 1.

[0013] The pair of light projecting parts 2 are provided to project on both side surfaces at one end of the main body 1, and at the exposed part of the end of the main body 1 between the base parts of the pair of light projecting parts 2, a light receiving part 7 is provided. The width of the light receiving part 7 is set according to the width of the test object W, and it is large in a measuring device for a large test object W and small in a measuring device for a small test object W. Therefore, the measurement area A is outside the tips of the pair of light projecting parts 2 and on the straight line of the light receiving part 7, and measurement can be performed by setting the test object W within that range.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, inside each light projecting part 2, a light source 8 such as an LED 10 is built in. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a long and narrow substrate 9 is provided inside the light projecting part 2, and a light source 8 in which a plurality of long and narrow LEDs 10 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the length direction of the light projecting part 2 is used.

[0015] Each light projecting unit 2 is provided such that their opposing surfaces face each other obliquely, and the angle formed by the opposing surfaces of the two is about 30° to 120°, preferably about 90°. Also, the length of each light projecting unit 2 is set to be the same as or substantially the same as the width of the light receiving unit 7 in accordance with the dimensions of the inspection object W. On the opposing surface of each light projecting unit 2, a slit 11a is provided so as to guide the light from the light source 8 to the inspection object W. The shape of the slit 11a is a rectangle extending in the length direction of the light projecting unit 2, and for its short side, it is better to be narrow so as not to lower the light intensity. For the long side of the slit 11a, it is appropriately set according to the sizes of the light projecting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 7 (the size of the inspection object W).

[0016] A slit 11b is also provided on the opposing surface of the light receiving unit 7 where the reflected light from the inspection object W is incident, with respect to the inspection object W. That is, the light receiving unit 7 has a slit 11b with dimensions larger than the outer diameter of the inspection object W, and the slit 11b is provided at the same height as the slit 11a on the light projecting unit 2 side and with the same width and length as the slit 11a on the light projecting unit 2 side, and the light passing through the slit 11b is introduced into the light receiving unit 7.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the measuring device of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in each light projecting unit 2, on the light emitting side of the light source 8, a first collimator lens 12 for equalizing the light from the plurality of LEDs 10 and a second collimator lens 13 for suppressing the diffusion of the light passing through the slit 11a in the short side direction of the slit 11a are sequentially provided.

[0018] In the light receiving unit 7, a slit 11b, a band pass filter 14, a condenser lens 15, a pinhole plate 16, a diffusion lens 17, and a CCD 18 are provided at predetermined intervals in order from the light receiving side. These members are built into the light receiving unit 7 of the main body 1.

[0019] The bandpass filter 14 transmits light of a wavelength corresponding to the light-receiving characteristics of the CCD 18 from the reflected light from the object W under test. The focusing lens 15 bends the light that has passed through the bandpass filter 14 to an angle that guides the light parallel to the central axis of the light-receiving unit 7 to the focal point. The pinhole plate 16 allows only the light focused near the focal point from the light bent by the focusing lens 15 to pass to the CCD 18. The diffusion lens 17 bends the bent light that has passed through the pinhole plate 16 to light parallel to the central axis of the light-receiving unit 7. The CCD 18 receives the parallel light from the diffusion lens 17 and outputs the reflected light from the object W under test and the shadow portion of the object W formed by it as electrical signals.

[0020] A calculation unit is connected to the output side of the CCD18 to calculate the external dimensions of the object W based on the reflected light and shadow portion of the object W obtained from the CCD18. The output side of the calculation unit is connected to the liquid crystal display unit 3, a wired cable connector 5, and / or a wireless transmission / reception unit 6 provided on the main unit 1.

[0021] [1-2. Effect] To measure the outer diameter of the object W using the measuring device of this embodiment, first, press the power button on the operating unit 4 located on the main unit 1 to turn on the power of the measuring device. With the device in this state, bring the main unit 1 close so that the object W is between the pair of light-emitting units 2 arranged in a Y shape, that is, within the measurement area A.

[0022] After setting the main unit 1 on the object W to be measured, the measurement start button on the operation unit 4 is operated to start the measurement. When the measurement start button is pressed, multiple light sources located inside the light-emitting unit 2 light up. The light emitted from the light sources passes through the first collimator lens 12, where it is equalized along the length of the slit 11a, and after passing through the slit 11a, it becomes a narrow beam of light parallel to the outer diameter of the object W to be measured. The narrow beam of light that has passed through the slit 11a then passes through the second collimator lens 13, where diffusion in the short-side direction is suppressed, and the narrow state is maintained.

[0023] Light emitted from the second collimator lens 13 of the light-emitting unit 2 strikes the object W under test and is reflected, diffusing all around the object W as shown in Figure 3. Of this light that has diffused all around, the reflected light that has diffused towards the light-receiving unit 7 is taken into the main body 1 through the slit 11b of the light-receiving unit 7. The light that has passed through the slit 11b of the light-receiving unit 7 passes through the bandpass filter 14, and this bandpass filter 14 filters the light from the light source 8 Floodlight Only light of a specified wavelength, or light of a wavelength corresponding to the detection characteristics of the CCD18, is transmitted.

[0024] The light passing through the bandpass filter 14 is reflected light that has been diffused around the entire circumference of the object W under test and has passed through the slit 11b, but this light includes light with various reflection angles from the object W under test. In this embodiment, from among this light with various reflection angles, light parallel to the optical axis of the light receiving unit 7 is extracted. Among the light parallel to the optical axis of the light receiving unit 7, the light furthest from the optical axis is the light that passes through the outer diameter of the object W under test, so the outer diameter of the object W under test is measured by detecting the position of this light parallel to the optical axis. In order to extract such light parallel to the optical axis, in this embodiment an optical system equipped with a focusing lens 15, a pinhole plate 16, and a diffusing lens 17 is used.

[0025] In other words, the reflected light that has passed through the bandpass filter 14 passes through the condensing lens 15, so only light parallel to the optical axis is directed towards the focal point of the condensing lens 15, and the lens is placed at that focal point. Pinhole plate 16 This shields reflected light other than the light passing through the focal point. As a result, only light parallel to the optical axis that has passed through the pinhole reaches the diffusion lens 17 located behind the pinhole plate 16, and the diffusion lens 17 returns the light to be parallel to the original optical axis. In this way, only parallel light representing the outer diameter portion of the object W is incident on the CCD 18, and the outer diameter of the object W can be measured by processing the output signal from the CCD 18 with the calculation unit.

[0026] The measurement results are sent from the calculation unit to the liquid crystal display unit 3 on the main unit 1 for display, or, as shown in Figure 4, they are transmitted via the connector 5 and the transmitting / receiving unit 6 to an external monitor 21, oscilloscope 22, or computer 23 connected to the main unit 1, and used as data for various applications incorporated into these external devices. It is also possible to save the measurement results in the internal memory unit of the main unit 1 and transmit them later to peripheral devices via the connection unit.

[0027] [1-3. Effects] The effects of this embodiment, which has the following configuration and operation, are as follows. (1) Since all the parts necessary for measurement, such as the light-emitting unit 2, the light-receiving unit 7, and the main body 1, are integrated into one unit, it is easy to handle and highly portable. Also, because the parts are integrated, it is not necessary to set up the measuring device around the object W to be measured, as in conventional technology, and preparation before measurement is simple, and measurement can be performed simply by turning on the power and bringing the measuring device close to the object W to be measured.

[0028] (2) As long as the measuring device is delivered, measurement is possible even if the object W to be measured is immovable or difficult to remove. (3) Because an LED light source is used, the risk of blindness or other harm to the user is lower and the safety is higher compared to a laser.

[0029] (4) As a means of acquiring light from the reflected light of the object W that is parallel to the optical axis of the light receiving unit 7 necessary for outer diameter measurement, a focusing lens 15, a pinhole plate 16, and a diffusing lens 17 are used. With a simple configuration, only the light necessary for measurement can be guided to the CCD 18. As a result, the CCD 18 can receive the light necessary for measurement with strong contrast, making it possible to measure the outer diameter of the object W with high accuracy.

[0030] (5) In each of the pair of Y-shaped light-receiving sections 7, multiple LEDs 10 are arranged on the substrate as light sources. By providing a first collimator lens 12, a slit 11a, and a second collimator lens 13, a narrow beam of light with a uniform light intensity in the longitudinal direction can be irradiated onto the object W, allowing the user to accurately measure the dimensions of a specific part of the object W as desired. In particular, for objects W whose outer diameter changes when the measurement position shifts vertically, it is difficult to accurately irradiate the measurement position with light if the beam is wide, but the measuring device of this embodiment can accurately position the measurement location.

[0031] (6) By providing a bandpass filter 14 in the light receiving unit 7, only light of the wavelength of the light source or only light of the wavelength corresponding to the detection characteristics of the CCD 18 is transmitted, thereby suppressing the influence of external light and ensuring a light intensity that can be measured even with the light intensity of an LED light source. (7) By providing the main unit 1 with a connector 5 and a transmitting / receiving unit 6, it becomes possible to connect to an external monitor 21, oscilloscope 22, and computer 23, and the measurement results can be used for various purposes.

[0032] [2. Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Moreover, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Specifically, the following other embodiments are also included.

[0033] (1) Measurement Standard letter Moreover measurement The completed value is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3 located on the operation unit 4. However, if the measurement error is large or a measurement error occurs, the measurement is repeated by adjusting the output of the light source. For example, the intensity of the reflected light is adjusted by changing the light intensity or wavelength of the light source by operating the buttons on the operation unit 4, and the reflected light and non-reflected light are adjusted. of Create a difference in light intensity.

[0034] (2) A function to automatically set the threshold level in the CCD18 can be added. That is, in order to prevent measurement results from becoming erroneous due to low contrast of input light to the CCD18 caused by the influence of ambient light, the contrast of the input light can be measured in the CCD18, and the threshold level of the measurement signal based on the amount of light used to determine the outer diameter of the object W acquired by the CCD18 can be automatically adjusted accordingly. In addition, it is possible to determine whether measurement is possible or not according to the contrast of the input light and display an error message or the like.

[0035] For example, when light other than reflected light has the same or only slightly different light intensity as reflected light, or when the size of the object W is such that of If an error occurs in the judgment, the measurement error may be displayed on the LCD display unit 3, or an LED lamp to indicate the measurement error may be installed on the main unit 1. If a measurement error occurs, the light intensity or wavelength of the light source may be measured again automatically or manually. In the case of automatic measurement, several patterns of light intensity or wavelength of the light source may be prepared and measured continuously.

[0036] If the influence of ambient light is stronger than the light intensity of the light source, or if it is stronger than the reflected light from the object W under test, it can be determined that the influence of ambient light is stronger. Specifically, this applies when the light intensity is stronger on the outer edges than on the center where the reflected light hits. In such cases, the measurement is unsuitable, so it is possible to automatically determine whether measurement is possible before measurement. The determination result can be displayed on the LCD display 3 of the operation unit 4, or an error indicator LED lamp can be attached to the main unit 1.

[0037] (3) After the measurement is complete, the results may be stored in the memory unit inside the main unit 1. The results may then be transmitted automatically by the transmission unit or at the discretion of the person taking the measurement. The results may also be transmitted after each measurement or all at once at a later date.

[0038] (4) The measuring device can perform measurements on its own, but it can be connected to peripheral devices for more precise measurements and analyses. Connections can be made via wired or wireless connections using the connector 5 or transceiver 6 on the main unit 1. For wired connections, conventionally used cables such as serial cables or USB cables are acceptable. For wireless connections, wireless LAN, infrared, or Bluetooth® are acceptable. Peripheral devices that can be connected include equipment for checking the signal from the CCD 18, a monitor 21 for displaying the signal, an oscilloscope 22 for checking or adjusting the threshold level, a computer 23 with a dedicated application and dedicated card board. For example, when fixing the main unit 1 and continuously measuring the object W under the same conditions, or when checking the measured values ​​at a distance, the main unit 1 can be connected to a separate monitor 21.

[0039] (5) In this embodiment, a combination of a condensing lens 15, a pinhole plate 16, and a diffusing lens 17 was used as the optical system for extracting light parallel to the optical axis of the light receiving unit 7 from the reflected light of the object W under test, but the system is not limited to this configuration. It is also possible to use an optical system utilizing a reflector or to use a filter or the like.

[0040] (6) In this embodiment, in order to collect reflected light more reliably, a shielding plate 20 as shown in Figure 5 is used to cover the tip openings of the pair of light-emitting units 2. of A shielding plate 20 may be provided. This shielding plate 20 is attached to the side of the main body 1 in a manner that allows it to be easily attached and detached, and is composed of, for example, an L-shaped plate-like member so as to cover the part of the object W under test that is opposite to each light-emitting part 2 during measurement. The shielding plate 20 is slidable relative to the main body 1 so that the measurement area A can be widened or narrowed according to the dimensions of the object W under test. The shielding plate 20 may be fixed with screws or other means, or attached using a snap-in type or other appropriate mounting method. To suppress light reflection, it is preferable to use a light-absorbing color or a light-impermeable material for the shielding plate 20.

[0041] For example, if external light has a significant impact during measurement, a shielding plate 20 is set behind the object W being measured. Specifically, the shielding plate 20 is attached to the measuring device, and the shielding plate 20 is slid relative to the main body 1 or the Y-shaped light-emitting unit 2 to match the size of the object W being measured, adjusting so that the shielding plate 20 and the object W being measured are close together to minimize the impact of external light. It is not a problem if the object W being measured and the shielding plate 20 come into contact. In this way, by using the shielding plate 20, measurements can be taken in places with a lot of ambient light, such as outdoors during the day, or under adverse conditions.

[0042] (7) The object to be measured is not limited to the external shape of the object W, but a wide variety of objects can be used, as shown in Figures 6(a) to (g). (a) pin or shaft diameter (b) gaps between multiple objects (c) Outer diameter, flow rate, and presence or absence of flow of fluid ejected from the nozzle (d) A flexible substance like a creamy material (e) slit voids such as grooves, holes, and recesses (f) By attaching the main unit 1 to the robot, the position sensor, counters for multiple objects W, position measurement at multiple locations, and the values ​​at each location due to the movement of the main unit 1 can be confirmed and recorded. (g) Small animals, other moving objects [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] W Test object A Measurement area 1 Main unit 2. Light-emitting section 3 LCD display section 4 Control section 5 Connectors 6. Transmitter / Receiver Unit 7 Light receiving section 8 light source 9 circuit boards 10 LED 11a, 11b Slit 12. First collimator lens 13. Second collimator lens 14 Bandpass Filter 15. Focusing lens 16 Pinhole Plate 17 Diffusion lens 18 CCD 2 0 shielding plate 21 monitors 22 Oscilloscope 23 Computers

Claims

1. The main body is the gripping part, A pair of light-emitting units are provided projecting in a Y-shape from one end of the main body, The ends of the main body on the side of the light-emitting section, the light-receiving section provided between the bases of the pair of light-emitting sections, A light source is provided in each of the pair of light-emitting sections, which irradiates light from the opposing surfaces of the pair of light-emitting sections, An optical system is provided in the light-receiving unit, which extracts light parallel to the optical axis of the light-receiving unit from the reflected light that is irradiated from the light sources of the pair of light-emitting units and reflected off the object to be examined, A CCD into which parallel light extracted from the optical system is input, A calculation unit that calculates the position of the outer edge of the object under test based on the output signal of the CCD, A reflected light type measuring device characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The reflected light measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the optical system comprises a focusing lens for focusing the reflected light incident on the light receiving unit, a pinhole plate provided at the focal point of the focusing lens, and a diffusing lens for bending the light that has passed through the pinhole of the pinhole plate into light parallel to the optical axis of the light receiving unit.

3. The reflected light measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting unit is provided with a slit for irradiating a narrow light, and the light receiving unit is provided with a slit for receiving a portion of the reflected light from the object to be measured.

4. The reflected light type measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting unit comprises a collimator lens that equalizes the light from the light source.

5. The reflected light type measuring device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the light receiving unit comprises a bandpass filter that removes light of a specific wavelength from the incident reflected light.

6. The reflected light type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a display unit for displaying measurement results.

7. The reflected light type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a connector for connection to an external device and / or a transmitting / receiving unit.

8. A reflected light type measuring device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 6, or 7, comprising a shielding plate that covers the tip opening portion of a pair of light-emitting units.

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