X-ray measuring device

Abstract

To provide an X-ray measurement device that can appropriately measure a pitch angle at an arbitrary measurement point of an object to be measured.SOLUTION: An X-ray measurement device 1 with an X-ray measurement unit 10 comprises: a pitch angle measurement unit 16 that measures a pitch angle θp at an arbitrary measurement point of a coil spring 20; and a computer 18 that controls the pitch angle measurement unit 16. The pitch angle measurement unit 16 has electromagnets 30a, 30b that are arranged away from each other with a connection member 28 therebetween, a shaft 32 that is erected on the connection member 28 between the electromagnets 30a, 30b, and an angle sensor 34 that detects the angles of rotation θa, θb of the shaft 32. The computer 18 has an energization control unit 40 that selectively energizes any one of the electromagnets 30a, 30b, and a calculation unit 42 that calculates the pitch angle θp based on the angle of rotation of the shaft 32 when the electromagnet 30a or 30b is energized by the energization control unit 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an X-ray measuring apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, X-ray measuring apparatuses that measure the structure and characteristics of an object to be measured using X-rays are known. For example, the following Patent Document 1 describes an X-ray measuring apparatus that measures the structure and characteristics of the entire circumference of a measurement object by moving an X-ray measurement unit while rotating it along the linear measurement object.

[0003] Additionally, conventionally, techniques for measuring the surface shape of coil springs using non-contact displacement gauges are known. For example, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for measuring the entire surface shape of a coil spring in a predetermined range, in which the non-contact displacement gauge rotates around the axis of the coil spring while the non-contact displacement gauge linearly moves along the axial direction over the predetermined range of the coil spring. Further, for example, the following Patent Document 3 discloses a technique that acquires point cloud coordinate data of the surface shape of a coil spring using a non-contact displacement gauge, and approximately measures the center position of the cross section of the coil spring based on the acquired point cloud coordinate data. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-154627 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-118551 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-044127 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] In an X-ray measuring device such as the one described in Patent Document 1 above, if the object to be measured is, for example, a metal, the X-ray incidence angle may decrease if it deviates from a predetermined position relative to the orientation of the metal fibers of the object to be measured. In particular, if the object to be measured is a helical object such as a coil spring, if the X-ray irradiation angle deviates from an appropriate angle based on the pitch angle of the object to be measured (the angle that the approximate center line of the material of the object to be measured makes with a plane that is approximately perpendicular to the approximate center line of the object to be measured), accurate X-ray measurement results cannot be obtained, so it is important to measure the pitch angle appropriately. However, in techniques that measure the surface shape of an object using a non-contact displacement meter, such as those described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 above, the surface shape is easily affected by disturbances due to the surface condition of the object to be measured (adhesion of oil or metal chips, etc.), making it difficult to measure the surface shape appropriately, and it is also difficult to measure the pitch angle appropriately with this technique.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an X-ray measuring device that can appropriately measure the pitch angle at any measurement point of an object to be measured. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An X-ray measuring apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is an X-ray measuring apparatus comprising an X-ray measuring unit that irradiates an object to be measured, which is a helical magnetic material, with X-rays and measures the X-rays diffracted by the object to be measured, comprising a pitch angle measuring unit that measures the pitch angle at any measurement point of the object to be measured, and a control unit that controls the pitch angle measuring unit, wherein the pitch angle measuring unit comprises a plurality of electromagnets arranged spaced apart from each other via a connecting member, a shaft erected on the connecting member between the plurality of electromagnets, and an angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the shaft, and the control unit comprises an energization control unit that selectively energizes any one of the plurality of electromagnets, and a calculation unit that calculates the pitch angle based on the rotation angle of the shaft when each of the plurality of electromagnets is energized by the energization control unit.

[0008] In the X-ray measuring apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, the plurality of electromagnets are two electromagnets arranged linearly via the connecting member, the shaft is located approximately midway between the two points where the two electromagnets are located, the energizing control unit energizes one of the two electromagnets, then energizes the other of the two electromagnets, and the calculation unit calculates the pitch angle based on the rotation angle of the shaft when the one electromagnet is energized and the rotation angle of the shaft when the other electromagnet is energized.

[0009] An X-ray measuring apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention further includes a moving mechanism that moves the position of the pitch angle measuring unit relative to the object to be measured by the control of the control unit.

[0010] In the X-ray measuring apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism moves the position of the X-ray measuring unit relative to the object to be measured, and adjusts the X-ray irradiation angle to an angle based on the pitch angle calculated by the calculation unit, under the control of the control unit.

[0011] In the X-ray measuring apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the object to be measured is a coil spring. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an X-ray measuring device that can appropriately measure the pitch angle at any measurement point of an object to be measured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of an X-ray measuring device. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the pitch angle of a coil spring at any given measurement point. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the pitch angle measuring unit and a functional partial configuration of the computer 18 that controls the pitch angle measuring unit. [Figure 4]It is a flowchart showing an example of a measurement flow for a pitch angle of a coil spring. [Figure 5] It is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the pitch angle measuring unit corresponding to the measurement flow of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a pitch angle calculation method by a calculation unit. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, identical or functionally identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible in each drawing, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0015] <Overall Configuration> The X-ray measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that irradiates a measurement object with X-rays and measures residual stress or the like of the measurement object based on the diffraction intensity of X-rays diffracted by the measurement object. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the X-ray measuring apparatus 1.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray measuring apparatus 1 includes, for example, an X-ray measuring unit 10, a robot 12, a rotation mechanism 14, a pitch angle measuring unit 16, and a computer 18. In FIG. 1, the illustration of the X-ray measuring unit 10 is simplified.

[0017] The X-ray measuring unit 10 irradiates X-rays toward a measurement object and measures X-rays diffracted by the measurement object. The measurement object is a helical magnetic body, and in the present embodiment is a coil spring 20. The coil spring 20 is, for example, a linear compression coil spring made of iron wound N times. The X-ray measuring unit 10 includes, for example, an irradiation source that generates X-rays and irradiates the coil spring 20 with the X-rays, and a detector that detects X-rays diffracted by the coil spring 20. The X-ray measuring unit 10 detects X-rays diffracted by the coil spring 20 with the detector and converts the detected X-rays into electrical signals (diffraction intensity).

[0018] The robot 12 is, for example, a 6-axis vertical articulated robot. An X-ray measurement unit 10 and a pitch angle measurement unit 16 are attached to an arm of the robot 12. The robot 12 is a moving mechanism that moves the positions of the X-ray measurement unit 10 and the pitch angle measurement unit 16 relative to the coil spring 20 under the control of a computer 18. In the present embodiment, the position relative to the coil spring 20 includes a position in the central axis direction A, which is a direction along the central axis (center line) of the coil spring 20, and a position in a direction intersecting the central axis direction A (a position for adjusting the relative distance to the coil spring 20). Further, the robot 12 adjusts the X-ray irradiation angle (the incident angle of X-rays with respect to the coil spring 20) by the X-ray measurement unit 10 under the control of the computer 18.

[0019] The rotation mechanism 14 includes a pair of holding members 22 capable of clamping both ends of the coil spring 20 in the central axis direction A, and a rotation motor 24 fixed to the holding members 22 and configured to rotate the coil spring 20 via the holding members 22. Further, the rotation motor 24 includes an encoder 26 that detects the rotation angle of the rotation motor 24 and transmits the detected rotation angle to the computer 18.

[0020] The pitch angle measurement unit 16 measures a pitch angle at an arbitrary measurement point of the coil spring 20, for example, in cooperation with the computer 18. Details of the pitch angle measurement unit 16 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3. Here, the pitch angle at an arbitrary measurement point of the coil spring 20 refers to an angle formed by the approximate center line of the material of the coil spring 20 at the arbitrary measurement point of the coil spring 20 with a plane substantially perpendicular to the approximate center line of the coil spring 20. In the present embodiment, the "approximate center line" is not limited to a case where it is completely the center line, but includes a case where it can be regarded as the center line within an error range. Further, in the present embodiment, "substantially perpendicular" is not limited to a case where it is completely perpendicular, but includes a case where it can be regarded as perpendicular within an error range.

[0021] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the pitch angle θp at an arbitrary measurement point of the coil spring 20. As shown in Figure 2, the pitch angle θp at an arbitrary measurement point of the coil spring 20 represents the angle that the wire centerlines 20m (approximately the centerline of the material) of the coil spring 20 make with a plane 20f that is approximately perpendicular to the central axis 20a (approximately the centerline) of the coil spring 20 at that arbitrary measurement point. Here, if the angle θd is the angle that the wire centerlines 20m of the coil spring 20 makes with a plane that is approximately parallel to the central axis 20a of the coil spring 20, then the sum of the pitch angle θp and the angle θd is approximately a right angle (approximately 90 degrees). In this embodiment, "approximately parallel" does not only mean perfectly parallel, but also includes cases where they can be considered parallel within a range of error.

[0022] Returning to Figure 1, the computer 18 is a control unit that communicates with each of the X-ray measuring unit 10, robot 12, rotation mechanism 14, and pitch angle measuring unit 16, and controls each of the connected components. The computer 18 is a general-purpose computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, etc. Each function of the computer 18 is realized by executing programs stored in memory under the control of the CPU, and operating each component of the X-ray measuring device 1. For example, when the X-ray measuring unit 10 and pitch angle measuring unit 16 are taking measurements, the computer 18 rotates the coil spring 20 by controlling the rotation mechanism 14, and moves the X-ray measuring unit 10 and pitch angle measuring unit 16 along the central axis A by controlling the robot 12. This makes it possible to measure the entire circumference of the coil spring 20. The computer 18 also receives the measurement results (electrical signals) of the diffraction intensity of the X-rays diffracted from the X-ray measuring unit 10, and performs analysis and measurement of the structure and characteristics (e.g., residual stress) of the object to be measured based on these measurement results.

[0023] <Pitch angle measuring section 16> Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 and a functional partial configuration of the computer 18 that controls the pitch angle measuring unit 16. As shown in Figure 3, the pitch angle measuring unit 16 has a plurality of electromagnets 30, a shaft 32, and an angle sensor 34. Functionally, the computer 18 has an energization control unit 40, a calculation unit 42, and a movement control unit 44.

[0024] Multiple electromagnets 30 are arranged spaced apart from each other via a connecting member 28. In this embodiment, the multiple electromagnets 30 are two electromagnets 30a and 30b arranged linearly via the connecting member 28. Each electromagnet 30a and 30b has an independent energizing circuit and possesses magnetism only when energized by the energizing control unit 40. The connecting member 28 is disc-shaped, and the electromagnets 30a and 30b are positioned approximately symmetrically with respect to the center of the connecting member 28. The electromagnets 30a and 30b are integrated with the connecting member 28 by being fitted into it, and move integrally with the connecting member 28.

[0025] The shaft 32 is erected on the connecting member 28 between the electromagnets 30a and 30b. The shaft 32 is, for example, a rigid cylinder. The shaft 32 is located approximately midway between the two points where the two electromagnets 30a and 30b are located. The approximate midpoint is a point that is approximately equal in distance from electromagnets 30a and 30b. In other words, the position of the shaft 32 is approximately coincident with the center of the connecting member 28. By being erected on the connecting member 28, the shaft 32 is integrated with the connecting member 28 and moves integrally with the connecting member 28. The shaft 32 rotates in the same direction as the rotation of the connecting member 28.

[0026] The angle sensor 34 is attached to the shaft 32 and detects the rotation angle of the shaft 32. The angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of the shaft 32 using, for example, the angle at which the straight line connecting electromagnets 30a and 30b is approximately parallel to the central axis 20a of the coil spring 20 as a reference. Note that the reference angle is not limited to this example, and a predetermined reference can be set in advance or readjusted as needed. The angle sensor 34 outputs the detected rotation angle as a signal to the calculation unit 42 of the computer 18.

[0027] The energization control unit 40 selectively energizes either electromagnet 30a or 30b. The energization control unit 40 includes a command transmission unit that transmits an energization command to either electromagnet 30a or 30b, and a power transmission unit that energizes either electromagnet 30a or 30b based on the energization command. The energization control unit 40 energizes electromagnets 30a and 30b one at a time in sequence. For example, the energization control unit 40 energizes one electromagnet 30a, and then energizes the other electromagnet 30b.

[0028] The calculation unit 42 calculates the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20 based on the rotation angle of the shaft 32 detected by the angle sensor 34. The calculation unit 42 calculates the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20 based on the rotation angle of the shaft 32 when each of the electromagnets 30a and 30b is energized by the energization control unit 40. For example, the calculation unit 42 calculates the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20 based on the rotation angle of the shaft 32 when one electromagnet 30a is energized and the rotation angle of the shaft 32 when the other electromagnet 30b is energized. The specific method of calculating the pitch angle θp by the calculation unit 42 will be described later with reference to Figure 6.

[0029] The movement control unit 44 controls the robot 12. For example, the movement control unit 44 controls the robot 12 to move the position of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 relative to the coil spring 20. More specifically, the movement control unit 44 controls the robot 12 to move the pitch angle measuring unit 16 to a position above the measurement point of the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20. The movement control unit 44 also controls the robot 12 to move the pitch angle measuring unit 16 along the central axis direction A. This allows the measurement point of the pitch angle θp to be moved along the central axis direction A. In this embodiment, the movement control unit 44 also controls the robot 12 to move the position of the X-ray measuring unit 10 relative to the coil spring 20 and to adjust the X-ray irradiation angle to an angle based on the pitch angle θp calculated by the calculation unit 42. That is, the movement control unit 44 moves the X-ray measuring unit 10 together with the pitch angle measuring unit 16, for example, along the central axis direction A. As a result, the X-ray measuring device 1 can measure the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20 using the pitch angle measuring unit 16, and irradiate the coil spring 20 with X-rays at an angle based on the pitch angle θp using the X-ray measuring unit 10. The angle based on the pitch angle θp is, for example, an angle obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined angle set in advance by the designer, etc., to the pitch angle θp, or an angle obtained by substituting the pitch angle θp into a calculation formula set in advance by the designer, etc.

[0030] <Measurement flow of pitch angle θp> Next, the measurement flow of the pitch angle θp at the measurement point M of the coil spring 20 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the measurement flow of the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20. Note that the order of the steps shown in the flowchart of Figure 4 may be changed as appropriate. Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram to explain an example of the operation of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 corresponding to the measurement flow of Figure 4. Figures 5(a), (b), and (c) correspond to the processes of steps SP10, SP12, and SP14 in Figure 4, respectively. Figures 5(b) and (c) are views of the measurement point M of the coil spring 20 shown in Figure 5(a) from above (viewed along the axial direction of the shaft 32). Note that Figure 5 omits the illustration of components other than the pitch angle measuring unit 16 in the X-ray measuring device 1, but it is assumed that the coil spring 20 is attached to and fixed in a rotating mechanism 14, for example. Furthermore, in Figures 5(b) and 5(c), the angle sensor 34 in the pitch angle measuring unit 16 is not shown.

[0031] (Step SP10) The movement control unit 44 controls the robot 12 to move the pitch angle measuring unit 16 to the upper part of the measurement point M (the target point for measuring the pitch angle θp) of the coil spring 20, as shown in Figure 5(a). Then, the process moves on to step SP12.

[0032] (Step SP12) The power supply control unit 40 energizes the electromagnet 30a. As a result, the electromagnet 30a becomes energized and magnetic, and as shown in Figure 5(b), the electromagnet 30a and the coil spring 20 attract each other by magnetic force. This causes the connecting member 28 on which the electromagnet 30a is located and the shaft 32 erected on the connecting member 28 to rotate and stop. The angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of the shaft 32 at the time of stopping and outputs it to the calculation unit 42. Then, the process moves on to step SP14.

[0033] (Step SP14) The power supply control unit 40 energizes the electromagnet 30b. As a result, the electromagnet 30b becomes energized and magnetic, and as shown in Figure 5(c), the electromagnet 30b and the coil spring 20 attract each other by magnetic force. This causes the connecting member 28 on which the electromagnet 30b is located and the shaft 32 erected on the connecting member 28 to rotate and stop. The angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of the shaft 32 at the time of stopping and outputs it to the calculation unit 42. Then, the process moves on to step SP16.

[0034] (Step SP16) The calculation unit 42 calculates the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20 based on the rotation angle of the shaft 32 detected in steps SP12 and SP14, respectively. Then, it completes the series of processes shown in Figure 4.

[0035] <Method for calculating pitch angle θp> Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the method for calculating the pitch angle θp by the calculation unit 42. In Figure 6, the pitch angle measuring unit 16 is shown as viewed along the axial direction of the shaft 32, and the angle sensor 34 is not shown. In Figure 6, the electromagnets 30a and 30b are shown with solid lines when the electromagnet 30a is energized and the electromagnet 30a and coil spring 20 are stopped due to attraction, and the electromagnets 30a and 30b are shown with dashed lines when the electromagnet 30b is energized and the electromagnet 30b and coil spring 20 are stopped due to attraction. In Figure 6, the central axis 20a of the coil spring 20 is shown with a dashed line, and the wire centerlines 20m of the coil spring 20 are shown with a dashed line.

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, when the central axis 20a of the coil spring 20 is used as the reference for the rotation angle of the shaft 32, the rotation angle of the shaft 32 is represented by rotation angle θa when electromagnet 30a is energized, and by rotation angle θb when electromagnet 30b is energized. Since the shaft 32 is located approximately midway between the two points where electromagnets 30a and 30b are located, from the geometric relationship shown in the figure, angle θc can be found by the following formula (1), and angle θd can be found by the following formula (2).

[0037] Angle θc=(θb-θa) / 2...(1) Angle θd=(θa+θb) / 2...(2)

[0038] Furthermore, as described above with reference to Figure 2, the sum of the pitch angle θp and the angle θd is approximately a right angle (approximately 90 degrees), so the pitch angle θp can be calculated by subtracting the angle θd from 90 degrees. That is, the calculation unit 42 determines the angle θd using the above formulas (1) and (2), and then calculates the pitch angle θp by subtracting the angle θd from 90 degrees.

[0039] <Effects and Effects> As described above, the X-ray measuring apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an X-ray measuring apparatus comprising an X-ray measuring unit 10 that irradiates X-rays toward a coil spring 20, which is a helical magnetic material to be measured, and measures the X-rays diffracted by the coil spring 20, and further comprising a pitch angle measuring unit 16 that measures the pitch angle θp at any measurement point of the coil spring 20, and a computer 18 as a control unit that controls the pitch angle measuring unit 16, wherein the pitch angle measuring unit 16 comprises a plurality of units arranged spaced apart from each other via connecting members 28 The system includes electromagnets 30a and 30b, a shaft 32 erected on a connecting member 28 between the electromagnets 30a and 30b, and an angle sensor 34 for detecting the rotation angle of the shaft 32. The computer 18 includes a power supply control unit 40 that selectively energizes either one of the electromagnets 30a or 30b, and a calculation unit 42 that calculates a pitch angle θp based on the rotation angles θa and θb of the shaft 32 when the power supply control unit 40 energizes the electromagnets 30a and 30b, respectively. With this configuration, the pitch angle θp at any measurement point of the coil spring 20 is calculated based on the rotation angle of the shaft 32, which rotates due to the magnetic force generated when electromagnets 30a and 30b are energized. By calculating the pitch angle θp using magnetic force in this way, the pitch angle θp can be measured appropriately without being affected by disturbances such as the surface condition of the coil spring 20 (adhesion of oil or metal chips, etc.). Thus, an X-ray measuring device 1 can be provided that can appropriately measure the pitch angle θp at any measurement point of an object to be measured, such as a coil spring 20.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple electromagnets 30 are two electromagnets 30a and 30b arranged linearly via a connecting member 28, and the shaft 32 is located approximately midway between the two points where the two electromagnets 30a and 30b are located. The energizing control unit 40 energizes one of the two electromagnets 30a 30a, then energizes the other electromagnet 30b 30b, and the calculation unit 42 calculates the pitch angle θp based on the rotation angle θa of the shaft 32 when one electromagnet 30a is energized and the rotation angle θb of the shaft 32 when the other electromagnet 30b is energized. With this configuration, the pitch angle θp can be easily calculated using geometric relationships, as described above with reference to Figure 6.

[0041] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a robot 12, which is a moving mechanism that moves the position of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 relative to the coil spring 20 under the control of the movement control unit 44 of the computer 18. With this configuration, the robot 12 can move the position of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 relative to the coil spring 20, thereby moving the measurement point of the pitch angle θp. This makes it possible to measure the pitch angle θp along the entire axis A of the central axis of the coil spring 20.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the robot 12 moves the position of the X-ray measuring unit 10 relative to the coil spring 20 under the control of the movement control unit 44, and adjusts the X-ray irradiation angle to an angle based on the pitch angle θp calculated by the calculation unit 42. With this configuration, the robot 12 can adjust the X-ray irradiation angle to an angle based on the pitch angle θp calculated by the calculation unit 42 while moving the X-ray measuring unit 10 relative to the coil spring 20. This suppresses a decrease in X-ray measurement accuracy caused by deviations in the X-ray irradiation angle from the appropriate angle based on the pitch angle θp.

[0043] In this embodiment, the object to be measured is a coil spring 20. Here, since the pitch angle θp of the coil spring 20 may not be uniform along the central axis A, it is necessary to appropriately measure the pitch angle θp at multiple measurement points and adjust the X-ray irradiation angle. Therefore, when the object to be measured is the coil spring 20, the above effect of appropriately measuring the pitch angle θp at any measurement point can be suitably achieved.

[0044] <Variation> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, any design modifications made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the features of the present invention. Furthermore, the elements of the above embodiments and the modifications described later can be combined to the extent that it is technically possible, and any combination thereof is also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as it retains the features of the present invention.

[0045] For example, in the above embodiment, the case in which the multiple electromagnets 30 consist of two electromagnets 30a and 30b was described, but the multiple electromagnets 30 are not limited to two electromagnets 30a and 30b, and may consist of three or more electromagnets. For example, if the multiple electromagnets 30 consist of three electromagnets, these three electromagnets may be arranged in a triangular shape, for example, spaced apart from each other, with respect to the connecting member 28. In this case, the energization control unit 40 energizes the three electromagnets one by one, and based on the rotation angle of the shaft 32 when each electromagnet is energized, the pitch angle θp can be calculated from a predetermined geometric relationship in the same manner as described above.

[0046] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which the connecting member 28 is disc-shaped, the connecting member 28 is not limited to a disc shape; it may have any shape as long as it can connect the electromagnet 30 and the shaft 32, respectively. Note that when the connecting member 28 is disc-shaped, it is less likely to collide with its surroundings when it rotates, which is useful in realizing a compact X-ray measuring device 1.

[0047] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which the object to be measured is a coil spring 20, the object to be measured is not limited to a coil spring 20, but may also be an iron pipe wound in a spiral shape, or an inelastic body.

[0048] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the control of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 and the control of the X-ray measuring unit 10 are both performed by the same computer 18, the control of the pitch angle measuring unit 16 and the control of the X-ray measuring unit 10 may be performed by separate control units such as different computers. Also, the pitch angle measuring unit 16 and the X-ray measuring unit 10 may be attached to and detached from the robot 12 as appropriate. In addition, the X-ray measuring device 1 may be equipped with a shape sensor, which is a non-contact type displacement meter for measuring the surface shape of the object to be measured, and the pitch angle θp may be measured by using the shape sensor and the pitch angle measuring unit 16 in combination. Also, the pitch angle measuring unit 16 and the X-ray measuring unit 10 may be moved by different moving mechanisms, rather than by the same robot 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1: X-ray diffraction measuring device, 10: X-ray measuring unit, 12: Robot (movement mechanism), 16: Pitch angle measuring unit, 18: Computer (control unit), 20: Coil spring (object to be measured), 28: Connecting member, 30, 30a, 30b: Electromagnet, 32: Shaft, 34: Angle sensor, 40: Power supply control unit, 42: Calculation unit

Claims

1. An X-ray measuring device comprising an X-ray measuring unit that irradiates an object to be measured, which is a helical magnetic material, with X-rays and measures the X-rays diffracted by the object to be measured, A pitch angle measuring unit that measures the pitch angle at any measurement point of the object to be measured, A control unit that controls the pitch angle measuring unit, Equipped with, The pitch angle measuring unit is Multiple electromagnets arranged spaced apart from each other via connecting members, A shaft erected on the connecting member between the plurality of electromagnets, An angle sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the shaft, It has, The control unit, A current control unit that selectively energizes one of the aforementioned multiple electromagnets, A calculation unit calculates the pitch angle based on the rotation angle of the shaft when each of the plurality of electromagnets is energized by the energization control unit, Having, X-ray measuring device.

2. The plurality of electromagnets are two electromagnets arranged linearly via the connecting member, The shaft is located approximately midway between the two points where the two electromagnets are located. The current control unit energizes one of the two electromagnets, and then energizes the other of the two electromagnets. The calculation unit calculates the pitch angle based on the rotation angle of the shaft when one electromagnet is energized and the rotation angle of the shaft when the other electromagnet is energized. The X-ray measuring apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control unit further comprises a movement mechanism that moves the position of the pitch angle measuring unit relative to the object to be measured, under the control of the control unit. The X-ray measuring apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Under the control of the control unit, the moving mechanism moves the position of the X-ray measuring unit relative to the object to be measured, and adjusts the X-ray irradiation angle to an angle based on the pitch angle calculated by the calculation unit. The X-ray measuring apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The object to be measured is a coil spring. The X-ray measuring apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

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