Chromatic Confocal Measurement Head Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chromatic confocal measurement devices with optical cables are prone to mechanical stress, wear, and breakage, leading to maintenance challenges and increased costs due to the need for replacing entire optical cables when fibers fail, especially in industrial environments where repetitive cycles and movements are common.
Innovation Solution
Integrating the polychromatic source and spectral analysis device into the measurement head, eliminating the need for optical cables by using a light guide and power/data transmission cables, thereby enhancing robustness and compactness, and allowing integration into motorized systems like CMMs or robot arms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If optical cables are used to connect the polychromatic source and spectral analysis device to the measurement head, then the device can be modular and flexible in setup, but the device becomes prone to mechanical stress, wear, and breakage, leading to maintenance challenges and increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the polychromatic source and spectral analysis device into the measurement head itself, eliminating the need for optical cables that connect separate modules. This integration resolves the contradiction by maintaining modular flexibility through the integrated design while eliminating the reliability issues associated with external optical cable connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the optical cable component from the system architecture. By removing the optical cables that connect the source and analysis device to the measurement head, the invention eliminates the source of mechanical stress and wear while maintaining system functionality through direct integration of components within the measurement head.
2Ease of manufacture
If optical cables are used for connecting components, then the device can be assembled in separate parts, but the device complexity increases due to cable management and alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the polychromatic source, spectral analysis device, and measurement head into a single integrated unit. This merging eliminates the complexity of cable management and alignment while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular integrated assemblies that can be produced as complete units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the optical cable management subsystem from the device architecture. By eliminating cables, connectors, and alignment mechanisms, the invention reduces device complexity while preserving assembly flexibility through the integrated modular design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If optical cables are used to transmit light signals, then the device can maintain separation between light source and measurement head, but the device becomes susceptible to mechanical stress and wear from repetitive movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light source and measurement head into a single integrated measurement head assembly. This integration maintains spatial separation capability by keeping the analysis device distinct from the measurement point while eliminating mechanical stress susceptibility by removing the physical connection through optical cables.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the optical cable transmission medium from the system. By eliminating the cable that physically connects the light source to the measurement head, the invention removes the component subject to mechanical stress and wear from repetitive movements while maintaining functional separation through integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces maintenance costs and improves the reliability of chromatic confocal measurement devices by eliminating optical cable-related issues, enabling more robust and compact systems suitable for industrial integration and use in environments with mechanical stress.
Implementation Method 1
The control of the axial chromatic aberration provides a confocal optical system with the chromatic dispersion of the spectrum of the source of light along its optical axis
Implementation Method 2
chromatic dispersion of the spectrum of the source of light along its optical axis
Implementation Method 3
the image of the source point is focused on the object to be measured, and the light reflected or backscattered by the object is in turn imaged onto a confocal diaphragm (spatial filter) positioned upstream of the photodetector
Implementation Method 4
confocal diaphragm (spatial filter) positioned upstream of the photodetector
Implementation Method 5
The decoding of this information is carried out via a system capable of analysing the wavelengths of the spectrum backscattered by the object
Data Source
AI summary
An optical device for contactless measurement of height and/or thickness. The optical device having an axial chromatic aberration in order to encode the height and/or thickness information of an object positioned in the measurement field. The optical system is anchored in a confocal architecture. A detection system decodes the information through a detection system allowing the wavelength(s) focused on the surface(s) of the object to be discriminated. A plurality of points can be measured simultaneously or successively.