Conical Tactile Probe Body for Curved Surface Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch measuring devices struggle to accurately measure objects with curved surfaces, particularly machining tools, due to the difficulty in setting the exact contact point between the probe ball and the curved surface, leading to measurement errors.
Innovation Solution
A touch measuring device with a conically tapered probe body, designed as a truncated cone, allows for easier contact with curved surfaces by providing a first touch surface that can place a tangent on the object, enabling correct probing and reducing the risk of erroneous measurements. The probe arm is pivotably mounted and can be slidably moved, with a coupling device that displays the probe arm's position, ensuring accurate alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a probing ball is used to measure curved surfaces, then the device is simple in structure, but measurement precision deteriorates because the contact point cannot be set exactly on curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The probe body shape is changed from spherical to conical, specifically a truncated cone with a specified opening angle. This parameter change in geometry allows the probe to achieve linear contact with curved surfaces, enabling accurate measurement of features like cutting insert radii without requiring precise contact point adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the operator to precisely position a point contact probe on a curved surface, the conical probe body is designed to naturally achieve correct contact through its geometry. The probe body places a tangent on the curved surface, inverting the approach from active positioning to passive geometric alignment.
2Measurement precision
If a conical probe body is used to improve measurement on curved surfaces, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases due to the specialized probe body design
Solution Approach 1:
The probe body is designed as a truncated cone with a specific opening angle parameter optimized for measurement tasks. This parameterized design achieves improved measurement capability while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through a simple geometric form that can be produced using conventional machining methods.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a touch probe (10) with a housing (11) that defines a housing axis (A) or a measuring axis. A probe arm (12) is pivotably mounted on the housing (11) by means of a probe arm bearing (13) about at least one pivot axis (S). The probe arm (12) extends from the probe arm bearing (13) along a probe arm axis (B) to a free outer end (12a). This outer end (12a) of the probe arm (12) corresponds to the outer end (37a) of a probe body (37). The probe body (37) extends from its outer end (37a) to its inner end (37i) along the probe arm axis (B) and tapers conically. Between the outer end (37a) and the inner end (37i), the probe body (37) has a first sensing surface (38) that corresponds to the lateral surface of a truncated cone. The position or position is determined via a coupling device (23).Movement of the probe arm (12) is transmitted to a display unit (22) which displays the current position of the probe arm (12).