Automated Inner Chamfer Length Measurement Apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring the length of inner chamfers, especially those at the mouth of cylindrical holes, are limited by accessibility issues and require manual intervention or complex indirect measurements, making them inefficient and unsuitable for automatic, rapid assessments without compromising the mechanical part's integrity.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a support frame and two feelers, connected to transducers, allows synchronized scanning and calculation of the chamfer length by moving along the mechanical part, enabling non-invasive, automatic measurement of inner chamfer lengths through synchronized signals and known calibration data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual measuring devices are used to check chamfer length, then measurement can be performed with simple equipment, but the process is time-consuming and cannot be easily adapted for automatic checking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measuring devices with an automated system comprising a support frame, feelers, transducers, and a processing unit. The mechanical measurement process is substituted with an automated sensing and calculation system that performs measurements rapidly without manual intervention, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed to perform self-measurement by automatically positioning the feelers against the chamfer surfaces, detecting positions through transducers, and calculating the chamfer length through the processing unit without requiring external manual operation, enabling automatic checking on machine tools.
2Measurement precision
If existing apparatuses are used to measure inner chamfers, then measurement capability is provided, but the apparatus has not negligible dimensions and cannot access inner surfaces without compromising part integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is segmented into two separate feelers that can be positioned independently at different locations. One feeler contacts the inner surface while the other contacts the chamfer edge, allowing the apparatus to measure inner chamfers through the hole without requiring large dimensional access, thereby improving adaptability to confined spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed with a compact structure where the support frame and feelers can be positioned within the confines of the hole and chamfer geometry. The feelers are arranged to nest within the available space, allowing measurement of inner chamfers without compromising part integrity or requiring excessive access space.
3Loss of information
If indirect measurements with multiple feelers are used to reconstruct the entire profile, then comprehensive measurement data is obtained, but the processing is complex and requires considerable time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement information needed for chamfer length determination rather than reconstructing the entire part profile. By using two feelers to directly measure the positions relevant to chamfer length and applying trigonometric calculations, the system obtains the required measurement data without the complex processing associated with full profile reconstruction, thereby reducing measurement time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a partial measurement action by focusing only on the specific points needed to calculate chamfer length (contact points on inner surface and chamfer edge) rather than measuring the entire part profile. This selective approach provides sufficient information for the measurement objective while significantly reducing processing complexity and time.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~7
Figure 4A~4D
AI summary
An apparatus for checking the length (H) of a chamfer (7) delimited by a first surface (5) and by an edge (S), comprises two feelers (15, 25) - movably connected to a same supporting frame (20) - and respective transducers (16,26). The transducers supply signals (T1, T2) indicative of displacements of the respective feelers along mutually perpendicular directions (Y, X). A checking method includes moving the supporting frame at a constant speed so that, during the movement, one of the feelers scans the chamfer and the other cooperates with the first surface. The signals of the respective transducers are acquired and transmitted synchronously to a processing unit (40) which processes them together with information on the mutual position of the two feelers to obtain the length of the chamfer.