Sensing Pin Mounting Arrangement for Multicoordinate Sensing Head

The present invention is directed to an arrangement for mounting a sensing pin in a multicoordinate sensing head of the type which includes a casing which defines an opening through which the sensing pin extends, and means for detecting deflection of the sensing pin with respect to the housing.

A wide variety of sensing heads are known which are typically used in conjunction with multicoordinate measuring or processing machines. Thus, for example, German patent DE-PS No. 28 04 398 describes a sensing head which is bias tensioned by means of friction springs, such that the sensing arm remains in its rest position until a previously determined limit value is exceeded. In FIG. 5 of this patent there is shown a swinging bearing for a sensing head which includes annularly arranged ball bearing elements which cooperate with cylindrical bearing elements to bring about a positive angular positioning of the sensing head housing in the manner of a lenticulation.

Furthermore, in publication No. WO81/01876 of PCT application No. PCT/SU79/00134 of Dec. 26, 1979, a sensing head is shown which functions according to the resonance-contact principle. In this sensing head, a sensing pin is provided which is angularly movable with respect to a housing, and the sensing pin includes a flange which defines a rim which abuts the bottom of the sensing pin housing around the sensing pin opening. On the upper side of the flange, opposed to the free end of the sensing pin, there is mounted a piezoelectric converter which operates to set the sensing pin in vibration. On contact between the sensing pin and the workpiece, the resonant frequency of the pin changes, and this change is evaluated by a switching circuit.

German patent DE-PS No. 27 12 181 discloses a sensing head which registers the deflection of the sensing pin with tension-sensitive or pressure-sensitive elements.

British Pat. No. 1,599,758 discloses a sensing head which utilizes an elastomeric bellows to seal off the opening between the sensing pin and the sensing head housing through which the sensing pin emerges from the housing.

The present invention is directed to an improved mounting arrangement for a sensing pin which can be constructed in a manner which is mechanically simple, which provides good reproduceability of the sensing pin deflection signal, which is economically manufacturable, and which is relatively insensitive to rough treatment in operation. It is an object of this invention to provide such a mounting arrangement which eliminates unnecessary complexities of certain prior art arrangements and which improves the reproduceability with which the sensing pin is restored to a predetermined position with respect to certain prior art arrangements.

According to this invention, a multicoordinate sensing head of the type described initially above is provided with a flange which is secured to the pin within the housing. An array of bearing balls is mounted to the housing around the opening and means are provided in the flange for engaging the bearing balls to orient the flange and therefore the pin in a predetermined position. A sensor probe is included in the detecting means to engage a central portion of the flange.

The mounting arrangement of the present invention provides a particularly uncomplicated and therefore economical construction in which, to the greatest possible extent, commonly used, commercially available components are used, yet which provides a sturdiness of construction and high accuracy of repetition in the triggering of the sensing pin deflection signal.

The invention itself, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The drawing is a cross-sectional view of a sensing head which incorporates a presently preferred embodiment of the mounting arrangement of this invention.

The accompanying drawing shows a cross-sectional view of a sensing head 1 which includes a clamping mandrel 2 used for mounting the sensing head 1 in the spindle of a measuring or processing machine (not shown). The sensing head 1 includes a sensing head housing 3 which serves to enclose a measuring system 4. This measuring system 4 includes a sensor probe 5 which is axially movable along a direction aligned with the center line of the mandrel 2. The sensing head 1 includes a sensing pin 8 which terminates at its free end in a sensing or contacting ball 9 for the sensing of a workpiece 10. The other end of the sensing pin 8 terminates in a flange 7 which is rigidly secured to the sensing pin 8. The sensor probe 5 is biased against a central portion of the flange 7 by means of a coil spring 6. The sensing head housing 3 defines a sensing pin opening 11, through which the free end of the sensing pin 8 extends from the housing 3. This sensing pin opening 11 is provided with a covering 12 which protects the interior of the housing 3 from external influences.

The sensing pin 8 is mounted so as to be tiltable in any direction away from the rest position shown in the figure. A plurality of bearing balls 13 are disposed around the opening 11 in a symmetrical, circular array. These balls 13 are distributed uniformly around the circumference of the opening 11, and are secured to the housing 3 in a suitable manner, as for example by means of a cement. The balls 13 are economical components and can be for example standard bearing balls having a high surface quality and excellent hardness characteristics. The underside of the flange 7 defines a circular recess sized to receive and bear against the balls 13. Preferably, the balls are fastened or cemented in such a manner that they lie without play on the flange 7. When the contacting ball 9 is deflected in the sensing of the workpiece 10, the flange 7 tilts and rolls off over one or two of the balls 13. Thus, the balls provide pivot axes for the pin 8. Because the balls are positioned to contact the flange 7 in a play-free manner, the biasing action of the spring 6 operates to assure an exact and repeatable zero or rest position of the contacting ball 9 at the end of the sensing pin 8. Thus, a reproduceable zero position of the contacing ball 9 is obtained in a particularly simple and straight-forward manner through the use of standard, commercially available components. The sensor probe which engages the center of the flange 7 is moved axially when the flange 7 tilts. The axial movement of the sensor probe 5 acts on the measuring system 4. The measuring system 4 can be of any standard construction, and it operates to generate a signal which can either indicate deflection of the sensing pin 8 by means of an impulse, or else indicate the extent of the sensing pin deflection by means of a proportional measurement value.

Of course, it should be understood that a range of changes and modifications to the preferred embodiment described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, which are intended to define the scope of this invention.