Determining the orientation of at least one object and method for relatively orienting rollers

Abstract

A device for determining orientation of an object, including a measurement body, which reflects electromagnetic radiation and can be brought into physical contact with a surface of the object to determine the orientation. The device includes: a measurement carriage movable along the object during the determination of the orientation and which has a sliding surface that can be brought into physical contact with the object; a retaining unit which retains the measurement body and is connected to the measurement carriage so as to be pivotable between a maximal position, in which the measurement body protrudes beyond the sliding surface on the object side, and a minimal position, in which the measurement body does not protrude beyond the sliding surface on the object side; and a restoring device that applies a force to the retaining unit toward the maximal position.

Claims

1. A device for determining an alignment of at least one object, comprising: at least one measuring body that reflects electromagnetic radiation and is bringable into physical contact with a surface of the at least one object to determine the alignment; at least one measuring carriage that is movable along the at least one object during the determination of the alignment and has a sliding surface physically contactable contact with the at least one object; at least one holding unit that holds the at least one measuring body and is connected to the at least one measuring carriage so as to be pivotable between a maximum position, in which the at least one measuring body at least partially protrudes beyond the sliding surface on an object side, and a minimum position, in which the at least one measuring body does not protrude beyond the sliding surface on the object side; and at least one restoring device configured to apply a force to the at least one holding unit in a direction of the maximum position.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one measuring carriage comprises at least two skids that are arranged parallel to one another and at a distance from one another and define the sliding surface, and at least one crosspiece that connects the at least two skids rigidly to one another and is aligned transversely in relation to the at least two skids, the at least one holding unit being connected to the at least one measuring carriage pivotably about a pivot axis aligned transversely in relation to the at least two skids and parallel to the at least one crosspiece.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one magnet is arranged on the at least one measuring carriage.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one movement device that is connected to the at least one measuring carriage, the at least one movement device being configured to move the at least one measuring carriage vertically along the at least one object during the determination of the alignment.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has frictional connections.

6. A system for determining an alignment of at least one object, comprising: at least one laser tracker; at least one evaluation device that evaluates measuring signals of the at least one laser tracker; and a device according to claim 1, the at least one laser tracker being configured to follow the at least one measuring body during movement of the at least one measuring body along the surface of the at least one object.

7. A method for relatively aligning rollers of a segment of a roller guide, comprising the steps of: determining the relative alignment of the rollers by using a system according to claim 6; and aligning the rollers taking into account a result of the determination carried out with the system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures on the basis of a preferred embodiment, while the features explained below may constitute an advantageous or developmental aspect of the invention either on their own or in combination of at least two of these features together. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic front view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic and perspective representation of the device shown in FIG. 1 obliquely from above; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of an example of the use of the device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) In the figures, components that are the same or functionally the same are provided with the same designations. There is no need for a repeated description of these components.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a system 1 according to the invention for determining an alignment of at least one object that is not shown. An application of the system 1 given by way of example is shown in FIG. 5.

(9) The system 1 comprises one or optionally also two laser trackers 2 and 3 and an evaluation device 4, which evaluates measuring signals of the laser trackers 2 and 3. Furthermore, the system 1 comprises a device 5 for determining the alignment of the object. The laser trackers 2 and 3 respectively emit laser light 6.

(10) The device 5 comprises two measuring bodies 7 and 8, which reflect electromagnetic radiation, are respectively formed as a measuring ball and can be brought into physical contact with a surface of the object that is not shown to determine the alignment.

(11) Moreover, the device 5 comprises a measuring carriage 9, which can be moved along the object during the determination of the alignment and has a sliding surface that can be brought into physical contact with the object, facing away from the viewer in FIG. 1. The measuring carriage 9 comprises three skids 10, 11 and 12, which are arranged parallel to one another and at a distance from one another and define the sliding surface, and two crosspieces 13 and 14, which connect the skids 10, 11 and 12 rigidly to one another and are aligned transversely in relation to the skids 10, 11 and 12. A number of magnets that are not shown are arranged on the measuring carriage 9, in particular on the skids 10 and 12.

(12) The device 5 also comprises a holding unit 15, which holds the measuring bodies 7 and 8 and is connected to the measuring carriage 9 so as to be able to pivot between a maximum position, shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, in which the measuring bodies 7 and 8 at least partially protrude beyond the sliding surface on the object side, and a minimum position that is not shown, in which the measuring bodies 7 and 8 do not protrude beyond the sliding surface on the object side. In this case, the holding unit 15 is connected to the measuring carriage 9 pivotably about a pivot axis 16 aligned transversely in relation to the skids 10, 11 and 12 and parallel to the crosspieces 13 and 14. The holding unit has a fixed spindle 17, which runs transversely in relation to the skids 10, 11 and 12 and on which two holding levers 18 and 19 formed in an L-shaped manner are mounted pivotably about the pivot axis 16 independently of one another. The holding levers 18 and 19 respectively hold a measuring body 7 and 8.

(13) Furthermore, the device 5 comprises at least one restoring device that is not shown, which applies a force to the holding unit 15 in the direction of the maximum position.

(14) The device also comprises a movement device 20, which is connected to the measuring carriage 9 and with which the measuring carriage 9 can be moved vertically along the object during the determination of the alignment.

(15) At least for the most part, the device 5 has frictional connections. The laser trackers 2 and 3 are designed to follow the respective measuring body 7 or 8 during its movement along the surface of the object.

(16) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the device 5 shown in FIG. 1. It can be seen that, with the holding unit 15 in its maximum position shown, the measuring bodies, of which only the measuring body 8 can be seen in FIG. 2, partially protrude beyond the sliding surface 21 of the measuring carriage 9 on the object side. It can also be seen that respectively arranged on the outer skids, of which only the skid 12 can be seen in FIG. 2, is a guard 22 for protecting the measuring carriage 9 and the crosspieces 13, 14 for stiffening.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a schematic front view of the device 5 shown in FIG. 1. The sliding surface 21 formed by the three skids 10, 11 and 12 is shown.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a schematic and perspective representation of the device 5 shown in FIG. 1 obliquely from above.

(19) FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of an example of the use of the device 5 shown in FIG. 1. The device 5 is used for determining the relative alignment of the rollers 24, for which purpose the measuring bodies 7 and 8 are brought into physical contact with the surfaces 23 of the rollers 24. The length of the measuring carriage 9 is longer than the distance between the longitudinal center axis 25 of the two outer rollers 24, which are separated from one another by the middle roller 24.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

(20) 1 System 2 Laser tracker 3 Laser tracker 4 Evaluation device 5 Device 6 Laser light 7 Measuring body 8 Measuring body 9 Measuring carriage 10 Skid 11 Skid 12 Skid 13 Crosspiece 14 Crosspiece 15 Holding unit 16 Pivot axis 17 Fixed spindle 18 Holding lever 19 Holding lever 20 Movement device 21 Sliding surface of 9 22 Guard 23 Surface 24 Roller (object) 25 Longitudinal center axis of 24 26 Attachment point