MEASURING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A measuring assembly for measuring the contour of a workpiece has a measuring probe that is pivotably supported and deflectable about a first axis (measuring axis) in order to contact a surface of the workpiece, and has a second axis that is associated with the workpiece. The first axis and the second axis are parallel or approximately parallel to one another for radially contacting a surface of the workpiece. A device for rotating the measuring probe and the workpiece relative to one another is provided, such that the measuring probe contacts the surface of the workpiece during the rotation, and a device for plotting the angular deflection of the measuring probe as a function of the particular rotational position of the workpiece relative to the measuring probe is provided.

Claims

1. A measuring assembly for measuring the contour of a workpiece, comprising: a) a measuring probe that is pivotably supported and deflectable about a first axis in order tc contact a surface of the workpiece; b) a second axis that is associated with the workpiece; c) the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel to one another for radially contacting a surface of the workpiece; d) a means for rotating the measuring probe and the workpiece relative to one another are provided, such that the measuring probe contacts the surface of the workpiece during the rotation; and e) a means for plotting the angular deflection of the measuring probe as a function of the rotational position of the workpiece relative to the measuring probe is provided.

2. The measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: a) a rotary drive is associated with the workpiece in order to rotate the workpiece about the second axis during the measurement.

3. The measuring assembly according to claim 2, wherein: a) the rotary drive is in drive connection with a holding device for holding the workpiece during the measurement.

4. The measuring assembly according to claim 3, wherein: a) the holding device includes a clamping device for clamping the workpiece.

5. The measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: a) the measuring probe includes a pivot lever that is pivotably supported about the first axis and on whose free end a probe element is situated.

6. The measuring assembly according to claim 5, wherein: a) the probe element is one of a sphere and a cylinder whose axis of symmetry is substantially perpendicular to the first axis and a longitudinal direction of the pivot lever.

7. The measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: a) a digital angle measuring system for detecting the angular position of the measuring probe is associated with the measuring probe.

8. The measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: a) an adjustment device for adjusting the position of the measuring probe relative to the second axis is associated with the measuring probe.

9. The measuring assembly according to claim 8, wherein: a) the adjustment device includes a pivot device, associated with the first axis of the measuring probe, for pivoting the measuring probe by substantially 90° in such a way that in a first pivot position, the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel to the radial contact with a surface of the workpiece, and in a second pivot position, the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the second axis in order to contact a surface of the workpiece facing in the direction of the second axis.

10. The measuring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: a) means for setting a probe force for contacting the workpiece, using the measuring probe, is provided.

11. The measuring assembly according tc claim 1, wherein: a) a measured value memory is provided for storing measured values that are formed by the particular angular deflection of the measuring probe as a function of the rotational position of the workpiece relative to the measuring probe, the measured value memory being in data transmission connection with an evaluation device in order tc reconstruct the contour of the workpiece from the stored measured values.

12. The measuring assembly according to claim 8, wherein: a) the adjustment device adjusts the position of the measuring probe relative to the second axis for contacting the workpiece.

13. A measuring assembly for measuring the contour of a workpiece, comprising: a) a measuring probe is provided that is pivotably supported and deflectable about a first axis in order to contact a surface of the workpiece; b) a second axis that is associated with the workpiece; c) the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel to one another for radially contacting a surface of the workpiece; d) a rotary drive for rotating the measuring probe and the workpiece relative to one another, such that the measuring probe contacts the surface of the workpiece during the rotation; and e) of a plotter is provided, the plotter plots the angular deflection of the measuring probe as a function of the rotational position of the workpiece relative to the measuring probe.

14. The measuring assembly according to claim 13, wherein: a) a rotary drive is associated with the workpiece in order to rotate the workpiece about the second axis during the measurement.

15. The measuring assembly according to claim 14, wherein: a) the rotary drive is in drive connection with a holder which holds the workpiece during the measurement.

16. The measuring assembly according to claim 15, wherein: a) the holder includes a clamp which clamps the workpiece.

17. The measuring assembly according to claim 13, wherein: a) the measuring probe includes a pivot lever that is pivotably supported about the first axis and on whose free end a probe element is situated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The figures show the following:

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of a measuring assembly according to the invention; and

[0051] FIG. 2, in the same representation as FIG. 1, shows a second exemplary embodiment of a measuring assembly according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of a measuring assembly 2 according to the invention for measuring the contour of a workpiece 4, merely schematically indicated, in the form of a shaft.

[0053] The measuring assembly 2 includes a measuring probe 7 which is pivotably supported and deflectable about a first axis 6 that extends in the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1, and which has a pivot lever 8 on the free end of which a probe element 10 is situated, which in the present exemplary embodiment is formed by a precision sphere. A second axis 12 is associated with the workpiece 4.

[0054] According to the invention, the first axis 6 and the second axis 12 are parallel, so that the measuring probe 7 radially contacts a surface of the workpiece 4 to be measured, as is apparent from FIG. 1.

[0055] According to the invention, means for rotating the measuring probe 7 and the workpiece 4 relative to one another are provided, such that the measuring probe 7 with its probe element 10 contacts the surface of the workpiece 4 during the rotation.

[0056] According to the invention, in addition means for plotting the particular deflection of the measuring probe 7 as a function of the rotational position of the workpiece 4 relative to the measuring probe 7 are provided.

[0057] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, a holding device for holding the workpiece 4 during the measurement is provided, the holding device including a clamping device 11 for clamping the workpiece 4. Since FIG. 1 is strictly a schematic illustration, the clamping device 11 in FIG. 1 is merely schematically indicated. A rotary drive 13 is associated with the workpiece 4 in order to rotate the workpiece 4 about the second axis 12; since the drawing is reduced to the basic principle, the rotary drive is likewise only schematically indicated. The rotary drive 13 is in drive connection with the clamping device 11, so that the workpiece 4 may be rotated about the second axis 12, as indicated by an arrow 14 in FIG. 1.

[0058] In order to detect the angular deflection, and thus the particular angular position of the measuring probe 7, as a function of the particular rotational position of the workpiece 4 during the rotation about the axis 12, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment a digital angle measuring system 16 is provided which is in data transmission connection with a measured value memory 18, which is in data transmission connection with a downstream evaluation device 20 for reconstructing the contour of the workpiece 4 from the stored measured values.

[0059] The measuring probe 7 is adjustable in three dimensions relative to the workpiece 4 by means of a motorized adjustment device 22, which likewise is only schematically indicated in FIG. 1.

[0060] The operating principle of the measuring assembly according to the invention is as follows:

[0061] For measuring the contour of the workpiece 4, the measuring probe 8 is adjusted relative to the workpiece 4 by means of the adjustment device 22, so that the probe element 10 comes into radial contact with the surface of the workpiece 4 to be measured, and the measuring probe 7 thus contacts the workpiece 4. A desired probe force is then set by means of the adjustment device 22 or by separately provided means.

[0062] During the measurement, the workpiece 4 is rotated about the second axis, the probe arm 8 of the measuring probe 7 being deflected corresponding to the contour of the workpiece 4. During the rotation of the workpiece 4, the associated angular deflection of the probe arm 8 of the measuring probe 7 with respect to the particular rotational position of the workpiece 4 about the second axis 12 is detected by means of the angle measuring system 16, and the coordinate pair thus formed in each case is stored as a measured value in the measured value memory 18. The evaluation device 20 reconstructs the contour of the workpiece 4 based on these measured values. The manner in which this reconstruction takes place is generally known to those skilled in the art, and therefore is not explained here in greater detail.

[0063] The measuring assembly 2 according to the invention, with a simple and inexpensive design, allows the measurement of the contour of the workpiece 4. Since the measuring assembly 2 according to the invention is insensitive to misalignment of the axes 6, 12 relative to one another, which in the ideal case are parallel, a time-consuming alignment of the axes 6, 12 may be at least partially dispensed with, so that the overall time of the measurement is reduced and cost savings are thus achieved.

[0064] FIG. 2 illustrates a second exemplary embodiment of a measuring assembly 2 according to the invention, which differs from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in that the measuring axis (first axis 6) of the measuring probe 7, about which the probe arm 8 is pivotably supported, is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the second axis 12 (extending perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 2), as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0065] A surface 15 of the workpiece 4 that faces in the direction of the second axis 12, i.e., is axially directed, may be axially contacted in this way. While maintaining the advantages of the measuring assembly 2 according to the invention, the measurement is carried out in a manner corresponding to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, whereby, for example, runout characteristics of the contacted surface may be determined. In the second exemplary embodiment, the axes 6, 12 may be permanently oriented perpendicularly with respect to one another. However, it is also possible to convert the measuring assembly 2 according to FIG. 1 into the measuring assembly according to FIG. 2 by pivoting the measuring probe 7 by 90° by means of a pivot device of the adjustment device 22. The arrangement according to FIG. 1 then forms a first pivot position in which the axes 6, 12 are parallel to one another for radially contacting the workpiece 4, while the arrangement according to FIG. 2 forms a second pivot position in which the axes 6, 12 are perpendicular to one another for axially contacting the workpiece 4.

[0066] The subject matter of the invention further relates to a method for measuring the contour of a surface, in which the first axis and the second axis are situated relative to one another according to the invention.

[0067] While this invention. has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, and uses and/or adaptations of the invention and following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention.