Inside-diameter measuring unit, floating joint mechanism unit, and measuring unit

{
  "publication_number": "US2023304784A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Inside-diameter measuring unit, floating joint mechanism unit, and measuring unit",
  "abstract": "There is provided an inside-diameter measuring unit capable of automating inside-diameter measurement and a control method for automatic inside-diameter measurement. An inside-diameter measuring part is supported by a support frame part via a floating joint part. The floating joint part includes a rotation-allowing mechanism part and a translation-allowing mechanism part. A measuring head part of the inside-diameter measuring part is inserted into a hole by a robot arm part. The inside-diameter measuring part adjusts its position and posture autonomously by the reaction force when a contact point pushes against the inner wall of the hole to align the axis of the inside-diameter measuring part with the axis of the hole. An electric inside-diameter measuring unit can automatically measure the inside diameter of a hole.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An inside-diameter measuring unit comprising: an inside-diameter measuring part including a contact point configured to move forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to a cylinder axis of a cylinder case part, the inside-diameter measuring part configured to bring the contact point into contact with an inner wall of a hole to be measured to measure an inside diameter of the hole while the inside-diameter measuring part is inserted in the hole; a support frame part configured to support the inside-diameter measuring part; and a floating joint part interposed between the support frame part and the inside-diameter measuring part to allow relative translation and rotation of the inside-diameter measuring part with respect to the support frame part, wherein the floating joint part includes: a coupling block fixedly coupled to the inside-diameter measuring part and configured to be translated and rotated integrally with the inside-diameter measuring part; a rotation-allowing mechanism part configured to allow rotation of the coupling block with respect to the support frame part; and a translation-allowing mechanism part configured to allow translational displacement of the coupling block in a direction parallel to a plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis with respect to the support frame part the rotation-allowing mechanism part includes a sphere disposed between the coupling block and the support frame part, and the translation-allowing mechanism part includes: a guide shaft provided to either one of the coupling block and the support frame part and extending in the direction parallel to the plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis; and a guide hole provided in the other one of the coupling block and the support frame part to receive the guide shaft and allow the guide shaft to slide in the direction parallel to the plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis. 2. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 1, wherein the guide shaft is one of two guide shafts, and the two guide shafts are provided in mutually orthogonal directions in the plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis. 3. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 2, wherein the support frame part includes a support ring part surrounding the coupling block in the plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis the support ring part is provided with the two guide shafts, and the coupling block includes a guide hole configured to receive the two guide shafts and allow translation and rotation of the coupling block. 4. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 1, wherein the coupling block is disposed above an upper end of the inside-diameter measuring part, and the inside-diameter measuring part is supported by the support frame part while being suspended from the support frame part via the floating joint part. 5. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 4, wherein a position at which the two guide shafts intersect is on an extension of the cylinder axis of the inside-diameter measuring part. 6. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 1, wherein the inside-diameter measuring unit further includes an electric drive unit configured to move the contact point forward and backward. 7. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 1, wherein the inside-diameter measuring unit further includes a restriction means for clamping the inside-diameter measuring part or the coupling block to hold the inside-diameter measuring part, wherein the restriction means is configured to hold the inside-diameter measuring part when the inside-diameter measuring part is not inserted in a hole to be measured, and to release the inside-diameter measuring part when the inside-diameter measuring part is inserted in the hole to be measured. 8. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 1, wherein the inside-diameter measuring part is supported by the support frame part via the floating joint part when the cylinder axis is oriented in a vertical direction as a reference position. 9. The inside-diameter measuring unit according to claim 1, wherein the support frame part couples the inside-diameter measuring part to a moving means for moving the inside-diameter measuring part. 10. A floating joint mechanism part interposed between an object to be supported and a support frame part configured to support the object to be supported, the floating joint mechanism part configured to allow relative translation and rotation of the object to be supported with respect to the support frame part, the floating joint mechanism part comprising: a coupling block fixedly coupled to the object to be supported and configured to be translated and rotated integrally with the object to be supported; a rotation-allowing mechanism part configured to allow rotation of the coupling block with respect to the support frame part; and a translation-allowing mechanism part configured to allow translational displacement of the coupling block with respect to the support frame part the rotation-allowing mechanism part includes a sphere disposed between the coupling block and the support frame part, and the translation-allowing mechanism part includes: a guide shaft provided to either one of the coupling block and the support frame part and extending in a direction of guiding translation; and a guide hole provided in the other one of the coupling block and the support frame part to receive the guide shaft and allow the guide shaft to slide. 11. A measuring unit comprising: a measuring part configured to bring a contact point into contact with an object to be measured to measure a dimension of the object to be measured; a support frame part configured to support the measuring part; and a floating joint part interposed between the support frame part and the measuring part to allow relative translation and rotation of the measuring part with respect to the support frame part, wherein the floating joint part includes: a coupling block fixedly coupled to the measuring part and configured to be translated and rotated integrally with the measuring part; a rotation-allowing mechanism part configured to allow rotation of the coupling block with respect to the support frame part; and a translation-allowing mechanism part configured to allow translational displacement of the coupling block with respect to the support frame part the rotation-allowing mechanism part includes a sphere disposed between the coupling block and the support frame part, and the translation-allowing mechanism part includes: a guide shaft provided to either one of the coupling block and the support frame part and extending in a direction of guiding translation; and a guide hole provided in the other one of the coupling block and the support frame part to receive the guide shaft and allow the guide shaft to slide."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inside-diameter measuring unit, a floating joint mechanism part, and a measuring unit. 2. Description of Related Art Measuring devices for measuring the inside diameter of holes are inside-diameter measuring devices, such as hole tests, cylinder gauges, and Borematic (registered trademark) (see, for example, Patent Literature 1: JP 2010-19783 A). However, when using such an inside-diameter measuring device, manual measurement is inevitably required, because its contact point must be moved forward and backward or centering is performed to some extent while the inside-diameter measuring device is inserted in a hole. Therefore, it takes a lot of manpower and time to check the machining accuracy of a hole with such an inside-diameter measuring device. As an alternative to manual measurement, an air micrometer is an inside-diameter measuring apparatus that automates inside-diameter measurement at production sites (see, for example, Patent Literature 2: JP H8-14871). The air micrometer, which is simply inserted into a hole and blows air out, is a suitable measuring apparatus for automating inside-diameter measurement among the current options.\n\nPatent Literature 1: JP 2010-19783 A Patent Literature 2: JP H8-14871\n\nHowever, air micrometers also have the following disadvantages. First, air micrometers are very expensive because of their structure. In addition, an air compressor needs to be prepared and maintained.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01B 5/12",
    "B25J 9/00",
    "G01B 21/02",
    "G01B 21/14",
    "G01B 3/26",
    "G01B 5/10",
    "G01L 5/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01B 5/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "MITUTOYO CORP"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "YAMAJI MASASHI"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2023-03-22",
  "publication_date": "2023-09-28",
  "priority_date": "2022-03-24",
  "application_number": "US-202318124918-A",
  "family_id": "87930593",
  "citations": [
    "US10422620B2",
    "US11040425B2",
    "US2024151506A1",
    "US3959887A",
    "US4192073A",
    "US4265026A",
    "US4521968A",
    "US4536963A",
    "US5105554A",
    "US5157845A",
    "US5379522A",
    "US6044571A",
    "US6065220A",
    "US7636646B2",
    "US7913411B2",
    "US8033032B2"
  ]
}