Sa08700334

Faro Technologies, Inc.

Allen Sajedi

Simon Raab

Marc M Barber

Kenneth J Hasloecher

C Andrew Helm

Randy Hobden

A coordinate measurement machine (CMM) may include a manually-positionable articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes first and second bearings and a shaft that engages the first bearing and the second bearing. The shaft may have two ends, each end configured to engage a respective one of two projections of a yoke of an adjacent another one of the rotary joints such that the two projections of the yoke straddle the first and second bearings therebetween. At least one transducer is disposed adjacent one of the two ends of the shaft, outside of the yoke, not between the first and second bearings.

Portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) with novel hinge joints

A coordinate measurement machine (CMM) may include a manually-positionable articulated arm including arm segments and rotary joints. A swivel joint may include two or more bearings, a shaft coupled to an inner race of the first bearing and an inner race of the second bearing, a first housing coupled to an outer race of the first bearing, and a second housing coupled to an outer race of the second bearing. The second housing is not directly connected to the first housing. The swivel joint may also include an inner spacer coupled to the inner race of the first bearing and the inner race of the second bearing and an outer spacer coupled to the outer race of the first bearing and the outer race of the second bearing. Most of an outer surface of the outer spacer may be exposed to form a portion of the housing of the CMM.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine with reduced profile swivel joints

A coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a manually-positionable articulated arm. The articulated arm includes arm segments and rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes a bearing assembly that comprises first and second bearings, a shaft that engages an inner race of the first bearing and an inner race of the second bearing, a housing that engages an outer race of the first bearing and an outer race of the second bearing, and a transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing. The shaft and the housing may be fabricated from materials having coefficients of thermal expansion selected to minimize change in moment rigidity and/or radial rigidity of the bearing assembly as the ambient temperature changes from the lower limit to the upper limit of the CMM operating ambient temperature range.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine substantially immune to bearing assembly thermal effects

A coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends. The articulated arm includes a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints. The first end includes a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe. The second end includes a base for mounting the CMM. A housing of at least one rotary joint from the plurality of rotary joints has a cylindrical outer surface that engages a) the base or b) a connecting portion that connects the at least one rotary joint to another rotary joint from the plurality of rotary joints, the housing welded to the base or to the connecting portion.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine with multi-piece joint engagement

A coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends. The articulated arm includes a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, and an electrical circuit including a main printed circuit board and a plurality of encoder printed circuit boards. The electrical circuit has at least some portions disposed within the plurality of arm segments. The first end includes a connector configured to connect to a measurement probe. The second end includes a base plate for mounting the CMM. The base plate has a cavity with a bottom opening. The main printed circuit board is disposed horizontally within the cavity.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine with unique base plate arrangement

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes bearings; a shaft that engages an inner diameter of the bearings, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the bearings; a housing having at least one port that engages an outer diameter of at least one of the bearings; and at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. The shaft has two ends, the two ends may be concentric to within one tenth of thousands of an inch (0.0001&#x2033;), or the at least one port of the housing may have no portion whose diameter is narrower than the outer diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine with enhanced precision joints

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints from the plurality of rotary joints includes first and second bearings, a shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the first bearing and the second bearing, at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft about the axis of rotation, and a serial communication circuit configured to receive via serial communication a capture command.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine with serial bus capture

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) comprises an articulated arm having first and second ends, the articulated arm including a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, the first end configured to connect to a measurement probe and the second end configured to connect to a base. At least one of the rotary joints includes a shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the at least one of the rotary joints, and a rotary damping mechanism configured to provide controlled damping of rotational movement of the shaft about the axis of rotation.

Ultra-light and ultra-accurate portable coordinate measurement machine

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including arm segments and rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes a shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of at least one of the rotary joints. The shaft includes a middle portion and first and second end portions fixedly attached to ends of the middle portion. At least one of the rotary joints includes first and second housing ends, the first housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the first bearing and the second housing end having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of the second bearing. The first and second bearings are preloaded to remove play.

A portable coordinate measurement machine includes a manually-positionable articulated arm having first and second ends. The articulated arm includes a plurality of arm segments and a plurality of rotary joints, the first end including a handle mechanically but not electrically operably coupled to the first end, the handle rotatably coupled to the first end to rotate about an axis, the handle including a wireless transmitter and at least one switch operably connected to the wireless transmitter and configured to, when pressed, cause the wireless transmitter to transmit a wireless signal that triggers capture of an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation about the axis.

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes bearings; a shaft that engages an inner diameter of the bearings, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the bearings; a housing having at least one port that engages an outer diameter of at least one of the bearings; and at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. Structural portions of the CMM are fabricated from steel, stainless steel, or alloys lighter in weight than steel but having a thermal expansion coefficient matching that of steel.

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes bearings; a shaft that engages an inner diameter of the bearings, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the bearings; a housing having at least one port that engages an outer diameter of at least one of the bearings; and at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. The shaft has no portion whose diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing, or the at least one port of the housing has no portion whose diameter is narrower than the outer diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing.

A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine is provided. The coordinate measurement machine includes a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends. The articulated arm includes a plurality of arm segments, each including encoder configured to produce a signal corresponding to an angle of rotation. A base section is connected to the second end. A measurement probe is connected to the first end. The measurement probe receives an externally mounted sensor having an attachment ring, the measurement probe having an alignment surface and external threading. A retaining ring having internal threading is threadably receives the external threading; the retaining ring further couples the attachment ring to the surface. An electrical circuit is configured to receive the signal and to provide data corresponding to a coordinate of the externally mounted sensor, the data based at least in part on the signal.

Portable coordinate measurement machine having a removable external sensor

A method for improving the measurement accuracy of a portable coordinate measurement machine which comprises an articulated arm having jointed arm segments is presented. This method includes sensing deformation of a portion of the articulated arm when the arm is placed under a load, this deformation causing an error in the measurement made by the CMM, and correcting such error in response to the sensed deformation.

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Allen Sajedi