Mitutoyo Corporation

Isaiah Freerksen

Shigeru Ohtani

Yoshiro Asano

Tatsuya Nagahama

Yu Sugai

Masanori Arai

Masaki Okayasu

Masafumi Yamanaka

Paul Gerard Gladnick

David William Sesko

William Todd Watson

Maxwell James Perkins

A machine vision inspection system includes a movement portion comprising one or more movement mechanisms configured to adjust a relative position between an optical assembly portion and a workpiece. The optical assembly portion includes a camera that receives imaging light transmitted along an imaging optical path and provides images of a surface of the workpiece, and an objective lens that inputs the imaging light arising from the surface of the workpiece and transmits the imaging light along the imaging optical path to the camera. The optical assembly portion further includes a lens motion mechanism comprising a motion portion configured to enable motion of the objective lens from a rest position when a corresponding force is applied by a contact with the workpiece or other object (e.g., as corresponding to a collision with the workpiece or other object, and for which the system may stop motion when such a contact occurs).

Machine vision system with objective lens and collision protection

A measuring probe includes a stylus having one or more contact portions; a detection element configured to detect a movement of the stylus based on a contact made by the contact portions; a signal processing portion configured to process a signal from the detection element to output a measurement signal; and a stylus motion mechanism. The stylus motion mechanism includes a first motion portion configured to enable motion of the stylus from a rest position in a positive axial direction when a corresponding force in the positive axial direction is applied by a contact of a contact portion of the stylus with a workpiece; and a second motion portion configured to enable motion of the stylus from the rest position in a negative axial direction opposite to the positive axial direction when a corresponding force is applied by a contact of a contact portion of the stylus with a workpiece.

Motion mechanism for measuring probe

A configuration for coupling a chromatic range sensor optical probe to a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an electric auto connection and a free-space fiber optic coupling with first and second coupling elements. The first coupling element has a first fiber optic connector configured to couple to wavelength detector and light source elements of a CMM through a first optical fiber, and is configured to mount to a probe head of the CMM. The second coupling element has a second fiber optic connector configured to couple to an optical pen of a chromatic range sensor (CRS) optical probe through a second optical fiber, and is configured to mount to the CRS optical probe. One of the first or second coupling elements includes a pair of optical lenses configured to collimate light received via the first optical fiber and focus the collimated light into the second optical fiber.

Configuration for coupling chromatic range sensor optical probe to coordinate measurement machine

A tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens includes an acoustic wave generating element and a refractive fluid in a casing cavity surrounded by a lens casing. The lens casing includes case ends which each include a window configuration, a case end rim portion and an enhanced axial compliance portion. The window configuration includes a window and a window mounting portion having an overall window mount dimension along the axial direction. The enhanced axial compliance portion is coupled between the window mounting portion and the case end rim portion and includes a reduced thickness region characterized by a material thickness that is at most 75% of the associated window mount dimension. The axial compliance portion is configured to enhance the axial deflection of the window mounting portion compared to the case end rim portion, when a periodic drive signal is applied to the acoustic wave generating element.

Tunable acoustic gradient lens with axial compliance portion

A tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens is provided including a lens casing, a refractive fluid, a controllable acoustic wave generating element (e.g., a piezoelectric vibrator) and an external reservoir configuration. An operational volume of the refractive fluid is contained in a casing cavity of the lens casing. The external reservoir configuration includes a deformable external fluid reservoir that contains a reserve volume of the refractive fluid and that is connected to the casing cavity by a flow channel. The flow channel enables the refractive fluid to flow back and forth between the casing cavity and the deformable external fluid reservoir in accordance with expansion and contraction of the refractive fluid (e.g., due to changes in temperature). The lens casing, deformable external fluid reservoir and flow channel are configured as a sealed system, with no intentional gas volume included in the sealed system.

External reservoir configuration for tunable acoustic gradient lens

Variable focal length lens

A method is provided for operating an imaging system to maintain a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens at a desired operating state. In a first step, the TAG lens operates using a standard imaging drive control configuration (e.g., a standard drive voltage and duration) during a plurality of imaging drive mode time periods, to achieve a standard imaging state of the TAG lens. In a second step, the TAG lens operates using a regulating adaptive drive control configuration during a plurality of regulating adaptive drive mode time periods, wherein at least one of a different respective TAG lens drive voltage and a different respective TAG lens drive duration is used for different respective regulating adaptive drive mode time periods, based on a monitoring signal that is indicative of a difference between the standard imaging state and a current operating state of the TAG lens.

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Bothell, WA, United States of America

Isaiah Freerksen