The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 06, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 17, 2003
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for measuring a surface profile of an object to be measured includes a measuring probe positioned to contact the surface of the object to be measured, a guide mechanism for supporting and guiding the measuring probe in an axial direction of the measuring probe, a tilt angle adjustment mechanism for tilting the guide mechanism at a predetermined tilt angle with respect to a horizontal direction so that the measuring probe contacts the surface of the object to be measured with a predetermined contact force, and a drive mechanism for relatively driving at least one of the measuring probe and the object to scan the surface of the object to be measured with the measuring probe. The contact force is derived from a tilt direction component of the gravity of the measuring probe generated when the measuring probe is tilted.