Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1991-05-22
1993-08-31
Smith, Jerry
Boots, shoes, and leggings
318578, 318579, G06F 1546, B23Q 35127
Patent
active
052414850
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a noncontact tracing control system, and more particularly, to a noncontact tracing control system using distance detectors having a high measuring accuracy.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, a noncontact tracing control system using a noncontact distance detector as a tracer head has been developed, and, for example, an optical distance detector is used for this noncontact distance detector, and a model is traced by using this detector to detect the distance to the model surface. This system eliminates fears of damage to the model, and therefore, a soft material can be used for a model, which will enable a wider applicability thereof for machining and digitizing.
The conventional noncontact tracing control system, however, has a problem in that the tracing accuracy is lowered at portions of a model where an inclination thereof is large. Namely, at this portion, an optical measuring axis of a distance detector is not at a right angle to the model surface, and accordingly, the spot of light on the model surface is distorted into the shape of an ellipse, and thus the resolution of the distance detector is lowered and the tracing accuracy becomes low. Particularly, for a trigonometrical distance detector, a measurement sometimes becomes impossible because the optical measuring axis interferes with the model surface due to the angle thereof.
To solve this problem, the applicant filed a Patent Application No. 1-194500, entitled "NONCONTACT TRACING CONTROL SYSTEM", on Jul. 27, 1989. In Patent Application No. 1-194500, tracing accuracy is improved by acquiring a normal vector of a model surface based on measured values of a sampling taken at this time and at the previous time by two noncontact distance detectors of a tracer head, and by controlling the rotation of the tracer head in the direction of the projection of this normal vector when projected on a predetermined plane, to thereby carry out a distance measuring with a high accuracy.
Nevertheless, the optical measuring axis of the noncontact distance detector cannot be made to perfectly conform to the normal direction, depending on an inclination of the model surface, and thus in some cases, the measuring accuracy cannot be improved as much as expected.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the aforesaid drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a noncontact tracing control system having an improved tracing accuracy by obtaining measured values with a higher accuracy from noncontact distance detectors.
To achieve the above object, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a noncontact tracing control system for machining or digitizing a workpiece through tracing the shape of a model without a contact therewith, comprising first and second noncontact distance detectors, in which the inclinations of the measuring axes are controlled to be identical, respectively, by first and second rotation axes having centers which cross each other, for measuring the distance to the above model surface without a contact therewith, a sampling means for sampling measured values of each of the above first and the second noncontact distance detectors at predetermined sampling times, a storing means for storing a first measured value of the above first noncontact distance detector and a second measured value of the above second noncontact distance detector at the previous sampling, a normal direction calculating means for acquiring a normal direction of the above model surface using at least three measured values of the above first and second measured values, a third measured value of the above first noncontact distance detector and a fourth measured value of the above second noncontact distance detector of the present sampling, and a rotation axis drive means for rotating the above first and the second rotation axes in the normal direction calculated as above.
A coordinate value of each vertex of a micro quadrangle on the model surface is obtained from the m
REFERENCES:
patent: 4962460 (1990-10-01), Matsuura
patent: 4999555 (1991-03-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 5019993 (1991-05-01), Montalcini et al.
patent: 5067086 (1991-11-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 5140239 (1992-08-01), Matsuura
EP-A-0 313 801 (Advanced Data Processing ADP S.R.L.) 3 May 1989, col. 3, line 26-col. 5, line 21, FIGS. 1-5, Patent Application.
Fanuc Ltd.
Gordon Paul
Smith Jerry
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