Geometrical instruments – Gauge – Having a movable contact probe
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-06
2001-10-16
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Gauge
Having a movable contact probe
C033S558000, C702S168000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301796
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to programmable probe systems.
Probes fall into two main categories known as analogue or touch trigger probes. In almost all cases, probes include electronic systems for conditioning the signals generated by the probe prior to these signals being passed to an interface on a machine.
The probe signals may be passed to the machine through a hard wired communication link, which is fairly normal practice on coordinate measuring machines, or may include wireless transmission systems, for example infra-red or radio transmission systems, which is more common on machine tools.
The electronic systems used need to be powered, and in most instances power is provided from a battery in the probe itself. In order to preserve battery life the probe is switched off when not in use, and is only switched on when it is required to be used in a probing operation.
Various methods have been devised for switching on a probe when required for a probing operation. For example, the probe may include a centrifugal switch which is actuated by spinning the probe above a certain speed, and actuation of this switch connects the probe circuits to the battery. Other methods of switching on the probe include a mechanical switch in the shank of the probe which is operated as soon as the probe is inserted into the machine spindle, and an optical system in which an infra-red signal sent from a remote position on the machine is received by an optical receiver on the probe which makes the connection to the power supply.
In addition there are also a variety of methods of switching the probe off, or back into a standby mode, after a probing operation has been completed. The methods include the use of a centrifugal switch, an optical signal from the machine, or using a timing circuit within the probe to switch off the probe if no probing operation has taken place for a specified interval.
In the past any given probe has been provided with one method of switching on and off, and depending on the type of machine in which the probe is to be used, the user has had to select a particular type of probe to suit his machine requirements.
This has led to a proliferation of probe types, with the probe manufacturer having to stock a variety of probe types in order to satisfy different customer demands.
More recently, steps have been taken to attempt to minimize the number of different probes which it is required to stock by providing a probe in which more than one method may be used for switching the probe on or off, and the operator has the choice by manually operating a switch to select which type of operation is suitable for his machine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a programmable probe system in which the probe is provided with a plurality of switch-on mechanisms along with associated switch circuits, and in which the probe may be programmed externally to select one of the switch circuits, whereby different ones of the switch-on mechanisms may be activated.
The concept of the invention may however be extended beyond simply programming the method by which the probe power is switched on and off. Thus the probe may be provided with other optional features which can be selected by programming the probe from outside.
For example, one particular form of transmission which is used by probes is a radio transmission. In order to accord with various national laws, the bandwidths of the transmission frequencies for use with radio probes are quite limited. Also, because of the range of the radio transmissions, there is a danger of interference by the probe with other electronic apparatus used by machine or even other probes on nearby machines. For this reason the available bandwidths are divided into relatively narrow channels and each probe is arranged to transmit only on one of the narrow channels. In the past, the frequency of the narrow channel has been set during manufacture of the probe, and in order to provide a plurality of probes with different frequencies of transmission this has required a stock of probes being maintained so that a choice of channel is available to the customer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a programmable probe system in which the probe is able to operate on one of a plurality of externally programmable radio channel frequencies.
These objects and others are achieved in a programmable probe system in accordance with the invention as stated below and as claimed in the appended claims.
According to the present invention a programmable probe system for a machine comprises a probe, an interface and a wireless communication link therebetween, wherein:
the probe includes a plurality of optional features which are selectable by external programming, and a microprocessor which is programmable to select any of the optional features;
the interface is mountable on the machine and includes a microprocessor which is programmable by an operator to determine which of the optional features in the probe is to be selected; and
the wireless communication link includes a transmitter on the interface for sending to the probe a signal which comprises program instructions for the microprocessor in the probe relating to the selection of optional features to be made, and a receiver on the probe for receiving said signal to enable the microprocessor in the probe to make said selection of one of the optional features.
In one embodiment of the invention the selectable optional features are switch circuits by means of which the probe electronics may be connected to, and disconnected from, the power supply in the probe.
In another embodiment of the invention the selectable optional features are frequency channels for a radio transmission system of the probe.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4608714 (1986-08-01), Juengel
patent: 5150529 (1992-09-01), Collingwood
patent: 5418730 (1995-05-01), Mariani et al.
patent: 5671158 (1997-09-01), Fournier et al.
patent: 5949352 (1999-09-01), Ferrari
patent: 0 268689 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 0 337 671 A2 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 0 428322 A1 (1991-05-01), None
patent: WO 95/28615 (1995-10-01), None
patent: WO 96/36028 (1996-11-01), None
Gutierrez Diego
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Renishaw plc
Smith R. Alexander
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