Tokyo Seimitsu has been granted a patent for an inner surface shape measurement device. The device uses a rotating body and a linear-and-tilting-motion stage to measure the position and tilt of a small hole in a workpiece. The device includes a displacement detector, a camera, an observation controller, a position-and-tilt calculator, and an output unit. The device can accurately measure the inner surface shape of a hole in a workpiece. GlobalData’s report on Tokyo Seimitsu gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Tokyo Seimitsu, Welding robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. Tokyo Seimitsu's grant share as of September 2023 was 34%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Inner surface shape measurement device using camera and probe
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11740074B2) describes an inner surface shape measurement device and an alignment method for accurately measuring the shape of inner surfaces of holes in workpieces. The device includes a rotating body that can rotate around a parallel rotation axis, and a linear-and-tilting-motion stage supported by the rotating body. The stage can change its position and tilt, with the position being in a flat surface orthogonal to the rotation axis.
The device also features a displacement detector that uses a probe to detect the displacement of the inner side surface of a hole in the workpiece. The workpiece is fixed to the linear-and-tilting-motion stage and rotates with the rotating body. The probe can be a contact probe or a non-contact probe, and it can be moved in a linear motion parallel to the rotation axis.
A camera with an optical axis parallel to the rotation axis is used to observe the positions of the hole at different rotation angles. An observation controller is responsible for capturing the first and second positions of the hole at a first rotation angle and a second rotation angle, respectively. A position-and-tilt calculator then calculates the position and tilt of the hole based on the observed coordinates. The calculated information, including the position and tilt, is outputted by an output unit.
The device also includes additional components such as a stage controller to control the linear-and-tilting-motion stage, ensuring that the deviation between the central axis of the hole and the rotation axis remains within a target value. The device may also have a coaxial illumination optical system to emit light parallel to the camera's optical axis, and a reflector to reflect light onto the hole from the side of the linear-and-tilting-motion stage.
The alignment method described in the patent involves observing the positions of the hole at different rotation angles, calculating the position and tilt of the hole based on the observed coordinates, and outputting the calculated information. This method can be used for accurately aligning the inner surface shape measurement device and obtaining precise measurements of the inner surfaces of holes in workpieces.
Overall, this patent presents a comprehensive solution for measuring the shape of inner surfaces of holes in workpieces, providing accurate and reliable results.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
