The present invention relates to a device of the type which is stated in the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the positioning of measuring robots there are very large requirements for low friction between a movable measuring carriage with a measuring bridge, a shaft and a measuring tip, and a fixed part.

Normally, a transmission to the carriage is used which gives a high rigidity in the positioning direction and a running action which is, relatively, as smooth as poss¬ ible. This is done, for example through a plain shaft drive, e.g. such as is used in the CEJ-Cordimet marketed by CE Johansson, or by a belt drive (re-inforced toothed belt, e.g. CEJ-Saphir) or a cog against a fixed rack, or by a screw and nut.

Other variations of the type using a steel band have been produced, but this has led to very high requirements on the parallellity between the drive shaft and the moving part or carriage, with high manufacturing costs as a consequence.

Bands, the belts, plain shafts, screw/nuts and racks also easily lead to torques and forces which deviate from the direction of movement being transmitted to the carri¬ age with subsequent scattering of the measurement result.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to produce a device for linear movement of a measuring carriage or the like, relative to a physical coordination axis, without the carriage being influenced materially by turning movements or forces in directions other than the direction of movement. Yet one object of the invention is to imnimize so-called random frictions in a measuring robot with a device for linear movement of a measuring carriage.

THE INVENTION

The mam object of the mvention is achieved with a device which has the character¬ istics stated in the independent patent claim Further developments and other pro- per-ties of the mvention are stated m the other patent claims

According to the invention a device for producing an essentially linear movement of a moving part in a measuring machine, where the power transmission takes place from one type of movement (e.g. rotatary movement from a servo motor) to the linear movement, is characterized by a transmission element having a high coeffi¬ cient of elasticity in longitudinal direction and bemg flexible m the transverse di¬ rection of which one end is fastened in the same mechanical element as its other end. and that the transmission element is given a pre-stress which is greater than the maximum force when accelerating during the transmission operation. The pre-stress can be given by a force-providing element in the form of a pre-tensioning spring placed between one end of the transmission element and a fixed point or by me own elasticity of the transmission element the force of which the strength is greater than half the maxi-mum acceleration force. An alternative is that a controllable clamping arrangement during use is controlled to tension the force-providing element in the vicinity of one of its ends, whereby the pre-stress then is formed by own elasticity of the transmission element, and that the same end is fastened by means of a spπng pre-tension to a fixed point, and that the clamping means is controlled to notclamp on the force-providing element when the device is idle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The mvention is described more closely below by means of embodiments with refe¬ rence to the appended drawings, where

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a device accordmg to the mvention, Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a device according to the mvention, Fig 3 shows a third embodiment of a device according to the mvention, Fm. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a device accordme to the mvention.

Fig. 5 shows a first embodiment of an arrangement for preventing transfer of torque from a cable end to the moveable part according to the mvention. and Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment of an arrangement for preventing transfer of torque from a cable end to the moveable part according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A device according to Fig. 1 solves the most important problems of the previously known arrangements.

The device relates to the positioning (or the verifying) of an essentially linear mo¬ vement of a movable part R, e.g. a measurmg carriage in a measuring machine, whe¬ re the transmission takes place from one type of movement, e.g. from a rotatabie servo motor, to a linear movement. A transmission rope 3 which has a high module of elasticity in the longitudinal direction and which is flexible in the trans- verse di¬ rection is attached by one end ME 1 to the same mechanical element, the beam F in the embodiment of Fig. 1, as its other end ME2. By means of a force-producing element 7 (spring) the element 3 is given a pre-stress, which is greater than the maximum force during acceleration during use. It should be noticed mat the Line it- self also has a certain module of elasticity, wherefor the spring 7 in certain applica¬ tions can be equivalent to the own elasticity of the line.

Driving takes place preferably by means of a V-groove in a drive wheel 2. The V- groove firmly pinches the rope 3 which runs in the groove so that friction between the wheel and the rope is so large that slippage is prevented there. The wheels 4 and 6 or 2 and 5 are preferably angled so that the rope can be tensioned directly without being obstructed when passmg through the wheel block 4, 6 on me movable part R. The rope 3 shall essentially run parallel with the movement vector for the movable part R but shall be free from the wheels and other units on both the beam F and the movable part R. The friction between the rope 3 and the respective running wheels 4. 5, 6 should be low and the wheels should be able to run freelv. e.i_. bv beina

mounted in ball bearings or the like.

The positioning motor 1 (the servo motor) transmits torque to a transmission, e.g. directly or according to Fig. 1. In a transmission step IA to the drive wheel 2. which in this embodiment is a V-grooved pulley wheel, runs an elastic steel wire (piano wire) or a tight rope 3, with a relatively high module of elasticity, e.g. made of aramid, polyethylene, or a glass/carbon fibre reinforced rope. The rope 3 runs furt¬ her to a pulley wheel 4 with a preferably smooth round base on the moving part R over to a pulley wheel 5 rotatably mounted on the other fixed side of the movable part R on the beam F, and then via a pulley wheel 6 rotatably mounted on the movable part R in order to be fastened by an end ME2 fixed to the beam F either by some type of tension arrangement, e.g. the spring 7, tension cylinder or solder, or directly. The other end of the line is fixed to the beam F at ME

By mean of this device the desired transmission from the driving motor without play and the stiffness in the axial direction (direction of movement) as well as a very low reac-tion in the transverse direction are achieved.

The device can also be equipped with a thin steel band which extends laterally only a small amount e.g. 4 mm, or a band of glassfibre or plastic material. The advanta¬ ges of a band compared to a round material are that smaller bending radius can be permitted which allows higher gearing possibilities while relating a relatively low lateral stiffness.

In an alternative embodiment of Fig. 1, the rope 3 is locked during use through a clamping device, schematically shown with the dashed block 71. During idle peri¬ ods in the working cycle of the measuring robot, this clamping device 71 is released, whereby me tension element (the spring 7) can exert its force on the ropr 3 and stretch it. In this way, the advantage can be obtained of having a rigid fastening of both ends of the line during use while at the same time the tension on the line is

automatically held constant during its whole lifetime, even if a certain permanent stretching of the line 3 would occur.

It can be preferable to have embodiments with double, treble and so on, block-like arrangements so that one can achieve high transmission ratios as well as high posi¬ tioning rigidity with a very low transmission friction in the transmission steps and a high ground resonance in the servo link. This leads in turn to a high speed constancy during measuring which is vital for a good reproducibility ofthe measurements. It is possible, for example, to have the same type of block arrange-ment on each side of a beam, whereby the blocks thereby can be fastened to each other on the upper side.

An arrangement with a doubling of the arrangement in Fig. 1 with a block R' is shown in Fig. 2. Wheels 4', 4" are here advantageously attached somewhat at an angle and displaced but mounted on the same shaft A, preferably on each side of the block R', although it is also possible to have them both on the same side. In this way a displacement between the rope on one side compared to the other side is achieved so that the next pair of wheels 4" and 6", which lie outside 4' and 6', have a parallel rope connection with the fixed wheels 2' and 2" resp. 5' and 5" on the beam F\ Naturally, as an alternative or as a complement, the fixed wheels can be angled.

Consequently, according to the arrangement above, one can achieve

( 1 ) High servo rigidity in the verified direction

(2) Low rigidity in the direction transverse to the direction of motion (3) Low effects from angular errors through the deviation of the centre of gravity from the centre of power (through low speed variation)

(4) Low friction (consistent speed during measuring)

(5) Low manufacturing price

(6) Quiet operation - free of vibrations (7) No transfer of torsional torque in the plane perpendicular to the direc tion of movement (contrary to screw and nut and plain shaft dπves)

(8) Self-limitation of forces when driving agamst an obstacle. Maximum transferable force is deteπnined by the force in the spring element 7 and the V-groove angle on the wheel 2 etc.

A third embodiment is shown in Fig. 3, where the fixed points ofthe tension rope 13 are placed on the movable block Rl instead of on the fixed block or beam Fl. The servo motor 11 is placed on the V-shaped tension wheel 12. The tension wheel 12 on beam F is placed between the running wheel 14 on the movable part Rl and a rmming wheel 15 on the beam on the other side of the movable part Rl from the tension wheel 12. The rope 13 runs from the running wheel 15 over a running wheel 16 on the movable part and a running wheel 17 on the beam and is fastened to the movable part via a spring 18 or another tensioning means at its other end. The trans¬ mission ratio in this embodiment is 1:3. Here the centre of power in the movable part is indicated by the letter C. This lies on a central line and somewhere between a line drawn between d e centres ofthe wheels 14 and 16 and a line between the at¬ tachment points ofthe rope.

Yet another embodiment is shown in Fig. 4. The rope is fastened to the beam. The centre of power C lies on a line between the wheel axes ofthe pair of wheels placed on the moving part.

The embodiments shown in Figs. 3 and 4 can also be doubled or arranged with displaced and angled wheels on the same axis analogously with the embodiment which is shown in Fig. 2. In principle, any number of wheels could be used.

Measuring robots require for their function certain connections between the mo¬ vable measuring carriages and surroundings in the form of signal cables and air ho¬ ses. A protective bellows connected to the movement of the carriage is re¬ quired for sealing. The forces which these elements exert easily give rise to torsio- nal torques, which influence the function of the measuring robot in a disadvantage¬ ous manner. By equipping these elements with a separate subsystem, these disrupti-

ve forces/torques can be considerably diminished. An embodiment of such a subsys¬ tem is shown on its own in Fig. 5. This means that lateral displacement of the block R4 can take place according to any ofthe above described embodiments.

The forces, which are required to hold the cables 41 in the right place without gene¬ rating torques, respectively me curtain arrangement 46, which protects against dirt and dust, are originally generated from the servo motor (not shown in Fig. 5) and are transmitted to the movable part 45, but the attachment on the movable part R4 should be where the average force reacts in order to minimize the torques. This means that if there are three ropes which cooperate, the attachment 44B, Fig. 5, shall be placed near to the point of action of the average force. If there is only one disc on each side, the position for the centre of power is where the shaft of the disc runs. In this way, torque is prevented to a large degree from being introduced bet¬ ween the shafts 44 from the transmission cables or the like.

The cables, the air hoses 41, pass over to a weakly tensioned part 42 which in turn is controlled by a separate line system 43. It has the same force provider as the cent¬ re 44A for the force provider to the movable part (verified part) R4.

By this simple arrangement the torque and torque changes from me cables to the movable part R4 are minimized.

Similarly, the curtains - protectors 46 - are equipped with a rope arrangement with a fixed point on the same unit as 44. In the case ofthe protectors, these are connected to the movable part R4 with e.g. a surrounding fixed frame 47 with e.g. a soft rubber strip against the movable part R4, and the surrounding frame is controlled in the same way as the cables.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment where the cables 51 as well as possible air hoses and similar means are fastened with a flexible connection 52 to the movable part R5.

A double drive system is arranged with its ends fastened in the movable carnage R5. There are no runnmg wheels for the movable part for the separate drive system but the fixed points 57 and 58 for the separate drive system are placed on the same line as the centre C" of ϋhe driving force for die movable mass of the carnage R5. In order to achieve zero torque, it is thus necessaiy that d e connection to the mov¬ able part takes place in line with the position of the tension producer.

In anoti er embodiment d e frame and/or the cables are equipped with a separate ropr arrangement which begins on the driving motor shaft widi the same transmis- sion ratio as the unit for the rest (not shown). In this way, elimination of the elastici¬ ty that me ropr has between d e motor and the movable part is achieved.

In a further embodiment, a separate servo positions the cable and die curtain in re¬ lation to the position of die movable part. This is not shown but means in principle a mirror image-doubling of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, where the frame 47 in the doubled arrangement is attached, in analogy with the fastening 42, to me hose 41. Thereby the errors caused by influence from the cables on me position, angle or speed of movement of the movable part are further reduced