JP2005195367A - Linear scale - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a linear scale capable of measuring a true value without measuring a temperature. <P>SOLUTION: The first scale part 1 formed with regular patterns (scales) and having α<SB>1</SB>of linear expansion coefficient, and the second scale part 2 formed with regular patterns (scales) and having α<SB>2</SB>of linear expansion coefficient are fixed onto a nonmovable part of a measuring object such as a machine tool. Then, the number of the patterns (scales) from a reference point (moving start point) is detected and counted by a detector 3 attached to a movable part of the machine tool or the like of the measuring object. The true value L of a distance from the reference point is found pursuant to a mathematical expression 1, where a is a scale read value in the first scale part 1, and b is a scale read value in the second scale part 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a linear scale used when measuring the position and moving amount of a movable part such as a machine tool and a measuring machine.

  A linear scale used for measuring the position and moving amount of a movable part (measurement object) such as a machine tool has a scale part on which a scale is formed and a detection part that reads the scale of the scale part. As a measuring method of the position and movement amount of the measurement object using the linear scale, for example, a pattern (scale) is regularly formed on the scale portion, light is irradiated to the pattern (scale), and the amount of displacement is detected by the detection portion. An optical type (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) that measures the position of the scale and a magnet having a magnetic pole periodically formed in the longitudinal direction of the scale portion. There is a magnetic type (for example, refer to Patent Document 2) that detects the position by detecting the position.

  Conventionally, when detecting the position of a movable part of a machine tool using a linear scale, for example, a scale part is attached to a non-movable part of the machine tool, and a detection part is attached to the movable part of the machine tool. The position of the movable part is detected by moving along with the movable part of the machine tool along the longitudinal direction of the scale part.

  However, the conventional linear scale has a problem that when the temperature of the measurement environment changes, the length changes depending on the thermal expansion coefficient of the scale material, and a true value is not displayed. Therefore, in the conventional linear scale, the temperature of the measurement environment is measured by a temperature detector, and the measured value is corrected by calculation. In addition, a linear scale that corrects a measurement error by providing two scale portions made of materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion and detecting a difference in expansion and contraction has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4). ).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-53915 (page 4-7, Fig. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-148842 (page 3-5, FIG. 1) JP-A-4-9713 (Page 2, Fig. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-24679 (page 3, FIG. 3)

  However, the conventional techniques described above have the following problems. When the scale part is long, temperature distribution occurs in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, in the method of providing a temperature detector, multiple points of temperature must be measured by a plurality of temperature detectors, resulting in a large measurement error. There is a problem that the measurement time becomes long.

  In addition, the linear scale described in Patent Document 3 requires a material having the same absolute value of thermal expansion coefficient as the scale material and opposite in positive and negative, but such a material is impossible in industrial production. Furthermore, in the linear scale of Patent Document 4, first, the two heads are physically installed at the same position, and then the position of the other head is moved so as to show the same value as the measured value of one head. Accordingly, in order to measure the deviation of the detection position, two operations are required, and an error may occur in the installation position of the head.

  Furthermore, in Patent Document 4, the offset value is calculated from the detection position shift, but this method is not disclosed. Normally, when calculating the offset value, a proportionality constant for calculating the correction amount of the measured detection position deviation value is calculated in advance, but this proportionality constant is established under a condition where the temperature is constant. If the temperature of the measurement environment is different, either recalculate or prepare a table that lists the constants at each temperature. For this reason, it is also necessary to measure the temperature of the measurement environment every time the displacement of the detection position is measured.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a linear scale that can measure the true value of the distance from the reference point to the detector without measuring the temperature. .

The linear scale according to the present invention is a linear scale for obtaining a distance from a reference point. The two scale portions extending in parallel from the reference point and changing in length from the reference point due to a temperature change, and the two scale portions And a detector for reading a scale from the reference point on the scale part, the two scale parts have different thermal expansion coefficients, the thermal expansion coefficient of _one scale part is α ₁ , and the other scale part Is the true value L of the distance from the reference point, where α is ₂ , the reading of the scale on one scale by the detector is a, and the reading of the scale on the other scale is b. Is obtained by the following mathematical formula 1.

In the present invention, since two scale portions having different thermal expansion coefficients are provided, the scale readings a and b simultaneously read from these scale portions and the true values from these thermal expansion coefficients α ₁ and α _2. L can be obtained. Thereby, the true value L of the distance from the reference point to the detector can be measured without measuring the temperature of the measurement environment.

For example, the detector moves together with the measurement object, and the movement amount of the measurement object can be obtained by obtaining the true value L of the distance from the reference point of the detector. One of the two scale portions may be formed of a Cu—Ni—Fe alloy and the other may be formed of a Fe—Cr—Co alloy. Or, wherein the scale portion of the two, and the thermal expansion coefficient alpha ₁ of one of the scale portions, the difference between the thermal expansion coefficient alpha ₂ of the other scale part is formed of a material is 0.5 × 10 ^-6 or more May be. Furthermore, it is preferable that the two scale portions have magnetically or optically readable scales recorded thereon. Thereby, the scale currently recorded on the said scale part can be read by using a magnetic head or an optical head as a detector.

  According to the present invention, two scale portions having different linear thermal expansion coefficients are provided, and these scales are simultaneously read by the detector, thereby detecting from these scale reading values and thermal expansion coefficient values from the reference point. Since the true value of the distance to the instrument can be obtained, even if the temperature of the measurement environment is different from the temperature at the time of graduation, the temperature is not measured by the temperature detector etc. The true value of the distance to can be obtained.

Hereinafter, a linear scale according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a linear scale of the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the head unit shown in FIG. As shown to Fig.1 (a), the linear scale of this embodiment is provided with the 1st scale part 1 and the 2nd scale part 2 from which a coefficient of thermal expansion differs mutually. In the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2, slits are periodically formed as scales along the longitudinal direction. The first scale part 1 is formed by, for example, Cu coefficient of thermal expansion is 16.5 × ^{10 -6,} the second scale unit 2, for example, thermal expansion coefficient 11.8 × 10 ^{- 6} is formed of Fe. The first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 are arranged along the moving direction x of a movable portion (measurement object) such as a machine tool, and one end portion is non-movable such as a machine tool. It is fixed to the part 4.

  Moreover, in the linear scale of this embodiment, the U-shaped head unit 3 is disposed so as to sandwich the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 from above and below. The head unit 3 is fixed to a measurement object (movable part such as a machine tool) and moves along the first scale part 1 and the second scale part 2. As shown in FIG. 1B, a light source 6, a collimating lens 7, a fixed slit member 8, and an optical detector 9 are attached to the head unit 3 in this order from the bottom. The first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 are disposed between the collimating lens 7 and the fixed slit member 8, and the light 10 emitted from the light source 6 is transmitted through the collimating lens 7 to the first scale. The first detector 2 and the second scale unit 2 are irradiated, pass through the slits of the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2, and further pass through the slits formed in the fixed slit member 8 to detect the optical detector 9. Is to be detected. That is, the number of times that the optical detector 9 detects the light 10 transmitted through the slit when the head unit 3 moves along the both scale portions from the reference points of the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2. By counting, the number of slits through which the head unit 3 has passed is counted, and thereby the respective scales of the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2 are read.

  Next, the operation of the linear scale of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. In the linear scale of the present embodiment, first, the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 are arranged along the moving direction x of a movable portion (measurement object) such as a machine tool, and one of these is arranged. The end is fixed to a non-movable part 4 such as a machine tool, and the head unit 3 is fixed to a movable part (measuring object) such as a machine tool. Then, while the measurement object is moving, the light 10 is emitted from the light source 6 attached to the head unit 3 toward the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2. The light 10 emitted from the light source 6 becomes parallel light at the collimating lens 7 and is irradiated to the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2. Then, the light 10 that has passed through the slits of the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2 passes through the slit of the fixed slit member 8 and is detected by the optical detector 9. At this time, since the head unit 3 moves along with the measurement object along the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2, the fixed slit member 8, the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit. The two slits move relatively. For this reason, the light quantity of the light 10 detected by the optical detector 9 changes periodically according to the interval at which the slits of the scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2 are formed. For this reason, the optical detector 9 detects it as a sine wave. By dividing the signal detected by the optical detector 9, the number of slits existing between the detector 3 and the movement start point (reference point) is changed to the detector 3 and the movement start point (reference point). ), The scales of the first scale unit 1 and the second scale unit 2 are read.

At this time, the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 have different values because they have different coefficients of thermal expansion. The first graduation readings of the scale portion 1 a, a linear thermal expansion coefficient as the alpha _1, the second scale readings of the scale portion 2 b, the linear thermal expansion coefficient and alpha _2, the first scale part 1 And the distance L from the reference point in the first scale portion 1 when Δt is a temperature difference between the temperature (reference temperature) when the slit (scale) is formed in the second scale portion 2 and the temperature at the time of measurement. The distance L ₂ from the reference point in the _first and second scale portions 2 is expressed by the following formulas 2 and 3.

Since the distance L ₁ and the distance L ₂ are read by one detector 3, the distance L ₁ from the reference point in the first scale unit ₁ and the distance L ₂ from the reference point in the second scale unit 2. Are equal, and the distance L ₁ and the distance L ₂ are the true value L of the distance from the reference point of the detector 3. Accordingly, the following formula 4 is derived from the above formula 2, and the following formula 5 is derived from the above formula 3, respectively.

  Then, the following formula 6 is obtained by subtracting the above formula 5 from the above formula 4.

  From the above Equation 6, the following Equation 7 representing the true value L of the distance from the reference point of the detector 3 is derived.

  In the present embodiment, two scale parts having different linear thermal expansion coefficients are provided, and the number of scales (slits) formed on these scale parts is simultaneously detected by a detector, whereby the scale reading value and the scale are detected. The true value of the distance from the reference point to the detector can be obtained from the value of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the part. Thereby, even if the temperature of the measurement environment is different from the temperature at the time of forming the scale (slit), it is not necessary to measure the temperature of the measurement environment with a temperature detector or the like.

Moreover, if the two scale parts have the same temperature, the linear scale of the present embodiment can determine the true value of the distance from the reference point even if the temperature distribution is in the length direction. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing a state of the linear scale of the present embodiment at the reference temperature, and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing a state where the linear scale is thermally expanded. For example, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first scale unit 1 is 10 × 10 ⁻⁶ , and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second scale unit 2 is 15 × 10 ^−6. When there is a high temperature portion, the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 are longer than the length at the reference temperature shown in FIG. However, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the first scale portion 1 and the second scale portion 2 have different coefficients of thermal expansion, so that the amount of elongation differs, and the first scale portion attached at the reference temperature. The scales of the first and second scale units 2 are shifted, and the read value a of the first scale unit 1 and the read value b of the second scale unit 2 show different values. At this time, since the distance L ₁ and the distance L ₂ obtained from the mathematical formulas 2 and 3 are equal, the read value b of the second scale unit 2 corresponding to the read value a of the first scale unit 1 is It is represented by 8.

  On the other hand, the value when the distance from the reference point represented by the read value a of the first scale unit 1 is measured with the reference temperature scale, that is, the true value A of the distance from the reference point at the reference temperature is It calculates | requires by following Numerical formula 9.

In the linear scale of the present embodiment, the first scale portion 1 is made of Cu having a thermal expansion coefficient of 16.5 × 10 ⁻⁶ , and the second scale portion 2 has a thermal expansion coefficient of 11.8 × 10 6. ^Although the case where it is formed of Fe that is ⁻⁶ has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the thermal expansion coefficient of the first scale portion 1 and the thermal expansion coefficient of the second scale portion 2 are The difference may be 0.5 × 10 ⁻⁶ or more. The difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first scale part 1 and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second scale part 2 is more preferably 2.0 × 10 ⁻⁶ or more. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis indicates the difference between the first and second thermal expansion coefficients in the scale portion, the vertical axis indicates the maximum error, and the first and second difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between the scale portion and the error. It is a graph which shows the relationship with the maximum value. As shown in FIG. 3, in the linear scale of the present embodiment, the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient is set to 2.0 × 10 ⁻⁶ or more, thereby correcting the elongation due to the temperature distribution obtained from Equation 9 above. Since the difference (error) between the value A and the true value L obtained from Equation 7 above using the linear scale of the present embodiment can be reduced to 2.5 × 10 ⁻¹³ m or less, the measured value and the true The error from the distance L can be made sufficiently smaller than the measurement resolution (1 × 10 ⁻⁸ m). Thereby, a measurement error can be made extremely small. If the difference in thermal expansion coefficient is 4.0 × 10 ⁻⁶ or more, the measurement error is 1 × 10 ⁻¹³ m or less.

  FIG. 4A is a graph showing the error of the measured values obtained by the linear scale of the present embodiment and the conventional linear scale, with the scale on the horizontal axis and the error on the vertical axis. FIG. 4B is a graph showing an enlarged measurement error in the temperature changing portion of the linear scale of the present embodiment shown in FIG. Note that the conventional linear scale shown in FIG. 4 (a) has a single scale portion and uses only the scale reading to determine the distance from the reference point and corrects the elongation due to the temperature distribution. Absent. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the scale graduation up to 210mm is 1 ° C higher than the reference temperature, and the scale graduation exceeding 210mm up to 410mm is 5 ° C higher than the reference temperature. Yes.

As shown in FIG. 4A, an error between the value obtained by the conventional linear scale and the true value A obtained by temperature correction increases as the temperature difference from the reference temperature increases. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the error of the true value L obtained by the linear scale of the present embodiment varies in the range of 1 × 10 ^{−12 to} 2.5 × 10 ⁻¹² m depending on the location. However, even if the temperature difference from the reference temperature increases, the measurement error is almost constant, and the measurement error is sufficiently smaller than the measurement resolution (1 × 10 ⁻⁸ m) in all parts. For this reason, the linear scale of the present embodiment is particularly effective when the temperature fluctuation in the length direction of the scale portion, which is difficult for the conventional linear scale to correct the scale reading value by temperature measurement, is large.

  The linear scale of the first embodiment described above has been described with respect to the case where slits are formed as scales in the scale portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a system in which scales are magnetically recorded is used. Can also be applied. Hereinafter, a linear scale using magnetism will be described as a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A is a plan view showing the linear scale of this embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the reading unit. As shown in FIG. 5A, the linear scale according to the second embodiment of the present invention is provided with a first scale portion 11 and a second scale portion 12 having different thermal expansion coefficients. . The first scale portion 11 and the second scale portion 12 are periodically magnetized as scales along the longitudinal direction thereof. The first scale part 11 is made of, for example, Fe—Cr—Co, and the second scale part 12 is made of Cu—Ni—Fe. And the 1st scale part 11 and the 2nd scale part 12 are arrange | positioned along the moving direction x of movable parts (measuring object), such as a machine tool, One end part is a non-movable part, such as a machine tool 14 is fixed with a high thermal conductive double-sided tape.

  In the linear scale of this embodiment, the head unit 13 is disposed above the first scale unit 11 and the second scale unit 12. The head unit 13 is fixed to an object to be measured (movable part such as a machine tool) and moves along the first scale part 11 and the second scale part 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, an MR head whose electric resistance changes according to the fluctuation of the external magnetic field is provided on the first scale portion 11 and the second scale portion 12 side of the head unit 13. (Magneto Resistive Head) 19 is attached.

  FIG. 6A is a plan view showing the first scale portion 11 in the present embodiment, FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the magnetized state, and FIG. 6C is the MR head 19. It is a side view which shows an attachment position. As shown to Fig.6 (a), the scale 17 is formed in the 1st scale part 11 by the fixed space | interval. That is, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first scale portion 11 is magnetized such that the N pole and the S pole are alternately spaced at a predetermined interval, and the distance (pitch) between these magnetic poles. p) is constant. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, the head unit 13 has a pair of MR heads arranged with a shift of (1/2) p in the movement direction x with respect to one scale portion ( 3/4) 2 pairs are shifted by p, and a total of 4 pairs are attached. Then, when the head unit 13 moves from the reference point along the scale portion, the number of magnetic poles detected by the MR head pair is counted, whereby each of the first scale portion 11 and the second scale portion 12 is counted. Read the scale. The second scale part 12 is also magnetized in the same manner, and scales are formed at the same intervals as the scales formed on the first scale part 11.

  Next, the operation of the linear scale of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, the first scale portion 11 and the second scale portion 12 are arranged along the moving direction x of a movable portion (measurement object) such as a machine tool, and one of these end portions is arranged on a non-machine tool or the like. While fixing to the movable part 14, the head unit 13 is fixed to movable parts (measuring object), such as a machine tool. While the object to be measured is moving, the magnetic head formed on the scale portion is detected by the MR head 19 and the number of times the magnetic pole is detected (the number of magnetic poles) is counted with an accumulator, or the magnetic pole is detected. The distance between the measurement object (detector) and the reference point (movement start point) is obtained by counting the value output by calculation from the obtained signal.

  FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram showing an MR head pair in the linear scale of the present embodiment. FIG. 7B shows the magnetic field strength on the horizontal axis and the MR resistance value on the vertical axis. It is a graph which shows the data output by the MR head pair shown to a). In the linear scale of the present embodiment, since the MR head 19a and the MR head 19b are arranged apart from each other by (p / 2), when the head unit 13 is moved, the external head detected by the MR head 19a. The change in the resistance value due to the change in the magnetic field has an opposite phase to the change in the resistance value due to the change in the magnetic field detected by the MR head 19b. As shown in FIG. 7A, when a DC voltage is applied to both ends of the MR head 19a and the MR head 19b, the output corresponding to the change of the magnetic field is output from either the midpoint or one of the terminals. Is obtained.

  Further, the head unit 13 includes two MR heads 18a, 18c, 19c, and 19d, which are composed of the MR head 19a and the MR head 19b. A pair is attached. Since the second MR head pair 18b is shifted by (3/4) p with respect to the first MR head pair, the adjacent MR head 19b and MR head 19c are (1/4). ) It is shifted by p. For this reason, the second MR head pair 18b can obtain a signal shifted by 90 ° from the signal obtained by the first MR head pair. In the linear scale of the present embodiment, the resolution is improved by electrically dividing the two-phase signals obtained by the two MR head pairs. Furthermore, in the linear scale of this embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, the two scale portions are formed of materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion, thereby suppressing measurement errors due to temperature changes. Therefore, the true value can be obtained without being affected by the temperature of the measurement environment.

  As a result, also in the reading method using magnetism, the number of magnetic poles (scales) sensed by the MR head (detector) and the magnetic poles (scales) or the calculation results are output as in the first embodiment. From the value of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the two scale portions in which the number is formed, the movement distance of the measurement object, that is, the true value of the distance from the reference point (movement start point) can be obtained.

  Next, a linear scale according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a linear scale according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the reading unit, and FIG. 8C is an enlarged view showing the position of the detector. . As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, the linear scale according to the third embodiment of the present invention has one end portion of the first scale portion 21 and the second scale portion 22 as a machine tool or the like. Further, the surface of the first scale portion 21 on the measurement object 25 side is fixed to one surface of the measurement object 25 by a high thermal conductivity double-sided tape 26, The surface of the second scale portion 22 on the measurement object 25 side is similarly fixed to the other surface of the measurement object 25 by a double-sided tape 26. The double-sided tape 26 can follow the elongation of the scale portion and the measurement object 25. Further, outside the first scale portion 21 and the second scale portion 22, a U-shaped head unit 23 that is fixed to a movable portion such as a machine tool and moves along a linear scale is disposed. . The first scale portion 21 and the second scale portion 22 are periodically magnetized along the longitudinal direction as scales, and the MR head is provided on the surface of the head unit 23 on the scale portion side. 29 is attached.

  In the case of the method of reading the scale with the MR head, the first scale portion 21 is arranged on one surface of the measurement object 25 and the other surface is not arranged side by side as in the present embodiment. In addition, the second scale portion 22 is fixed at a symmetrical position with the measurement object 25 interposed therebetween, and each scale can be read by the MR head 29 attached to the head unit 23. The operation in the linear scale of the present embodiment, that is, the scale reading method is the same as that of the second embodiment. Moreover, in the linear scale of this embodiment, although the case where each scale part was fixed to the measuring object 25 with the double-sided tape 26 was described, this invention is not limited to this, a thermal conductivity is high, a scale is Even if a part and a measuring object extend, it should just be a material which does not follow and exfoliate, for example, a high heat conductive adhesive tape, an adhesive agent, etc. can be used.

(A) is a top view which shows the linear scale of this embodiment, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the head unit shown to (a). (A) is a schematic diagram which shows the state in the reference temperature of the linear scale of 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 1, (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the state expanded thermally. The horizontal axis represents the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients in the first and second scale portions, and the vertical axis represents the maximum error value. The difference between the thermal expansion coefficients in the first and second scale portions and the maximum error value. It is a graph which shows the relationship. (A) is a graph showing the measurement error due to the temperature distribution in the linear scale of the first embodiment and the conventional linear scale, with the scale on the horizontal axis and the error on the vertical axis. It is a graph which expands and shows the measurement error of the temperature change part in the linear scale of 1st Embodiment shown to (a). (A) is a top view which shows the linear scale of this embodiment, (b) is sectional drawing in the reading part. (A) is a top view which shows the 1st scale part 11 in this embodiment, (b) is a top view which shows the magnetization state, (c) is a side view which shows the attachment position of MR head 19 It is. (A) is a schematic diagram showing an MR head pair in the linear scale of the present embodiment, and (b) shows the MR head shown in (a) with the horizontal axis representing the magnetic field strength and the vertical axis representing the MR resistance value. It is a graph which shows the data output by a pair. (A) is a top view which shows the linear scale of 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is sectional drawing in the reading part, (c) is an enlarged view which shows the position of a detector.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11, 21; 1st scale part 2, 12, 22; 2nd scale part 3, 13, 23; Head unit 4, 14, 24; Non-movable part 6; Light source 7; Collimating lens 8; Fixed slit Member 9; optical detector 10; light 16, 26; double-sided tape 17; scale 18a; first MR head pair 18b; second MR head pair 19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d, 29; MR head 25; Measurement object x: Direction of movement

Claims (5)

In a linear scale for obtaining a distance from a reference point, two scale parts extending in parallel from the reference point and changing in length from the reference point due to a temperature change, and the reference point on the two scale parts And the two scale parts have different coefficients of thermal expansion, the coefficient of thermal expansion of one scale part is α ₁ , and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the other scale part is α _2. The true value L of the distance from the reference point is obtained by the following formula, where a is the scale reading of one scale by the detector and b is the scale reading of the other scale. A linear scale.

The said detector moves with a measuring object, The movement amount of the said measuring object is calculated | required by calculating | requiring the true value L of the distance from the said reference point of the said detector. Linear scale. 3. The linear scale according to claim 1, wherein one of the two scale portions is formed of a Cu—Ni—Fe alloy and the other is formed of a Fe—Cr—Co alloy. _3. The difference between the thermal expansion coefficient α ₁ of the one scale part and the thermal expansion coefficient α ₂ of the other scale part is 0.5 × 10 ⁻⁶ or more. Linear scale. 5. The linear scale according to claim 1, wherein a scale that can be read magnetically or optically is recorded on the two scale portions. 6.

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