JPS58123409A - Length measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To measure the length highly accurately, by counting the output signal of a pulse train output part corresponding to a conveying amount during the time a detecting part is detecting an object to be measured. CONSTITUTION:When a motor 10 is rotated and an arm 15 is driven, an object to be measured 16 begins to be conveyed. An encoder 18 outputs the pulse train corresponding to the rotation of the motor 10, i.e., the conveying amount of the object to be measured 16. When the object to be measured 16 shields irradiated light 21, the output signal of a light receiving element becomes an ''L'' level and the output signal of an inverter 23 becomes an ''H'' level, and an AND gate 24 becomes an open state. As a result, the pulse train outputted from the encoder 18 is outputted through the AND gate 24. A counter 25 counts said pulse train. Said counting operation is continued until the object to be measured 16 passes the irradiated light 21. In this method, the final counted value of the counter 25 becomes the value corresponding to the length (length in the conveying direction) of the object to be measured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a length measuring device that measures the length of an object by converting it into an electrical signal.

As a device that measures the length of an object by converting it into an electrical signal,
A measuring device shown in FIG. 1 is conventionally known. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a lens, which connects the self of the object to be measured 2 to the light-receiving surface of the image sensor 3. The light-receiving surface ζ of the image sensor 3 is located at the pixel 3 as shown in part A of FIG.
m are arranged in a line, and some of the pixels 31 are shielded from light by the object 2 to be measured. Reference numeral 4 denotes an information processing device that counts the number of pixels 3a through which light is retrospected, and measures the length of the object to be measured 2 based on the counting result.

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional length measuring device, since the length measurement is performed using the width of the pixel 3a in the column direction as a unit, the measurement accuracy is determined by the width of the pixel 3a.
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention provides an extremely accurate length measuring device, which includes a conveying section for moving an object to be measured, and a length measuring device for moving an object to be measured; and a pulse train output section that outputs a pulse train corresponding to the conveyance amount of the transport section, and the sensing section detects the object to be measured. During this period, the output signal of the pulse train output section is counted.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. Note that this embodiment is an application of the present invention to an industrial transfer robot. In FIG. 2, lO is a motor, the rotational force of which is transmitted to the ball screw 13 via gears 11 and 12. 14 is a bearing that supports the tip of the ball screw 13. Reference numeral 15 denotes an arm, one end of which is screwed to the ball screw 13, and the other end connected to a hand 17 that comfortably holds the object to be measured 16. Also, Tanabata 10
is provided with an encoder 18 that outputs a pulse train (for example, 1000 pulses per one rotation of the motor 10) corresponding to the rotation speed or rotation angle. The transport section of the industrial transport robot is configured with the above-mentioned configuration.

This ＠included robot is used to transfer the object to be measured (workpiece) 1 to the machine tool.
It has the function of transporting 6. In other words, (b) of motor lO
As a result of the rotation, the arm 15 is pushed in the direction of the arrow Y shown in the car diagram, and the object to be measured 16 is conveyed.

On the other hand, 20 is a light emitting element, which is provided along the conveying direction of the object to be measured 16, and the irradiated light 21 thereof is received by the light receiving element 22. The light receiving element 22 is configured to output a 1H level signal when receiving the irradiated light 21, and output a "L" level signal when not receiving the irradiated light 21. The output signal of the encoder 18 is supplied to one input terminal of the AND gate 24 via the inverter 23. The output signal (pulse train) of the encoder 18 is supplied to the other input terminal of the AND gate 24. The output signal of is supplied to the counter 25. The counter 25 counts the output signal of the AND gate 24 and outputs the count result.

Next, the operation of the embodiment with the above configuration will be explained.

When the motor 10 rotates and the arm 15 is driven rightward in the drawing, the object to be measured 16 begins to be conveyed rightward.Furthermore, when the motor 19 rotates, the encoder 18
It outputs a pulse train corresponding to the rotation of 0, that is, an S7 non-sequence corresponding to the conveyance amount of the object to be measured 16. However, immediately after the start of conveyance, the light receiving element 22 is receiving the irradiation light 21, so , the output signal of the light-receiving element 22 becomes 1H level, the output signal of the inverter 23 becomes the "Fuku" level, and the AND gate 24 becomes closed. As a result, the output signal of the AND gate 24 becomes the #L level. is maintained, and the count value of the counter 25 is "0".Then, the 111 measurement object 16 is further conveyed, and the irradiation light 2
1, the output signal of the light receiving element 22 becomes #L# level,
The output signal of the inverter 23 becomes #H# level, and the AND gate 24 becomes open. As a result, the t4) response string output by the encoder 18 is outputted via the AND gate 24, and the counter 25 counts the t4) response string. 21, that is, until the output signal of the light receiving element 22 reaches the IH# level again. As a result, the final count value of the counter 25 becomes a value corresponding to the length of the object to be measured (the length in the fjIIfs direction).

Note that the motor 10 in this embodiment. encoder 1s
The same effect can be obtained by using a pulse motor instead of sc, and by counting the drive pulses of the pulse motor to detect one rotation angle of the i<)less motor.

Further, the light emitting element 20. A limit switch is used instead of the light receiving terminal 22, and this limit switch is connected to the object to be measured 1.
A similar effect can be obtained even if the configuration is such that the signal 6 is in a suppressed state while it is passing.

Furthermore, this embodiment provides the following effects.

■20 light emitting elements for industrial transport robots. Light receiving element 22
．． All you have to do is add the counter 25, etc., so it can be produced at an extremely low cost. ■Arm 15 in transfer robot
Since the accuracy of position control is on the order of several hundredths of a meter, nrIL of length measurement can be increased to a similar accuracy. ■When the transport robot transports the object to be measured 16 to the machine tool, it can measure the length while transporting it, so it should be configured to output the length measurement results to the machine tool (for example, an NC machine). For example, the machine tool can know the dimensions of the material in terms of machining, and this allows the machine tool to perform appropriate machining that matches the dimensions.

■When the transport robot transports the workpiece 16 after processing from the machine tool, it can measure the length while transporting it, so if you compare this measurement result with a predetermined reference value, You can check for mistakes.

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a transport section for moving an object to be measured, a detection section provided along the transport direction of the object to be measured for detecting the object to be measured, and a transport amount of the transport section. and a pulse train output section that outputs a pulse train corresponding to the object to be measured, and while the detection section is detecting the object to be measured, the output signal of the pulse train output section is counted, so that the length can be measured with extremely high accuracy. You can get the advantage of being able to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of a conventional length measuring device.
Figure @2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. 10...Motor<m feeding section, ), 11.12...
...Gear (conveying section), 13... Ball screw (conveying section), 14... Bearing (conveying section), 15.
... Arm (transport section), 17... Hand (transport section), 20 ... Light emitting element (detection section), 2
2... Light receiving element (detection section), 23...
Inverter (counting section), 24...and gate (counting section), 25...counter (counting section). Applicant Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a detection section for detecting the object to be measured, which is provided along the conveyance direction of the object to be measured, to a transport section for transporting the object to be measured;
A pulse train output section that outputs a pulse train corresponding to the conveyance amount of the transport section, and a counting section that counts the output signal of the pulse train output section only while the detection section is detecting the object to be measured. A length measuring device featuring: