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US 6,480,286 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for measuring thickness variation of a thin sheet material, and probe reflector used in the apparatus
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Inudstrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsKeishi Kubo, Keiichi Yoshizumi, Yukio Imada, Hiroyuki Takeuchi, Koji Handa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical displacement gauges 20 are respectively arranged on both sides of a thin sheet material w, and displacement of surface position of the thin sheet material w is measured by irradiating measurement light L1 to the surface of the thin sheet material w. Thickness variation of the thin sheet material w is obtained from the measurement results of displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material w.
Claims11
An apparatus for measuring thickness variation of a thin sheet material, comprising:
- a support unit for rotatably supporting a thin sheet material;
- a pair of optical displacement gauges for irradiating measuring light onto a surface of the thin sheet material, and for receiving said measuring light reflected by the surface of the thin sheet material, by which displacement of surface position of the thin sheet material is measured;
- a calculation unit for obtaining thickness variation of the thin sheet material from the measured displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- an actuator for moving said optical displacement gauges in a direction along a radius of rotation of the thin sheet material;
- and
- each optical displacement gauge of said pair of optical displacement gauges including:
- a light output section for generating light comprising reference light and measuring light;
- a light separation and gathering section for separating said light output from the light output section into the measuring light and the reference light, said measuring light being irradiated onto the surface of the thin sheet material, and for gathering the measuring light reflected by the surface of the thin sheet material and the reference light together;
- a light receiving and calculation section for receiving the measuring light and the reference light gathered in the light separation and gathering section, and for calculating displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- and
- a converging lens disposed between said light output section and said light separation and gathering section for converging the light output from the light output section and feeding a converged beam into the light separation and gathering section.
8 more elements
An apparatus for measuring thickness variation of a thin sheet material, comprising:
- a support unit for rotatably supporting a thin sheet material;
- a pair of optical displacement gauges for irradiating measuring light onto a reflecting surface, and for receiving said measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface, by which displacement of surface position of the thin sheet material is measured;
- a calculation unit for obtaining thickness variation of the thin sheet material from the measured displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- and
- an actuator for moving said optical displacement gauges in a direction along a radius of rotation of the thin sheet material, wherein said optical displacement gauge comprises a probe reflector that is moved along the surface of the thin sheet material in contact therewith such as to follow the displacement in the surface position of the thin sheet material, and includes the reflecting surface disposed on the probe reflector for tracking surface variations of the thin sheet material, thereby permitting measurements of variations of the thin sheet material.
2 more elements
An apparatus for measuring thickness variation of a thin sheet material, comprising:
- a support unit for rotatably supporting a thin sheet material;
- a pair of optical displacement gauges for irradiating measuring light onto a reflecting surface, and for receiving said measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface, by which displacement of surface position of the thin sheet material is measured;
- a calculation unit for obtaining thickness variation of the thin sheet material from the measured displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- an actuator for moving said optical displacement gauges in a direction along a radius of rotation of the thin sheet material, wherein said optical displacement gauge includes a probe reflector, which comprises a base end fixedly mounted to a body of the optical displacement gauge, a free end including a probe that is brought in contact with the surface to be measured and the reflecting surface disposed on the probe reflector for tracking surface variations of the thin sheet material, thereby permitting measurements of variations of the thin sheet material, and a support arm for connecting said free end to the base end, comprising a pair of plate pieces that can be elastically deformed, said plate pieces being spaced from each other in a direction orthogonal to the surface to be measured and arranged parallel to each other.
1 more element
An apparatus for measuring thickness variation of a thin sheet material, comprising:
- a support unit for rotatably supporting a thin sheet material;
- a pair of optical displacement gauges for irradiating measuring light onto a reflecting surface, and for receiving said measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface, by which displacement of surface position of the thin sheet material is measured;
- a calculation unit for obtaining thickness variation of the thin sheet material from the measured displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- an actuator for moving said optical displacement gauges in a direction along a radius of rotation of the thin sheet material;
- each optical displacement gauge of said pair of optical displacement gauges including:
- a light output section for generating light comprising reference light and measuring light;
- a light separation and gathering section for separating said light output from the light output section into the measuring light and the reference light, said measuring light being irradiated onto the reflecting surface, and for gathering the measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface and the reference light together;
- a light receiving and calculation section for receiving the measuring light and the reference light gathered in the light separation and gathering section, and for calculating displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- and
- a converging lens disposed between said light output section and said light separation and gathering section for converging the light output from the light output section and feeding a converged beam into the light separation and gathering section;
- and
- a probe reflector that is moved along the surface of the thin sheet material in contact therewith such as to follow the displacement in the surface position of the thin sheet material and including the reflecting surface disposed on the probe reflector for tracking variations of the thin sheet material, thereby permitting measurements of variations of the thin sheet material.
9 more elements
An apparatus for measuring thickness variation of a thin sheet material, comprising:
- a support unit for rotatably supporting a thin sheet material;
- a pair of optical displacement gauges for irradiating measuring light onto a reflecting surface, and for receiving said measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface, by which displacement of surface position of the thin sheet material is measured;
- a calculation unit for obtaining thickness variation of the thin sheet material from the measured displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- an actuator for moving said optical displacement gauges in a direction along a radius of rotation of the thin sheet material;
- each optical displacement gauge of said pair of optical displacement gauges including:
- a light output section for generating light comprising reference light and measuring light;
- a light separation and gathering section for separating said light output from the light output section into the measuring light and the reference light, said measuring light being irradiated onto the reflecting surface, and for gathering the measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface and the reference light together;
- a light receiving and calculation section for receiving the measuring light and the reference light gathered in the light separation and gathering section, and for calculating displacement of the surface position of the thin sheet material;
- and
- a converging lens disposed between said light output section and said light separation and gathering section for converging the light output from the light output section and feeding a converged beam into the light separation and gathering section;
- and
- a probe reflector, which includes a base end fixedly mounted to a body of the optical displacement gauge, a free end including a probe that is brought in contact with the surface to be measured, and the reflecting surface disposed on the probe reflector for tracking surface variations of the thin sheet material, thereby permitting measurements of variations of the thin sheet material, and a support arm for connecting said free end to the base end, including a pair of plate pieces that can be elastically deformed, said plate pieces being spaced from each other in a direction orthogonal to the surface to be measured and arranged parallel to each other.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.